Tag: tasting notes

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’ll Toast Friends with a Dr. Konstantin Frank 2019 Sparkling Riesling Nature

This month we’ll raise of glass of Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard’s 2019 Sparkling Riesling. We can thank our friends David and Peter for introducing us to this family vineyard from the Finger Lakes region of New York. We also have to thank them for educating Penny about dry Rieslings. She had always avoided this varietal after trying a few versions that were too sweet for her taste. You can learn a lot about wine by sharing it with friends.

Recently the Washington Post featured Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard in Dave McIntyre’s article “This 60-year-old winery changed the way America grew grapes.” One of our toasts from this bottle will honor Ukrainian refugee Konstantin Frank for his contributions to winemaking and the education of wine consumers in this country. Another toast will be to the third and fourth generation of his family who operate the winery today.

A second nudge to place an order from this vineyard came when we spotted their dry Riesling on the menu at the Dubliner, where we’ve enjoyed this selection by the glass while lunching with friends.

Here’s what the winemakers say about their Sparkling Riesling Nature 2019.

“Our Riesling Nature is 100% Riesling from our estate vineyards on Keuka Lake. Secondary fermentation took place in bottle for a minimum of 24 months in our historic underground cellar. The wine is finished without any additional dosage creating a very dry wine.”

“Toastiness comes first, with prominent fruit flavors of crisp red apple, lemon curd, and ginger come to meet up. Driven by its freshness and austerity, the creamy mouthfeel balances the dry, crisp, and bright green apple flavors.”

We purchase our bottle directly from the vineyard for $34.99.

We were pleased with every aspect of the transaction. They were offering a quantity discount, so we added three bottles of the dry Riesling and two more of their sparkling wines. The cost of shipping was reasonable. The packaging was sturdy, and our wines arrived promptly as promised.

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: ©2022 Penny Cherubino

September 1, 2022
We’ll Toast Friends with a Dr. Konstantin Frank 2019 Sparkling Riesling Nature

This month we’ll raise of glass of Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard’s 2019 Sparkling Riesling. We can thank our friends David and Peter for introducing us to this family vineyard from the Finger Lakes region of New York. We also have to thank them for educating Penny about dry Rieslings. She had always avoided this varietal after trying a few versions that were too sweet for her taste. You can learn a lot about wine by sharing it with friends.

Recently the Washington Post featured Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard in Dave McIntyre’s article “This 60-year-old winery changed the way America grew grapes.” One of our toasts from this bottle will honor Ukrainian refugee Konstantin Frank for his contributions to winemaking and the education of wine consumers in this country. Another toast will be to the third and fourth generation of his family who operate the winery today.

A second nudge to place an order from this vineyard came when we spotted their dry Riesling on the menu at the Dubliner, where we’ve enjoyed this selection by the glass while lunching with friends.

Here’s what the winemakers say about their Sparkling Riesling Nature 2019.

“Our Riesling Nature is 100% Riesling from our estate vineyards on Keuka Lake. Secondary fermentation took place in bottle for a minimum of 24 months in our historic underground cellar. The wine is finished without any additional dosage creating a very dry wine.”

“Toastiness comes first, with prominent fruit flavors of crisp red apple, lemon curd, and ginger come to meet up. Driven by its freshness and austerity, the creamy mouthfeel balances the dry, crisp, and bright green apple flavors.”

We purchase our bottle directly from the vineyard for $34.99.

We were pleased with every aspect of the transaction. They were offering a quantity discount, so we added three bottles of the dry Riesling and two more of their sparkling wines. The cost of shipping was reasonable. The packaging was sturdy, and our wines arrived promptly as promised.

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: ©2022 Penny Cherubino

September 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 New Year’s Toast Takes Us to England for Hattingley Valley Rose 2014

As the final toast in 2020 – our year of terroir, and the beginning of 2021, our year of wines that represent friendship – we'll raise a glass of Hattingley Valley Rose 2014 from Hampshire England.

Our dog, Duchess Poppy, let us borrow her tiara for our photos of this wine. From what we've read and heard, this vineyard is doing its best to make the British proud of English wine. The winery has won numerous awards and has said of this bottle, “Our 2014 Rosé was also awarded the World Champion Rosé trophy at The Italian Wine Journal Challenge Euposia XI edition 2018-2019.”

We have two reasons for selecting this wine to close our 2020 adventure and enter 2021.

First, it was recommended by one of our trusted wine mentors, Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, owner of Alcove Boston. He told us about it on one of our last visits to his restaurant and we had planned to share a bottle with friends on our next visit.

Alas, Alcove is one of the favorite places we have sorely missed in this year of isolation. We hope those of you who are out and about will support Tom and his great team in whatever way you are able given your own pandemic limitations. Check out the little market they have added to their resources.

Tom also represents all the friends we have made in the hospitality industry over the years. Our hearts are aching for what this situation is doing to all of them.

The second reason is that Penny had spent much of her relaxation time during this year in virtual visits to Britain. It all began with the discovery of the series Great Canal Journeys with Timothy West and Prunella Scales. From there she began following a number of YouTube narrowboat vloggers. She was already addicted to British history, food, and gardening shows. When she sits and watches something, it usually has a British accent.

Back to the Wine!

Here's what we've learned from the folks at Hattingley about their 2014 Rose:

"BLEND | 60% Pinot Noir, 38% Pinot Meunier & 2% Pinot Precoce

VINEYARDS | Sourced from vineyards across the South of England, mainly chalk with clay topsoil.

