Tag: sparkling wine

Our December Terroir Toast Is Gruet Sauvage Rosé from New Mexico
Today we’ll travel to New Mexico (in spirit) to taste the terroir in Gruet Sauvage Rosé sparkling wine. When we declared 2020 the year of terroir in our selection of wines for our monthly toast with sparkling wine, we didn’t know that this was a year when we would seldom leave our condo, except in spirit.

December is a time of looking back. We selected this wine in memory of our last gathering with friends on March 1st, and our excitement about a new restaurant, Grand Tour, from the team at our favorite hangout, Select Oyster.

In February, we tasted The Gruet Sauvage Blanc de Blanc at Grand Tour and decided to make it our wine of the month for March.

We also decided we hadn't seen enough of our roof deck crew over the winter and hosted a gathering at Grand Tour in their delightful, tiny dining room on the second floor.

What fun we had as we tasted our way through the menu to decide on the items for our party! We hold out hope that next Spring (after their winter hiatus) we'll be able to return to order takeout and perhaps, one day, sit at the bar.

Our Toast This Month

Today’s toast will be to the friends who gathered that day, to the great restaurant team that has always taken such wonderful care of us at Select and Grand Tour, and to Michael Serpa, the man behind these two restaurants, and his newest offering Atlantico Boston.

We'll also toast to all the restaurant folks, delivery people, and other service workers who have helped us this year.

What We’ve Learned About Gruet Sauvage Rosé
- 100% Pinot Noir which is our favorite grape for sparkling wines!
- 12.5% ABV which is a bit high for sparklers!
- No Dosage which should make it crisp!
Wine Enthusiast wrote:

“The aromas are fresh in this pale-salmon sparkling wine, showing yellow cherries, lillies and fresh baked rolls. The bubbles are pillowy in feel, while bright, tingling acidity wakes up the palate that offers flavors of brioche, lemon zest, juicy strawberry and cherry. It finishes on notes of yeasty brioche and preserved lemon.”

Trying wines from different places, made with various grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

Our bottle of Gruet Sauvage Rosé was delivered to us by Urban Grape for ~$25.

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post: Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino
December 1, 2020
Our December Terroir Toast Is Gruet Sauvage Rosé from New Mexico
Today we’ll travel to New Mexico (in spirit) to taste the terroir in Gruet Sauvage Rosé sparkling wine. When we declared 2020 the year of terroir in our selection of wines for our monthly toast with sparkling wine, we didn’t know that this was a year when we would seldom leave our condo, except in spirit.

December is a time of looking back. We selected this wine in memory of our last gathering with friends on March 1st, and our excitement about a new restaurant, Grand Tour, from the team at our favorite hangout, Select Oyster.

In February, we tasted The Gruet Sauvage Blanc de Blanc at Grand Tour and decided to make it our wine of the month for March.

We also decided we hadn't seen enough of our roof deck crew over the winter and hosted a gathering at Grand Tour in their delightful, tiny dining room on the second floor.

What fun we had as we tasted our way through the menu to decide on the items for our party! We hold out hope that next Spring (after their winter hiatus) we'll be able to return to order takeout and perhaps, one day, sit at the bar.

Our Toast This Month

Today’s toast will be to the friends who gathered that day, to the great restaurant team that has always taken such wonderful care of us at Select and Grand Tour, and to Michael Serpa, the man behind these two restaurants, and his newest offering Atlantico Boston.

We'll also toast to all the restaurant folks, delivery people, and other service workers who have helped us this year.

What We’ve Learned About Gruet Sauvage Rosé
- 100% Pinot Noir which is our favorite grape for sparkling wines!
- 12.5% ABV which is a bit high for sparklers!
- No Dosage which should make it crisp!
Wine Enthusiast wrote:

“The aromas are fresh in this pale-salmon sparkling wine, showing yellow cherries, lillies and fresh baked rolls. The bubbles are pillowy in feel, while bright, tingling acidity wakes up the palate that offers flavors of brioche, lemon zest, juicy strawberry and cherry. It finishes on notes of yeasty brioche and preserved lemon.”

