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Tag: 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.

     

    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 

  • Our August 2021 Toast Will Be Fizzante with Gönc Winery “Canvas” Pet-Nat Pinot Blanc

    For August 2021 we will take our handy bottle opener and remove the cap from a bottle of Gönc Winery "Canvas" Pet-Nat Pinot Blanc.

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    When Penny popped into Urban Grape during a recent Zipcar trip, she described our monthly toast with a sparkling or frizzante wine, our search for wines from new places, grapes, or vineyards, and a bit about our taste preferences. Their staff person, Tray, was knowledgeable and helpful. She recommended three exciting prospects including this one.

    Today's wine is from a new vineyard for us Gönc, and a new country Slovenia! What's more neither of us can remember a fizzante pinot blanc and this is one of Penny's favorite varietals. 

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    It is also a naturally sparkling "Pet-Nat" or, as the French say, “pétillant naturel” wine. In the photo above, you can see the yeast that collected as the wine rested in our wine rack. Food and Wine in an article on Pet-nat explains, "Many are also unfined and unfiltered, and may include some leftover yeast cells, which can lead to a slightly cloudy or hazy appearance. (All this is fine to drink.)"

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    You may also notice the special crown cap. This is one made with, "…special liners compatible with the vinification and fermentation process…" 

    Here's one description of the wine that has us looking forward to our toasting time. "These effervescent, refreshing bubbles with smells of fresh lemon and minerals, crisp pear and almonds springing from the bottle."

    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 purchased our bottle at Urban Grape for $25.00.

    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: ©2021 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • 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. 

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    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. 

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    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."

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    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

  • 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. 

    IMG_8711

    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. 

    Prosecco-Rose-Front-scaled  

    IMG_8710

    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."

    IMG_8712

    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

  • Pouring from On High to Toast July with Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina Rubentis Rose

    Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina Rubentis Rose is comfort food for us. (Yes, wine is food!) Since this frizzante wine comes from the Basque Country and because of the area's climate and soil conditions it fits our 2020 year of terroir, we are featuring it this month

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    We are longtime fans of Txakoli wines. We discovered them many years ago at Jose Garces restaurant Tinto in Philadelphia. On our return, Howie Ruben of Bauer Wine & Spirits ordered it for us and kept us supplied with this summertime favorite. 

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    Then came Select Oyster Bar where we found a new wine mentor Michael Serpa who shared our love of Txakoli. He educated us about the speed pourers that made pouring this wine on high to activate the bubbles a bit easier.

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    If you would like to learn more about the terroir and special way the grapes for Txakoli are grown, here's a video of chef and humanitarian Jose Andres visiting a vineyard from his TV series Made in Spain.

    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!

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d2b85785970c-800wi

    We purchased our bottle at Bauer Wine and Spirits 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: ©2015- 2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Pouring from On High to Toast July with Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina Rubentis Rose

    Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina Rubentis Rose is comfort food for us. (Yes, wine is food!) Since this frizzante wine comes from the Basque Country and because of the area's climate and soil conditions it fits our 2020 year of terroir, we are featuring it this month

    6a00e54fc42bb888340167690059c9970b-800wi

    We are longtime fans of Txakoli wines. We discovered them many years ago at Jose Garces restaurant Tinto in Philadelphia. On our return, Howie Ruben of Bauer Wine & Spirits ordered it for us and kept us supplied with this summertime favorite. 

    IMG_6170

    Then came Select Oyster Bar where we found a new wine mentor Michael Serpa who shared our love of Txakoli. He educated us about the speed pourers that made pouring this wine on high to activate the bubbles a bit easier.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401bb09d1124d970d-500wi

    If you would like to learn more about the terroir and special way the grapes for Txakoli are grown, here's a video of chef and humanitarian Jose Andres visiting a vineyard from his TV series Made in Spain.

    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!

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d2b85785970c-800wi

    We purchased our bottle at Bauer Wine and Spirits 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: ©2015- 2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • New Mexico’s Gruet Sauvage Joins Our “Grand Tour” of Terroir

    We'll say "Happy New Month" to March with a blanc de blanc sparkling wine from New Mexico, Gruet Sauvage. We've been long time fans of the Gruet wines, but Sauvage is new to us.

    It's on the current wine list at Grand Tour, a new restaurant from Chef Michael Serpa and his team. This place is already a favorite with us. We've been stopping in since it opened slowly working our way through the engaging menu.

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    Michael has become the latest of our wine mentors so even when we normally shy away from 100% Chardonnay sparklers, we are quick to try a glass of any wine that he selects. Our goal in 2020 is to explore terroir with our monthly toast, this wine from New Mexico fits right in.

    Here is what the Gruet vintners say about their terroir.

    "With high elevation, sandy loam soils, and sweeping winds to naturally keep away pests and thin the canopy for greater flavors, New Mexico’s desert landscape proved the ideal starting ground for Gruet.

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    Here are the tasting notes from Gruet:

    "Gruet Sauvage NV is a bone-dry sparkler, pale straw in color with a delicate but persistent mousse. The aromas of bright mineral and citrus notes tickle the nose followed by touches of green apple, lemon and, grapefruit. The finish is structured, flavorful and long. The bright acidity makes this wine a perfect pairing for oysters, sushi and cream sauces."

