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Feinstein Gives Wine, Blames it on San Jose’s Beards

NHL's Stanley Cup finals bet between Feinstein and Casey was paid off

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey accepts a box of wine from California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, decorated with images from the Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup victory as Feinstein pays up on her hockey bet in Casey's office. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey accepts a box of wine from California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, decorated with images from the Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup victory as Feinstein pays up on her hockey bet in Casey's office. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein upheld her end of a NHL Stanley Cup finals bet by personally delivering a box of California chardonnay to her Pennsylvania colleague’s office.  

While she didn’t actually carry the case herself, she presented the box to Sen. Bob Casey in his Hart office to acknowledge the Pittsburgh Penguins’ win over the San Jose Sharks.  

The box was covered in black wrapping paper and decorated with photographs of the Pittsburgh team and the Stanley Cup.  

And, Feinstein had some photographs of her own.  

She showed pictures of two of San Jose’s players to Casey. “They have a lot of beard,” she said. “It might be good if they shave their beard for next year, they might go faster.”  

“I salute your team, we lost fair and square,” Feinstein said.  

The wine was a Sonoma Coast Chardonnay purchased in D.C.  

“Chardonnays are really expensive, this is sort of moderate priced at $20,” she said as to why she chose this brand. Her favorite wine —Blackburn Chardonnay — must be purchased at the California vineyard, she said.  

“You have a few senators who might come over for a drink,” she joked with Casey.  

If San Jose had won, Casey would have owed her Wigle whiskey, which is made in Pittsburgh.  

The Pennsylvania Democrat pointed out to Feinstein that they were standing where President John F. Kennedy positioned his desk when the office belonged to him  as a senator from Massachusetts. Then the two looked at old photographs of Kennedy that hang in Casey’s office.  

On her way out, Feinstein pointed to a Sandy Hook T-shirt Casey had on display.  

“I’m honored by this,” she said of the tribute to 20 school kids and six adults killed in a mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. Casey thanked her for her work on gun control measures .  

Before Feinstein arrived, Casey was joking with his communications director John Rizzo about his love of the Pittsburgh Penguins.  

The two attended a game against the Washington Capitals. “He did a Chris Murphy ,” Casey said, sharing that Rizzo stood during the entire game à la the Connecticut senator who concluded a nearly 15-hour filibuster for gun control legislation early Thursday morning.   

Casey said that he personally watched every game but one of the Cup finals. And asked about his favorite alcoholic beverage: “Yuengling is the leader, no question,” he said of the Pennsylvania beer.  

If the Golden State Warriors fail to repeat as champions against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, Feinstein will also owe Ohio GOP Sen. Rob Portman a case of chardonnay.


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