Tag: sparkling wine

  • On February 1, 2024 We’ll Raise a Glass of 2021 Raventos i Blanc de Nit Cava

    The 2021 Raventos i Blanc de Nit Cava is our wine of the month for our February 1st toast for a couple of reasons. We chose a theme for the sparkling wine we will feature to toast the new month. This year we will salute a wine hero each time the first rolls around. 

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    You must admit there is something heroic about a family that has been making wine for five centuries and 21 generations. That is the epic story of the Raventós family. They proudly display their timeline of winemakers and milestones on their website. 

     

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    This family has elevated Cava to a premium spot on some of the area's best wine lists. In an effort to set their wines apart from average cava production, Pepe Raventós has a new goal set in 2012 on the site.

    "Because we are convinced that we have something unique to offer, one of the sparkling wines with the highest mineral expressions in the world, we are working towards creating a new Designation of Origin restricted to a well-defined area with specific winegrowing and winemaking requirements. This is why we have started to call our sparkling wines

     Conca del Riu Anoia, as our dream for the future is to create a new DO for the world’s highest quality sparkling wines."

    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  The Urban Grape for $30.

     

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    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • We’ll Toast November 1, 2013 with a Half-Bottle of Gruet Brut Rose from New Mexico

    This month, we have opted to toast the first of November with a half-bottle of Gruet Brut Rosé from New Mexico for a few reasons. 

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    Gruet Winery offers a variety of wines from its line in both full and half bottles. 

    First, we want to encourage everyone to buy and enjoy more half-bottles of wine! They work for times when just the two of you want to enjoy a toast or when you want to open your meal with something light and sparkling and have another wine with your main course.

    Second, half-bottles are great to have on hand for serendipitous celebrations. Years ago, a good friend started her own consulting business. She called Penny to share the news that she had landed her first big client. Penny invited her to come over and pop a cork of Gruet to mark the occasion. It was just a few minutes out of each of their busy day, but the woman talked about that little celebration for years.

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    Finally, with the holiday season approaching, it's good to have a great value wine on hand in quantity. Gruet is reasonably priced and of very good quality. It can serve as the wine at a party or meal. Its New Mexico origin is a real conversation starter. It also makes a great gift. The case we purchased will be given out to those who deserve something a little extra from us with their tip at year's end.

    Here's a great article with "8 Things You Should Know About Gruet Winery."

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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 purchased our half-bottle at Gordon's Fine Wine and Spirits for $9.99 as a part of a case deal.

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

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    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 

  • We’ll Toast September 2023 with Massachusetts’ Own Sparkler, Westport Rivers RJR Brut Cruvée

    Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery was founded by the Russell family in 1986. Our first visit to this lovely destination in Westport, Massachusetts was in the year 2000. We'll raise a glass and remember our past enjoyment of this place and this wine with a glass of 2012 Westport Rivers RJR Brut Cuvée.

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    Here's a quote from our first BostonZest post on this wine that was published in 2010.

    In it Ed wrote, 

    "I can remember a trip to Westport Rivers Vineyard 10-years ago, after Penny and I had discovered their wines. Carol & Bob Russell showed us around their operation with a passion that continues to shine through in every bottle they produce.

    We've been fans of their artistry ever since that visit and never miss the chance to show-off RJR to our out-of-state visitors. RJR's price has varied through the years. We picked up this bottle, on sale, for around $20.

    To me it has a fresh, bright, appley quality and rivals some much costlier and more well-known champagnes. We love to slip it into blind tastings, just to see the "I can't believe it" looks from our guests."

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    This is a great time of the year for day trips, and Westport is an easy and enjoyable day trip from Boston. The Vineyard website contains information on tastings, tours, and special events. Be sure to click on the Contact/FAQ tab for more details. The photos below are courtesy of Westport Vineyard and Winery.

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    Westport_Grapes

    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 bottle at Gordon's Fine Wines for $28.79 with a case discount. 

    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: ©2010 to 2023 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Our August 2023 Toast Will Be Filled with Nino Franco Rustico Memories

    On August 1, 2023, we'll raise a glass of Nino Franco Rustico and recall all the times this sparkler has been part of great moments and quiet times. This Prosecco is our house wine, one we always have on hand and ready to pop open and enjoy. And, after all these years, we still love it.

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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!

    When we sip Rustico, we often think of Provincetown. We would bring it with us from our home stash in the early years. We were overjoyed when a new wine shop carried this favorite, and we could support one more local business.

    Here are a few views of Nino Franco Rustico in Provincetown.

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    We will always smile when we remember meeting the charming Silvia Franco here in Boston.

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    We hope you find a great wine as your house wine and enjoy many beautiful moments with the people you love and the wine you can always rely upon to make you smile with each sip.

     

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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: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • 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.

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    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!

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    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. 

    Related Posts:

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

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    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: ©2023 Penny  Cherubino 

  • 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 

  • We Toast February 2023 with Colorful, Romantic Memories and Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne

    We have fond memories of enjoying many bottles of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne in the flamboyantly colorful Upstairs at The Square in Cambridge. 

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    We added a bright backdrop to this month's bottle to honor the design of this much-loved and sadly-missed restaurant.

    For those who have never seen this space, here's a link to an Eater Boston article with images. As you click through, pause at the photo of the bar where we used to sit alongside the man in the picture. He was almost always there.

    Often when we dined, Frank (or "Frank who went to New York," as Ed always calls him) was behind the bar. He was one of those great bartenders who knew the food and the wine and always made you feel welcome.

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    One day we noticed a bottle of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne on the wine menu for less than we had paid in a wine shop. We asked Frank if this was a typo. He consulted the wine buyer and confirmed the price. While that supply or oversupply lasted, we enjoyed great Champagne at sparkling wine prices.

