BostonZest

We Toast May 1, 2024 with a Bottle of Dibon Cava from Oz Wines.

This is our year of toasts saluting our wine heroes. Andrew Bishop, Founder and CEO of Oz Wine Company, certainly deserves recognition. This month, we'll raise a glass of one of their great-value wines, Dibon Cava. In addition to providing us with a great selection of wines as both an importer and distributor, Oz Wines is located in Methuen, MA, so we are supporting a local business.

 

We have our usual details about the Dibon Cava below. However, we also want to tell you a bit about Oz wines and how we use experts like Andrew Bishop to select more interesting wines. We know we are likely to enjoy his selections.

When we're in a great wine shop looking for a new wine, we always turn the bottle over to see the name of the importer. If the wine was imported by a trusted resource like Oz Wines, it makes our short list. Then, we will ask the shop assistants for a bit more information and their opinion on this selection. We might mention other Oz Wines imports and distributes to give a clue to our taste. 

Occasionally, we go to the Oz website to find more information. Once, when we bought our first Portuguese Sparkling wine, Filipa Pato's 3B Rosé, we contacted the importer to improve our wine education. This post from 2012 is an example of an Andrew Bishop educational chat.

 

 

Now back to Dibon Cava! Here's what we said back in 2012

Except for the price, which is still reasonable in today's dollars, it still holds true today.

"Dibon Cava Brut Reserve ($9.99) is so impressive, you’ll want to share this find with every wine-lover you know. If “balance” is a fault, then it’s this wine’s only fault! It will please a wide range of tastes– not too dry or too fruity. A light nose that reminded us of citrus? lemon curd? No, dried apricot.

It's light, refreshing, and inviting. Very food-friendly (spicy chicken wings, potatoes, roasted root vegetables worked for us). This cava also shines all on it’s own! And, it was still very good as it warmed."

We purchase our current bottle at Urban Grape for $14.00.

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 April 1, 2024 and Women in Wine with a Glass of NV Camille Savés "Carte Blanche" Grand Cru Brut

Our April 1, 2024 toast will salute the women who have and still are paving the way for women to make their way into the world of wine from workers, winemakers, and vineyard owners. In addition, there all the women teaching others about wine in shops, restaurants, and media. This is our year of recognizing wine heroes and the women who have fought for, made a place for themselves in the wine business, and then reached a helping hand back to other women who are HEROS!

We raise a glass of NV Camille Savés "Carte Blanche" Grand Cru Brut for all women in wine, past and present. The New York Times wine expert Eric Asimov's article "The Wine Heiresses Apparent" is recommended reading on this topic. Here is an article on Women Who Influence Wine today. Finally, a piece about Notable First Women in Wine History

This is a fantastic half bottle of Champagne that we've enjoyed locally while dining out. We also love the Camille Savés N.V. Brut Rose Grand Cru Champagne.

Here's what we learned about this wine and this wine family.

• This is a Pinot-forward Champagne blend with 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay both from Bouzy Grand Cru vineyards. This represents the Camille Savés house style.
• The Urban Grape description is, "The wine offers up a superb nose of apple, quince, bread dough, a complex base of chalky soil tones and a nice top note of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and beautifully delineated, with a fine core, crisp acids, lovely focus and balance, delicate mousse and fine grip on the long and classy finish."

"THE SAVÈS FAMILY has lived in the heart of Bouzy since 1894, as indicated in some registers that still exist today."

"...over the years, Louis, Camille and Hervé have followed in their father’s footsteps as head of the House, perpetuating the family values that established its reputation."

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes and produced by various methods, adds spice to our monthly ritual.

Since 2007, we've raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchased our half bottle at The Urban Grape for $40.00. We ordered our bottle online and picked it up at our convenience. As always, this excellent wine store provides great service.

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

We Toast March 2024 with a Half Bottle of Gruet Brut from New Mexico!

This month, we will put a half bottle of Gruet Brut in to chill and will toast March and the French winemakers who set a high standard for sparking wine from  New Mexico, producing wines by the Méthod Champenoise they use in France. 

We try to keep a few half bottles of this lovely sparkler on hand for spontaneous celebrations. We agree with the winemakers' description of this value-for-money wine. "Wonderful aromas of green apple and citrus mineral notes make for a delightful start to this traditional sparkler. Our Brut NV offers bright, crisp acidity complemented by a touch of yeast on the delightfully long finish. A classic house style!" We also agree with the "90 points, Smart Buy" rating of this wine by Wine Spectator.

This is our year of honoring heroes of the sparkling wine world. The Gruet family are not only heroes; they have a great story that we will quote from their website.

"In 1983, the Gruet Family was traveling through the southwestern part of the US, and while in New Mexico met a group of European winemakers who had successfully planted vineyards in Engle, near the town of Truth or Consequences, 170 miles south of the city of Albuquerque. After hearing of vineyards planted there as early as the 1600s, and learning about the specific climate and soil conditions of the region, the Gruet Family knew they had found what they were looking for. In 1984, Gilbert Gruet – whose Champagne house (Gruet et Fils) has produced fine Champagnes in Bethon, France since 1952 – made the decision to plant an experimental vineyard in Engle, NM. The plantings were exclusively Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Two of his four children, Laurent and Nathalie Gruet then relocated to New Mexico to begin their American winemaking adventure."

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 purchase our bottle at Gordon's Fine Wine and Spirits for $9.99 with a case discount.

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

On February 1, 2024 We'll Raise a Glass of 2021 Raventos i Blanc de Nit Cava

The 2021 Raventos i Blanc de Nit Cava is our wine of the month for our February 1st toast for a couple of reasons. We chose a theme for the sparkling wine we will feature to toast the new month. This year we will salute a wine hero each time the first rolls around. 

You must admit there is something heroic about a family that has been making wine for five centuries and 21 generations. That is the epic story of the Raventós family. They proudly display their timeline of winemakers and milestones on their website. 

 

This family has elevated Cava to a premium spot on some of the area's best wine lists. In an effort to set their wines apart from average cava production, Pepe Raventós has a new goal set in 2012 on the site.

"Because we are convinced that we have something unique to offer, one of the sparkling wines with the highest mineral expressions in the world, we are working towards creating a new Designation of Origin restricted to a well-defined area with specific winegrowing and winemaking requirements. This is why we have started to call our sparkling wines

 Conca del Riu Anoia, as our dream for the future is to create a new DO for the world’s highest quality sparkling wines."

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  The Urban Grape for $30.

 

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

Our January 1, 2024 Toast will be the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery 2018 Brut Rosé

Our opening to 2024 will be with a bottle of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery 2018 Brut Rosé.

Each year, we pick a theme for our monthly toasts. For 2024, we will choose wines in recognition of our wine heroes. These people have made a difference in the wine world or our personal wine education and experience.

We were introduced to the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery by our special food and wine friends Peter and David, who shopped, cooked, and drank with us for the years they lived in Jamaica Plain. Today, they live in San Francisco and wander around the great vineyards of their region, tasting, joining wine clubs, and sharing what they learn with us when we get together.

Dr. Konstantin Frank certainly holds a hero's spot in the history of wine. We'll let the winery tell his story. They say,

"Dr. Konstantin Frank ignited the “Vinifera Revolution” a movement that forever changed the course of wine growing in the Finger Lakes and the United States. Dr. Frank’s vision, knowledge and determination are credited with elevating the New York wine industry from a state of happy mediocrity to a level that today commands world attention."

"Dr. Konstantin Frank fell in love with a special property on Keuka Lake for its exceptional characteristics – shale-based soils and steep slopes. With decades of knowledge and experience, he successfully planted the first European grape varieties on our home vineyard in 1958. Many of these Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir vines are still in production to this day and they represent some of the oldest vines in America."

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 for $34.99 from the vineyard before a multiple-bottle discount.

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

We Toast December 2023 with Adami's Cartizze Dry Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG Prosecco

December is a time of many celebrations, and we will toast this month with a very special Prosecco, Adami's Cartizze Dry Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG. Our first post about the wines from this family of winemakers was back in 2008. We are long-time Prosecco fans.

We've been following a few vineyards like this one, which are dedicated to improving the wine and offering a sparkling wine that stands out from the average wines in this category. 

A dear friend who had often enjoyed a glass of Prosecco with us presented us with our first bottle of Adami many years ago. Since we loved it (and he's a person who spoiled his friends with wonderful and unexpected presents), we enjoyed a bottle often when he spotted it on a shelf.

We often added the more basic DOC Prosecco to our wine orders and occasionally found a DOCG available. This one will be our introduction to the top of the rating system Superiore di Cartizze DOCG. You'll usually find these designations on the verifying neck label of the bottle shown below.

Perhaps to you, this is all alphabet soup. We recommend this article from Wine Enthusiast, "Everything You Need to Know About Prosecco." 

Here are the translations of those letters from author Lauren Mowery.

"While these designation names are overwhelming and verbose, just remember the following: Prosecco DOC is light and quaffable; Superiore DOCGs are a cut above, with terroir-driven Rive followed by Cartizze at the top."

"Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG sits at the top, the crown jewel or grand cru of Prosecco’s ambition. Wines come from a subzone in Valdobbiadene called Cartizze, which has carried its own set of regulations since 1969."

We purchased our bottle at Gordon's Fine Wines for $36.99, which became $28.79 with a case discount. That is a fabulous value for a Prosecco with this designation.

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!

Related Posts:

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

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: ©2023 Penny Cherubino 

We'll Toast November 1, 2013 with a Half-Bottle of Gruet Brut Rose from New Mexico

This month, we have opted to toast the first of November with a half-bottle of Gruet Brut Rosé from New Mexico for a few reasons. 

Gruet Winery offers a variety of wines from its line in both full and half bottles. 

First, we want to encourage everyone to buy and enjoy more half-bottles of wine! They work for times when just the two of you want to enjoy a toast or when you want to open your meal with something light and sparkling and have another wine with your main course.

Second, half-bottles are great to have on hand for serendipitous celebrations. Years ago, a good friend started her own consulting business. She called Penny to share the news that she had landed her first big client. Penny invited her to come over and pop a cork of Gruet to mark the occasion. It was just a few minutes out of each of their busy day, but the woman talked about that little celebration for years.

Finally, with the holiday season approaching, it's good to have a great value wine on hand in quantity. Gruet is reasonably priced and of very good quality. It can serve as the wine at a party or meal. Its New Mexico origin is a real conversation starter. It also makes a great gift. The case we purchased will be given out to those who deserve something a little extra from us with their tip at year's end.

Here's a great article with "8 Things You Should Know About Gruet Winery."

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 Gordon's Fine Wine and Spirits for $9.99 as a part of a case deal.

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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.

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