Tag: brix wine shop

Toasting June with Our Old Friend, Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco

Nino Franco Rustico is the kind of old friend you take on vacation with you. And we did! To be sure we would have a bottle of this favorite prosecco to enjoy by the beach, we took along one from our Boston wine rack. (There are usually a few bottles of Nino filling their usual slots.)

We are having a fun year toasting each new month with wines that are old friends and that have happy stories of friends to go with them.

This wine was introduced to us by Howie Rubin at Bauer Wine and Spirits on Newbury Street in Boston. Howie is one of our longtime wine mentors. We have been writing about him and the wines he has introduced to us since 2008. Here is his story: Howie Rubin-A Life of Wine and Relationships.

Over the years of writing about and recommending this wine, we became social media friends with Silvia Franco. That's her in the photo above. We were fortunate to meet her in person when she came to Boston. Here is that story: Brix Wine Shop Makes Our Nino Franco Dreams Come True!

Sharing a bottle of this lovely sparkler is a rite of vacation for us. This year we sipped it on a foggy evening on the deck as we watched the tide change in Provincetown Harbor. First and foremost this is a food wine. It will happily pair up with whatever you are nibbling…

… even if it's some squares of bar pizza, a few cherry tomatoes, and a pile of shavings of parmigiano reggiano. Hey, it was what we had on hand in a rental house when we were too relaxed to go out and shop for more food. The Nino turned it into a feast!

Last month by the bay or tonight on the roof deck, we love this wine and hope you will find a bottle and enjoy it at some point this summer.

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since New Year's Eve 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month – waiting 12 months just wouldn't do.

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: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino

June 1, 2018
Gifting a Great Bottle of Wine

Recently, Ed said, "I could have been dropped here from another planet and I'd know the time of year from the wine ads on TV …" Many of those ads try to convince you to buy a mass market, low cost wine for holiday gifts or serving at parties. Don't fall for it!

Here's our little Poppy girl guarding our solution to the question of what to serve and gift as a holiday wine. We had Brix Wine Shop deliver a case of Nino Franco Rustico. We'll have it on hand for guests, last minute gifts, and if we enter January with a few left over, we'll enjoy it ourselves.

Last year, we posted this piece about Nino Franco and gifts of wine:

Nino Franco Rustico: A Wine for Holiday Gifts & Celebrations

Our main message was, "Please don't give your clients, business associates, and friends most of the wines you see in TV ads as holiday gifts. A good wine shop can recommend a good wine value that you can give with pride. And, it will be one that will please both the occasional sipper and wine aficionado."

Nino Franco Rustico is one of many great value wines we've covered as we toast the 1st of each month with a glass of bubbles.

That Special Gift

You may be looking for a special high-end wine for a special gift. Recently, one of our favorite food scouts MC Slim JB sought opinions from other food and wine fans for a special purchase over on Chowhound. He asked for comments on: "Favorite Boston-area wine shops for Champagne?"

This turned into a wonderful conversation about styles of Champagne, shops that carry great bottles, and favorites among the group.

As I read, I added a couple of shopping stops to our New Year's Eve Wine shopping list and everyone learned a bit more about high-end bottles. Best of all, many of us were able to give a bit back to a forum member who has led so many of us to great food for so long.

Our motto for buying a gift of wine has always been, "Give a wine you will be happy to have in your own wine rack for a special moment." Or, buy an extra bottle or two and ensure there will be one when the time comes for you to celebrate.

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.

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 Cherubino
Photography: © 2012-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

December 18, 2015
Gifting a Great Bottle of Wine

Recently, Ed said, "I could have been dropped here from another planet and I'd know the time of year from the wine ads on TV …" Many of those ads try to convince you to buy a mass market, low cost wine for holiday gifts or serving at parties. Don't fall for it!

Here's our little Poppy girl guarding our solution to the question of what to serve and gift as a holiday wine. We had Brix Wine Shop deliver a case of Nino Franco Rustico. We'll have it on hand for guests, last minute gifts, and if we enter January with a few left over, we'll enjoy it ourselves.

Last year, we posted this piece about Nino Franco and gifts of wine:

Nino Franco Rustico: A Wine for Holiday Gifts & Celebrations

Our main message was, "Please don't give your clients, business associates, and friends most of the wines you see in TV ads as holiday gifts. A good wine shop can recommend a good wine value that you can give with pride. And, it will be one that will please both the occasional sipper and wine aficionado."

Nino Franco Rustico is one of many great value wines we've covered as we toast the 1st of each month with a glass of bubbles.

That Special Gift

You may be looking for a special high-end wine for a special gift. Recently, one of our favorite food scouts MC Slim JB sought opinions from other food and wine fans for a special purchase over on Chowhound. He asked for comments on: "Favorite Boston-area wine shops for Champagne?"

This turned into a wonderful conversation about styles of Champagne, shops that carry great bottles, and favorites among the group.

As I read, I added a couple of shopping stops to our New Year's Eve Wine shopping list and everyone learned a bit more about high-end bottles. Best of all, many of us were able to give a bit back to a forum member who has led so many of us to great food for so long.

Our motto for buying a gift of wine has always been, "Give a wine you will be happy to have in your own wine rack for a special moment." Or, buy an extra bottle or two and ensure there will be one when the time comes for you to celebrate.

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.

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 Cherubino
Photography: © 2012-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

December 18, 2015
We Toast the Month of May with Nino Franco Faive Rosé Brut

This month, we’ll toast the start of another calendar page and say “Happy New Month” with a Faive Rosé Brut from the wonderful family at Nino Franco.

In reading some of the great reviews of this wine, we found someone who agrees with our sparkling wine philosophy.

Charles Scicolone, a wine consultant that the New York Times called “The Maestro of Italian Wines,” includes Nino Franco Faive Rosé in a list of some of his favorite sparklers,

“Most of us think of sparkling wine as something that should only be drunk on special occasions or at Christmas and New Years, but I don’t agree. Sparkling wine can be enjoyed all year round and I especially like it in the summer and always with food.”

Last October, we first tasted this sparkling wine along with others from the Nino Franco line at Brix Wine Shop. At the tasting, we added a couple of bottles to our order because we have friends who we suspect will love this wine and we wanted to have some on hand when they visit.

Then, we opened a bottle at home and had it with food and without sharing our attention with some of our all time favorite Proseccos. We discovered that we love this Nino Franco wine for a whole set of different reasons. We added a few bottles to our next order from Brix to be sure to have some for our pals despite dipping into the supply from time to time.

Rosé as a Rite of Spring

We browsed our wine rack to pick a sparkler for May and remembered the strawberry notes and clean dry finish of the Faive. It seemed a perfect choice. Others agree.

Wine & Spirits 2013: “More red than rosé, this has the dark flavor of pomegranate …. There’s something oddly refreshing in it, a quirky rosé to chill for the beach, to serve with grilled shellfish.”

Independent Wine Review: “This “Faive” Rosé bubbles on across an impressive length. Drier than most rosé sparkling wines made in the Prosecco zone of production and purer in flavour.”

Sommelier’s Choice: “In many ways a wine that defies classification (not legally permitted to be labelled Prosecco, drier than most rosé sparkling wines made in the Prosecco zone of production and purer in flavour and made differently to rosé Champagne) this “Faive” Rosé Spumante is defined by flavours of strawberries, wild raspberries and freshly picked nectarines. Almost completely dry and underpinned by an ever-present but subtle and nicely integrated mousse, this “Faive” Rosé bubbles on across an impressive length.”

Charles Scicolone: “The wine is light salmon in color, with good bubbles, nice red fruit and a hint of pear.”

Tidbits About Faive Rosé Brut

Pronunciation: Fie-EE-vay

Blend: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 12%

Importer’s serving suggestions: Faive should be enjoyed from the first spring days, over the summer until late autumn. Serve with small appetizing bites ranging from cheese, to lightly steamed shrimp and cheese straws.

What Does the Name Mean?

Faive: from the Venetian dialect, are the small gilded red tongues of flame and sparks rising towards the sky from a great fire, lightly and freely carried by the wind.

It certainly sparked some smiles around here. Happy 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.

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: © 2014-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino with the bottle alone courtesy of Nino Franco.

May 1, 2015
We Toast the Month of May with Nino Franco Faive Rosé Brut

This month, we’ll toast the start of another calendar page and say “Happy New Month” with a Faive Rosé Brut from the wonderful family at Nino Franco.

In reading some of the great reviews of this wine, we found someone who agrees with our sparkling wine philosophy.

Charles Scicolone, a wine consultant that the New York Times called “The Maestro of Italian Wines,” includes Nino Franco Faive Rosé in a list of some of his favorite sparklers,

“Most of us think of sparkling wine as something that should only be drunk on special occasions or at Christmas and New Years, but I don’t agree. Sparkling wine can be enjoyed all year round and I especially like it in the summer and always with food.”

Last October, we first tasted this sparkling wine along with others from the Nino Franco line at Brix Wine Shop. At the tasting, we added a couple of bottles to our order because we have friends who we suspect will love this wine and we wanted to have some on hand when they visit.

Then, we opened a bottle at home and had it with food and without sharing our attention with some of our all time favorite Proseccos. We discovered that we love this Nino Franco wine for a whole set of different reasons. We added a few bottles to our next order from Brix to be sure to have some for our pals despite dipping into the supply from time to time.

Rosé as a Rite of Spring

We browsed our wine rack to pick a sparkler for May and remembered the strawberry notes and clean dry finish of the Faive. It seemed a perfect choice. Others agree.

Wine & Spirits 2013: “More red than rosé, this has the dark flavor of pomegranate …. There’s something oddly refreshing in it, a quirky rosé to chill for the beach, to serve with grilled shellfish.”

Independent Wine Review: “This “Faive” Rosé bubbles on across an impressive length. Drier than most rosé sparkling wines made in the Prosecco zone of production and purer in flavour.”

Sommelier’s Choice: “In many ways a wine that defies classification (not legally permitted to be labelled Prosecco, drier than most rosé sparkling wines made in the Prosecco zone of production and purer in flavour and made differently to rosé Champagne) this “Faive” Rosé Spumante is defined by flavours of strawberries, wild raspberries and freshly picked nectarines. Almost completely dry and underpinned by an ever-present but subtle and nicely integrated mousse, this “Faive” Rosé bubbles on across an impressive length.”

Charles Scicolone: “The wine is light salmon in color, with good bubbles, nice red fruit and a hint of pear.”

Tidbits About Faive Rosé Brut

Pronunciation: Fie-EE-vay

Blend: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 12%

Importer’s serving suggestions: Faive should be enjoyed from the first spring days, over the summer until late autumn. Serve with small appetizing bites ranging from cheese, to lightly steamed shrimp and cheese straws.

What Does the Name Mean?

Faive: from the Venetian dialect, are the small gilded red tongues of flame and sparks rising towards the sky from a great fire, lightly and freely carried by the wind.

It certainly sparked some smiles around here. Happy 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.

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: © 2014-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino with the bottle alone courtesy of Nino Franco.

May 1, 2015
Bollinger Rosé Champagne Is Our Choice for Our New Year’s Toast!

This year, our choice of a wine to welcome in 2015 is Bollinger Rosé Champagne. This lovely pinot forward wine comes from one of our favorite Champagne houses. We’ve featured the Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut many times across the years. Thanks to a tasting at Brix Wine Shop, we were able to taste three wines from the Bollinger line: The Special Cuvee (to remind ourselves why we like it), the Rosé, and the 2004 Grande Annee.

While we don’t go to a lot of wine tastings, we are tempted when we can sample wines that are seldom available by the glass or when we can meet a great winemaker, importer, or another of our heros of the wine world. Thank you to Brix for the number of times they have delivered such an opportunity.

We start each month with a glass of bubbly and each year we search for a very special wine for the first sip of the new year. Since we are definitely part of the stay at home on New Year’s Eve contingent, we have been known to splurge on this annual tradition.

Without tasting the line, we might have selected the Grande Annee based on the wonderful tasting notes we’ve read and its reputation as one of the truly great Champagnes. It is! And we enjoyed every sip as this wine showed what careful aging can do to add je ne sais quoi to Chardonnay forward Champagne. Making it our sparkler for a new year was tempting.

But, the Rosé hit our sweet spot. With more pinot in the mix and just the right note of fresh fruit and acidity, it won our hearts.

Make no mistake, we loved all three Bollingers, but sitting here on New Year’s Eve, we know that the Rosé will keep us smiling from the first pop of the cork to the final drip as we hold the bottle upside down over a glass to slide out the last drop.

We’re posting this early so that you have time to buy a bottle if you are tempted by our choice this year.

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, 3rd photo courtesy of Bollinger
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

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

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Protecting the Very Sensitive Toes of a Famous Boston Elm with FlexiPave

December 29, 2014
Brix Wine Shop Makes Our Nino Franco Dreams Come True!
Last Thursday, we had the opportunity to taste five wines from Nino Franco Spumanti srl and to meet Silvia Franco.

For years we’ve told you of our love for Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco. And, we’ve been unsuccessfully scouting sources for other wines from this vineyard.

Imagine our elation when we were invited to a tasting at Brix Wine Shop that included the opportunity to not only try more of this winery’s sparklers, but also to meet Silvia, in person, after a couple of years of internet communication about her family’s wines.

Brix Hosts Gracious and Hospitable Tastings

They provided everything from the right glassware for sniffing and sipping to an antique copper spittoon for those limiting their alcohol intake. And, this tasting attracted a charming crowd who chatted with both Silvia and among themselves. We were all assisted by a most helpful staff.

We tasted and loved each of the five wines brought in for this event:
- Nino Franco Rustico NV
- Nino Franco Faive Rose 2012
- Nino Franco Primo Franco 2012
- Nino Franco V. Della Riva San Floriano
- Nino Franco Grave di Stecca
Silva Franco Was as Gracious as Brix

The Brix invitation to meet “Prosecco’s Princess Silvia Franco” said, “If the bubbles don’t win you over (which they will), Silvia’s charming personality and in-depth knowledge will captivate you.” And, they were right.

She greeted guests, poured wine, talked wine, answered questions, and signed bottles upon request. Her warm personality and vivacious Italian spirit added as much sparkle to the evening as her wines. We look forward to seeing her again the next time she’s in Boston.

30 Years of Primo Franco

We had Silvia sign one of our bottles of Primo Franco, a wine named for her father. Later this month, as she and her family celebrate the 30th Vintage of Primo Franco in Valdobbiadene, we’ll open this bottle and toast them here in Boston.

Thanks to the Brix team for making this possible. We recommend that wine lovers sign up for their email announcements of tastings. They have introduced us to other favorite winemakers and wineries over the years.

Get there soon to enjoy this special and intriguing selection of Nino Franco wines. If you can’t stop by, give Brix a call and ask about putting together a few bottles or a case for delivery.

Breaking News about the Primo Franco!

We just saw this announcement in Glass Of Bubbly:

“In the the world of elite bubbles Primo Franco 2013 has been recognised & awarded in the first edition of The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships”:
- Gold Medal
- Best In Class Medal
- World Champion Medal”
Congratulation to the entire Nino Franco team and family.

If you love sparkling wine, consider joining Our Sparkling Resolution and begin each month with a glass of bubbles.

And, here’s 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: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Toast April with Nino Franco Prosecco – an 11% Sparkler!

Nino Franco Rustico: A Wine for Holiday Gifts & Celebrations

Primo Franco

Leaves of grass: Primo Franco & the “battle for Prosecco” @NinoFranco1919

Wine of the Week: Nino Franco Valdobbiadne Superiore D.O.C.G. Brut
October 6, 2014
Sophisticated Pink Sparklers for Valentines’ Day

Don't be afraid of pink sparking wine! We'll let you in on what wine experts have always known– some serious and elegant wines come with a blush of color. There are also plenty of classy, but inexpensive, pink options.

As regular readers know, we start every month with a glass of sparkling wine, and we share those choices with you. Today, we'll remind you of a few that are perfect for cork-popping on Valentine's Day. (Yes, we are our own Friday Link this week!)

If price is no object, consider a rosé from one of France's great Champagne houses. We've really enjoyed these two:

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé - This is one of Penny's all time favorite wines. It's price has really skyrocketed during the years we've been telling you about it. But, sometimes only the best will do and Billecart-Salmon has earned it's place at the top of the charts.

Delamotte Brut Rose - Brix Wine Shop gave us the opportunity to taste this wonderful Champagne from Delamotte, the ledgendary house that produces Salon.

For a bit of France on a budget, slide out of the Champagne region and try a Crémant.

We suggest a bottle of Louis Bouillot Rosé. Even the lable looks like a party! This is one of our favorite beach wines.

For a real value sparkler, we'll move you to New Mexico. New Mexico you ask? Mais Oui!

Gruet Blanc de Noir is coppery in color and rich with pinot noir flavor, and it's heritage comes from another of the great French Champagne families. They also make a bright pink rosé.

From there, head north to Soter Vineyards in Oregon. One New Year's weekend, we tasted four great sparkling wines. The Soter was one of them. These wonderful wines, from a highly respected team with a great Pinot Noir reputation, will always be on our list of favorites. Try the Soter Rosé to see how much finesse American sparklers can have.

We also say, "Olé" for the pink Spanish cavas like Segura Viudas Brut Rosé or their ARIA Pinot Noir Cava.

Related Posts:

If you don't have enough ideas here, go explore our entire wine post collection.

And, we've gathered all of our Valentine posts at Valentine's Day 2012 – Romantic Dining in Boston

Need some Valentine's Day gift ideas? Click over to Amazon and do some planning and if you do buy something there, they'll put a few coins in our tip cup.

Details:
Words: Penny & Cherubino
Photos: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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February 10, 2012