Tag: celebrate

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.

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.

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

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

November 1, 2019
Our July Sparkler Is Bursting with Bubbles! Jean-François Mérieau Bulles (2009)

To me July has always been the month that means summer has really arrived with no shortage of reasons to celebrate – July 4th, vacations, warm weather, lots of daylight! And, because of its outstanding potential, we’re toasting month #7 with an equally impressive bottle of Jean-François Mérieau “Bulles” (2009).

Made in the traditional champagne method, this sparkler (90% Chenin Blanc, 10% Chardonnay) is described as “vibrant and crisp,” having “a pleasant nose, with some white fruits and vine peaches aromas … Very much a celebration pre-dinner wine.”

Winemaker Jean-François Mérieau has been praised as ambitious and creative – one of the new stars of the Loire region, no argument here.

According to K&L Wines, Jean-François Mérieau “Bulles” Touraine Sparkling is “a refreshing, crisp wine … has a bright nose of apple and pears with hints of citrus … palate is creamy and rich … finish is juicy and long.”

(Wine Spectator) – “This sparkler is forward, with a prominent spicy ginger note lading [sic] the way for pear, melon and brioche flavors. Stays racy on the finish, with the ginger note lingering.”

Other tasters detected “apple, quince, grapefruit, herbs, mineral accents.”

Our noses caught the pear aroma along with a good acidity. For a lighter feel, drink well-chilled. We liked it best with food having first enjoyed Jean-François Mérieau Bulles (2009) at Select Oyster Bar where it matched extremely well with their fabulous seafood preparations.

We purchased our bottle at Bauer Wine & Spirits ($19.99)

Read about Why We Toast Each New Month: “Our Sparkling Resolution”

Explore “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: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

Boston Public Library’s 2015 Concerts in the Courtyard Series

July 1, 2015
Our July Sparkler Is Bursting with Bubbles! Jean-François Mérieau Bulles (2009)

To me July has always been the month that means summer has really arrived with no shortage of reasons to celebrate – July 4th, vacations, warm weather, lots of daylight! And, because of its outstanding potential, we’re toasting month #7 with an equally impressive bottle of Jean-François Mérieau “Bulles” (2009).

Made in the traditional champagne method, this sparkler (90% Chenin Blanc, 10% Chardonnay) is described as “vibrant and crisp,” having “a pleasant nose, with some white fruits and vine peaches aromas … Very much a celebration pre-dinner wine.”

Winemaker Jean-François Mérieau has been praised as ambitious and creative – one of the new stars of the Loire region, no argument here.

According to K&L Wines, Jean-François Mérieau “Bulles” Touraine Sparkling is “a refreshing, crisp wine … has a bright nose of apple and pears with hints of citrus … palate is creamy and rich … finish is juicy and long.”

(Wine Spectator) – “This sparkler is forward, with a prominent spicy ginger note lading [sic] the way for pear, melon and brioche flavors. Stays racy on the finish, with the ginger note lingering.”

Other tasters detected “apple, quince, grapefruit, herbs, mineral accents.”

Our noses caught the pear aroma along with a good acidity. For a lighter feel, drink well-chilled. We liked it best with food having first enjoyed Jean-François Mérieau Bulles (2009) at Select Oyster Bar where it matched extremely well with their fabulous seafood preparations.

We purchased our bottle at Bauer Wine & Spirits ($19.99)

Read about Why We Toast Each New Month: “Our Sparkling Resolution”

Explore “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: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

Boston Public Library’s 2015 Concerts in the Courtyard Series

July 1, 2015
Celebrate the Winter Solstice 2013! Friday Links to More about It…

December 21, 12:11 p.m. EST is the 2013 Winter Solstice here in Boston, and it's a great reason to celebrate!

Tomorrow, we will have just 9 hours, 4 minutes and 34 seconds of daylight. By Monday, we'll have added 8 seconds to that total and we'll be on our way to longer days of light.

Whatever winter holiday you choose to make your central celebration in December, it was probably based on the fact that the sun seems to stand still and the shortest day of the year occurs on the Winter Solstice.

Wikipedia has a page full of the celebrations from the Beiwe Festival of the Sami people of Fennoscandia to Ziemassvētki celebrated in Latvia, Baltic states, and Romuva. The list includes more familiar occasions like Christmas, Hanukkah, Saint Lucy's Day, and the Yule festival.

This is an astronomical event, so the folks over at Earth Sky have the details in their post, Everything you need to know: December solstice 2013. As they point out, it is the shortest day in Boston but the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere.

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.

December 20, 2013
Celebrate the Winter Solstice 2013! Friday Links to More about It…

December 21, 12:11 p.m. EST is the 2013 Winter Solstice here in Boston, and it's a great reason to celebrate!

Tomorrow, we will have just 9 hours, 4 minutes and 34 seconds of daylight. By Monday, we'll have added 8 seconds to that total and we'll be on our way to longer days of light.

Whatever winter holiday you choose to make your central celebration in December, it was probably based on the fact that the sun seems to stand still and the shortest day of the year occurs on the Winter Solstice.

Wikipedia has a page full of the celebrations from the Beiwe Festival of the Sami people of Fennoscandia to Ziemassvētki celebrated in Latvia, Baltic states, and Romuva. The list includes more familiar occasions like Christmas, Hanukkah, Saint Lucy's Day, and the Yule festival.

This is an astronomical event, so the folks over at Earth Sky have the details in their post, Everything you need to know: December solstice 2013. As they point out, it is the shortest day in Boston but the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere.

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.

December 20, 2013
Celebrate the Winter Solstice 2013! Friday Links to More about It…

December 21, 12:11 p.m. EST is the 2013 Winter Solstice here in Boston, and it's a great reason to celebrate!

Tomorrow, we will have just 9 hours, 4 minutes and 34 seconds of daylight. By Monday, we'll have added 8 seconds to that total and we'll be on our way to longer days of light.

Whatever winter holiday you choose to make your central celebration in December, it was probably based on the fact that the sun seems to stand still and the shortest day of the year occurs on the Winter Solstice.

Wikipedia has a page full of the celebrations from the Beiwe Festival of the Sami people of Fennoscandia to Ziemassvētki celebrated in Latvia, Baltic states, and Romuva. The list includes more familiar occasions like Christmas, Hanukkah, Saint Lucy's Day, and the Yule festival.

This is an astronomical event, so the folks over at Earth Sky have the details in their post, Everything you need to know: December solstice 2013. As they point out, it is the shortest day in Boston but the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere.

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.

December 20, 2013
Popping a Bollinger Champagne Cork for July 2012

Tomorrow, we'll pop the cork on a bottle of Bollinger to celebrate July! "Happy New Month" to all.

This month, we have a few extra reasons to celeberate, so we are splurging with a great bottle of French Campagne: Bollinger Special Cuvée. This is the standard that we use to measure all other French Blanc de Noir Champagnes.

One of the nice things about Bolly (as the Brits call it) is the consistant taste through the years and its wide availability. The photos here were taken in Provincetown where we usually find it at Perry's Wine and Liquors. But, I also recall buying a bottle, years ago, at an A & P in a small town in Maine.

This month's bottle is a treat. It is something we will enjoy at home or in a vacation cottage. If you hesitate to buy and enjoy a moderately expensive bottle of wine at home, think about what you have paid for wine in a restaurant.

This is a toasty Champagne, full bodied, and ready to take on whatever you're serving with it. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier. And, each release has been blended with reserve wines from the Bollinger cellars to achieve the famous Bollinger house style.

The next time you're in a special place or have a special reason to celebrate, invite Bollinger to the party!

Portrait from Bollinger's Life Can Be Perfect site. You can read more Bolly stories there.

We close with one of the great quotes about Champagne from Lily Bollinger (above) who managed this great house for many years and established its world-wide reputation.

"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." Lily Bollinger

Related Posts:

Here's a video that will tell you more about this great Campagne House.

Check out more of our Sparkling Resolution Winners among our Wine Posts. For years, we've kept our sparkling resolution to begin each month by toasting with a glass of sparkling wine. Some are special, some are bargains, all are delcious!

More about Our Sparkling Resolution

Finally, more of our Provincetown Posts!

We have a new, favorite wine book that we are not only recommending to our readers, but buying as a gift for wine-loving friends. It's a treasure and we expect it to look a bit worn and well-used pretty quickly. It may even suffer a few wine stains but we doubt that Karen and Andrew will mind.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Here are more books from this team:

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs

What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea – Even Water – Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers

Becoming a Chef

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

June 30, 2012
Wasn’t it a Great Weekend?
We saw:
- Newbury Street filled with shoppers on Sunday.
- Happy diners eating outside at La Voile and at Tasty Burger. (Warning: There's music on La Voile's site.)
- Students studying on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
- Lots of spring plants sprouting in Back Bay gardens. The snowdrops have been up for weeks and some crocuses, pansies, and heather are already in bloom.
- (Click a thumbnail to choose an image in any order you like. You'll stay right here on this page.)
Sometimes the freelance life lets you stretch your long weekend by an extra day or, at least, fit in more fun around your work hours. It was that kind of weekend for us.

We began with a trip to Central Square, Cambridge for lunch on Thursday. The afternoon began at Mary Chung Restaurant for a bit of Szechuan heat. (Stay tuned! Details on that will pop up tomorrow.)

We strolled home with stops at Central Bottle to stock up on cheese, bread, beer, and wine for the weekend and Flour Bakery for two pieces of their fabulous Boston Cream Pie cake to honor a friend's birthday. (And, to tease him with another reason to miss Boston from his new home in San Francisco!)

Friday afternoon found us at Coppa enjoying a few of our favorites– including this Italian Grinder.

Saturday, we shared a tray at Sweet Cheeks Q and added a new favorite side dish that will also be featured here in the days ahead.

We ran into lots of friends in lots of places and had some down time at home with a bit of great wine and home cooking. It was a good weekend to spend in town enjoying some of the great things Boston has to offer.

Related Posts:

Sweet Cheeks Q- Great Northern Brisket

Sweet Cheeks Q: A First Look

Friday Lunch at Coppa, an Italian Seduction

Bourbon Beer? at Sweet Cheeks

Celebrating the Start of Summer at La Voile

How to Extend >>> Your Birthday!

And The Winner is….

What a Weekend!

What's on your weekend get-away shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 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 a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
February 21, 2012