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  • Opening 2020 with Roses de Jeanne by Cedric Bouchard

    We're celebrating a new decade with Roses de Jeanne Champagne from a groundbreaking winemaker. Cedric Bouchard has some unusual views on the wine he is making in the Champagne region. We've enjoyed his wines before. In fact, he has made our New Year's choice twice. We opened 2013 with his Inflorescence Blanc de Noirs.

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    We're looking forward to this bottle and have the glasses and decanter ready to fill. Yes, we did say decanter. Cedric Bouchard suggests decanting his Champagne, so we're eager to give it a try. Polaner Selections in writing about this wine added, "One serving note: While you can enjoy Bouchard's Champagnes like other Champagnes, he recommends gently decanting them and serving them in regular wine glasses instead of flutes." We totally agree with the large wine glasses and we will try decanting a portion of our bottle.

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    Polaner Selections also noted the importance of terroir to this winemaker, "Bouchard’s wines are characterized by uniquely soil-driven personalities, with the underlying terroir of each parcel jumping from the glass with a purity of expression that is extremely rare in Champagne. These are brilliant wines made from a young, perfectionist vigneron who is likely to completely revolutionize the landscape of Champagne before he writes the last chapter on his career."

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    With this wine leading the way, in 2020 we will toast each new month with sparkling wines from different places. It will be our "Year of Terroir!" Trying wines 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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    We purchased our bottle at Federal Wine & Spirits.

    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 

  • 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.)

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    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.

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    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.

     

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    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.

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    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.

  • 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.)

    IMG_6563

    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.

    IMG_6550

    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.

     

    IMG_6558

    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.

    78100621_2543931032361232_8081260994996731904_o

    IMG_6570  IMG_6570

    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.

  • Our November Sparkler Is 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles’ ROCO Winery

    We'll celebrate the first of November 2019 with a bottle of 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles' ROCO Winery. This wine is very special to us because we have had the pleasure of meeting the winemaker and are longtime fans of his wines.

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    Howie Rubin from Bauer Wine & Spirits was kind enough to bring in a small stash of this limited supply wine and let us know when it arrived. He remembered how much we love the Argyle sparkling wines made under Rollin Soles' direction during his years as the winemaker at that outstanding vineyard. 

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    We were not about to wait for November 1st to try this wine! We've been looking forward to it since we heard that ROCO had released its first sparkler. Fortunately we had a birthday to celebrate and popped a cork on our first bottle. We'll open and enjoy another this evening.

    Please notice the big, full wine glasses in the top photo. You want big glasses because this is a big wine in the tradition of the great Champagne houses. It is full of layers of flavor and exuberant bubbles. 

    Here are Rollin's winemaker's notes:

    “Seamless flavor has become an RMS Brut Hallmark.  Complex fruit mix of plum, red skinned apple, and yellow cherry is lifted upon bracing citrus acidity.  Aromas of cherry, and Anjou pear are framed by vanilla spiced, shortbread-like yeastiness. Despite high acidity, the mid-palate has a beautiful creamy, vanilla, and cracked yeast impression.  Sit back and savor the very long, fresh finish, another RMS Hallmark.” – Rollin Soles, Winemaker

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    We purchased our bottle on sale at Bauer Wine for ~$30. 

    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 our sparkling resolution with your own monthly toast.

    Related Posts:

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

    Argyle’s Rollin Soles Talks Wine with BostonZest

    March Sparkles with Argyle’s 2001 Extended Tirage Brut – It’s a Sure Thing!

    Oregon’s Argyle Brut to Light-Up July!

    Our Sparkling Resolution

    Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

    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 & Ed Cherubino 

  • Our November Sparkler Is 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles’ ROCO Winery

    We'll celebrate the first of November 2019 with a bottle of 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles' ROCO Winery. This wine is very special to us because we have had the pleasure of meeting the winemaker and are longtime fans of his wines.

    IMG_6276

    Howie Rubin from Bauer Wine & Spirits was kind enough to bring in a small stash of this limited supply wine and let us know when it arrived. He remembered how much we love the Argyle sparkling wines made under Rollin Soles' direction during his years as the winemaker at that outstanding vineyard. 

    IMG_6200

    We were not about to wait for November 1st to try this wine! We've been looking forward to it since we heard that ROCO had released its first sparkler. Fortunately we had a birthday to celebrate and popped a cork on our first bottle. We'll open and enjoy another this evening.

    Please notice the big, full wine glasses in the top photo. You want big glasses because this is a big wine in the tradition of the great Champagne houses. It is full of layers of flavor and exuberant bubbles. 

    Here are Rollin's winemaker's notes:

    “Seamless flavor has become an RMS Brut Hallmark.  Complex fruit mix of plum, red skinned apple, and yellow cherry is lifted upon bracing citrus acidity.  Aromas of cherry, and Anjou pear are framed by vanilla spiced, shortbread-like yeastiness. Despite high acidity, the mid-palate has a beautiful creamy, vanilla, and cracked yeast impression.  Sit back and savor the very long, fresh finish, another RMS Hallmark.” – Rollin Soles, Winemaker

    IMG_6202

    We purchased our bottle on sale at Bauer Wine for ~$30. 

    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 our sparkling resolution with your own monthly toast.

    Related Posts:

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

    Argyle’s Rollin Soles Talks Wine with BostonZest

    March Sparkles with Argyle’s 2001 Extended Tirage Brut – It’s a Sure Thing!

    Oregon’s Argyle Brut to Light-Up July!

    Our Sparkling Resolution

    Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

    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 & Ed Cherubino 

  • We’ll Raise a Glass of Ca’ di Rajo Lemoss Bianco Frizzante to October 2019

    We are expecting good things from our October sparkler, Ca' di Rajo Lemoss Bianco Frizzante. It was a recommendation from Howie Rubin at Bauer Wine & Spirits. He's introduced us to many happy wine times across the years. It was good to welcome him back from his recent medical leave.

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    Howie said, "This wine ticks a lot of boxes." He's right and he knows our taste.

    We love prosecco. Lemoss Bianco is made from 100% Glera grapes.

    We love low alcohol. Lemoss Bianco checks in at 10.5% ABV

    We enjoy a wine with a bit of personality. Lemoss Bianco is unfiltered and will be a bit cloudy in the glass. 

    We love a wine with a good story. This wine is made in an old method for Proseccos called Col Fondo. Here's a link to an article from Wine Spectator that explains the different methods of making sparkling wines. In brief they explain, "A col fondo Prosecco starts with a base wine, then there is a secondary fermentation, but the distinguishing feature is that the wine is not disgorged—that is, the lees are left inside the bottle."

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    We like easy to open wines. Lemoss Bianco has the crown cap that was put on for its second fermentation. It was never disgorged and changed to a cork. 

    We trust specific importers. This one was imported by one of our favorites, Oz Wines!

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    We purchased our bottle at Bauer Wine & Spirits.

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    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 and raise a glass to October 2019!

    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 & Ed Cherubino 

  • We’ll Raise a Glass of Ca’ di Rajo Lemoss Bianco Frizzante to October 2019

    We are expecting good things from our October sparkler, Ca' di Rajo Lemoss Bianco Frizzante. It was a recommendation from Howie Rubin at Bauer Wine & Spirits. He's introduced us to many happy wine times across the years. It was good to welcome him back from his recent medical leave.

    IMG_5979

    Howie said, "This wine ticks a lot of boxes." He's right and he knows our taste.

    We love prosecco. Lemoss Bianco is made from 100% Glera grapes.

    We love low alcohol. Lemoss Bianco checks in at 10.5% ABV

    We enjoy a wine with a bit of personality. Lemoss Bianco is unfiltered and will be a bit cloudy in the glass. 

    We love a wine with a good story. This wine is made in an old method for Proseccos called Col Fondo. Here's a link to an article from Wine Spectator that explains the different methods of making sparkling wines. In brief they explain, "A col fondo Prosecco starts with a base wine, then there is a secondary fermentation, but the distinguishing feature is that the wine is not disgorged—that is, the lees are left inside the bottle."

    IMG_5987

    We like easy to open wines. Lemoss Bianco has the crown cap that was put on for its second fermentation. It was never disgorged and changed to a cork. 

    We trust specific importers. This one was imported by one of our favorites, Oz Wines!

    IMG_5981

    We purchased our bottle at Bauer Wine & Spirits.

    IMG_5991

    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 and raise a glass to October 2019!

    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 & Ed Cherubino 

  • Toasting September with Franck Besson Sparkling Rose Granit NV

    Franck Besson Sparkling Rose Granit is a wine with a great story and we love having a great wine story to enjoy along with the glass of wine as we toast the month of September. Happy New Month!

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    We'll let the importer Oz Wines tell the tale.

    "Franck's estate is located near the town of Jullié at the foothill of the Cru Juliénas and on the terroir of Beaujolais-Villages.  Since 2010, the estate has transitioned to organic farming in order to be coherent with work in the vines and in the cellar. Revolted by the bad image affecting the appellation Beaujolais-Villages, Franck decided to innovate and produce Rosé and Blanc de Noir sparkling wines in order to prove the potential of the Gamay grapes on our granitic slopes. Elaborated with the traditional method, as they do in Champagne, his sparkling wines are aged 12 months on wooden racks in the estate in order to get the fineness of a great Champagne!"

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    Here's a wine buying lesson we can share. Always read the back label. This one was on a rack at a favorites shop where we have often found hidden treasures. The front was unassuming, the price was good, but the decision to buy was made when we saw the OZ Wines name on the back.

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    Always notice the importer. Ask your server to show you the back of the bottle every time you enjoy a wine. Soon you'll find a few importers whose tastes are in line with yours and you'll have another way to select wines from a shelf or a wine list. If you are in a place that is staffed with knowledgeable servers, you can always ask, "Do you have something from Oz Wines that you can recommend?" Of course, you can insert any importer you like into that question.

     

    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 & Ed Cherubino 

  • Toasting September with Franck Besson Sparkling Rose Granit NV

    Franck Besson Sparkling Rose Granit is a wine with a great story and we love having a great wine story to enjoy along with the glass of wine as we toast the month of September. Happy New Month!

    IMG_5628

    We'll let the importer Oz Wines tell the tale.

    "Franck's estate is located near the town of Jullié at the foothill of the Cru Juliénas and on the terroir of Beaujolais-Villages.  Since 2010, the estate has transitioned to organic farming in order to be coherent with work in the vines and in the cellar. Revolted by the bad image affecting the appellation Beaujolais-Villages, Franck decided to innovate and produce Rosé and Blanc de Noir sparkling wines in order to prove the potential of the Gamay grapes on our granitic slopes. Elaborated with the traditional method, as they do in Champagne, his sparkling wines are aged 12 months on wooden racks in the estate in order to get the fineness of a great Champagne!"

    IMG_5618 

    Here's a wine buying lesson we can share. Always read the back label. This one was on a rack at a favorites shop where we have often found hidden treasures. The front was unassuming, the price was good, but the decision to buy was made when we saw the OZ Wines name on the back.

    IMG_5627

    Always notice the importer. Ask your server to show you the back of the bottle every time you enjoy a wine. Soon you'll find a few importers whose tastes are in line with yours and you'll have another way to select wines from a shelf or a wine list. If you are in a place that is staffed with knowledgeable servers, you can always ask, "Do you have something from Oz Wines that you can recommend?" Of course, you can insert any importer you like into that question.

     

    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 & Ed Cherubino 

  • Fennel Tips and Tidbits

    We learned a few interesting things about fennel when we researched this vegetable.

    In her book, Nigella Fresh: Delicious Flavors on Your Plate All Year Round, Nigella Lawson suggests substituting thin slices of fennel for the cucumber in a typical Greek salad.

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    We include fennel in our plate of salad ingredients. Since we may not be ready to eat at the same moment, Penny likes to prep and arrange the additions so we can add them to our greens.

    She finds it helps the salad stay fresh longer while still adding a cool taste and crunch.

    Our favorite vegetable reference book is Deborah Madison’s “Vegetable Literacy” in which she reminds us that fennel is a member of the carrot family and, unless you have an old, tough bulb or want the petals to fall apart, there is no need to remove the core before you slice the bulb.

    The online, Real Food Encyclopedia offers these fun facts about fennel:

    • “Pliny The Elder, the ancient Roman author famous for his sweeping encyclopedia, ‘Natural History,’ mentions fennel numerous times as a treatment for stomach ache, to care for the ‘stings of serpents,’ for uterus health and as a treatment for a bunch of other ancient Roman maladies.”
    • “In some places in the US, fennel has become an invasive species.”
    • “Thomas Jefferson once proclaimed Florence fennel his favorite vegetable.”

    More on fennel here in part one of our fennel research.

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2018- 2019 Penny Cherubino 
    (Adapted for BostonZest from one of our Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)