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    In 2009 we wrote about the food and wine and called this place "a well-rounded favorite." In that article, we also reminisced about the first version of this establishment saying,

    "When we first met UpStairs, it was "UpStairs at the Pudding" and was housed in the Hasty Pudding building a few streets over. We adored lunch or brunch on their garden deck. They do have patio seating at the new location, but we must admit we still miss that hidden garden surrounded by Cambridge homes and businesses."

    You might have a delightful surprise at either restaurant when the Harvard Krokodiloes streamed into the room and began an a cappella serenade!

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    Here is what this Champagne house says about this wine:

    Grape varietal: Pinot Noir 100% aged an ideal minimum of 5 years.

    SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS
    "Elegant, with colour changing naturally from a pretty raspberry hue to salmon pink.
    A precise nose of extraordinary freshness and a wide range of red fruits: raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry and black cherry. A fresh and sharp attack for this supple and rounded wine. On the palate, it offers the sensation of plunging into a basket of freshly picked red berries."

    We purchased our bottle at Gordon's Wine and Spirits for ~$100 with a six-bottle discount.

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes and produced by various 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: © 2009-2023 Penny Cherubino (Bottle with glass courtesy of Laurent-Perrier)

  • We Toast February 2023 with Colorful, Romantic Memories and Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne

    We have fond memories of enjoying many bottles of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne in the flamboyantly colorful Upstairs at The Square in Cambridge. 

    IMG_7456

    We added a bright backdrop to this month's bottle to honor the design of this much-loved and sadly-missed restaurant.

    For those who have never seen this space, here's a link to an Eater Boston article with images. As you click through, pause at the photo of the bar where we used to sit alongside the man in the picture. He was almost always there.

    Often when we dined, Frank (or "Frank who went to New York," as Ed always calls him) was behind the bar. He was one of those great bartenders who knew the food and the wine and always made you feel welcome.

    IMG_3641

    One day we noticed a bottle of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne on the wine menu for less than we had paid in a wine shop. We asked Frank if this was a typo. He consulted the wine buyer and confirmed the price. While that supply or oversupply lasted, we enjoyed great Champagne at sparkling wine prices.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340115714ceaf8970c-800wi

    In 2009 we wrote about the food and wine and called this place "a well-rounded favorite." In that article, we also reminisced about the first version of this establishment saying,

    "When we first met UpStairs, it was "UpStairs at the Pudding" and was housed in the Hasty Pudding building a few streets over. We adored lunch or brunch on their garden deck. They do have patio seating at the new location, but we must admit we still miss that hidden garden surrounded by Cambridge homes and businesses."

    You might have a delightful surprise at either restaurant when the Harvard Krokodiloes streamed into the room and began an a cappella serenade!

    IMG_7461

    IMG_7460

    Here is what this Champagne house says about this wine:

    Grape varietal: Pinot Noir 100% aged an ideal minimum of 5 years.

    SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS
    "Elegant, with colour changing naturally from a pretty raspberry hue to salmon pink.
    A precise nose of extraordinary freshness and a wide range of red fruits: raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry and black cherry. A fresh and sharp attack for this supple and rounded wine. On the palate, it offers the sensation of plunging into a basket of freshly picked red berries."

    We purchased our bottle at Gordon's Wine and Spirits for ~$100 with a six-bottle discount.

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes and produced by various 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: © 2009-2023 Penny Cherubino (Bottle with glass courtesy of Laurent-Perrier)

  • We’ll Toast January 1, 2023 with a Bottle of Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvee

    If we were forced to choose a favorite Champagne, it would be Bollinger. We haven't enjoyed a bottle of Bolly for a while and decided to open another year of toasting each new month with the warm memories of past bottles of Bollinger. 

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    We love the spirit of Lily Bollinger, who managed this great house for many years and established its worldwide reputation. She said, "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." 

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    We've enjoyed this pinot-forward champagne many times in many places. As we raise our glasses to toast the new year, we'll remember toasting the ocean from a deck overlooking Provincetown harbor.

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    We've shared bottles with friends at home and on our roof deck. We toasted the reopening of some of our favorite restaurants, on April fool's day 2021. During the past three years, we've raised glasses of Bolly with friends on computer screens because it was not safe to do so in person.

    So many sparkling wines remind us of other times and other places. We hope to share a few of these bottles and the stories that made them memorable in the year ahead.

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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 purchased our bottle (on sale) at Gordon's Wine and Spirits for $74.99.

    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: © 2017- 2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • We’ll Toast January 1, 2023 with a Bottle of Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvee

    If we were forced to choose a favorite Champagne, it would be Bollinger. We haven't enjoyed a bottle of Bolly for a while and decided to open another year of toasting each new month with the warm memories of past bottles of Bollinger. 

    6a00e54fc42bb88834022ad3c7d54f200b-800wi

    We love the spirit of Lily Bollinger, who managed this great house for many years and established its worldwide reputation. She said, "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." 

    6a00e54fc42bb888340263ec2a531b200c-800wi

    We've enjoyed this pinot-forward champagne many times in many places. As we raise our glasses to toast the new year, we'll remember toasting the ocean from a deck overlooking Provincetown harbor.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340263e999f2bb200b-800wi

    We've shared bottles with friends at home and on our roof deck. We toasted the reopening of some of our favorite restaurants, on April fool's day 2021. During the past three years, we've raised glasses of Bolly with friends on computer screens because it was not safe to do so in person.

    So many sparkling wines remind us of other times and other places. We hope to share a few of these bottles and the stories that made them memorable in the year ahead.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340263e999f259200b-800wi

    6a00e54fc42bb888340278801f288a200d-800wi

    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 bottle (on sale) at Gordon's Wine and Spirits for $74.99.

    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: © 2017- 2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino