Tag: terroir

We’ll Toast June 2020 with Beyra Vinhas Velhas Bruto 2014
Today we'll raise glasses of Beyra Vinhas Velhas Bruto 2014 to the hope that better times will last for us and especially for all our friends in the hospitality industry. This bottle was a gift from a favorite bartender, Gabe Bellegard Bastos. The Boston Globe featured him in a story about his joy that regular customers were returning to his bar at Atlantico Boston.

We hope to enjoy this bottle on the roof deck of our building, a place we haven't visited for more than a year. And, if all goes well with other commitments scheduled for the day, we may even be able to invite a friend to share a glass.

Gabe knows what we like and he shares our enthusiasm for finding wines with a story, a winemaker doing something different, a grape we haven't tried before and from an area, we seldom taste. This bottle ticks off all those things and we thank him for thinking of us.

Here's to all the people in the food and wine business who share what they know about wine with us and other customers. They are great educators!

The site Wines of Portugal told the story of this sparkler. They wrote:
"The renowned winemaker Rui Roboredo Madeira is the pioneer of the "Altitude Wines" concept.

Beyra is the name of his wine project that results from this concept. Beyra wines are produced in the highest vineyards in Portugal, at over 750 meters of altitude.

This terroir combined with the cool climate favours:
- The increase in acidity;
- The slower and more uniform ripening of the grape which enhances the concentration of aromas and flavours
- The proximity of the sun helps photosynthesis by enriching the wine in terms of colour and alcohol content."
If the science of soil and its impact on wine interests you, here's some extra credit reading on the subject.

"How vineyard soils affect the taste of your wine" from the Washington Post.

The grape is new to us. The wine is 100% Síria, which seems to be particularly suited to the region.

Finally, this gift from a friend fits perfectly into our year of wines that celebrate friendship. Thank you Gabe and soon we'll see your smiling face across from us at the bar.

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…

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

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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.

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Details:

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

December 31, 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

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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: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

November 1, 2020
We’ll Toast October with Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé

It's been twelve years since we featured Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé. We have a birthday to celebrate in October and decided to splurge and treat ourselves to this old friend of a wine. Perhaps one day we may be able to again raise a glass of wine with friends the way we once did. For now, all we can do is wishfully set out a few extra glasses and set up a virtual toasting session.

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne also happens to fit our year of terroir. It has been made by the same family since 1818, and two of the grapes in our bottle are from particular family vineyards. Here is what the house is posting in the current blend notes:

• 40% Chardonnay sourced from the best Crus in the Champagne region
• 30% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne
• 30% Pinot Meunier from the Vallée de la Marne and the southern slopes of Epernay

They are proud of the high use of Pinot Meunier, saying that it gives the wine a creaminess and structure if appropriately grown and fermented. We will be looking for this in the glass as we do our toasting.

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 highly recommend this article on Wine Searcher about this month's wine.

10 Things Every Wine Lover Should Know About Billecart-Salmon

Our bottle was delivered to us on sale for $74.99 (generally about $100.) from Gordon's Fine Wines and Liquors.

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

October 1, 2020
We’ll Toast October with Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé

It's been twelve years since we featured Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé. We have a birthday to celebrate in October and decided to splurge and treat ourselves to this old friend of a wine. Perhaps one day we may be able to again raise a glass of wine with friends the way we once did. For now, all we can do is wishfully set out a few extra glasses and set up a virtual toasting session.

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne also happens to fit our year of terroir. It has been made by the same family since 1818, and two of the grapes in our bottle are from particular family vineyards. Here is what the house is posting in the current blend notes:

• 40% Chardonnay sourced from the best Crus in the Champagne region
• 30% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne
• 30% Pinot Meunier from the Vallée de la Marne and the southern slopes of Epernay

They are proud of the high use of Pinot Meunier, saying that it gives the wine a creaminess and structure if appropriately grown and fermented. We will be looking for this in the glass as we do our toasting.

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 highly recommend this article on Wine Searcher about this month's wine.

10 Things Every Wine Lover Should Know About Billecart-Salmon

Our bottle was delivered to us on sale for $74.99 (generally about $100.) from Gordon's Fine Wines and Liquors.

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

October 1, 2020
We’ll Toast September with Cabernet Franc! It’s Louis de Grenelle Saumur Rosé

We are year-round rosé fans and Louis de Grenelle Saumur Rosé is a 100% Cabernet Franc sparkling rosé from the Loire Valley. We've enjoyed this wine in many fine dining restaurants over the years. This bottle came from our "local" (as in favorite local pub) Cornwall's in Kenmore Square.

We added a bottle to a recent take-out order. We were looking for a well-loved sparkling wine for September and recalled this one that Penny has sipped so many times at the bar at Cornwall's. One of the reasons this place is a favorite is that Ed can enjoy their many draft beers and Penny will still have a choice of very nice wines. (We also enjoy the warm welcome and fun we have with the Cornwall team.)

That 1859 on the label is the year the family began making wines in Saumur.

Today, Françoise Flao heads the company and as they say, "With passion at the heart of her work, more than ever she cultivates her knowledge of the terroirs and the diversity of their grape varieties. Her knowledge of the land and the vine strengthens her links with the winemakers and enables her to control the quality of the grapes which give these wines their typical style."

In past writings about this wine, we've said:

"Like many rosés, this one always brings on a smile."

“It’s a very pretty pink, touched with just a little peach, with a light effervescence.”

"We could detect a little almond on the nose, maybe some strawberry. It has a nice dry background. To really appreciate this sparkler, don’t over-chill it!"

Here's the back label to let you know this wine comes from a very good importer, European Cellars, and is just 12% ABV.