    We've already enjoyed a few glasses of this crisp, food-oriented sparkler at the bar at Grand Tour. We'll return there today to raise another glass with friends to wish one another a "Happy New Month." We recommend the wine and we recommend the restaurant!

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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. Cheers!

    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 

  • New Mexico’s Gruet Sauvage Joins Our “Grand Tour” of Terroir

    We'll say "Happy New Month" to March with a blanc de blanc sparkling wine from New Mexico, Gruet Sauvage. We've been long time fans of the Gruet wines, but Sauvage is new to us.

    It's on the current wine list at Grand Tour, a new restaurant from Chef Michael Serpa and his team. This place is already a favorite with us. We've been stopping in since it opened slowly working our way through the engaging menu.

    IMG_7864

    Michael has become the latest of our wine mentors so even when we normally shy away from 100% Chardonnay sparklers, we are quick to try a glass of any wine that he selects. Our goal in 2020 is to explore terroir with our monthly toast, this wine from New Mexico fits right in.

    Here is what the Gruet vintners say about their terroir.

    "With high elevation, sandy loam soils, and sweeping winds to naturally keep away pests and thin the canopy for greater flavors, New Mexico’s desert landscape proved the ideal starting ground for Gruet.

    IMG_7868

    Here are the tasting notes from Gruet:

    "Gruet Sauvage NV is a bone-dry sparkler, pale straw in color with a delicate but persistent mousse. The aromas of bright mineral and citrus notes tickle the nose followed by touches of green apple, lemon and, grapefruit. The finish is structured, flavorful and long. The bright acidity makes this wine a perfect pairing for oysters, sushi and cream sauces."

    We've already enjoyed a few glasses of this crisp, food-oriented sparkler at the bar at Grand Tour. We'll return there today to raise another glass with friends to wish one another a "Happy New Month." We recommend the wine and we recommend the restaurant!

    IMG_7869

    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. Cheers!

    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 

  • Raventos i Blanc de Nit Takes Us to Spain for Our February 1st Toast

    Raventos i Blanc de Nit is such a favorite with us that one of the staff at Select Oyster Bar asked Penny if she wanted her usual last week, meaning Raventos. That question put it next up on the list of wines we would feature this year as we explore the concept of terroir.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a3fd0cb728970b-800wi

    Each month in 2020, we'll feature a bottle of wine from a different place. Some will be new to us and some, like this one, will be old favorites from great winemakers who respect the land and let the natural taste of the grapes and the land come through in the glass.

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    The Raventos family has been making wine on their land since 1497. They say, "We stand up for the huge potential that our terroir has for creating sparkling wines."

    The Oxford Dictionary defines the word terroir as, "The complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate." And, "The characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a wine by the environment in which it is produced."

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    The words "Conca del Riu Anoia" on the label are a part of an effort by the Reventos family to create a recognized wine appellation with some of the specific characteristics we happen to look for in a wine. These standards include: using native varietals, biodynamic methods, estate-grown grapes, and proper aging.

    They write, "Our dream is for the Raventós i Blanc wines to have their own name: Conca del Riu Anoia, the name of a small geographical area, centred around the River Anoia Basin, between the Catalan Pre-Coastal and Coastal Ranges."

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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! Please join our Sparkling Resolution.

    We purchased our bottle at Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors for $26.99. 

    We've enjoyed this wine by the glass at Select Oyster Bar and by the half-bottle (they also have it through magnums) at Alcove.

    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 

  • Raventos i Blanc de Nit Takes Us to Spain for Our February 1st Toast

    Raventos i Blanc de Nit is such a favorite with us that one of the staff at Select Oyster Bar asked Penny if she wanted her usual last week, meaning Raventos. That question put it next up on the list of wines we would feature this year as we explore the concept of terroir.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a3fd0cb728970b-800wi

    Each month in 2020, we'll feature a bottle of wine from a different place. Some will be new to us and some, like this one, will be old favorites from great winemakers who respect the land and let the natural taste of the grapes and the land come through in the glass.

    IMG_7583

    The Raventos family has been making wine on their land since 1497. They say, "We stand up for the huge potential that our terroir has for creating sparkling wines."

    The Oxford Dictionary defines the word terroir as, "The complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate." And, "The characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a wine by the environment in which it is produced."

    IMG_7575

    The words "Conca del Riu Anoia" on the label are a part of an effort by the Reventos family to create a recognized wine appellation with some of the specific characteristics we happen to look for in a wine. These standards include: using native varietals, biodynamic methods, estate-grown grapes, and proper aging.

    They write, "Our dream is for the Raventós i Blanc wines to have their own name: Conca del Riu Anoia, the name of a small geographical area, centred around the River Anoia Basin, between the Catalan Pre-Coastal and Coastal Ranges."

    IMG_7579

    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! Please join our Sparkling Resolution.

    We purchased our bottle at Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors for $26.99. 

    We've enjoyed this wine by the glass at Select Oyster Bar and by the half-bottle (they also have it through magnums) at Alcove.

    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