bostonzest

Tag: Champagne

  • Consult Our Wine Collection Before You Shop for Bottles of Bubbles!

    Our Sparkling Resolution gives us an advantage when it comes to choosing a bottle of bubbles for New Year's Eve. We start each month with a glass of sparkling wine. 

    We share those wine selections with you in our wine collection. 

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    You'll find Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Crémant, plus bubbles from places including Portugal, California, Oregon, and Massachusetts on our wine list.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a3fd0cb74f970b-800wi

    We find something to toast each time the 1st comes around. Maybe it's a good thing that happened in the past month or something we're looking forward to in the month ahead. Or, perhaps the 1st of the month finds us in a special place where we've discovered a special bottle.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a3fcfba2ed970b-500wi

    Most of the time, our choice is a great value we've bought on sale or a moderately priced treat.

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    Occasionally, we'll indulge in a special wine for a special occasion or celebration. 

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    If you're looking for something to serve to a crowd or a special bottle to share with a special person, we have made our list and you can check it twice, three times, or as often as you'd like.  

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    As you toast 2015, consider joining the Sparkling Resolution we made back in 2007 and begin each month with a glass of lively bubbles. 

    Cheers!

    Here’s More About Our Sparkling Resolution

    And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

    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: © 2001-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

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  • Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, Our May Sparkler

    This time, our Sparkler of the Month is a Champagne, Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV to be specific. Happy new month!

    PC2_2673 

    Those of you who follow our sparkling wine posts may have noticed that we seldom choose a 100% Chardonnay wine. But, we did take this recommendation at Gordon’s because it was from one of our favorite importers, Neal Rosenthal.

    PC2_2678

    We took this gem from our wine rack to Provincetown to sit and sip by the sea. Note that this is a Grand Cru Champagne from the Village of Cramant. It is not a Crémant from another part of France.

    PC2_2802 © 2014 penny cherubino

    And, it lived up to our expectations! It’s a blanc de blancs that is playing in a different key. Penny couldn’t place the fruit she was tasting, so she looked up reviews and then asked Ed what he thought it was. His answer was one shared by experts, pear!

    PC2_2691

    This is a celebration wine, a bit more expensive ($59.99) than some of our selections, but anytime we’re in Provincetown, we want to celebrate! We sipped this bottle over a couple of days and Ed thought it got better when it had more time in the glass and longer to breath. He reminds you not to serve it too cold.

    PC2_2785 G 2014 Penny cherubino

    And, we’ve learned, if you’re going to have a blanc de blancs, make it one from a great importer like Neal Rosenthal. 

    Photo

    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: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino  

  • Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, Our May Sparkler

    This time, our Sparkler of the Month is a Champagne, Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV to be specific. Happy new month!

    PC2_2673 

    Those of you who follow our sparkling wine posts may have noticed that we seldom choose a 100% Chardonnay wine. But, we did take this recommendation at Gordon’s because it was from one of our favorite importers, Neal Rosenthal.

    PC2_2678

    We took this gem from our wine rack to Provincetown to sit and sip by the sea. Note that this is a Grand Cru Champagne from the Village of Cramant. It is not a Crémant from another part of France.

    PC2_2802 © 2014 penny cherubino

    And, it lived up to our expectations! It’s a blanc de blancs that is playing in a different key. Penny couldn’t place the fruit she was tasting, so she looked up reviews and then asked Ed what he thought it was. His answer was one shared by experts, pear!

    PC2_2691

    This is a celebration wine, a bit more expensive ($59.99) than some of our selections, but anytime we’re in Provincetown, we want to celebrate! We sipped this bottle over a couple of days and Ed thought it got better when it had more time in the glass and longer to breath. He reminds you not to serve it too cold.

    PC2_2785 G 2014 Penny cherubino

    And, we’ve learned, if you’re going to have a blanc de blancs, make it one from a great importer like Neal Rosenthal. 

    Photo

    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: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino  

  • Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, Our May Sparkler

    This time, our Sparkler of the Month is a Champagne, Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV to be specific. Happy new month!

    PC2_2673 

    Those of you who follow our sparkling wine posts may have noticed that we seldom choose a 100% Chardonnay wine. But, we did take this recommendation at Gordon’s because it was from one of our favorite importers, Neal Rosenthal.

    PC2_2678

    We took this gem from our wine rack to Provincetown to sit and sip by the sea. Note that this is a Grand Cru Champagne from the Village of Cramant. It is not a Crémant from another part of France.

    PC2_2802 © 2014 penny cherubino

    And, it lived up to our expectations! It’s a blanc de blancs that is playing in a different key. Penny couldn’t place the fruit she was tasting, so she looked up reviews and then asked Ed what he thought it was. His answer was one shared by experts, pear!

    PC2_2691

    This is a celebration wine, a bit more expensive ($59.99) than some of our selections, but anytime we’re in Provincetown, we want to celebrate! We sipped this bottle over a couple of days and Ed thought it got better when it had more time in the glass and longer to breath. He reminds you not to serve it too cold.

    PC2_2785 G 2014 Penny cherubino

    And, we’ve learned, if you’re going to have a blanc de blancs, make it one from a great importer like Neal Rosenthal. 

    Photo

    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: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino  

  • Sparkling Wine for New Year’s Eve? We Have Suggestions!

    Are you on the hunt for a special, sparkling wine for New Year's Eve? We have our selection in our sights, but it may take some shopping around to land a bottle. However, if you're looking for inspiration, we have years of recommendations for you to consider.

      6a00e54fc42bb88834017ee6c5d1db970d-500wi

    As our regular readers know, we begin each month with a glass of sparkling wine. Some months it's a cava from Spain for under $10, while other times we treat ourselves to a spectacular grower champagne like the Inflorescence Champagne Blanc de Noirs 2010 in the photo above. That was our New Year's Eve Wine, last year. 

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017c38194acc970b-500wi

    Click over to our wine category and you'll find good wines at all price points that you might consider for this holiday.

    We have our favorites like the lovely Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco we've been enjoying for years.

    To us, Bollinger makes the quintessential Champagne – toasty, yeasty, and delightful. So, as we go off to find our bottle of holiday cheer, we'll leave you with the words of Lily Bollinger who said of Champagne:

    "I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty." 

    Cheers!

    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.

    Related articles
    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2013 in Boston
    Nigl Brut de Brut – A Gruner with Bubbles!
    Wine experts say holiday champagne recession is over

  • Sparkling Wine for New Year’s Eve? We Have Suggestions!

    Are you on the hunt for a special, sparkling wine for New Year's Eve? We have our selection in our sights, but it may take some shopping around to land a bottle. However, if you're looking for inspiration, we have years of recommendations for you to consider.

      6a00e54fc42bb88834017ee6c5d1db970d-500wi

    As our regular readers know, we begin each month with a glass of sparkling wine. Some months it's a cava from Spain for under $10, while other times we treat ourselves to a spectacular grower champagne like the Inflorescence Champagne Blanc de Noirs 2010 in the photo above. That was our New Year's Eve Wine, last year. 

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017c38194acc970b-500wi

    Click over to our wine category and you'll find good wines at all price points that you might consider for this holiday.

    We have our favorites like the lovely Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco we've been enjoying for years.

    To us, Bollinger makes the quintessential Champagne – toasty, yeasty, and delightful. So, as we go off to find our bottle of holiday cheer, we'll leave you with the words of Lily Bollinger who said of Champagne:

    "I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty." 

    Cheers!

    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.

    Related articles
    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2013 in Boston
    Nigl Brut de Brut – A Gruner with Bubbles!
    Wine experts say holiday champagne recession is over

  • Sparkling Wine for New Year’s Eve? We Have Suggestions!

    Are you on the hunt for a special, sparkling wine for New Year's Eve? We have our selection in our sights, but it may take some shopping around to land a bottle. However, if you're looking for inspiration, we have years of recommendations for you to consider.

      6a00e54fc42bb88834017ee6c5d1db970d-500wi

    As our regular readers know, we begin each month with a glass of sparkling wine. Some months it's a cava from Spain for under $10, while other times we treat ourselves to a spectacular grower champagne like the Inflorescence Champagne Blanc de Noirs 2010 in the photo above. That was our New Year's Eve Wine, last year. 

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017c38194acc970b-500wi

    Click over to our wine category and you'll find good wines at all price points that you might consider for this holiday.

    We have our favorites like the lovely Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco we've been enjoying for years.

    To us, Bollinger makes the quintessential Champagne – toasty, yeasty, and delightful. So, as we go off to find our bottle of holiday cheer, we'll leave you with the words of Lily Bollinger who said of Champagne:

    "I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty." 

    Cheers!

    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.

    Related articles
    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2013 in Boston
    Nigl Brut de Brut – A Gruner with Bubbles!
    Wine experts say holiday champagne recession is over

  • Discovering November Bubbles! Canard-Duchêne Comes to U.S.

    DSC_8673 - Version 22013-09-26-Canard-Duchêne-brut-champagne-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    One sip of Canard-Duchêne Authentic Brut and we knew we had discovered a special Champagne. Toast on the nose and luscious Pinot fruit on the palate – not overwhelming, just right.

    The blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay captured our attention and never let go. Canard-Duchêne Cellar Master Laurent Fédou puts it best with the words “intensity … complexity … and balance” to describe their Champagnes.

    DSC_8701 - Version 22013-09-26-Canard-Duchêne-brut-champagne-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    He characterizes the Authentic Brut as having …

    • “A straw-yellow appearance and delicate mousse."
    • "Intense aromas of fresh fruit typical of the Pinot varietals."
    • "Fruity flavours [that] jostle with pastry notes, a sign of excellent maturity.”

    We always like to taste through the temperatures of our first glass of wine. In this case, moving from the initial chilled sip to that warmer last splash brought out more of the Chardonnay.

    DSC_8661 - Version 32013-09-26-Canard-Duchêne-brut-champagne-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    After lingering over the rest of the bottle, our only question was, “Why haven’t we heard about this Champagne before?” Well, it hasn’t been readily available in the U.S. until recently, but has been well-known and respected for more than a century in other parts of the world.

    We found our bottle of Canard-Duchêne for $38 at The Urban Grape, South End 

    Clinking glasses to toast each new month has never been more enjoyable – à votre santé!

    Watch for a few extra wine posts this month. We'll be telling you about some of our favorite value sparklers that are perfect for holdiay entertaining or as great value gifts.

    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: 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.

  • Discovering November Bubbles! Canard-Duchêne Comes to U.S.

    DSC_8673 - Version 22013-09-26-Canard-Duchêne-brut-champagne-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    One sip of Canard-Duchêne Authentic Brut and we knew we had discovered a special Champagne. Toast on the nose and luscious Pinot fruit on the palate – not overwhelming, just right.

    The blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay captured our attention and never let go. Canard-Duchêne Cellar Master Laurent Fédou puts it best with the words “intensity … complexity … and balance” to describe their Champagnes.

    DSC_8701 - Version 22013-09-26-Canard-Duchêne-brut-champagne-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    He characterizes the Authentic Brut as having …

    • “A straw-yellow appearance and delicate mousse."
    • "Intense aromas of fresh fruit typical of the Pinot varietals."
    • "Fruity flavours [that] jostle with pastry notes, a sign of excellent maturity.”

    We always like to taste through the temperatures of our first glass of wine. In this case, moving from the initial chilled sip to that warmer last splash brought out more of the Chardonnay.

    DSC_8661 - Version 32013-09-26-Canard-Duchêne-brut-champagne-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    After lingering over the rest of the bottle, our only question was, “Why haven’t we heard about this Champagne before?” Well, it hasn’t been readily available in the U.S. until recently, but has been well-known and respected for more than a century in other parts of the world.

    We found our bottle of Canard-Duchêne for $38 at The Urban Grape, South End 

    Clinking glasses to toast each new month has never been more enjoyable – à votre santé!

    Watch for a few extra wine posts this month. We'll be telling you about some of our favorite value sparklers that are perfect for holdiay entertaining or as great value gifts.

    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: 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.

  • Discovering November Bubbles! Canard-Duchêne Comes to U.S.

    DSC_8673 - Version 22013-09-26-Canard-Duchêne-brut-champagne-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    One sip of Canard-Duchêne Authentic Brut and we knew we had discovered a special Champagne. Toast on the nose and luscious Pinot fruit on the palate – not overwhelming, just right.

    The blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay captured our attention and never let go. Canard-Duchêne Cellar Master Laurent Fédou puts it best with the words “intensity … complexity … and balance” to describe their Champagnes.

    DSC_8701 - Version 22013-09-26-Canard-Duchêne-brut-champagne-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    He characterizes the Authentic Brut as having …

    • “A straw-yellow appearance and delicate mousse."
    • "Intense aromas of fresh fruit typical of the Pinot varietals."
    • "Fruity flavours [that] jostle with pastry notes, a sign of excellent maturity.”

    We always like to taste through the temperatures of our first glass of wine. In this case, moving from the initial chilled sip to that warmer last splash brought out more of the Chardonnay.

    DSC_8661 - Version 32013-09-26-Canard-Duchêne-brut-champagne-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    After lingering over the rest of the bottle, our only question was, “Why haven’t we heard about this Champagne before?” Well, it hasn’t been readily available in the U.S. until recently, but has been well-known and respected for more than a century in other parts of the world.

    We found our bottle of Canard-Duchêne for $38 at The Urban Grape, South End 

    Clinking glasses to toast each new month has never been more enjoyable – à votre santé!

    Watch for a few extra wine posts this month. We'll be telling you about some of our favorite value sparklers that are perfect for holdiay entertaining or as great value gifts.

    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: 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.