	Thomas Caestecker Chicago Budget Wine Examiner \| Bio My Bio Subscribe RSS Feed Favorites

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Tom Caestecker, Jr., is a Chicago-based Examiner. Despite a cantankerous streak, Tom appreciates fine dining, imbibing and the joy of life – at a reasonable price. tcaestecker@sbcglobal.net

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Chicago Budget Wine Examiner's Articles

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Bubbly holiday values, Part II

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 · 1 comment

All over town, merchandising gurus are placing sparkling wine at the ends of grocery aisles. It's a whole new take on the "audacity of...
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Ask the Sommelier: Q&A with Italian Village's Michael Taylor

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 · 3 comments

Chicago’s vibrant neighborhoods boast an array of restaurants with cutting-edge culinary expertise. However, some of the city’s most...
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Simplify the holidays with roasts and luscious reds

4 comments

One of the staple Christmas carols implores partaking in “a turkey and some mistletoe.” Although the latter is certainly a lip-smacking...
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Bubbly values for holiday celebrations, Part I

2 comments

The sound of a popping cork is often loudest in a championship locker room (World Series, Super Bowl, etc.). But there is no doubt that more of them...
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Ask the Sommelier: Q&A with Fernando Beteta of NoMI

2 comments

Warmth and hospitality are always in season. But being a good host means more than offering a chair and a smile – especially when one is a...
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Holiday budget wine index

The holidays are times of great merriment and even greater wine consumption. Obvious statements and inebriated relatives notwithstanding, hold this...
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Thanksgiving post-mortem: pizza and wine

4 comments

The day-after-Thanksgiving rituals can almost be worse than the hangover. Besides the fatigue – compounded by residual tryptophan –...
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Q&A with Que Syrah, a Chicago trailblazer in boutique wine

2 comments

The holiday season is almost here. (Actually, its obnoxious arrival at the national drug store chains occurred while fresh pumpkin guts still graced...
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Finding wines for game birds is no goose chase

The Hunter’s Moon might be on the wane, but the season is just getting started for game birds. Lunar cycles notwithstanding, this is when quail,...
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Discarded French wine grape warms to Chile

South American winemakers have taken lesser-known Bordeaux varietals and put them on the tips of consumers’ tongues… and palates. Perhaps...
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