Tag: bubbly

Join Us as We Toast February 2015 with Charles de Cazanove Champagne
On this snowy first day of the month, we’ll pop the cork on a bottle of Charles de Cazanove Champagne and raise a glass with high hopes for the next 28 days!

We admit to being happy hedonists, proud of our achievement to date, hoping to spread the word far-and-wide. What achievement? Read on …

Our Sparkling Resolution

As we clinked our flutes of sparkling wine at the stroke of midnight to welcome 2008 – and promised to repeat the toast at the start of each month throughout the new year – we had no idea we would actually keep that resolution to this day!

While it seemed like a frivolous pledge at the time, we found ourselves looking forward to the first of every month. Searching out a bottle of cava, prosecco, cremant, or maybe a grower champagne for repeated celebrations during that year, always made us smile. Besides being an easy and pleasurable way to keep a resolution, it gave us a fresh way to start a new month, complete with a hopeful toast to whatever might lie ahead.

Join our Sparkling Resolution and reset your mojo by raising a glass of bubbly to greet each and every month. Salut!

Now, a bit about this month’s wine …

Charles de Cazanove Brut is a nicely balanced Champagne. We think it delivers a pleasant, yeasty, toastiness that works well with or without food. This sparkler can sit proudly next to some of our favorite Champagnes, including Bollinger and Piper-Heidsieck.

Others Say …

“The fine bubbles form a large string against a golden background. A fruity nose and delicious, persistent barley sugar and brioche flavours. A very lively wine.” (Charles de Cazanove)

This Champagne … “has a great, open nose of sweet butter and even a touch of orange peel. On the palate it is clean and refreshing.” (Gary Westby, K&L Champagne buyer)

Champagne Charles de Cazanove Brut … “offers an array of flavor, including toasted brioche, Gala apple, lemon zest, graphite and ginger, with a touch of honey. Elegant … good intensity … a moderate, nut-tinged finish.” (92 points, Wine Spectator/K&L Wines)

Specs:
- 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay
- Alcohol by Vol: 12%
- Price range: 30 to 35 dollars
Here’s to a spectacular February (with a little less snow)!

Take a Look at Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

And, our Sunday Dog feature will return 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: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino
February 1, 2015
What’s Happening Around Boston in January 2015

Yes, January is a cold and wintry month in Boston but there is still a lot going on and many activities, both outdoor and indoor, to recommend.

New Year's Day

Weather permitting, Ed, Poppy, and I usually take a long walk on the first day of the year. We'll visit the Common and the Public Garden, and Copley Square. As a photographer, the Frog Pond skaters are always fun to watch and provide so many stories to capture in each photograph. If you have a new camera to play with, this is a great spot to add to your route for the day.

Here are some past posts from fun times photographing the Frog Pond skaters:

Beacon Hill Hot Chocolate and Ice Skating on the Common

Watching the Frog Pond Skaters …

Skating in Shirt Sleeves, Show This to That Groundhog!

Do You Have a New Year's Day Tradition?

Something you eat for good luck or an activity you enjoy with famiy or friends? Share with us and perhaps you'll inspire others to adopt your tradition. We'll enjoy a glass of sparkling wine either at home or in a restaurant.

Since 2007, we've resolved to start each month of the year with a toast over a glass of something bubbly. You're welcome to join our sparkling resolution and check out our monthly list of wines to try.

Dressed in Holiday Style

Homes around the city will have beautiful wreaths on the doors and lovely decorations for the holidays early in the month. Above and below are two of the many lush and creative wreaths designed and sold by volunteers from The Garden Club of the Back Bay to raise funds needed to care for trees along the streets and in the parks. Here is a link to more of their work that you might be able to spot around the Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and in other parts of the city.

Conventions Bring Visitors

Big meetings impact hotel prices and restaurant reservations around the city. The ones in the Back Bay have more impact on locals and visitors to the city than the seaport. Here's the January list of meetings with more than 5,000 in attendance.

1/2/15/-1/5/15 – 12,000 social scientists will be meeting at the Hynes Convention Center in Back Bay.

And just in case anyone local or visiting has an interest in these two events, we've included them:

1/15/15-1/19/15 – New England Auto Show in the Seaport

1/17/15-1/19/15 – Boston RV and Camping Expo in the Seaport

More tips from locals and frequent visitors to Boston can be found over on the Boston Trip Advisor Forum. Penny started a conversation over there with some of this same information and others have chimed in to add their tips and favorites.

Share your own traditions and January information in the comments below or send them our way on our Twitter feed. Just include @BostonZest in your message.

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: © 2011-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2014 & New Year's Day Brunch 2015

December 30, 2014
December Sparkles with Chateau de l’Eperonniere, Crémant de Loire

We’re celebrating the arrival of December with an exceptional sparkler. Chateau de l’Eperonniere, Crémant de Loire 2009 is from the vineyards of Mathieu Tijou, the latest in his family to carry on the tradition of winemaking.

Mathieu Tijou (Foreground), Neal Rosenthal (background left)

As with his father, Mathieu has continued to work with importer Neal Rosenthal, a name you will know well from reading our BostonZest wine posts. Through the years, we have come to trust and rely on wines that display the Rosenthal name. And, this Crémant reinforces that claim.

Penny thinks, “this Cremant is addictive!”

Ed says, “very balanced, and food friendly.”

We had it with Neals Yard Dairy Berkswell (sheeps milk cheese), Landaff (cows milk cheese/aged at Jasper Hill), Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Sardinian parchment crackers.

Penny says, “when you sip, it’s sweet and tart at the same time – usually I taste one followed by other.”

One of our sparkling wine/champagne mottos is to “drink slowly and sip through the temperatures,” to experience all the wine has to offer. That advise certainly applies here.

If you’re a Crémant fan, we think you’ll be impressed with this wine. If you’ve never tried a Crémant, this would be a memorable introduction to the sparkler.

Here’s to December! May it be as wonderful as our bottle of Chateau de l’Eperonniere, Crémant de Loire.

Discover more about Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

We purchased our bottle of Chateau de l’Eperonniere, Crémant de Loire 2009 at Bauer Wine & Spirits.

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: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino, Image of Mathieu Tijou & Neal Rosenthal courtesy of www.madrose.com

December 1, 2014
Greeting November with a Special Treat: Champagne H. Billiot Fils Rosé

When is it time for a treat? Well, since it’s officially November and the holiday season is almost here, we were thinking … why not, now?

It’s never too early to prepare for the festive times ahead. And, what better way to get in the mood than by uncorking an exceptional sparkler.

Anytime we think “special wine,” we look to recommendations from people we’ve come to trust. In this case, seeing the name Terry Theise on a bottle of Champagne at the wine shop meant this H. Billiot Fils Brut Rosé was coming home with us.

It should be said that, although Theise is nothing short of a wine savant, we always advise anyone looking for helpful suggestions to make their own list of importers. And, Terry Theise is a great place to start.

He reminds us that, “Billiots are not filtered …” And that, “Billiot lifts you up on a billowing fountain of fruit. Her wines have marvelous stamina and brightness. They’re hedonistic but not sloppy.”

Penny found the first sniff of the Brut Rosé to be “Dry, stern on the nose, but it took a friendlier turn on the tongue.” Ed described, “Vibrant but not overpowering fruit that was balanced and (in the full British sense of the word) lovely!”

We enjoyed the Champagne with goat cheese, onion jam, and Provencal olives. It also matched well with olive oil crackers.

It was also spectacular all by itself as we lingered over every last drop.

We found our bottle of Champagne H. Billiot Fils Champagne Brut Rosé at Gordon’s Fine Wines & Liquors in Waltham ($54.30 after 15% case discount) – a November treat we will likely repeat for the holidays or perhaps even sooner.

Here’s how a New Year’s Toast became “Our Sparkling Resolution”

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

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: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

November 1, 2014
Celebrating October with Gérard Bertrand Crémant, a Sparkler Jefferson Would Have Loved
We’re ringing in a new month with a bottle of Gérard Bertrand Crémant de Limoux Brut 2012.

