BostonZest

Our June 2022 Toast Will Be in Praise of Half Bottles

Once upon a time, we were known to friends as the couple who always had a half bottle of something sparkling chilling in the refrigerator if they had a reason to celebrate! We bought cases of the very well-made but relatively inexpensive Gruet Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noir to pop open when someone landed a new account, received good news, or simply felt like a quick celebration of a lovely day. 

Memories of these spontaneous toasts sent us out to stock up on more half-bottles of great sparkling wines.

At the Urban Grape, we chose three selections: NV Bruno Paillard Premiere Cuvee Extra Brut 375ml (Champagne, FR) at $40, NV Guy Larmandier Cramant Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs 375ml (Champagne, FR) at $42, and just for fun the Hakutsuru "Awa Yuki" Sparkling Sake (Japan) at $8.

We popped open the Bruno Paillard for a quiet anniversary celebration.

It was highly recommended by the Urban Grape staff as a Champagne that would fit our taste. It is a fabulous food wine and stood up to the big flavors of our stinky cheese, salumi, and focaccia. It was a spot-on recommendation and we'll pick up a couple more bottles on our next South End walk.

Here are the labels for a few 375ml bottles of old favorites we'll add to our next Gordon's Wine order!

 

 

When dining out, we love enjoying great bottles of wine with friends. However, when it's the two of us, we choose from the wines by the glass. We would love to have more half-bottle options on wine lists. That will only happen when more of us order the half-bottles restaurants do offer. We enjoyed this half bottle of Deutz Classic Brut Champagne on the Select Oyster Bar patio!

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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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino ( Labels courtesy of Gordon's Wine)

Toasting May 2022 with Our House Sparkler Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco

The one sparkling wine that is almost always in our wine rack is Nino Franco Rustico prosecco. Thanks to a friend who ran some errands for us, we have our house wines on hand again.

For us, house wine is a wine we love to drink and share with friends. It's a good value wine that we can keep on hand in quantity. Nino Franco Rustico has had "special friend wine" and "house wine" status for many years. We discovered it long ago at a restaurant that had the talented Cat Silirie as the sommelier. We thank her for the introduction!

The Nino Franco Team Says:

“Coming from the middle elevation hills of the classic area of prosecco, Rustico is how we make ourselves known. It is one of Nino Franco's historic wines, produced since the 1970s, and was initially a prosecco «aged on its lees» before becoming a Charmat method sparkling wine in 1979. Its freshness and drinkability combine with an excellent floral bouquet. An outstanding aperitif and an ideal pairing to delicate appetizers.”

We Say!

Give this food-friendly sparkler a try. It is not the easiest wine to find, but the search is worth it. And, we have linked to Gordon's Wine and Spirits as a source of our house wines. 

If you like to celebrate or have friends over on short notice, pick a couple of wines as your own house wines. We have the Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir as our red offering. By the way, in the restaurant business, a "house wine" may be an inexpensive (and often uninteresting wine) they always have on hand. They may buy it in large quantities often at a discounted price.

If a restaurant serves an interesting and appealing house wine, well-matched with the food they serve, you have found a place that cares about the quality and value of the wine they serve. 

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 Fine Wine and Spirits for $23.99.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2018 - 2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

Beginners Guide to Using the MBTA Transit System

This week, thanks to a conversation on Boston Reddit, I discovered that the MBTA had added beginners guides to their services.

Here are the links to guides for specific services

Beginner's Guide to the Subway

Beginner's Guide to the Bus

Beginner's Guide to the Commuter Rail

Beginner's Guide to the Ferry

There is even a special guide for students.

College and University Student Guide to the T

And even a much-needed rider etiquette guide.

 

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

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Words: Penny  Cherubino

Screengrab Courtesy of the MBTA
Photography: © 2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

No Fooling, We'll Toast April 1, 2022 with Gruet Sauvage a Favorite Sparkling Wine from New Mexico

Yes! Gruet Sauvage is one of our favorite sparkling wines. And, Yes it is from New Mexico. What's more, we discovered this wine through one of our great wine mentors, Chef and restaurateur Michael Serpa. This one is on the menu at Grand Tour. 

This is one of three Boston restaurants along with Select Oyster and Atlantico Boston where you can enjoy Chef Serpa's outstanding wine lists. 

It was also one of the wines we chose for the last gathering we had inside a restaurant with friends on March 1, 2020. Here's what we said about it, then.

We're long-time fans of the Gruet family of wines. We've been writing about them since at least 2009. This one is an excellent match for Grand Tour's menu, and we highly recommend it for a toast to the outdoor dining season!

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

We'll Toast March 1, 2022 with Raventos i Blanc and Remember Being with Friends

Friends delivered a bottle of Raventos i Blanc to us on Christmas day. They knew it was one of our favorite wines and sometimes hard to find. We saved it for March 1st because we knew we would need the lift that this bit of sparkle and the kindness of special people throughout the pandemic will provide on the day that marks two years since we gathered with friends inside a restaurant. 

It is also a wine that reminds us of Provincetown since we discovered it there. Today's photos are from that time, and here is the post about our discovery.

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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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2014-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

We Toast February 2022 with Prosecco Venti22due from a Good Friend

In February 2019 we toasted the new month with a glass of Prosecco Venti22due from a Good Friend. This month we will repeat the experience as we enjoy another bottle of that lovely prosecco from the same dear person. He found it again and, once again, shared his fine with us as a holiday gift. 

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!

There is great information about this wine in our 2019 post including a video from the producer. Here's a bit from the hang-tag on the bottle.

Our friend told us he purchased the bottle at Bauer Wine and Spirits in case we wanted to stock up on this favorite.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2022 Penny Cherubino 

We'll Open 2022 with Roco Winery 2020 RMS Red Brut

As we enter 2022 with the hope for a better year for one and all, we'll raise a glass of 2020 RMS Red Brut from a winemaker we think of like an old friend, Rollin Soles of Roco Winery. While we know and love Rollin's wines, both at his own Roco and during his years at Argyle, this is a new wine for us. It is 100% Pinot Noir and our first red sparkling wine! 

Here is what Rollin has to say about his 2020 RMS Red Brut:

"This inaugural Sparkling Red Wine Pinot Noir brings Instant Holiday Cheer! This dark ruby colored sparkling wine delivers a lively pink bubbling froth around the edge of your glass as it is poured. The fruit, spices, and yeasty aromas include cranberry, crab apple, black raspberry and a hint of grape soda. There also are essences of pecan, sweet Genovese basil, and pine cones. On the palate, look for immediate cranberry, dried currant, and Brooks plums with a persistent pomegranate core and a finish that begs for ham and turkey and mushrooms. The truly velvety tannin grip is spiced with pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg, making this wine a potentially amazing Biscotti dunker!"

We have some biscotti on hand and are ready for dunking!

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!

Here are the front and back labels:

We purchase our bottle directly from the vineyard as a part of a holiday purchase. While supplies last it is available from ROCO for $50 a bottle.

We subscribe to the vineyard's newsletter and were thrilled to support this lovely couple and their hard work to make great wine and support Oregon's Willamette Valley winemaking community.

You can learn more about the vineyard team here.

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What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2021 Penny & Ed Cherubino and seasons greetings photo of Rollin and Cory courtesy of Roco Winery