Tag: Happy New Year

  • Champagne Résonance from Marie-Courtin, Special Bubbles to Ring-In the New Year!

    Although we toast the beginning of every new month with a glass of bubbly to remain true to Our Sparkling Resolution, we admittedly get a little more excited about the arrival of January. After all, greeting a new year definitely holds special significance and therefore (follow me here) calls for a bottle of “special” bubbles.

    CHE_2583

    We hope you'll join Our Sparkling Resolution and have fun with it. There are no rules!

    For instance, if you’re someone who thinks Champagne (or any sparkler) is ONLY for special occasions, consider the advice of Master Sommelier Andrea (Immer) Robinson in her book "Great Wine Made Simple: Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier":

    "Get over it. Say this to yourself: 'I deserve to open a bottle of bubbly. I do not need an excuse. I do not have to deny myself and wait until some significant event comes along.' For me, if the day dawns, that is an occasion for Champagne."

    Happy New Year! 

    Now More About Our New Year's Wine!

    Say hello to Résonance, a Champagne from Marie-Courtin! This 100% Pinot Noir, biodynamically farmed, non-dosage cuvée has been getting some rave reviews for the last several years. 

    IMG_5615 copy

    Here’s what critics are saying:

    (The Vinguard/2013)

    • “This Champagne has a firm chord of acidity that runs throughout.”             

    (Decanter)

    • “… pungent depth of fruit and distinctly flinty minerality”
    • “… demonstrates a remarkably elegant poise … with a refinement and discreet grace.”
    • “Organically farmed Grower Champagne”

    (Joli Vin Imports) 

    • “The N V (2012) Extra Brut Résonance is a real stand out”
    • “Beautifully textured and generous”
    • “offers terrific depth, with fewer of the hard edges these wines can sometimes show”
    • “Dried pear, spice, mint and licorice flow through to the effortless, creamy finish”         

    CHE_2529

    (Just Grapes) (2013) 

    • “Résonance resoundingly discredits the austerity critics’ claims”
    • “One of the most accessible, pure, fruity and fresh Champagnes I’ve had”                 

    Sedimentary Wine (2011)

    Résonance NV (2008)

    • "Clear, light hay/sunshine yellow."
    • "Dough, small red fruits, soil"
    • "Medium bodied with lovely density and mid palate weight"
    • "Plum skin, red apple and mineral"
    • "Finished dry and long with pinot tinged extract. Delicious."

    Antonio Galloni: 93 points: (2008) Extra Brut Resonance:

    • “a brilliant, energetic wine … with gorgeous richness and depth”
    • “Succulent apricots, peaches, flowers and crushed rocks are some of the many nuances
    • “Chalky notes linger on the precise, beautifully articulated, eternal finish”
    • “kept getting better and better with air”
    • “It is a fabulous wine in every way. I loved it."

      CHE_2611

    Polaner Selections

    • “Résonance is fermented in stainless steel”
    • “the grapes are all harvested by hand”
    • “The wines are fermented with natural yeasts”
    • “there is no dosage added upon disgorgement”
    • “[Dominique] recommends that [Résonance] be served in traditional white wine glasses to allow for [its] development through increased aeration” ( As you can see in the photo above, we plan to do just that!)

    Résonance Champagne Marie-Courtin Extra Brut Pinot Noir

    (From Thomas Calder Selections)

    Imported by: Vineyard Road Inc. Framingham, MA

    ABV: 12%

    Date of disgorgement: June 2016

    We purchased our bottle of Résonance Champagne Marie-Courtin at City Liquors in Cambridge.

    Here’s more about Our Sparkling Resolution

    And Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

     

    What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Happy New Year 2014 from The BostonZest Team

      -holiday-display-newbury-street-prince-school-

    Wishing everyone a happy and healthy year in 2014!

    If you are out for a walk on Newbury Street this week, be sure to take a moment to enjoy the joyful holiday decorations in front of the entrance to The Prince on Newbury Condominiums at 201 Newbury Street. This photo gives you a tiny preview. Enjoy!

    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: © 2014 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.

  • Happy New Year 2014 from The BostonZest Team

      -holiday-display-newbury-street-prince-school-

    Wishing everyone a happy and healthy year in 2014!

