BostonZest

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" is an inexpensive (and often uninteresting wine) they always have on hand. They buy it in large quantities often at a discounted price. 

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 

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

Lemon, Love, and Olive Oil Cookbook New Favorite Cookbook

How many recipes do I want to make from Lemon, Love, and Olive Oil by Mina Stone?

This many!

Each sticky note represents a recipe I want to try. I've decided to cook through this excellent book, as a winter cooking project. Right now, I have one of the Boston Public Library's copies. I will add a copy to my cookbook collection. I have to decide, as I work with it, if I need the Kindle or print edition. 

Do you have a winter cooking project or a cookbook you should pull out and cook your way through?

First up was this quick, easy lunch of Tuna Salad with Fennel, Apple, and Parsley. Ed and I love the flavor twist and lighter notes from the fennel and apple that offset the heavier tuna flavor. 

Watch this space for more from this book!

 

Words: Penny Cherubino Photos: ©2021 Penny Cherubino

For November 2021 We'll Raise a Glass of Cerdon, Renardat-Fâche and Have a Dessert Party

Our monthly toast for November 2021 will be a rare, slightly sweet sparkler- Cerdon, Renardat-Fâche 2019. A few factors influence this choice. This wine is organic. It's from, "The Bugey, halfway between Lyons and Geneva, is one of the tiniest and most obscure wine areas in France," according to importer Louis/Dressner. It is made with Gamay and Poulsard adding a new grape for sparkling wine to our life list. And finally, it's 8% Alcohol by Volume. That is a rare find. All these factors checked some boxes on our preference list.

Here's some fascinating information on this producer and this wine from the importer.

Aware that it was slightly outside our choice for drier wines, we have decided to use its ability to step in after a meal as an excuse for a dessert party! Today we'll wander the neighborhood and pick up a few desserts to sample with this month's selection. Perhaps some of the favorites from our memory photos above.

Trying wines from different places, made with other 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 for $23.99.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017-2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino