Tag: Urban Grape

We Toast May 1, 2024 with a Bottle of Dibon Cava from Oz Wines.

This is our year of toasts saluting our wine heroes. Andrew Bishop, Founder and CEO of Oz Wine Company, certainly deserves recognition. This month, we'll raise a glass of one of their great-value wines, Dibon Cava. In addition to providing us with a great selection of wines as both an importer and distributor, Oz Wines is located in Methuen, MA, so we are supporting a local business.

We have our usual details about the Dibon Cava below. However, we also want to tell you a bit about Oz wines and how we use experts like Andrew Bishop to select more interesting wines. We know we are likely to enjoy his selections.

When we're in a great wine shop looking for a new wine, we always turn the bottle over to see the name of the importer. If the wine was imported by a trusted resource like Oz Wines, it makes our short list. Then, we will ask the shop assistants for a bit more information and their opinion on this selection. We might mention other Oz Wines imports and distributes to give a clue to our taste.

Occasionally, we go to the Oz website to find more information. Once, when we bought our first Portuguese Sparkling wine, Filipa Pato's 3B Rosé, we contacted the importer to improve our wine education. This post from 2012 is an example of an Andrew Bishop educational chat.

Now back to Dibon Cava! Here's what we said back in 2012

Except for the price, which is still reasonable in today's dollars, it still holds true today.

"Dibon Cava Brut Reserve ($9.99) is so impressive, you’ll want to share this find with every wine-lover you know. If “balance” is a fault, then it’s this wine’s only fault! It will please a wide range of tastes– not too dry or too fruity. A light nose that reminded us of citrus? lemon curd? No, dried apricot.

It's light, refreshing, and inviting. Very food-friendly (spicy chicken wings, potatoes, roasted root vegetables worked for us). This cava also shines all on it’s own! And, it was still very good as it warmed."

We purchase our current bottle at Urban Grape for $14.00.

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!

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

May 1, 2024
We’ll Toast April 1, 2024 and Women in Wine with a Glass of NV Camille Savés “Carte Blanche” Grand Cru Brut
Our April 1, 2024 toast will salute the women who have and still are paving the way for women to make their way into the world of wine from workers, winemakers, and vineyard owners. In addition, there all the women teaching others about wine in shops, restaurants, and media. This is our year of recognizing wine heroes and the women who have fought for, made a place for themselves in the wine business, and then reached a helping hand back to other women who are HEROS!

We raise a glass of NV Camille Savés "Carte Blanche" Grand Cru Brut for all women in wine, past and present. The New York Times wine expert Eric Asimov's article "The Wine Heiresses Apparent" is recommended reading on this topic. Here is an article on Women Who Influence Wine today. Finally, a piece about Notable First Women in Wine History

This is a fantastic half bottle of Champagne that we've enjoyed locally while dining out. We also love the Camille Savés N.V. Brut Rose Grand Cru Champagne.

Here's what we learned about this wine and this wine family.
- This is a Pinot-forward Champagne blend with 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay both from Bouzy Grand Cru vineyards. This represents the Camille Savés house style.
- The Urban Grape description is, "The wine offers up a superb nose of apple, quince, bread dough, a complex base of chalky soil tones and a nice top note of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and beautifully delineated, with a fine core, crisp acids, lovely focus and balance, delicate mousse and fine grip on the long and classy finish."
"THE SAVÈS FAMILY has lived in the heart of Bouzy since 1894, as indicated in some registers that still exist today."

"…over the years, Louis, Camille and Hervé have followed in their father’s footsteps as head of the House, perpetuating the family values that established its reputation."

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes and produced by various methods, adds spice to our monthly ritual.

Since 2007, we've raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchased our half bottle at The Urban Grape for $40.00. We ordered our bottle online and picked it up at our convenience. As always, this excellent wine store provides great service.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino
April 1, 2024
For Our July 2022 Toast We Raise a Glass of Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs to Great Importers!

Today we will toast all the great wine importers whose work and skill have introduced us to great wines with a glass of Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from Neal Rosenthal Wine Merchant.

This is one of the few Blanc de Blanc or all Chardonnay Champagnes we like. We would normally select a Pinot Noir forward Champagne. However, the very fact that this one was from Neal Rosenthal made us try it.

Neal Rosenthal describes it, "From this renowned grand cru in the southern tier of the Cote des Blancs, Larmandier’s Cramant is textbook stuff: beautifully brioche-y, yet with a driving floral elegance and an effortlessly pungent minerality characteristic of Chardonnay grown in a place where it’s truly at home."

When you find a wine you love, turn the bottle around and look at the back label. A few of our favorite importers like Neal Rosenthall, Kermit Lynch, and Oz Wines make it easy by proudly displaying their identification in an easy-to-find fashion.

Sometimes you'll have to hunt for the information. To find great importers you can also ask your local wine mentors. For us, a wine mentor is someone who adds to our ongoing education in all things wine and wine-related.

If someone has a great wine list, they probably have a few importers that they depend on to provide a dependable selection of wines that fit their palate.

We've also enjoyed half bottles of this lovely Champagne at Select Oyster Bar over the years. It's not always on their list but when it is, we recommend you give it a try.

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 half bottle at Urban Grape for $42.00

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

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 1, 2022
For Our July 2022 Toast We Raise a Glass of Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs to Great Importers!

Today we will toast all the great wine importers whose work and skill have introduced us to great wines with a glass of Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from Neal Rosenthal Wine Merchant.

This is one of the few Blanc de Blanc or all Chardonnay Champagnes we like. We would normally select a Pinot Noir forward Champagne. However, the very fact that this one was from Neal Rosenthal made us try it.

Neal Rosenthal describes it, "From this renowned grand cru in the southern tier of the Cote des Blancs, Larmandier’s Cramant is textbook stuff: beautifully brioche-y, yet with a driving floral elegance and an effortlessly pungent minerality characteristic of Chardonnay grown in a place where it’s truly at home."

When you find a wine you love, turn the bottle around and look at the back label. A few of our favorite importers like Neal Rosenthall, Kermit Lynch, and Oz Wines make it easy by proudly displaying their identification in an easy-to-find fashion.

Sometimes you'll have to hunt for the information. To find great importers you can also ask your local wine mentors. For us, a wine mentor is someone who adds to our ongoing education in all things wine and wine-related.

If someone has a great wine list, they probably have a few importers that they depend on to provide a dependable selection of wines that fit their palate.

We've also enjoyed half bottles of this lovely Champagne at Select Oyster Bar over the years. It's not always on their list but when it is, we recommend you give it a try.

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 half bottle at Urban Grape for $42.00

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

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 1, 2022
Our June 2022 Toast Will Be in Praise of Half Bottles

Once upon a time, we were known to friends as the couple who always had a half bottle of something sparkling chilling in the refrigerator if they had a reason to celebrate! We bought cases of the very well-made but relatively inexpensive Gruet Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noir to pop open when someone landed a new account, received good news, or simply felt like a quick celebration of a lovely day.

Memories of these spontaneous toasts sent us out to stock up on more half-bottles of great sparkling wines.

At the Urban Grape, we chose three selections: NV Bruno Paillard Premiere Cuvee Extra Brut 375ml (Champagne, FR) at $40, NV Guy Larmandier Cramant Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs 375ml (Champagne, FR) at $42, and just for fun the Hakutsuru "Awa Yuki" Sparkling Sake (Japan) at $8.

We popped open the Bruno Paillard for a quiet anniversary celebration.

It was highly recommended by the Urban Grape staff as a Champagne that would fit our taste. It is a fabulous food wine and stood up to the big flavors of our stinky cheese, salumi, and focaccia. It was a spot-on recommendation and we'll pick up a couple more bottles on our next South End walk.

Here are the labels for a few 375ml bottles of old favorites we'll add to our next Gordon's Wine order!

When dining out, we love enjoying great bottles of wine with friends. However, when it's the two of us, we choose from the wines by the glass. We would love to have more half-bottle options on wine lists. That will only happen when more of us order the half-bottles restaurants do offer. We enjoyed this half bottle of Deutz Classic Brut Champagne on the Select Oyster Bar patio!

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!

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

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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: ©2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino ( Labels courtesy of Gordon's Wine)

June 1, 2022
Our June 2022 Toast Will Be in Praise of Half Bottles

Once upon a time, we were known to friends as the couple who always had a half bottle of something sparkling chilling in the refrigerator if they had a reason to celebrate! We bought cases of the very well-made but relatively inexpensive Gruet Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noir to pop open when someone landed a new account, received good news, or simply felt like a quick celebration of a lovely day.

Memories of these spontaneous toasts sent us out to stock up on more half-bottles of great sparkling wines.

At the Urban Grape, we chose three selections: NV Bruno Paillard Premiere Cuvee Extra Brut 375ml (Champagne, FR) at $40, NV Guy Larmandier Cramant Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs 375ml (Champagne, FR) at $42, and just for fun the Hakutsuru "Awa Yuki" Sparkling Sake (Japan) at $8.

We popped open the Bruno Paillard for a quiet anniversary celebration.

It was highly recommended by the Urban Grape staff as a Champagne that would fit our taste. It is a fabulous food wine and stood up to the big flavors of our stinky cheese, salumi, and focaccia. It was a spot-on recommendation and we'll pick up a couple more bottles on our next South End walk.