Trying wines from different places, made with various grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

Our bottle of Gruet Sauvage Rosé was delivered to us by Urban Grape for ~$25.

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post: Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino
December 1, 2020
We’ll Toast November with Raventós i Blanc de Blancs

For all your small, safe celebrations this month, we suggest a budget-friendly sparkling wine from an outstanding producer Raventós i Blanc de Blancs. Like many of our favorite sparklers, this Spanish offering is a low 12% alcohol by volume, better for a small gathering, or even a solo diner in a time when we have to keep our heads clear.

Raventós i Blanc de Nit Took Us to Spain for Our February 1st Toast this year.

When shopping for last month's wine, we discovered another wine from this winemaker. Pepe Raventós represents the 21st generation of his family at a vineyard in operation since 1497.

Since this is our year of terroir, we added a couple of bottles to our delivery and look forward to tasting it today.

While this Blanc de Blanc is new to us, we have a feeling we'll like it because two of our favorite wine mentors, Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli from Alcove and Michael Serpa from Select Oyster Bar, Grand Tour, and Atlantico are both fans of this winemaker and vineyard.

We'll let the folks at Raventos tell you about the terroir of their vineyard where this wine begins:

"The Vinya del Llac is a vineyard that faces north. The clay soils release water slowly throughout the vegetative cycle and, deep beneath the surface, we find calcareous bedrock with incrusted pebbles, which limit the water reserve, giving the grapes in this flagship plot more structure. The influence of the lake in this symbolic vineyard moderates the climatic conditions, avoids heatwaves and favours long ripening. It is a Blanc de Blancs due to its three native white grape varieties: Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Parellada."

We found tasting notes on the wine here:

"The Blanc de Blancs 2016 of Raventos i Blanc shows off a bright straw yellow color in the glass with a stream of fine bubbles flowing continuously to the top. In the glass, this Spanish sparkling wine displays a complex blend of white fruits (peaches and apricots) with Mediterranean herbs, dried fruits and hints of citrus. On the palate, this wine reveals itself to be very powerful and full of flavor, with the carbonation expertly integrated and beautifully balanced."

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchase our bottle at Gordon's Wine for ~$23.00

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

November 1, 2020
We’ll Toast September with Cabernet Franc! It’s Louis de Grenelle Saumur Rosé

We are year-round rosé fans and Louis de Grenelle Saumur Rosé is a 100% Cabernet Franc sparkling rosé from the Loire Valley. We've enjoyed this wine in many fine dining restaurants over the years. This bottle came from our "local" (as in favorite local pub) Cornwall's in Kenmore Square.

We added a bottle to a recent take-out order. We were looking for a well-loved sparkling wine for September and recalled this one that Penny has sipped so many times at the bar at Cornwall's. One of the reasons this place is a favorite is that Ed can enjoy their many draft beers and Penny will still have a choice of very nice wines. (We also enjoy the warm welcome and fun we have with the Cornwall team.)

That 1859 on the label is the year the family began making wines in Saumur.

Today, Françoise Flao heads the company and as they say, "With passion at the heart of her work, more than ever she cultivates her knowledge of the terroirs and the diversity of their grape varieties. Her knowledge of the land and the vine strengthens her links with the winemakers and enables her to control the quality of the grapes which give these wines their typical style."

In past writings about this wine, we've said:

"Like many rosés, this one always brings on a smile."

“It’s a very pretty pink, touched with just a little peach, with a light effervescence.”

"We could detect a little almond on the nose, maybe some strawberry. It has a nice dry background. To really appreciate this sparkler, don’t over-chill it!"

Here's the back label to let you know this wine comes from a very good importer, European Cellars, and is just 12% ABV.

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchase our bottle to go at Cornwall's for $22.00

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2012-2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

September 1, 2020
We’ll Toast September with Cabernet Franc! It’s Louis de Grenelle Saumur Rosé

We are year-round rosé fans and Louis de Grenelle Saumur Rosé is a 100% Cabernet Franc sparkling rosé from the Loire Valley. We've enjoyed this wine in many fine dining restaurants over the years. This bottle came from our "local" (as in favorite local pub) Cornwall's in Kenmore Square.