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 to go at Cornwall's for $22.00

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: ©2012-2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

September 1, 2020
We’ll Toast September with Cabernet Franc! It’s Louis de Grenelle Saumur Rosé

We are year-round rosé fans and Louis de Grenelle Saumur Rosé is a 100% Cabernet Franc sparkling rosé from the Loire Valley. We've enjoyed this wine in many fine dining restaurants over the years. This bottle came from our "local" (as in favorite local pub) Cornwall's in Kenmore Square.

We added a bottle to a recent take-out order. We were looking for a well-loved sparkling wine for September and recalled this one that Penny has sipped so many times at the bar at Cornwall's. One of the reasons this place is a favorite is that Ed can enjoy their many draft beers and Penny will still have a choice of very nice wines. (We also enjoy the warm welcome and fun we have with the Cornwall team.)

That 1859 on the label is the year the family began making wines in Saumur.

Today, Françoise Flao heads the company and as they say, "With passion at the heart of her work, more than ever she cultivates her knowledge of the terroirs and the diversity of their grape varieties. Her knowledge of the land and the vine strengthens her links with the winemakers and enables her to control the quality of the grapes which give these wines their typical style."

In past writings about this wine, we've said:

"Like many rosés, this one always brings on a smile."

“It’s a very pretty pink, touched with just a little peach, with a light effervescence.”

"We could detect a little almond on the nose, maybe some strawberry. It has a nice dry background. To really appreciate this sparkler, don’t over-chill it!"

Here's the back label to let you know this wine comes from a very good importer, European Cellars, and is just 12% ABV.

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 to go at Cornwall's for $22.00

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: ©2012-2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

September 1, 2020
Pinot Meunier Lands Lead Role in Champagne Laherte Frères!
Consider this your invitation to November’s opening of Champagne Laherte Frères Ultradition Brut. We’ve saved you a choice seat for this sparkling performance that has charmed critics around the globe.

Our BostonZest reviewers have nothing but praise for the delightful lead role so skillfully delivered by Pinot Meunier – usually offering a talented, but limited, supporting role in many a Champagne blend.

Here, the Laherte Frères Ultradition Brut blend is:

        60% Pinot Meunier

        30% Chardonnay

        10% Pinot Noir

We were impressed by:
- A toasty, chalky nose
- A big pop of flavor as soon as the wine hits your palate
- You might think it was a Rosé with that first burst of fruit – it was the Pinot Meunier taking a bow!
- Good acidity and tiny bubbles
- A lovely Champagne with a personality all its own
- This wine could develop a cult following
- We liked its flavor profile best when served at about 55º F
The winemaker points to, “… a subtle blend of our three varieties and the diversity of our Terroirs: a fine and complex blending with fruitiness and delicacy.”

Other applause from well-known reviewers:

– Wine Spectator, “Well-spiced and mouthwatering, offers a finely detailed bead and expressive flavors of black raspberry, dried apricot, orange blossom, fleur de sel and crystallized honey, minerally on the finish. 92 / 100.

– Antonio Galloni – Vinous: 90 /100

– Jancis Robinson: rating 16 / 20

It should also be said that this sparkler is imported by Oz Wine Company in Haverhill, MA. To us, seeing the Oz name on a bottle always means quality and that we’re likely to enjoy his selection.

We purchased our bottle of Champagne Laherte Frères Ultradition Brut at City Liquors in Cambridge for $45. Penny was told it has become a favorite of sommeliers in Europe.

Here’s to the very important month of November! Santé!

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.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover's Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

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

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Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

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November 1, 2016
Pinot Meunier Lands Lead Role in Champagne Laherte Frères!
Consider this your invitation to November’s opening of Champagne Laherte Frères Ultradition Brut. We’ve saved you a choice seat for this sparkling performance that has charmed critics around the globe.

Our BostonZest reviewers have nothing but praise for the delightful lead role so skillfully delivered by Pinot Meunier – usually offering a talented, but limited, supporting role in many a Champagne blend.

Here, the Laherte Frères Ultradition Brut blend is:

        60% Pinot Meunier

        30% Chardonnay

        10% Pinot Noir

We were impressed by:
- A toasty, chalky nose
- A big pop of flavor as soon as the wine hits your palate
- You might think it was a Rosé with that first burst of fruit – it was the Pinot Meunier taking a bow!
- Good acidity and tiny bubbles
- A lovely Champagne with a personality all its own
- This wine could develop a cult following
- We liked its flavor profile best when served at about 55º F
The winemaker points to, “… a subtle blend of our three varieties and the diversity of our Terroirs: a fine and complex blending with fruitiness and delicacy.”

Other applause from well-known reviewers:

– Wine Spectator, “Well-spiced and mouthwatering, offers a finely detailed bead and expressive flavors of black raspberry, dried apricot, orange blossom, fleur de sel and crystallized honey, minerally on the finish. 92 / 100.

– Antonio Galloni – Vinous: 90 /100

– Jancis Robinson: rating 16 / 20

It should also be said that this sparkler is imported by Oz Wine Company in Haverhill, MA. To us, seeing the Oz name on a bottle always means quality and that we’re likely to enjoy his selection.

We purchased our bottle of Champagne Laherte Frères Ultradition Brut at City Liquors in Cambridge for $45. Penny was told it has become a favorite of sommeliers in Europe.

Here’s to the very important month of November! Santé!

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.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover's Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

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

Related articles

Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

Sunday Cat Sophia Says, "Let me in Whee-ooh …"

Thanks to Friends Who Make Marmalade and Share!

A Busy Season Resource: Our Poached Chicken Links
November 1, 2016