bostonzest

Author: Ed

  • Nigl Brut de Brut – A Gruner with Bubbles!

    DSC_9435 - Version 22013-11-01-Nigl Brut de brut- 2005-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    While on the lookout for a worthy sparkler to ring-in December, as part of our Sparkling Resolution, we discovered a Gruner Veltliner with bubbles – the 2005 Nigl Brut de Brut.

    Since Gruner has been a long-time favorite with us, the addition of fizz, and in this case Chardonnay, seemed like an interesting marriage. Well, we’re here to say, “It’s wedded bliss!”  

    DSC_9541 - Version 22013-11-01-Nigl Brut de brut- 2005-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    These new "wine" glasses were inspired by running out of glasses to share a wine with neighbors on a recent Ptown vacation. We substituted a martini glass that worked well and was fun!

    This Austrian sparkler is definitely food-friendly, but also very enjoyable all by itself. Followers of wine site CellarTracker said it best, tasting “…flavors of tart apple with peach,” calling the Nigl Brut de Brut “…dry, crisp, with racy acidity,” "…quite spirited and fun to drink,” and “…a very nice alternative to Champagne.”

    DSC_9493 - Version 22013-11-01-Nigl Brut de brut- 2005-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Choosing a sparkling version of a familiar wine might not always be this satisfying, but we’ll try it again. In fact, if you’re looking for a holiday gift for someone who likes wine and has a favorite grape, see if there’s a sparkling version?

    We found our bottle of 2005 Nigl Brut de Brut at The Urban Grape, South End.
       
    Here’s a peek at Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List!

    …And, Sunday Dog will return to this spot, next week!

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • The North End Two Ways from Matt Conti

    Earlier this year, Matt Conti took over the site North End Boston. It is the perfect companion for his original site, North End Waterfront. Between the two sites, you can keep up with the latest news about this important Boston neighborhood and find the resources, places, and sites you want.

    Matt, I'm thankful for all the hard work you do for your community!

    North End Boston

    North End Boston offers a set of resources for those interested in the North End as a place to visit or live. It can be a great site to send to anyone who is coming to Boston as a visitor or to find new places to go, things to see, and dining options in the North End. 

    North end waterfront

    North End Waterfront is the site for news, information, and community conversation about the neighborhood. As large, mainstream media covers less and less local news, sites like this become more and more valuable to me. 

    Keep up the good work Matt! And, please keep dropping in those great North End Waterfront puzzles from time to time. I appreciate a few minutes of fun every now and them.

    What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and TV shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

  • The North End Two Ways from Matt Conti

    Earlier this year, Matt Conti took over the site North End Boston. It is the perfect companion for his original site, North End Waterfront. Between the two sites, you can keep up with the latest news about this important Boston neighborhood and find the resources, places, and sites you want.

    Matt, I'm thankful for all the hard work you do for your community!

    North End Boston

    North End Boston offers a set of resources for those interested in the North End as a place to visit or live. It can be a great site to send to anyone who is coming to Boston as a visitor or to find new places to go, things to see, and dining options in the North End. 

    North end waterfront

    North End Waterfront is the site for news, information, and community conversation about the neighborhood. As large, mainstream media covers less and less local news, sites like this become more and more valuable to me. 

    Keep up the good work Matt! And, please keep dropping in those great North End Waterfront puzzles from time to time. I appreciate a few minutes of fun every now and them.

    What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and TV shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

  • Happy Thanksgiving from the BostonZest Team!

    DSC_0089 - Version 22013-11-14-thanksgiving-short-cover-© 2011 Penny Cherubino copy

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from the team here at BostonZest!

    We are grateful to all of you who follow along, send us emails, add comments, and follow us on Twitter. We send special thanks to everyone who supports this site by stopping here first before ordering from Amazon. 

    And, we thank those of you who have signed up on Dropbox, Uber, or Zipcar (over in the sidebar) from here. In those cases, we can give you a bit of free service and get a bit for ourselves. 

    Have a wonderful holiday season!

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Holiday Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Happy Thanksgiving from the BostonZest Team!

    DSC_0089 - Version 22013-11-14-thanksgiving-short-cover-© 2011 Penny Cherubino copy

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from the team here at BostonZest!

    We are grateful to all of you who follow along, send us emails, add comments, and follow us on Twitter. We send special thanks to everyone who supports this site by stopping here first before ordering from Amazon. 

    And, we thank those of you who have signed up on Dropbox, Uber, or Zipcar (over in the sidebar) from here. In those cases, we can give you a bit of free service and get a bit for ourselves. 

    Have a wonderful holiday season!

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Holiday Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • A Case of Cava for the Holidays

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    Cavas, like this Dibon Brut Reserve, are some of our favorite value sparkling wines.

    Having a case of a good wine on hand during the holidays can save time when you need a gift, have a reason to celebrate, or want to contribute something nice to a pot luck or BYOB party. Having a case of sparkling wine can add even more fun to those events.

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    Cavas come in white and rosé versions. Often, a producer will offer both, as is the case with Grand Sarao. 

    These Spanish sparklers must be made by the traditional method or méthode champenoise, and they must follow the rules of the Denominación de Origen (DO) to achieve Cava status.

    This is a great time of year to attend tastings at your local wine merchant to help you decide which wines are good values and which you would like to have on hand.

    Remember our recommendation from this post about a favorite value sparkler from Italy:

    "Please don't give your clients, business associates, and friends the wines you see in TV ads as holiday gifts. A good wine shop, like Bauer, can recommend a good wine value that you can give with pride. And, it will be one that will please both the occasional sipper and wine aficionado."

    Take the time to find a good wine at a good price and then use sales and case discounts to make that a great buy.

    Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

    The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

    The New Wine Lover's Companion

    The Wine Bible

     

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2009-2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Nino Franco Rustico: A Wine for Holiday Gifts & Celebrations
    Discovering November Bubbles! Canard-Duchêne Comes to U.S.

  • A Case of Cava for the Holidays

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016761614856970b-800wi

    Cavas, like this Dibon Brut Reserve, are some of our favorite value sparkling wines.

    Having a case of a good wine on hand during the holidays can save time when you need a gift, have a reason to celebrate, or want to contribute something nice to a pot luck or BYOB party. Having a case of sparkling wine can add even more fun to those events.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834019101a77f58970c-800wi

    Cavas come in white and rosé versions. Often, a producer will offer both, as is the case with Grand Sarao. 

    These Spanish sparklers must be made by the traditional method or méthode champenoise, and they must follow the rules of the Denominación de Origen (DO) to achieve Cava status.

    This is a great time of year to attend tastings at your local wine merchant to help you decide which wines are good values and which you would like to have on hand.

    Remember our recommendation from this post about a favorite value sparkler from Italy:

    "Please don't give your clients, business associates, and friends the wines you see in TV ads as holiday gifts. A good wine shop, like Bauer, can recommend a good wine value that you can give with pride. And, it will be one that will please both the occasional sipper and wine aficionado."

    Take the time to find a good wine at a good price and then use sales and case discounts to make that a great buy.

    Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

    The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

    The New Wine Lover's Companion

    The Wine Bible

     

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2009-2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Nino Franco Rustico: A Wine for Holiday Gifts & Celebrations
    Discovering November Bubbles! Canard-Duchêne Comes to U.S.

  • Final Outdoor Markets of the Season

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    Today and tomorrow are the final days for the outdoor markets around Boston. We'll be stopping by Copley Square to say, "au revoir" to many old friends.

    We'll be stocking up on a few more jars of Maine Homestead's sassy, Sweet & Spicy Pickles among other things. (Yes, the folks at Maine Homestead jumped through all the Boston bureaucratic hoops and the pickles are back!)

    Take a walk to your favorite market, one more time, and be sure to ask your special vendors where you can get their products during the winter. Some have found a few, new options.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Holiday Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Final Outdoor Markets of the Season

    BZcmnCNCcAADBni

    Today and tomorrow are the final days for the outdoor markets around Boston. We'll be stopping by Copley Square to say, "au revoir" to many old friends.

    We'll be stocking up on a few more jars of Maine Homestead's sassy, Sweet & Spicy Pickles among other things. (Yes, the folks at Maine Homestead jumped through all the Boston bureaucratic hoops and the pickles are back!)

    Take a walk to your favorite market, one more time, and be sure to ask your special vendors where you can get their products during the winter. Some have found a few, new options.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Holiday Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • He Roller Skied from Hopkinton to Boston

    PC2_1182 - Version 22013-11-23-ski-skater-marathon-finish-line-© 2011 Penny Cherubino (1)

    Over the weekend, we came upon this guy who told us he had roller skied from Hopkinton to the Boston Marathon finish line.

    When he noticed Penny taking his photo, he asked if she could take one with his iPhone. She did and he gave it his thumbs up. Hope he had a ride home after his workout.

    Update 11.26.13: The man in the photo is Ari Ofsevit . He left a comment here and you can learn more about his workout over on Universal Hub where he was kind enough to respond to all the questions and comments UH readers posted. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a holiday gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.