We added a bottle to a recent take-out order. We were looking for a well-loved sparkling wine for September and recalled this one that Penny has sipped so many times at the bar at Cornwall's. One of the reasons this place is a favorite is that Ed can enjoy their many draft beers and Penny will still have a choice of very nice wines. (We also enjoy the warm welcome and fun we have with the Cornwall team.)

That 1859 on the label is the year the family began making wines in Saumur.

Today, Françoise Flao heads the company and as they say, "With passion at the heart of her work, more than ever she cultivates her knowledge of the terroirs and the diversity of their grape varieties. Her knowledge of the land and the vine strengthens her links with the winemakers and enables her to control the quality of the grapes which give these wines their typical style."

In past writings about this wine, we've said:

"Like many rosés, this one always brings on a smile."

“It’s a very pretty pink, touched with just a little peach, with a light effervescence.”

"We could detect a little almond on the nose, maybe some strawberry. It has a nice dry background. To really appreciate this sparkler, don’t over-chill it!"

Here's the back label to let you know this wine comes from a very good importer, European Cellars, and is just 12% ABV.

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchase our bottle to go at Cornwall's for $22.00

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2012-2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

September 1, 2020
On April 1, 2020 We Toast the Franco Family in Valdobbiadene with Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco

Since 2020 is our year of exploring the terroir of sparkling wines, we knew we'd include a selection from Nino Franco. This family of winemakers has been working for 100 years at distinguishing wines produced in Valdobbiadene from other proseccos. Over the past month, our thoughts have been with them hoping the vineyards provide a safe haven. Salute! Good health to you and your neighbors from your friends in Boston.

As we write this post, we're sheltering in place and choosing our sparkling wine of the month from our own wine rack. Fortunately, we usually have a few bottles of Nino Franco Rustico on hand. Today we are going to lift a glass and share with you some of our favorite photos of enjoying other bottles of this lovely wine.

This time, instead of gathering friends on our roof deck, we'll connect over the Internet and raise our glasses from a safe distance. We hope you will do the same and use our monthly toast to connect with someone you are missing.

About the attention to the grape and the place, Nino Franco says, "At the beginning of the 90s, convinced that you need to control production right from the origins to obtain a good wine, Primo took over the running of a vineyard where he experimented with new planting techniques and the use of old clones."

This year Primo Franco released a book on the passion the family has towards their products, "The Prosecco Way of Life."

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchased our bottle at Gordon's for ~$25.00.

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

April 1, 2020
On April 1, 2020 We Toast the Franco Family in Valdobbiadene with Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco

Since 2020 is our year of exploring the terroir of sparkling wines, we knew we'd include a selection from Nino Franco. This family of winemakers has been working for 100 years at distinguishing wines produced in Valdobbiadene from other proseccos. Over the past month, our thoughts have been with them hoping the vineyards provide a safe haven. Salute! Good health to you and your neighbors from your friends in Boston.

As we write this post, we're sheltering in place and choosing our sparkling wine of the month from our own wine rack. Fortunately, we usually have a few bottles of Nino Franco Rustico on hand. Today we are going to lift a glass and share with you some of our favorite photos of enjoying other bottles of this lovely wine.

This time, instead of gathering friends on our roof deck, we'll connect over the Internet and raise our glasses from a safe distance. We hope you will do the same and use our monthly toast to connect with someone you are missing.

About the attention to the grape and the place, Nino Franco says, "At the beginning of the 90s, convinced that you need to control production right from the origins to obtain a good wine, Primo took over the running of a vineyard where he experimented with new planting techniques and the use of old clones."

This year Primo Franco released a book on the passion the family has towards their products, "The Prosecco Way of Life."

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchased our bottle at Gordon's for ~$25.00.

