BostonZest

We Toast Family Vineyards in August 2022 with a Glass of Nino Franco Rustico

We've been toasting all the wonderful people who help us enjoy wine this year. In August, we raise a glass of our house sparkler, Nino Franco Rustico, to the Franco family and others like them who continue the traditions of family-owned and operated vineyards. 

This family is proud of their four generations of winemaking and DOCG designation.

They say:

"The grapes of Nino Franco come entirely from the territory of the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene denomination. They are harvested by hand and vinified within the historically most suitable area of Prosecco, recognized by the disciplinary as the pinnacle of high-quality production. The parcels of Nino Franco, all no more than a few hectares wide, stretch within the Municipality of Valdobbiadene, yielding the winery’s single vineyard labels: Riva di San Floriano, Nodi and Grave di Stecca, “Grand Cru” Prosecco wines tightly bound to the territory of origin."

Cheers and thank you to all the families who work together to raise the grapes to make great wine. In this day of corporate buyouts, they choose the protection of traditions over making some fast cash.

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 purchased our bottle at Gordon's Fine Wine and Spirits for $23.99.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2005-2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

For Our July 2022 Toast We Raise a Glass of Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs to Great Importers!

Today we will toast all the great wine importers whose work and skill have introduced us to great wines with a glass of Guy Larmandier, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from Neal Rosenthal Wine Merchant.

This is one of the few Blanc de Blanc or all Chardonnay Champagnes we like. We would normally select a Pinot Noir forward Champagne. However, the very fact that this one was from Neal Rosenthal made us try it.

Neal Rosenthal describes it, "From this renowned grand cru in the southern tier of the Cote des Blancs, Larmandier’s Cramant is textbook stuff: beautifully brioche-y, yet with a driving floral elegance and an effortlessly pungent minerality characteristic of Chardonnay grown in a place where it’s truly at home."

When you find a wine you love, turn the bottle around and look at the back label. A few of our favorite importers like Neal Rosenthall, Kermit Lynch, and Oz Wines make it easy by proudly displaying their identification in an easy-to-find fashion.

Sometimes you'll have to hunt for the information. To find great importers you can also ask your local wine mentors. For us, a wine mentor is someone who adds to our ongoing education in all things wine and wine-related.

If someone has a great wine list, they probably have a few importers that they depend on to provide a dependable selection of wines that fit their palate. 

We've also enjoyed half bottles of this lovely Champagne at Select Oyster Bar over the years. It's not always on their list but when it is, we recommend you give it a try.

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 purchased our half bottle at Urban Grape for $42.00

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

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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Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast...

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Details:

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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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: ©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!

Details:

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!

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.

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

Details:

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!

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: ©2014-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino