BostonZest

Toasting July with Szigeti Grüner Veltliner Brut

On a recent check of our wine rack, we remembered enjoying a few bottles of Szigeti Grüner Veltliner Brut  over the years. We first toasted with this back in 2011. It's time to share the remaining bottle with friends at our July 1st toast to a Happy New Month. 

This wine is from Austria and is made from 100% Grüner Veltliner grapes. This is a grape we turn to when we're eating foods that are difficult to pair with wine, like salads, asparagus, or artichokes. It's a food-friendly wine, also perfect with seafood, oysters, fried, salty, fatty dishes. As a grape we just enjoy, we often try any bottle we spot by a new producer on a wine list. 

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!

This is another wine from a trusted importer, Winebow.   If you ever see us shopping for wine, you'll notice us reading the back labels to see who selected this wine to import or distribute. When in doubt, we opt for someone who has introduced us to wonderful wines in the past.

 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2019 Penny Cherubino 

Seasonal Farmers Market Opening Dates 2019 Summer to Fall

Here is our round up of the summer farmers markets opening dates around Boston. We visited the Copley Market's opening day today and it reminded us to share this list with our BostonZest readers.

Early in the market season, we enjoy dishes like “Asparagus Two Ways.” Here it is roasted and starring in a simple salad of shaved asparagus, fennel, and capers.

Boston Public Market News
The Boston Public Market (BPM) headquartered at 100 Hanover Street, will have outdoor markets in three locations. In addition to their popular Dewey Square market (near South Station) they will have a market on City Hall Plaza and in the Seaport.

What Is There to Buy at Early Markets?
You can expect a selection of storage, greenhouse, and hoop house produce at early farmers markets: mushrooms, potatoes, scallions, spinach, lettuce, and greens. In June we can hope to see strawberries, asparagus, beets, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, peas, and radishes.

Naturally we’ll also be offered meat, poultry, seafood, maple syrup, honey, dairy, cheese, and eggs which are not seasonal in the same way as plant-based goods.

Here are opening dates for the 2019 area seasonal markets:

Boston Public Market: Open daily, year-round 

May Markets
South End/SoWa: Open Market: May 5th (Sundays)
Copley Square: May 10th (Tuesdays & Fridays)
Egleston Jamaica Plain: May 11th (Saturdays)
Central Square, Cambridge: May 13th (Mondays)
Boston Public Market at Dewey Square: May 14th (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
Cambridge Center (Kendall MBTA): May 15th (Wednesdays)
Davis Square, Somerville: May 15th (Wednesdays)
Jamaica Plain (677 Centre Street): May 18th (Saturdays)
Union Square, Somerville: May 18th (Saturdays)
Boston Public Market at City Hall Plaza, May 21 (Tuesdays)

June/July Markets
Roslindale/Adams Park: June 1st (Saturdays)
Boston Public Market at the Seaport (85 Northern Ave.) June 5th (Wednesdays)
Brookline/Coolidge Corner: June 6th (Thursdays)
Harvard University Farmers Market, Cambridge: June 11th (Tuesdays)
Charlestown: Thompson Square at Main & Austin Street, June-October (Wednesdays)
East Boston/Central Square: July 3rd (Wednesdays)

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2019 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

Our Happy New Month Toast for March Will Be with a Prosecco...

However, we have not decided which Prosecco, so we have chilled two of our favorites. 

On the left is Adami Bosco di Gica Brut Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore.

We have written more about that here.

On the right is Bisson Glera Vino Frizzante Trevigiani. 

That one was covered in this post.

We love both of them and have been going back and forth all week about which to have. They are both light and lively and perfect for the start of our favorite hospitality season. It is traditional in parts of Italy to greet guests with a glass of prosecco. 

They are both just 11% alcohol by volume which is an important stat for the warmer months.

We'll have to come back and let you know which one we opened or if we opened both and took the opportunity to taste them together.  

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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Photos: ©2019 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

No Fooling! Our April 1st Toast Will Be with a Glass of Artomaña Txakolina

Why Artomaña Txakolina? We wanted to pick a wine that would be fun and a bit of a surprise for our toast to April 1st. Txakolinas are just that. These wines from the Basque region are light, lively, low-alcohol, food-friendly, and the tiny supply that reaches our shores usually shows up this time of year.

We scanned our wine rack and grabbed a bottle we had picked up somewhere in our travels. As we tried to remember where, that star on the label brought back a special memory. We think this is the first Txakolina we ever tasted many years ago at Tinto in Philadelphia. This was before Chef/Owner Jose Garces was well known. If he's as gracious to his guests these days as he was to us back then he will always be a success.

We'll add him to our toast as we pour a glass of this wine from on-high with the help of our special Txakoli pourer.

Tidbits you might want to know if you'd like to try this wine:

• In the Basque language TX is pronounce CHA, so this wine is pronounced “chah-kuh-leena.”
• And, if your server is in the know, the wine will be poured from high above the glass to aerate it and activate the fizz.
• Finally, that glass may be a large tumbler rather than a stemmed wine glass.

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Philipponnat Royale Réserve Brut Champagne with Great Stories for Toasting March 2019

Happy New Month! This time we are raising a glass of Philipponnat Royale Réserve Brut Champagne to salute the month of March.