    If you are out for a walk on Newbury Street this week, be sure to take a moment to enjoy the joyful holiday decorations in front of the entrance to The Prince on Newbury Condominiums at 201 Newbury Street. This photo gives you a tiny preview. Enjoy!

    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: © 2014 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.

  • Happy New Year 2014 from The BostonZest Team

      -holiday-display-newbury-street-prince-school-

    Wishing everyone a happy and healthy year in 2014!

    If you are out for a walk on Newbury Street this week, be sure to take a moment to enjoy the joyful holiday decorations in front of the entrance to The Prince on Newbury Condominiums at 201 Newbury Street. This photo gives you a tiny preview. Enjoy!

    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: © 2014 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.

  • Happy New Year, Boston!

    PMC_7934 - Version 22012-12-20-Boston-beacon-hill-communty-boating-statehouse-golden-dome-massachusetts-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    We hope 2013 is a year when your dreams come true. 

    We plan to work less, play more, explore more, enjoy our friends, and share the fun with our BostonZest circle of regular readers, twitter followers, and occasional visitors to the site. 

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

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

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Happy New Year, Boston!

    PMC_7934 - Version 22012-12-20-Boston-beacon-hill-communty-boating-statehouse-golden-dome-massachusetts-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    We hope 2013 is a year when your dreams come true. 

    We plan to work less, play more, explore more, enjoy our friends, and share the fun with our BostonZest circle of regular readers, twitter followers, and occasional visitors to the site. 

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

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

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Happy New Year, Boston!

    PMC_7934 - Version 22012-12-20-Boston-beacon-hill-communty-boating-statehouse-golden-dome-massachusetts-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    We hope 2013 is a year when your dreams come true. 

    We plan to work less, play more, explore more, enjoy our friends, and share the fun with our BostonZest circle of regular readers, twitter followers, and occasional visitors to the site. 

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

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

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Remembering Pol Roger– New Year’s Eve Tasting Update!

    DSC_0582 - Version 22012-01-08-champagne-food-pol roger-2000-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Though I hardly knew him, I feel like I’ve lost an old friend. Our bottle of Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve Brut Champagne Vintage 2000 was that good.

    As promised, here’s an update to our Toasting a New Year with Pol Roger! post.
     
    IMG_4431 - Version 22011-12-31-champagne-food-tasting-cheese-bread-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Opening the bottle and carefully splashing our glasses half full, it was the aroma that commanded our attention. I thought, toasty. Penny said it reminded her of almonds.

    The first sip had us using words like: mellow, lush, citrus notes, smooth with a dry finish, and just enough fruit for balance.

    DSC_2909 - Version 22011-12-31-champagne-food-tasting-cheese-bread-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    While outstanding on its own, this champagne was equally impressive with food. Trying a perfectly ripe piece of Truffle Tremor from Cypress Grove Chevre and long-time favorite Ascutney Mountain we found each enhanced the taste of the other. Bites were improved by sips, sips were improved by bites!

    DSC_2866 - Version 22011-12-31-champagne-food-tasting-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Truffled pâté with Penny’s own spicy cranberry chutney, plus a Dijon and sweeter bourbon molasses mustard did not intimidate our Pol Roger. It all worked!
     
    As with all high-end champagnes we’ve tried, this one drinks well as it warms– actually revealing more of its character. You’re quite a complex guy, Pol Roger. What a memorable way to begin 2012.

    Here's how this story began: Toasting a New Year with Pol Roger!

    For more about our wine adventures, check out:

    Our Sparkling Resolution 

    Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? 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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Happy New Year 2012!

    DSC_5508 - Version 22011-12-18Wreath- back bay- marlborough st-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    "We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential." Ellen Goodman (Pulitzer prize winning columnist, author, speaker)

    What did you do last year that really makes you happy when you think about it? What Bucket List items are on your schedule for 2012?

    Here's a link to some of Ellen Goodman's books. We hope she makes more of her earlier work available on Kindle.

     

    Details:
    Ellen Goodman's site is www.ellengoodman.com

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photo: © 2011 Penny 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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.