It’s hard to miss the likeness of Thomas Jefferson that’s pictured on the front label of this cuvee as a tribute from winemaker Gerard Bertrand to our third president whom he called, “Limoux’s greatest admirer,” claiming that, “wine from Limoux was the only sparkling wine to be found in his [Jefferson’s] personal wine cellar.”

Much has been written about Jefferson’s love of wine including his, “preference for the lighter French and Italian wines.” So, after enjoying this cremant ourselves, we’d have to guess that he’d have been quite pleased with this sparkler.

Penny thought it was softer and fruitier than many Cremants with a good bit of apple taste. It was full-flavored yet not acidic, balanced, and food-friendly – pairing well with a Honeycrisp and some pretzels.

That first sip brings a burst of flavor that’s fruity with a tart note that slides underneath and makes you want to go back for more.

Gérard Bertrand Crémant de Limoux is a blend of 70% Chardonnay, 15% Chenin Blanc, 10% Mauzac, and 5% Pinot Noir. (12.5% ABV)

The winemaker attributes this sparkler’s texture and balance to its Chenin and Chardonnay grapes:
- Color: "a beautiful, golden yellow robe"
- "Complex, aromatic nose" with "hints of white flower … honey, green apple and toast."
- "Crisp, elegant structure on the palate … texture of the bubbles complements the wine’s natural vivacity …"
Gérard Bertrand Crémant de Limoux Brut 2012 is produced 15 miles outside of Carcassonne in southern France from some of the highest vineyards in the Languedoc.

We found our bottle at Bauer Wine & Spirits on the south side of Newbury Street in Boston not far from sea level.

Here’s to October and, of course, to Thomas Jefferson. Salute!

Read More about Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

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: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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October 1, 2014
Celebrating September with Granit Réserve de Lavernette
Finding the right sparkler to help ring in the new month was an easy choice for September. In its tasting notes, Granit Réserve de Lavernette is described as a “wine of pleasure and discovery,” a “wine to party,” and a “wine to celebrate” – just what we had in mind when we began Our Sparkling Resolution.

While I’m not one to blindly succumb to a descriptive phrase, Granit is surprisingly good. I say that because we did have some reservations about a sparkling wine made from 100% Gamay (Beaujolais Villages grapes) with no added “liqueur de dosage.”

The winemaker goes on to say …
- “the color is a very, very delicate salmon … ”
- “nose of melon, a gentle touch of strawberries, warm biscuits, a whisper of spring flowers …”
- “on the palate … full-bodied and zesty, a good core of fruit, bright acids and sneaky length, well balanced and focused finish … ”
Perhaps, reviewer Joe Appel (Portland Press Herald) said it best, “… the “Granit” is testament to how exciting, culinarily useful and flat-out delicious a no-sugar-added wine can be when it’s in balance.”

Despite this wine’s “no dosage,” we didn’t miss it. Granit impressed us enough that we’ll go back for another bottle. And, that alone makes this French sparkler a worthy choice to welcome September, 2014.

We purchased our bottle (around $30) at Urban Grape, South End.

Here’s more about Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

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: Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 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.

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Finding a bargain with Cremant de Bourgogne sparkling wines
September 1, 2014
Toasting June with Raventos i Blanc de Nit

Raventos i Blanc de Nit is one of our finds from Perry’s in Provincetown. We were happy to see more of this wonderful Spanish sparkler in the cooler on a recent visit.

This wine comes from a Spanish estate that has been owned by the same family of winegrowers since 1497. And, they have been making sparkling wine by the traditional method since 1872.

We enjoyed one bottle on a rainy afternoon by the sea. And, we are welcoming June, the month that brings us summer, with another.

Our scribbled notes from our last two tastings contain words like smooth, round, balanced, and sophisticated. We both found ourselves enjoying the lingering bouquet and the rose gold color in our glasses.

We can’t wait to pop the cork on another bottle of this beauty!

Here’s More About Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

By the way, Sunday Dog will return next week. Meanwhile, here are a few past hounds for you to visit.

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: © 2014 Penny Cherubino

June 1, 2014
Toasting June with Raventos i Blanc de Nit

Raventos i Blanc de Nit is one of our finds from Perry’s in Provincetown. We were happy to see more of this wonderful Spanish sparkler in the cooler on a recent visit.

This wine comes from a Spanish estate that has been owned by the same family of winegrowers since 1497. And, they have been making sparkling wine by the traditional method since 1872.

We enjoyed one bottle on a rainy afternoon by the sea. And, we are welcoming June, the month that brings us summer, with another.

Our scribbled notes from our last two tastings contain words like smooth, round, balanced, and sophisticated. We both found ourselves enjoying the lingering bouquet and the rose gold color in our glasses.

We can’t wait to pop the cork on another bottle of this beauty!

Here’s More About Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

By the way, Sunday Dog will return next week. Meanwhile, here are a few past hounds for you to visit.

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: © 2014 Penny Cherubino

June 1, 2014
Doubling-Up on April Bubbles with Val de Mer Crémant

Toasting the arrival of a new month is always more fun if you double-up on the bubbles! And with a bottle (or two) of Val de Mer Crémant de Bourgogne, you won’t be disappointed.

This lively sparkler is the creation of Patrick Piuze who’s been making quite a name for himself in Chablis. This exacting winemaker uses hand-harvested grapes that are fermented and aged in stainless steel without the added dosage.

We liked this crémant’s clean, crisp quality with a hint of green pear. The 100% Chardonnay comes through with a simplicity and purity without the distraction of oak. This wine could win over even a member of the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) Club!

Here’s what other tasters say about Val de Mer Crémant de Bourgogne …

“This sparkler is loaded with chalky minerality and has a bright snappy style that makes it a perfect aperitif bubbly.” (K&L Wines)

“The palate is bright, fresh, and crisp, showing those apple notes with a dry sage edge to the finish.” It “…goes well with all cocktail party snacks, especially smoked salmon canapés and baked brie.” (Astor Wine & Spirits)

We liked this French bubbly with a kielbasa & cabbage dish and a stack of our new favorite Sardinian Parchment Crackers (more on those, here). Our list of possible food pairings is growing, but the month is young.

We’re beginning April with a winning sparkler and a positive attitude that spring is finally here to stay. And should there be a wrinkle or two along the way, we always have a spare bottle of bubbles to keep our spirits high. Cheers!

We purchased out bottles of Cremant de Bourgogne Val de Mer at Bauer Wine & Spirits ($16.99).

Here’s More About Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

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: Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 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

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April 1, 2014
Doubling-Up on April Bubbles with Val de Mer Crémant

Toasting the arrival of a new month is always more fun if you double-up on the bubbles! And with a bottle (or two) of Val de Mer Crémant de Bourgogne, you won’t be disappointed.

This lively sparkler is the creation of Patrick Piuze who’s been making quite a name for himself in Chablis. This exacting winemaker uses hand-harvested grapes that are fermented and aged in stainless steel without the added dosage.

We liked this crémant’s clean, crisp quality with a hint of green pear. The 100% Chardonnay comes through with a simplicity and purity without the distraction of oak. This wine could win over even a member of the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) Club!

Here’s what other tasters say about Val de Mer Crémant de Bourgogne …

“This sparkler is loaded with chalky minerality and has a bright snappy style that makes it a perfect aperitif bubbly.” (K&L Wines)

“The palate is bright, fresh, and crisp, showing those apple notes with a dry sage edge to the finish.” It “…goes well with all cocktail party snacks, especially smoked salmon canapés and baked brie.” (Astor Wine & Spirits)

We liked this French bubbly with a kielbasa & cabbage dish and a stack of our new favorite Sardinian Parchment Crackers (more on those, here). Our list of possible food pairings is growing, but the month is young.

We’re beginning April with a winning sparkler and a positive attitude that spring is finally here to stay. And should there be a wrinkle or two along the way, we always have a spare bottle of bubbles to keep our spirits high. Cheers!

We purchased out bottles of Cremant de Bourgogne Val de Mer at Bauer Wine & Spirits ($16.99).

Here’s More About Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

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: Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 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

Nigl Brut de Brut – A Gruner with Bubbles!

A French “Value Sparkler” with No Compromises, le Moulin Blanquette de Limoux

Pouring Jewels from a Bottle of Bailly Lapierre Crémant!

April 1, 2014