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

April 1, 2020
Today We Celebrate December and 100 Years of Nino Franco with a Bottle of Nino Franco Rustico

We are starting December 2019 with a longtime favorite sparkling wine, Nino Franco Rustico. We have been enjoying, recommending, and writing about this wine for more than a decade. Now wine experts around the world are catching on to a great thing. (More about that below.)

The last time we raised a glass to the wonderful people at Nino Franco, it was with the bottle Silvia Franco was signing in the photo below. Back then we joined them long distance as they celebrated the 30th vintage of their Primo Franco. As they raised their glasses in Valdobbiadene, we opened this bottle and toasted them here in Boston.

After a few years as Internet friends, we were happy to meet Silvia in person on a trip to Boston. It was good to learn that she is as nice, smart, and sharing in person as she is with her social media friends.

Today we'll raise a glass to Silvia Franco and her family as they celebrate 100 years of Nino Franco vintages. Please take a relaxing moment with Silvia and her family as they tell you about the wines and the place they love, protect, and celebrate in the video below.

Not only will we congratulate this family on 100 years of winemaking, but also for their Rustico winning the number one spot on Wine Enthusiast's best-of-the-best list "THE ENTHUSIAST 100 WINES OF 2019" with a rating of 94 out of 100. That is along with many more honors for their other wines.

We purchased our bottle at Gordon's for ~$25.00. (A special thank you to our friend Vinnie who supplied the ride to Waltham to renew our supply of this favorite wine.)

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month! Join us in our Sparkling Resolution.

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this post is a category, it will appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2019 Penny & Ed Cherubino with a few additions from the Nino Franco site.

December 1, 2019
Today We Celebrate December and 100 Years of Nino Franco with a Bottle of Nino Franco Rustico

We are starting December 2019 with a longtime favorite sparkling wine, Nino Franco Rustico. We have been enjoying, recommending, and writing about this wine for more than a decade. Now wine experts around the world are catching on to a great thing. (More about that below.)

The last time we raised a glass to the wonderful people at Nino Franco, it was with the bottle Silvia Franco was signing in the photo below. Back then we joined them long distance as they celebrated the 30th vintage of their Primo Franco. As they raised their glasses in Valdobbiadene, we opened this bottle and toasted them here in Boston.

After a few years as Internet friends, we were happy to meet Silvia in person on a trip to Boston. It was good to learn that she is as nice, smart, and sharing in person as she is with her social media friends.

Today we'll raise a glass to Silvia Franco and her family as they celebrate 100 years of Nino Franco vintages. Please take a relaxing moment with Silvia and her family as they tell you about the wines and the place they love, protect, and celebrate in the video below.

Not only will we congratulate this family on 100 years of winemaking, but also for their Rustico winning the number one spot on Wine Enthusiast's best-of-the-best list "THE ENTHUSIAST 100 WINES OF 2019" with a rating of 94 out of 100. That is along with many more honors for their other wines.

We purchased our bottle at Gordon's for ~$25.00. (A special thank you to our friend Vinnie who supplied the ride to Waltham to renew our supply of this favorite wine.)

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month! Join us in our Sparkling Resolution.

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this post is a category, it will appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2019 Penny & Ed Cherubino with a few additions from the Nino Franco site.

December 1, 2019
Toasting July with Szigeti Grüner Veltliner Brut

On a recent check of our wine rack, we remembered enjoying a few bottles of Szigeti Grüner Veltliner Brut over the years. We first toasted with this back in 2011. It's time to share the remaining bottle with friends at our July 1st toast to a Happy New Month.

This wine is from Austria and is made from 100% Grüner Veltliner grapes. This is a grape we turn to when we're eating foods that are difficult to pair with wine, like salads, asparagus, or artichokes. It's a food-friendly wine, also perfect with seafood, oysters, fried, salty, fatty dishes. As a grape we just enjoy, we often try any bottle we spot by a new producer on a wine list.

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

This is another wine from a trusted importer, Winebow. If you ever see us shopping for wine, you'll notice us reading the back labels to see who selected this wine to import or distribute. When in doubt, we opt for someone who has introduced us to wonderful wines in the past.

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2019 Penny Cherubino

July 1, 2019