bostonzest

Tag: gifts for wine lovers

  • On March 1, 2023 We’ll Raise a Glass of Raventos i Blanc de Nit Cava

    This month we'll raise a glass of Raventos i Blanc de Nit cava. This sparkler certainly qualifies for inclusion in our year of choosing wines associated with great memories and great people. We have a scrapbook of photos of this wine in some of our favorite places. Moreover, we are grateful to four wine mentors for sharing their knowledge of this cava and its history with us.

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    This is one of many wines we discovered thanks to recommendations from Thomas Fielding and Scott O’Connor, one time owners of Perry's Wine and Spirits in Provincetown. These former restaurateurs chose the selection at their shop like a well-curated wine list. 

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    Perry's was always a stop on our initial shopping trip when we arrived for a week or two. We also loved their clever "OPEN" and "NOPE" signs. The last we heard, these gentlemen were headed for retirement in Mexico.

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    Thanks to them, we enjoyed many bottles of this great value wine as we made memories in one of our very special places. We'll think of those times with every sip this month.

    Back in Boston

    Penny ordered Raventos so often at Select Oyster Bar that the staff would often just ask, "The usual?" Select owner, and another wine mentor, Michael Serpa, told us more about the winery and its history. 

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    On the other side of town, we learned even more from Alcove Boston owner and long-time wine educator Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli. He likes this wine so much that he offers it in half bottles, 750s, and magnums. We've followed Tom around since his early years as a bartender at Craigie on Main. 

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    Raventos says, "Five centuries of winegrowing, tradition and family."

    Raventós i Blanc is a winery with one of the longest documented winegrowing traditions in the world. The family farm where our wines are now produced has belonged to the Raventós family since 1497. Five centuries working 90 hectares of vines and forest, a dynasty closely associated with the land from one generation to the next. Today, Pepe Raventós, who represents the twenty-first generation of the family, farms 44 plots using biodynamic winegrowing methods and is committed to maintaining the estate of vines, wood and lake as a complete entity. Raventós i Blanc is faithful to tradition and upholds the relationship between man and nature at the very core of its production philosophy."

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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!

    We purchase our bottle at Gordon's Wine and Spirits for $24.99.

    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: © 2014-2023 Penny Cherubino 

  • Raventos i Blanc de Nit Takes Us to Spain for Our February 1st Toast

    Raventos i Blanc de Nit is such a favorite with us that one of the staff at Select Oyster Bar asked Penny if she wanted her usual last week, meaning Raventos. That question put it next up on the list of wines we would feature this year as we explore the concept of terroir.

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    Each month in 2020, we'll feature a bottle of wine from a different place. Some will be new to us and some, like this one, will be old favorites from great winemakers who respect the land and let the natural taste of the grapes and the land come through in the glass.

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    The Raventos family has been making wine on their land since 1497. They say, "We stand up for the huge potential that our terroir has for creating sparkling wines."

    The Oxford Dictionary defines the word terroir as, "The complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate." And, "The characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a wine by the environment in which it is produced."

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    The words "Conca del Riu Anoia" on the label are a part of an effort by the Reventos family to create a recognized wine appellation with some of the specific characteristics we happen to look for in a wine. These standards include: using native varietals, biodynamic methods, estate-grown grapes, and proper aging.

    They write, "Our dream is for the Raventós i Blanc wines to have their own name: Conca del Riu Anoia, the name of a small geographical area, centred around the River Anoia Basin, between the Catalan Pre-Coastal and Coastal Ranges."

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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! Please join our Sparkling Resolution.

    We purchased our bottle at Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors for $26.99. 

    We've enjoyed this wine by the glass at Select Oyster Bar and by the half-bottle (they also have it through magnums) at Alcove.

    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 

  • Raventos i Blanc de Nit Takes Us to Spain for Our February 1st Toast

    Raventos i Blanc de Nit is such a favorite with us that one of the staff at Select Oyster Bar asked Penny if she wanted her usual last week, meaning Raventos. That question put it next up on the list of wines we would feature this year as we explore the concept of terroir.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a3fd0cb728970b-800wi

    Each month in 2020, we'll feature a bottle of wine from a different place. Some will be new to us and some, like this one, will be old favorites from great winemakers who respect the land and let the natural taste of the grapes and the land come through in the glass.

    IMG_7583

    The Raventos family has been making wine on their land since 1497. They say, "We stand up for the huge potential that our terroir has for creating sparkling wines."

    The Oxford Dictionary defines the word terroir as, "The complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate." And, "The characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a wine by the environment in which it is produced."