Today we will also toast two wonderful gentlemen, Tom Fielding and Scott O’Connor, who provided us with fabulous wine selections at Perry's in Provincetown for years.

Here's to the two of you! We hope you'll have many happy years in your new home in San Miguel de Allende. This is the last bottle we have that was one of their selections. And what a selection it is! We can't wait to taste it.

Philipponnat has its own story!

In case you didn't notice the 1522 in the top photo, we took a close up of it on the neck of the bottle. The Philipponnat family have been on this land for nearly 500 years. They provided wine to French King Louis 14th, other royals, magistrates and mayors, even to those in the Champagne region.

We have read that the current family member managing the vineyard is Charles Philipponnat who's responsible for bringing it back to greatness by paying close attention to details from vine to bottle.

No flutes for this wine. We'll be enjoying it in large wine glasses to capture every nuance of the blend.

The winemakers say:

"The Blend: 65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Meunier. First press juice of mainly Grand and Premier Crus grapes from the heart of the Champagne wine-growing area. 20 to 30% of reserve wines are aged in wooden barrels using the solera system to incorporate older wines without losing freshness."

"TASTING: 

To the eye: Deep gold in colour with amber glints. Delicate froth, lively and lingering.

With the nose: The first nose reveals vine blossom, linden and fresh, lightly toasted bread. After breathing, aromas of summer berries, citrus fruit and honey develop.

With the mouth: Fine vinous attack on the palate, fruity (red currant, raspberry, ripe grape) and full- bodied, generous and long. Light notes of biscuit and freshly baked bread on the finish."

Tip: When you want to find a wine, take a photo of the back label. This gives you the information your wine shop will need to order it for you.

We purchased our bottle at Perry's in Provincetown ~$60.00

(03.01.19) 4p - Update: Be sure to drink this wine through the temperatures because it is spectacular at 55º in a large glass!

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! Join our Sparkling Resolution.

 

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Photos: ©2019 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

We Toast February 2019 with Prosecco Venti22due from a Good Friend

The official name of this award-winning sparkling wine is "Venti22due" Prosecco Superiore Conegliano-Valdobbiadiene D.O.C.G. 

We have a wonderful friend who shares our love of sparkling wines and often drops off a bottle of something he thinks we'll love. Over the holidays he presented us with this one, providing an opportunity to learn more about this vineyard in one of the most desirable sections of the Veneto. 

Fortunately we can share what separates this area from other prosecco producing regions in a 5 minute video from the producer's site.

We were pleased to have the refinement of this Prosecco D.O.C.G clearly explained and are looking forward to pop-in' the cork on our bottle tonight. 

Ordinarily we'd say search for this label, but since the bottle is part of a limited production run and distribution, you may not find it. In that case, grab any sparkler you like and join us in toasting February. Since we know so little about this particular wine, we're including a photo of the hang tag which tells all of us a bit more.

We loved this quote from the producer, "Prosecco Venti22due should be served at the ideal temperature of 45 degrees F (4-5 degrees C). At this temperature you can almost taste the aroma of the apple and cherry trees that grow on the top and bottom edges of the vineyard, Vinicollina Tesini."

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.

Because we did not buy this bottle, we can't tell you the exact price or where to find it. From what we've seen online, it will cost around $40.

 

UPDATE: (02.01.19) We just toasted February with Prosecco Venti22due. It's everything described above and more! We chilled the bottle to about 40º F, served in a large wine glass (great for swirling), and sipped our way through the slowly rising temperatures. 

Snacking on sliced bits of Cheddar and cubes of a Braeburn apple made for a very special late afternoon interlude. Un delizioso prosecco!

 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: Courtesy of Vinicollina Tesini ©2019 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne Wraps Up Our Year of Monthly Toasts with Favorite Sparkling Wines

As our year of monthly toasts with old favorites comes to an end, we will enjoy a bottle of Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne. It ticks all the boxes for what we love in a Champagne.

We often will compare Pinot-forward sparkling wines to Bollinger when judging what we like or don't like about them. This outstanding cuvée is the perfect choice to complete our goal of toasting each month in 2018 with an old favorite instead of auditioning twelve new contenders. Besides, enjoying time with old friends is always a good idea.

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we've raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month. We invite you to join our Sparkling Resolution and raise a glass of something sparkling on the first of each month in 2019!

Here's what the winemakers tell us about Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne.

For people like us who just buy a bottle of wine and enjoy it because we know we love it, taking a fresh look at the official notes can actually give us different nuances to look for and enjoy.

Details

"Blend: 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier. Over 85% Grands and Premiers crus. 

Maturation: cellar aged for more than twice the time required by the appellation. 

Dosage: moderate, 8 to 9 grams per liter."

Tasting Notes

"To the eye: a golden colour, distinctive of black grape varieties; very fine bubbles. 

To the nose: a beautiful aromatic complexity ; ripe fruit and spicy aromas ; hints of roasted apples, apple compote and peaches. 

On the palate: a subtle combination of structure, length and vivacity ; bubbles like velvet ; pear, brioche and spicy aromas, notes of fresh walnut."

 

Bollinger is a Champagne to share with special friends to celebrate life's special moments or to pop open when the wine itself is to be the occasion.

We purchased our bottle at Federal Wine and Spirits, but it is widely available and can occasionally be found at bargain prices. Expect to see it in the $60 to $70 range.

Here's to 2019. Cheers!

 

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