Here are the labels for a few 375ml bottles of old favorites we'll add to our next Gordon's Wine order!

When dining out, we love enjoying great bottles of wine with friends. However, when it's the two of us, we choose from the wines by the glass. We would love to have more half-bottle options on wine lists. That will only happen when more of us order the half-bottles restaurants do offer. We enjoyed this half bottle of Deutz Classic Brut Champagne on the Select Oyster Bar patio!

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!

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: ©2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino ( Labels courtesy of Gordon's Wine)

June 1, 2022
Our Pick to Toast October 2021 Is Camille Saves N.V. Brut Rose Grand Cru Champagne

We have a few things to celebrate in October so we'll begin with a glass of Camille Saves N.V. Brut Rose Grand Cru Champagne. Camille Saves and her brothers are the current generation of stewards on land their family has had since 1894.

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!

Here's what we learned:

One of the great wine descriptions of all time was the one from WineCountry.com about this selection,

"Hands down one of the sexiest Brut Roses we have. Made from 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir and a wine I have always called, 'A librarian in fishnet stockings, smart and sexy as hell' and it is doing its thing like crazy right now. Black fruit, pie dough, citrus, sweet cured ham and all with perfect bone structure and curves."

We purchase our bottle at Urban Grape for $72. Another great recommendation from Tray!

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

October 1, 2021
Our Pick to Toast October 2021 Is Camille Saves N.V. Brut Rose Grand Cru Champagne

We have a few things to celebrate in October so we'll begin with a glass of Camille Saves N.V. Brut Rose Grand Cru Champagne. Camille Saves and her brothers are the current generation of stewards on land their family has had since 1894.

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!

Here's what we learned:

One of the great wine descriptions of all time was the one from WineCountry.com about this selection,

"Hands down one of the sexiest Brut Roses we have. Made from 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir and a wine I have always called, 'A librarian in fishnet stockings, smart and sexy as hell' and it is doing its thing like crazy right now. Black fruit, pie dough, citrus, sweet cured ham and all with perfect bone structure and curves."

We purchase our bottle at Urban Grape for $72. Another great recommendation from Tray!

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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

October 1, 2021
Our August 2021 Toast Will Be Fizzante with Gönc Winery “Canvas” Pet-Nat Pinot Blanc

For August 2021 we will take our handy bottle opener and remove the cap from a bottle of Gönc Winery "Canvas" Pet-Nat Pinot Blanc.

When Penny popped into Urban Grape during a recent Zipcar trip, she described our monthly toast with a sparkling or frizzante wine, our search for wines from new places, grapes, or vineyards, and a bit about our taste preferences. Their staff person, Tray, was knowledgeable and helpful. She recommended three exciting prospects including this one.

Today's wine is from a new vineyard for us Gönc, and a new country Slovenia! What's more neither of us can remember a fizzante pinot blanc and this is one of Penny's favorite varietals.

It is also a naturally sparkling "Pet-Nat" or, as the French say, “pétillant naturel” wine. In the photo above, you can see the yeast that collected as the wine rested in our wine rack. Food and Wine in an article on Pet-nat explains, "Many are also unfined and unfiltered, and may include some leftover yeast cells, which can lead to a slightly cloudy or hazy appearance. (All this is fine to drink.)"

You may also notice the special crown cap. This is one made with, "…special liners compatible with the vinification and fermentation process…"

Here's one description of the wine that has us looking forward to our toasting time. "These effervescent, refreshing bubbles with smells of fresh lemon and minerals, crisp pear and almonds springing from the bottle."

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 Urban Grape for $25.00.

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

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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: ©2021 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 1, 2021
We’ll Toast July 2021 with Our First Rose Prosecco! La Gioiosa Prosecco Rosé

La Gioiosa Prosecco Rosé sounds like a perfect wine to toast July 2021. La Gioiosa means “The Joyous” and, as we slowly get out and about, that's how we feel. Rosé proseccos are also a new thing! And, we love trying new wines.

This one is made up of Glera, the traditional prosecco grape and Pinot Noir, one of our favorite wine grapes! It's a slim 11% Alcohol by Volume making it a great wine to sip on a hot summer evening.

The winemaker's tasting notes say:

"Delicate rose in color with hints of pomegranate, the wine is extremely fresh and aromatic with notes of rose and pomegranate on the nose. On the palate, it’s silky and full-bodied with gorgeous balance between its fruit and floral notes."

We purchased our bottle at Urban Grape for $18.00.

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!

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: ©2021 Penny Cherubino and La Gioiosa

July 1, 2021