    IMG_7575

    The words "Conca del Riu Anoia" on the label are a part of an effort by the Reventos family to create a recognized wine appellation with some of the specific characteristics we happen to look for in a wine. These standards include: using native varietals, biodynamic methods, estate-grown grapes, and proper aging.

    They write, "Our dream is for the Raventós i Blanc wines to have their own name: Conca del Riu Anoia, the name of a small geographical area, centred around the River Anoia Basin, between the Catalan Pre-Coastal and Coastal Ranges."

    IMG_7579

    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! Please join our Sparkling Resolution.

    We purchased our bottle at Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors for $26.99. 

    We've enjoyed this wine by the glass at Select Oyster Bar and by the half-bottle (they also have it through magnums) at Alcove.

    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 

  • Toasting August with the Flame and Spark of Nino Franco Faìve Brut Rose!

    In this year of favorite wines and friendship, we will be toasting with a bottle of Nino Franco Faìve Brut Rosé. A wine has to have special meaning for us to take it with us to Provincetown. This year a bottle joined us there in spring and another will join us with friends to toast August.

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    We must explained the name of this lovely Rosé. "Faìve, 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."  Sylvia Franco told us the pronunciation is Fie-EE-vay!

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    Our stash of Faìve was hiding in plain sight on the top of a bookcase. We've been rationing this harder-to-find wine. But the time has come to enjoy this special bottle and share the experience with friends. Then we'll go hunting for a new supply!

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    Here is what Nino Franco says about this special Rosé from their collection:

    • "Variety and Grapes: 80% Merlot 20% Cabernet Franc.
    • Vinification Technique: Short skin and must contact at a low temperature to obtain the right colour. The first fermentation in steel tanks and the second one in “cuve close”.
    • Type: Rosé Brut.
    • Colour: Rose petal -like pink.
    • Flavour: Perfume of small red fruits. Mineral and floral notes.
    • Taste: In the mouth, pleasurably fresh. Dry with soft tannins and persistent bubbles.
    • Matching: Well paired with mortadella, meat and mushroom dishes, fish or vegetable soups. Excellent with “Lasagna”, “Parmigiano" or the typical Italian dish “vitello tonnato” .
    • Serving Temperature: 6° – 8° degrees" (~ 43°F – 46°F)

    While we are enjoying this old friend from our wine rack, we hope you'll pull a bottle you have been saving and join our sparkling resolution as we toast the new month of August 2018. 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!

    Here is an earlier post about this wine from 2015!

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

    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 

  • Toasting August with the Flame and Spark of Nino Franco Faìve Brut Rose!

    In this year of favorite wines and friendship, we will be toasting with a bottle of Nino Franco Faìve Brut Rosé. A wine has to have special meaning for us to take it with us to Provincetown. This year a bottle joined us there in spring and another will join us with friends to toast August.

    P1010641

    We must explained the name of this lovely Rosé. "Faìve, 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."  Sylvia Franco told us the pronunciation is Fie-EE-vay!

    P1010651

    Our stash of Faìve was hiding in plain sight on the top of a bookcase. We've been rationing this harder-to-find wine. But the time has come to enjoy this special bottle and share the experience with friends. Then we'll go hunting for a new supply!

    P1010650

    Here is what Nino Franco says about this special Rosé from their collection:

    • "Variety and Grapes: 80% Merlot 20% Cabernet Franc.
    • Vinification Technique: Short skin and must contact at a low temperature to obtain the right colour. The first fermentation in steel tanks and the second one in “cuve close”.
    • Type: Rosé Brut.
    • Colour: Rose petal -like pink.
    • Flavour: Perfume of small red fruits. Mineral and floral notes.
    • Taste: In the mouth, pleasurably fresh. Dry with soft tannins and persistent bubbles.
    • Matching: Well paired with mortadella, meat and mushroom dishes, fish or vegetable soups. Excellent with “Lasagna”, “Parmigiano" or the typical Italian dish “vitello tonnato” .
    • Serving Temperature: 6° – 8° degrees" (~ 43°F – 46°F)

    While we are enjoying this old friend from our wine rack, we hope you'll pull a bottle you have been saving and join our sparkling resolution as we toast the new month of August 2018. 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!

    Here is an earlier post about this wine from 2015!

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

    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 

  • Toasting July with Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne

    For July we would like to reintroduce you to a lovely bottle of Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne. This year we're having a great time shopping in our own wine rack and enjoying old favorite sparkling wines for our first-of-the-month wine toasts.

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    Above is a photo from a couple of years ago when we first wrote about this wine in our post: 

    Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne – One Happy Surprise!

    Click over there to find out how a mistake made in a moment of hurry had a happy ending.

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since New Years Eve 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

    IMG_0494

    Our bottle of Charles de Cazanove Rosé is a blend of 15% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, and 15% Côteaux Champenois Rouge. The blend will vary from year-to-year as the winemaker tries to achieve the house style. We're always happy when we see a high percentage of Pinot Noir in a bottle. And, we love wines of great value. This one should be about $35. 

    K & L Wines always has great and reliable descriptions of wines. "This rich, round rosé is a truly affordable luxury. Although thus far off the radar of wine critics, I think it's the best wine from de Cazanove, with its lovely strawberry color and aromas. Full-bodied but nicely balanced, this wine will make a great aperitif or pair well with a charcuterie plate or after-dinner fruit salad."

    Then they include this quote which makes us happy about opening an older bottle.

    "… 91 points Wine Spectator, Refined, with well-meshed acidity providing a backbone for delicate flavors of dried currant, graphite, green plum, meringue and grapefruit zest. Fresh, smoke-tinged finish. Drink now through 2020."

    Our friends at Bauer Wine & Spirits often have this wine in stock.

    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 

  • Toasting July with Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne

    For July we would like to reintroduce you to a lovely bottle of Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne. This year we're having a great time shopping in our own wine rack and enjoying old favorite sparkling wines for our first-of-the-month wine toasts.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d16f2b1a970c-800wi

    Above is a photo from a couple of years ago when we first wrote about this wine in our post: 

    Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne – One Happy Surprise!

    Click over there to find out how a mistake made in a moment of hurry had a happy ending.

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since New Years Eve 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

    IMG_0494

    Our bottle of Charles de Cazanove Rosé is a blend of 15% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, and 15% Côteaux Champenois Rouge. The blend will vary from year-to-year as the winemaker tries to achieve the house style. We're always happy when we see a high percentage of Pinot Noir in a bottle. And, we love wines of great value. This one should be about $35. 

    K & L Wines always has great and reliable descriptions of wines. "This rich, round rosé is a truly affordable luxury. Although thus far off the radar of wine critics, I think it's the best wine from de Cazanove, with its lovely strawberry color and aromas. Full-bodied but nicely balanced, this wine will make a great aperitif or pair well with a charcuterie plate or after-dinner fruit salad."

    Then they include this quote which makes us happy about opening an older bottle.

    "… 91 points Wine Spectator, Refined, with well-meshed acidity providing a backbone for delicate flavors of dried currant, graphite, green plum, meringue and grapefruit zest. Fresh, smoke-tinged finish. Drink now through 2020."

    Our friends at Bauer Wine & Spirits often have this wine in stock.

    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 

  • 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.)

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    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.

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    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!

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    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…

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    … 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! 

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    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 

  • 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.)

    P1010761

    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.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b7c6ed3ebe970b-800wi

    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!

    P1010768

    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…

    IMG_9733

    … 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! 

    P1010767

    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 

  • Toasting March with Bisson Glera Vino Frizzante Trevigiani Imported by Rosenthal Wine Merchant

    We are toasting March with a favorite from Italy, Bisson Glera Vino Frizzante Trevigiani Imported by Rosenthal Wine Merchant.

    The last time we told you about his wine was back on March 1, 2012, but we've shared this favorite with favorite people many times since then.

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    About Bisson Glera Vino Frizzante Trevigiani

    This delightful, bone dry sparkler checks so many of our favorite aspects. It is light and lively with good fruit balance. It's 11% Alcohol by Volume, so we can sometimes enjoy a second glass.

    It's a great value. As one critic said, "Small, delicate bubbles, elegant and balanced, this lovely fizz from Italy cannot be labeled prosecco because it’s got a flip-top cap. Fine. Who cares? It’s the best on the market and it’s under $20."

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    If you plan to pop a bottle of this beauty with us, reach for your favorite bottle opener because it has a “Spark Cap” also know as a Crown Cap.

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    The second old friend featured this month is Neal Rosenthal. He is one of our favorite and most dependable importers of wine. We have been following his work and learning from his writing for years.

    Penny had the opportunity to meet him when his book, "Reflections of a Wine Merchant: On a Lifetime in the Vineyards and Cellars of France and Italy," was published and found him as charming as his wines.

    When a friend asked for a way to deal with wine lists when she was entertaining clients, we suggested she ask, "Do you have anything imported by Rosenthal?"

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    If you have ever seen the Mondovino series on wine, you may agree with us that Neal Rosenthal is the hero of the world of wine as explored in that documentary.

    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! This year we've decided to revisit a lot of old friends – wines that are usually in our wine rack, that we often order when we dine out, and that we choose for special occasions.

    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