Tag: wine buying tips

  • Champagne Paul Clouet Rosé Is Our Pick for a December 1st Toast to a Happy New Month

    This Champagne Paul Clouet Rosé was actually selected for a birthday toast earlier this year, but we did so much celebrating out and about that we never did open the bottle. Now we want to be sure to taste it before the year gets away from us. 

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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!

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    Here's what our research has told us about Champagne Paul Clouet Rosé.

    First of all, tasters' notes on this wine were all over the place. Ed said it made him wonder if they were all tasting the same wine. But the good news is they all liked it!

    • Bruce McNamee of Boutique Wines called it, "… rich and floral, perfumed with rose, raspberry, and blackcurrant … refreshing, fruit driven Rosé d’assemblage is ideal on a warm summer [?] it is also a good dessert companion."
    • The review at Mel & Rose said, "I like this Champagne's marriage of power and finesse." 
    • Over at Paul Clouet their tasting notes say, "With a nice scent of Pinot Noble, this rosé blend is a tender wine, long and racy with a delicious fruity. A wine aperitif but especially a wine that has its place throughout the meal."
    • As for the production notes, Paul Clouet says, "The Rosé Paul Clouet is a rosé blend, part of the red wine of Bouzy, used for the development of its Coteaux Champenois red is incorporated into a blend of white wines. The first fermentation takes place in thermoregulated stainless steel vats, ensuring optimum preservation of the primary aromas of the grapes. After this first fermentation and before bottling, approximately 12% of Bouzy red wine is incorporated into the basic blend. After the draw, the foam and aging in the cellar are done under classic corking.
      After disgorging, the Rosé benefits from a measured dosage and then rests for 6 months in the cellar before shipment, time necessary to allow the wine to assimilate the sugar of the liqueur of expedition and to find its equilibrium."

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    We purchased our bottle at City Liquors in Cambridge for ~$62. Here's the back label which will help if you're trying to find this wine in another area. When you take a photo of a wine with the hope of finding that wine for your own collection, be sure to take the BACK label as well. That one is more help to your wine merchant.

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    12/02/17 UPDATE with our tasting notes

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    With the pop of a cork, we eased out of a hectic November hoping for a calmer, quieter December and took our first sips of Paul Clouet Rosé. After a slight pause, I heard, “I am loving this wine!” Penny was right, and it only got better from there.

    As the Champagne warmed (55º to 60º+) with Penny on the high end, we began to relax. This bubbly paired well with our choice of Asian food along with some bitter-sweet chocolate for dessert.

    Alright December – so far, so good!

    Campagne Paul Clouet Rosé is our second winner from Transatlantic Bubbles adding to a list of trusted names  (Neil Rosenthal, Kermit Lynch, Terry Theise, Oz Wines …)  that we look for on the back label of wine bottles.  

    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 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Gifting a Great Bottle of Wine

    Recently, Ed said, "I could have been dropped here from another planet and I'd know the time of year from the wine ads on TV …" Many of those ads try to convince you to buy a mass market, low cost wine for holiday gifts or serving at parties. Don't fall for it!

    IMG_5085 - Version 22015-11-23Nino-franco-rustico-westie-guaring-case-holiday-gifting-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    Here's our little Poppy girl guarding our solution to the question of what to serve and gift as a holiday wine. We had Brix Wine Shop deliver a case of Nino Franco Rustico. We'll have it on hand for guests, last minute gifts, and if we enter January with a few left over, we'll enjoy it ourselves. 

    Last year, we posted this piece about Nino Franco and gifts of wine:

    Nino Franco Rustico: A Wine for Holiday Gifts & Celebrations

    Our main message was, "Please don't give your clients, business associates, and friends most of the wines you see in TV ads as holiday gifts. A good wine shop can recommend a good wine value that you can give with pride. And, it will be one that will please both the occasional sipper and wine aficionado."

    Nino Franco Rustico is one of many great value wines we've covered as we toast the 1st of each month with a glass of bubbles.

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    That Special Gift

    You may be looking for a special high-end wine for a special gift. Recently, one of our favorite food scouts MC Slim JB sought opinions from other food and wine fans for a special purchase over on Chowhound. He asked for comments on: "Favorite Boston-area wine shops for Champagne?"

    This turned into a wonderful conversation about styles of Champagne, shops that carry great bottles, and favorites among the group. 

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    As I read, I added a couple of shopping stops to our New Year's Eve Wine shopping list and everyone learned a bit more about high-end bottles. Best of all, many of us were able to give a bit back to a forum member who has led so many of us to great food for so long.

    Our motto for buying a gift of wine has always been, "Give a wine you will be happy to have in your own wine rack for a special moment." Or, buy an extra bottle or two and ensure there will be one when the time comes for you to celebrate. 

    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 Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

  • Gifting a Great Bottle of Wine

    Recently, Ed said, "I could have been dropped here from another planet and I'd know the time of year from the wine ads on TV …" Many of those ads try to convince you to buy a mass market, low cost wine for holiday gifts or serving at parties. Don't fall for it!

    IMG_5085 - Version 22015-11-23Nino-franco-rustico-westie-guaring-case-holiday-gifting-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    Here's our little Poppy girl guarding our solution to the question of what to serve and gift as a holiday wine. We had Brix Wine Shop deliver a case of Nino Franco Rustico. We'll have it on hand for guests, last minute gifts, and if we enter January with a few left over, we'll enjoy it ourselves. 

    Last year, we posted this piece about Nino Franco and gifts of wine:

    Nino Franco Rustico: A Wine for Holiday Gifts & Celebrations

    Our main message was, "Please don't give your clients, business associates, and friends most of the wines you see in TV ads as holiday gifts. A good wine shop can recommend a good wine value that you can give with pride. And, it will be one that will please both the occasional sipper and wine aficionado."

    Nino Franco Rustico is one of many great value wines we've covered as we toast the 1st of each month with a glass of bubbles.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017ee6c5d1db970d-800wi

    That Special Gift

    You may be looking for a special high-end wine for a special gift. Recently, one of our favorite food scouts MC Slim JB sought opinions from other food and wine fans for a special purchase over on Chowhound. He asked for comments on: "Favorite Boston-area wine shops for Champagne?"

    This turned into a wonderful conversation about styles of Champagne, shops that carry great bottles, and favorites among the group. 

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017d3f4cae69970c-800wi

    As I read, I added a couple of shopping stops to our New Year's Eve Wine shopping list and everyone learned a bit more about high-end bottles. Best of all, many of us were able to give a bit back to a forum member who has led so many of us to great food for so long.

    Our motto for buying a gift of wine has always been, "Give a wine you will be happy to have in your own wine rack for a special moment." Or, buy an extra bottle or two and ensure there will be one when the time comes for you to celebrate. 

    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 Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino