Tag: Pinot Noir

We’ll Toast July 2023 with Dr. Konstantin Frank’s 2018 Brut Rosé

We're staying near home with our choice of an American wine for July 2023. This month we'll toast with and enjoy the memories brought to us by Dr. Konstantin Frank's 2018 Brut Rosé. This groundbreaking vineyard is in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Wines usually remind us of the people we have shared them with or the wine mentors who taught us about them. In this case, that would be our friends David and Peter. The first time we heard about Dr. Konstantin Frank and his wonderful wines was soon after we met them and discovered we shared a love of food, wine, and sharing great food experiences.

A Finger Lakes wine also reminds us of trips to Limerock Speedway in Caledonia, NY. There was a time when we drove a mid-engine sports car and were autocross and auto racing fans and would make the trip to this area to enjoy the schedule of events at this track. If you're planning a trip to this delightful area in the fall-foliage season, consider adding visits to both the Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard and Limerock to your itinerary.

About Dr. Konstantin Frank's 2018 Brut Rosé

The vineyard describes this wine:

"Our Brut Rosé is a blend of 95% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier. The grapes are hand harvested and very lightly pressed. Secondary fermentation took place in bottle for a minimum of 30 months in our historic underground cellar.

Seductive and shimmering, the light rosé color pulls you into its fragrant fruitiness. Strawberries and tart cherries circled by mouthwatering shale minerality completes this sunny and sophisticated wine.

Perfect for celebrations and special occasions. Pair with oysters, lobster, smoked salmon, fried foods, egg dishes, sushi, popcorn, or seafood-based Chinese dishes."

Wine Enthusiast gave this wine a score of 90 saying:
"A perfumed, creamy and silky sparkling rosé with delicate raspberry and strawberry aromas and a hint of candied orange. Flows gracefully over the palate, the mousse very neatly matched with the creaminess from lees contact. The finish is very clean, in spite of a hint of sweetness. Drink now."

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 from the vineyard for $31 after a 6-bottle discount. Sadly, we have to inform you that this wine is currently sold out.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2023 Penny Cherubino

July 1, 2023
We Toast December 1st with Memories of Dining Out and Discovering Champagne Pierre Gerbais at Little Whale!

The latest Champagne to make our favorites list is Champagne Pierre Gerbais Grains de Celles Extra Brut. This year we were able to dine outside until Mid-November. Each meal called for a special celebration since we didn't know when we'd be switching over to takeout at our favorite spots.

By now, you all must know how we love discovering new sparkling wines. Even if it seems a wine will be out of our comfort zone, we'll try it when it was selected by one of our wine mentors. When we discovered a half bottle of this Champagne on the wine list at Michael Serpa's newest restaurant, Little Whale Oyster Bar, we ordered it even though it was described as "Extra Brut."

Here's What We Learned From the Importer Becky Wasserman:

"Champagne Pierre Gerbais is a fourth generation domaine in the Aube. It is spearheaded today by the 20-something Aurélien Gerbais, a handsome-nerdy-hipster winemaker who is unnervingly self-assured for his age, yet soft-spoken and humble. At Gerbais, there are old vines, organic vineyard management, intelligence, respect, passion, relevance, training and drive enough to take this house to the very top of a small band of visionary champagne makers in the Aube who include Aurélien's friend and neighbor Cédric Bouchard, and the small houses of Marie Courtin, Jacques Lassaigne, Ulysse Collin, Horiot, Vouette et Sorbée, etc."

The blend is unusual at "Pinot Noir (50%), Chardonnay (25%), Pinot Blanc (25%)"

This bottle had a lot going for it. It is Pinot forward, as are many of our favorite sparklers; it has Pinot Blanc, one of Penny's favorite varietals; and it was a Michael Serpa pick, which we consider highly recommended.

We've not been able to find this wine locally but plan to see if we can repeat our meal of halibut, swordfish, and beet salad with a bottle of Champagne Pierre Gerbais Grains de Celles Extra Brut as takeout from Little Whale today. Remember you can support your favorite restaurants who offer wine to go by occasionally adding a bottle to your order. Let's hope the state continues to allow this option to help restaurants make it through the slow winter season.

UPDATE: Yeah! They had a half bottle on hand! We bought it to recreate our meal. However, Penny was craving the chowder, so we shared the sword, beet salad, and chowder!

We enjoyed our first taste with a bottle at Little Whale for ~$60

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!

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Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2022 Penny Cherubino

December 1, 2022
We Toast December 1st with Memories of Dining Out and Discovering Champagne Pierre Gerbais at Little Whale!

The latest Champagne to make our favorites list is Champagne Pierre Gerbais Grains de Celles Extra Brut. This year we were able to dine outside until Mid-November. Each meal called for a special celebration since we didn't know when we'd be switching over to takeout at our favorite spots.

By now, you all must know how we love discovering new sparkling wines. Even if it seems a wine will be out of our comfort zone, we'll try it when it was selected by one of our wine mentors. When we discovered a half bottle of this Champagne on the wine list at Michael Serpa's newest restaurant, Little Whale Oyster Bar, we ordered it even though it was described as "Extra Brut."

Here's What We Learned From the Importer Becky Wasserman:

"Champagne Pierre Gerbais is a fourth generation domaine in the Aube. It is spearheaded today by the 20-something Aurélien Gerbais, a handsome-nerdy-hipster winemaker who is unnervingly self-assured for his age, yet soft-spoken and humble. At Gerbais, there are old vines, organic vineyard management, intelligence, respect, passion, relevance, training and drive enough to take this house to the very top of a small band of visionary champagne makers in the Aube who include Aurélien's friend and neighbor Cédric Bouchard, and the small houses of Marie Courtin, Jacques Lassaigne, Ulysse Collin, Horiot, Vouette et Sorbée, etc."

The blend is unusual at "Pinot Noir (50%), Chardonnay (25%), Pinot Blanc (25%)"

This bottle had a lot going for it. It is Pinot forward, as are many of our favorite sparklers; it has Pinot Blanc, one of Penny's favorite varietals; and it was a Michael Serpa pick, which we consider highly recommended.

We've not been able to find this wine locally but plan to see if we can repeat our meal of halibut, swordfish, and beet salad with a bottle of Champagne Pierre Gerbais Grains de Celles Extra Brut as takeout from Little Whale today. Remember you can support your favorite restaurants who offer wine to go by occasionally adding a bottle to your order. Let's hope the state continues to allow this option to help restaurants make it through the slow winter season.

UPDATE: Yeah! They had a half bottle on hand! We bought it to recreate our meal. However, Penny was craving the chowder, so we shared the sword, beet salad, and chowder!

We enjoyed our first taste with a bottle at Little Whale for ~$60

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!

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Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2022 Penny Cherubino

December 1, 2022
For Our July 2022 Toast We Raise a Glass of Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs to Great Importers!

Today we will toast all the great wine importers whose work and skill have introduced us to great wines with a glass of Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from Neal Rosenthal Wine Merchant.

This is one of the few Blanc de Blanc or all Chardonnay Champagnes we like. We would normally select a Pinot Noir forward Champagne. However, the very fact that this one was from Neal Rosenthal made us try it.

Neal Rosenthal describes it, "From this renowned grand cru in the southern tier of the Cote des Blancs, Larmandier’s Cramant is textbook stuff: beautifully brioche-y, yet with a driving floral elegance and an effortlessly pungent minerality characteristic of Chardonnay grown in a place where it’s truly at home."

When you find a wine you love, turn the bottle around and look at the back label. A few of our favorite importers like Neal Rosenthall, Kermit Lynch, and Oz Wines make it easy by proudly displaying their identification in an easy-to-find fashion.

Sometimes you'll have to hunt for the information. To find great importers you can also ask your local wine mentors. For us, a wine mentor is someone who adds to our ongoing education in all things wine and wine-related.

If someone has a great wine list, they probably have a few importers that they depend on to provide a dependable selection of wines that fit their palate.

We've also enjoyed half bottles of this lovely Champagne at Select Oyster Bar over the years. It's not always on their list but when it is, we recommend you give it a try.

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 purchased our half bottle at Urban Grape for $42.00

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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: ©2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 1, 2022
For Our July 2022 Toast We Raise a Glass of Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs to Great Importers!

Today we will toast all the great wine importers whose work and skill have introduced us to great wines with a glass of Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from Neal Rosenthal Wine Merchant.

This is one of the few Blanc de Blanc or all Chardonnay Champagnes we like. We would normally select a Pinot Noir forward Champagne. However, the very fact that this one was from Neal Rosenthal made us try it.

Neal Rosenthal describes it, "From this renowned grand cru in the southern tier of the Cote des Blancs, Larmandier’s Cramant is textbook stuff: beautifully brioche-y, yet with a driving floral elegance and an effortlessly pungent minerality characteristic of Chardonnay grown in a place where it’s truly at home."

When you find a wine you love, turn the bottle around and look at the back label. A few of our favorite importers like Neal Rosenthall, Kermit Lynch, and Oz Wines make it easy by proudly displaying their identification in an easy-to-find fashion.

Sometimes you'll have to hunt for the information. To find great importers you can also ask your local wine mentors. For us, a wine mentor is someone who adds to our ongoing education in all things wine and wine-related.

If someone has a great wine list, they probably have a few importers that they depend on to provide a dependable selection of wines that fit their palate.

We've also enjoyed half bottles of this lovely Champagne at Select Oyster Bar over the years. It's not always on their list but when it is, we recommend you give it a try.

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 purchased our half bottle at Urban Grape for $42.00

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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.

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 1, 2022
We’ll Open 2022 with Roco Winery 2020 RMS Red Brut

As we enter 2022 with the hope for a better year for one and all, we'll raise a glass of 2020 RMS Red Brut from a winemaker we think of like an old friend, Rollin Soles of Roco Winery. While we know and love Rollin's wines, both at his own Roco and during his years at Argyle, this is a new wine for us. It is 100% Pinot Noir and our first red sparkling wine!

Here is what Rollin has to say about his 2020 RMS Red Brut:

"This inaugural Sparkling Red Wine Pinot Noir brings Instant Holiday Cheer! This dark ruby colored sparkling wine delivers a lively pink bubbling froth around the edge of your glass as it is poured. The fruit, spices, and yeasty aromas include cranberry, crab apple, black raspberry and a hint of grape soda. There also are essences of pecan, sweet Genovese basil, and pine cones. On the palate, look for immediate cranberry, dried currant, and Brooks plums with a persistent pomegranate core and a finish that begs for ham and turkey and mushrooms. The truly velvety tannin grip is spiced with pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg, making this wine a potentially amazing Biscotti dunker!"

We have some biscotti on hand and are ready for dunking!

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 are the front and back labels:

We purchase our bottle directly from the vineyard as a part of a holiday purchase. While supplies last it is available from ROCO for $50 a bottle.

We subscribe to the vineyard's newsletter and were thrilled to support this lovely couple and their hard work to make great wine and support Oregon's Willamette Valley winemaking community.

You can learn more about the vineyard team here.

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Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

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What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2021 Penny & Ed Cherubino and seasons greetings photo of Rollin and Cory courtesy of Roco Winery

January 1, 2022
We’ll Open 2022 with Roco Winery 2020 RMS Red Brut

As we enter 2022 with the hope for a better year for one and all, we'll raise a glass of 2020 RMS Red Brut from a winemaker we think of like an old friend, Rollin Soles of Roco Winery. While we know and love Rollin's wines, both at his own Roco and during his years at Argyle, this is a new wine for us. It is 100% Pinot Noir and our first red sparkling wine!

Here is what Rollin has to say about his 2020 RMS Red Brut:

"This inaugural Sparkling Red Wine Pinot Noir brings Instant Holiday Cheer! This dark ruby colored sparkling wine delivers a lively pink bubbling froth around the edge of your glass as it is poured. The fruit, spices, and yeasty aromas include cranberry, crab apple, black raspberry and a hint of grape soda. There also are essences of pecan, sweet Genovese basil, and pine cones. On the palate, look for immediate cranberry, dried currant, and Brooks plums with a persistent pomegranate core and a finish that begs for ham and turkey and mushrooms. The truly velvety tannin grip is spiced with pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg, making this wine a potentially amazing Biscotti dunker!"

We have some biscotti on hand and are ready for dunking!

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 are the front and back labels:

We purchase our bottle directly from the vineyard as a part of a holiday purchase. While supplies last it is available from ROCO for $50 a bottle.

We subscribe to the vineyard's newsletter and were thrilled to support this lovely couple and their hard work to make great wine and support Oregon's Willamette Valley winemaking community.

You can learn more about the vineyard team here.

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: ©2021 Penny & Ed Cherubino and seasons greetings photo of Rollin and Cory courtesy of Roco Winery

January 1, 2022
We’ll Toast July 2021 with Our First Rose Prosecco! La Gioiosa Prosecco Rosé

La Gioiosa Prosecco Rosé sounds like a perfect wine to toast July 2021. La Gioiosa means “The Joyous” and, as we slowly get out and about, that's how we feel. Rosé proseccos are also a new thing! And, we love trying new wines.

This one is made up of Glera, the traditional prosecco grape and Pinot Noir, one of our favorite wine grapes! It's a slim 11% Alcohol by Volume making it a great wine to sip on a hot summer evening.

The winemaker's tasting notes say:

"Delicate rose in color with hints of pomegranate, the wine is extremely fresh and aromatic with notes of rose and pomegranate on the nose. On the palate, it’s silky and full-bodied with gorgeous balance between its fruit and floral notes."

We purchased our bottle at Urban Grape for $18.00.

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!

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: ©2021 Penny Cherubino and La Gioiosa

July 1, 2021
We’ll Toast July 2021 with Our First Rose Prosecco! La Gioiosa Prosecco Rosé

La Gioiosa Prosecco Rosé sounds like a perfect wine to toast July 2021. La Gioiosa means “The Joyous” and, as we slowly get out and about, that's how we feel. Rosé proseccos are also a new thing! And, we love trying new wines.

This one is made up of Glera, the traditional prosecco grape and Pinot Noir, one of our favorite wine grapes! It's a slim 11% Alcohol by Volume making it a great wine to sip on a hot summer evening.

The winemaker's tasting notes say:

"Delicate rose in color with hints of pomegranate, the wine is extremely fresh and aromatic with notes of rose and pomegranate on the nose. On the palate, it’s silky and full-bodied with gorgeous balance between its fruit and floral notes."

We purchased our bottle at Urban Grape for $18.00.

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!

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: ©2021 Penny Cherubino and La Gioiosa

July 1, 2021
Our December Terroir Toast Is Gruet Sauvage Rosé from New Mexico
Today we’ll travel to New Mexico (in spirit) to taste the terroir in Gruet Sauvage Rosé sparkling wine. When we declared 2020 the year of terroir in our selection of wines for our monthly toast with sparkling wine, we didn’t know that this was a year when we would seldom leave our condo, except in spirit.

December is a time of looking back. We selected this wine in memory of our last gathering with friends on March 1st, and our excitement about a new restaurant, Grand Tour, from the team at our favorite hangout, Select Oyster.

In February, we tasted The Gruet Sauvage Blanc de Blanc at Grand Tour and decided to make it our wine of the month for March.

We also decided we hadn't seen enough of our roof deck crew over the winter and hosted a gathering at Grand Tour in their delightful, tiny dining room on the second floor.

What fun we had as we tasted our way through the menu to decide on the items for our party! We hold out hope that next Spring (after their winter hiatus) we'll be able to return to order takeout and perhaps, one day, sit at the bar.

Our Toast This Month

Today’s toast will be to the friends who gathered that day, to the great restaurant team that has always taken such wonderful care of us at Select and Grand Tour, and to Michael Serpa, the man behind these two restaurants, and his newest offering Atlantico Boston.

We'll also toast to all the restaurant folks, delivery people, and other service workers who have helped us this year.

What We’ve Learned About Gruet Sauvage Rosé
- 100% Pinot Noir which is our favorite grape for sparkling wines!
- 12.5% ABV which is a bit high for sparklers!
- No Dosage which should make it crisp!
Wine Enthusiast wrote:

“The aromas are fresh in this pale-salmon sparkling wine, showing yellow cherries, lillies and fresh baked rolls. The bubbles are pillowy in feel, while bright, tingling acidity wakes up the palate that offers flavors of brioche, lemon zest, juicy strawberry and cherry. It finishes on notes of yeasty brioche and preserved lemon.”

Trying wines from different places, made with various 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!

Our bottle of Gruet Sauvage Rosé was delivered to us by Urban Grape for ~$25.

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
December 1, 2020