WINEMAKING | Approximately 8% of the blend is fermented in 4-5 year old Burgundy barrels. Before tirage, the base wine is blended with 5% red wine made from the Pinot Precoce to give a delicate soft pink colour and some vibrant red fruit flavours. The wine spent 2 years ageing on lees in the bottle before being disgorged.

PRESS | 92 WA | “This is a very impressive sparkling Rosé. It has a succinct bouquet of freshly picked strawberry, red cherry and a touch of green apple, all precise and quite mineral-driven. The palate is fresh on the entry with a slight waxiness to the texture. It has more complexity than its peers and it fans out gloriously with hints of praline and strawberry towards the vivacious finish. This is one to serve to the next person that refutes the idea of great English sparkling wine.”

Our bottle was delivered by Urban Grape and cost $64.00.

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: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

December 31, 2020
Our New Year’s Toast Takes Us to England for Hattingley Valley Rose 2014

As the final toast in 2020 – our year of terroir, and the beginning of 2021, our year of wines that represent friendship – we'll raise a glass of Hattingley Valley Rose 2014 from Hampshire England.

Our dog, Duchess Poppy, let us borrow her tiara for our photos of this wine. From what we've read and heard, this vineyard is doing its best to make the British proud of English wine. The winery has won numerous awards and has said of this bottle, “Our 2014 Rosé was also awarded the World Champion Rosé trophy at The Italian Wine Journal Challenge Euposia XI edition 2018-2019.”

We have two reasons for selecting this wine to close our 2020 adventure and enter 2021.

First, it was recommended by one of our trusted wine mentors, Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, owner of Alcove Boston. He told us about it on one of our last visits to his restaurant and we had planned to share a bottle with friends on our next visit.

Alas, Alcove is one of the favorite places we have sorely missed in this year of isolation. We hope those of you who are out and about will support Tom and his great team in whatever way you are able given your own pandemic limitations. Check out the little market they have added to their resources.

Tom also represents all the friends we have made in the hospitality industry over the years. Our hearts are aching for what this situation is doing to all of them.

The second reason is that Penny had spent much of her relaxation time during this year in virtual visits to Britain. It all began with the discovery of the series Great Canal Journeys with Timothy West and Prunella Scales. From there she began following a number of YouTube narrowboat vloggers. She was already addicted to British history, food, and gardening shows. When she sits and watches something, it usually has a British accent.

Back to the Wine!

Here's what we've learned from the folks at Hattingley about their 2014 Rose:

"BLEND | 60% Pinot Noir, 38% Pinot Meunier & 2% Pinot Precoce

VINEYARDS | Sourced from vineyards across the South of England, mainly chalk with clay topsoil.

WINEMAKING | Approximately 8% of the blend is fermented in 4-5 year old Burgundy barrels. Before tirage, the base wine is blended with 5% red wine made from the Pinot Precoce to give a delicate soft pink colour and some vibrant red fruit flavours. The wine spent 2 years ageing on lees in the bottle before being disgorged.

PRESS | 92 WA | “This is a very impressive sparkling Rosé. It has a succinct bouquet of freshly picked strawberry, red cherry and a touch of green apple, all precise and quite mineral-driven. The palate is fresh on the entry with a slight waxiness to the texture. It has more complexity than its peers and it fans out gloriously with hints of praline and strawberry towards the vivacious finish. This is one to serve to the next person that refutes the idea of great English sparkling wine.”

Our bottle was delivered by Urban Grape and cost $64.00.

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: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

December 31, 2020
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
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
We’ll Toast November with Raventós i Blanc de Blancs

For all your small, safe celebrations this month, we suggest a budget-friendly sparkling wine from an outstanding producer Raventós i Blanc de Blancs. Like many of our favorite sparklers, this Spanish offering is a low 12% alcohol by volume, better for a small gathering, or even a solo diner in a time when we have to keep our heads clear.

Raventós i Blanc de Nit Took Us to Spain for Our February 1st Toast this year.

When shopping for last month's wine, we discovered another wine from this winemaker. Pepe Raventós represents the 21st generation of his family at a vineyard in operation since 1497.

Since this is our year of terroir, we added a couple of bottles to our delivery and look forward to tasting it today.

While this Blanc de Blanc is new to us, we have a feeling we'll like it because two of our favorite wine mentors, Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli from Alcove and Michael Serpa from Select Oyster Bar, Grand Tour, and Atlantico are both fans of this winemaker and vineyard.

We'll let the folks at Raventos tell you about the terroir of their vineyard where this wine begins:

"The Vinya del Llac is a vineyard that faces north. The clay soils release water slowly throughout the vegetative cycle and, deep beneath the surface, we find calcareous bedrock with incrusted pebbles, which limit the water reserve, giving the grapes in this flagship plot more structure. The influence of the lake in this symbolic vineyard moderates the climatic conditions, avoids heatwaves and favours long ripening. It is a Blanc de Blancs due to its three native white grape varieties: Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Parellada."

We found tasting notes on the wine here:

"The Blanc de Blancs 2016 of Raventos i Blanc shows off a bright straw yellow color in the glass with a stream of fine bubbles flowing continuously to the top. In the glass, this Spanish sparkling wine displays a complex blend of white fruits (peaches and apricots) with Mediterranean herbs, dried fruits and hints of citrus. On the palate, this wine reveals itself to be very powerful and full of flavor, with the carbonation expertly integrated and beautifully balanced."

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 for ~$23.00

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

November 1, 2020