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Tag: Sommelier

  • Toasting May 2022 with Our House Sparkler Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco

    The one sparkling wine that is almost always in our wine rack is Nino Franco Rustico prosecco. Thanks to a friend who ran some errands for us, we have our house wines on hand again.

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    For us, house wine is a wine we love to drink and share with friends. It's a good value wine that we can keep on hand in quantity. Nino Franco Rustico has had "special friend wine" and "house wine" status for many years. We discovered it long ago at a restaurant that had the talented Cat Silirie as the sommelier. We thank her for the introduction!

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    The Nino Franco Team Says:

    “Coming from the middle elevation hills of the classic area of prosecco, Rustico is how we make ourselves known. It is one of Nino Franco's historic wines, produced since the 1970s, and was initially a prosecco «aged on its lees» before becoming a Charmat method sparkling wine in 1979. Its freshness and drinkability combine with an excellent floral bouquet. An outstanding aperitif and an ideal pairing to delicate appetizers.”

    We Say!

    Give this food-friendly sparkler a try. It is not the easiest wine to find, but the search is worth it. And, we have linked to Gordon's Wine and Spirits as a source of our house wines. 

    If you like to celebrate or have friends over on short notice, pick a couple of wines as your own house wines. We have the Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir as our red offering. By the way, in the restaurant business, a "house wine" may be an inexpensive (and often uninteresting wine) they always have on hand. They may buy it in large quantities often at a discounted price.

    If a restaurant serves an interesting and appealing house wine, well-matched with the food they serve, you have found a place that cares about the quality and value of the wine they serve. 

    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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    We purchase our bottle at Gordon's Fine Wine and Spirits for $23.99.

    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: ©2018 – 2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • 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.

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    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. 

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    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”         

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    (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."

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    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 

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