BostonZest

We Toast November 2022 and Friendship with Breathless Blanc De Noir

Once again, we'll toast a new month with a bottle of sparkling wine that was a gift from friends. This time it is a bottle of Breathless Blanc De Noir that long-time pals David and Peter brought from California on their recent visit. 

This bottle is from their private stash. As members of a number of wine clubs at nearby vineyards, they have access to wines that may not be available to the public. So while our bottle is from a single vineyard Reserve, we’ve linked to the Breathless Blanc De Noir that you could purchase. 

Over the years, we’ve shared a lot of wine with these guys. They know we love pinot-forward sparklers. They share our love of supporting small family-owned and operated vineyards. They also have excellent taste in wine and live in an area where they can visit nearby vineyards on weekends. We often check with them before we purchase wines from that area. 

Here's what we’ve learned about Breathless Sparkling Wines.

This vineyard is owned and operated by three sisters and honors their mother. 

They say, “Guided by the expert hand of award-winning winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster, the sisters are dedicated to sparkling and still winemaking in the time-honored French method. By employing this méthode champenoise—the traditional second fermentation in the bottle—and using the finest select Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay grapes, Breathless sparkling wines pair beautifully with all of life’s moments, from the everyday to the extraordinary.”

You can learn more about Penny Gadd-Coster’s philosophy and work with the Breathless team in the video below.

Here’s something else we learned from Peter and David. If you are visiting the West Coast and plan to bring back  wine, you might want to choose Alaska Air as your carrier. They offer a deal where you can, “Check a case of wine for free when you fly from 32 West Coast cities.” 

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: ©2022 Penny  Cherubino 

We Toast October 2022 with Victorine de Chastenay Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rose

This month our toast will be with a bottle of Victorine de Chastenay Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rose. This was an easy choice since we found it in a favorite wine shop Formaggio South End. This shop offers the best of so many food options, including a small but well-curated wine selection.

This bottle was in the cooler, chilled and ready for an impromptu celebration. It was 100% pinot noir, a favorite with us. It was a pinot noir from Burgundy, one of our favorite sources for this grape. The back label had what we considered a seal of approval, the logo of Skurnik Wines & Spirits, an importer we trust! Since this bottle made it through all those selection gateways and was priced at $22.95, we knew it would be a great value.

Skurnik Wine and Spirits wrote that great value was their reason for importing this wine.

"Not all Crémant de Bourgogne are created equal. We at Skurnik have searched for years for a Crémant de Bourgogne that can deliver the quality and value that the Skurnik name has come to represent. With Victorine de Chastenay, they have found that rare combination. Long an afterthought for many producers in Burgundy, these delicious sparklers come from fruit in the Côtes de Nuits and Côtes De Beaune in Burgundy (a welcome contrast to most Crémant de Bourgognes that are made from fruit in the Mâconnais, Beaujolais, and Côte Chalonnaise). From the complex and refreshing Brut Blanc to the 100% Pinot Noir Brut Rosé, these wines are made completely in tank to preserve the minerality and freshness of the Côte d’Or fruit and are aged on the lees for 20 months before release (the minimum for the appellation is 12 months!). It is rare to find Crémants of such pedigree and quality at a value price and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have you try them."

We purchase our bottle at Formaggio South End for $22.95.

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 Friends with a Dr. Konstantin Frank 2019 Sparkling Riesling Nature

This month we’ll raise of glass of Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard’s 2019 Sparkling Riesling. We can thank our friends David and Peter for introducing us to this family vineyard from the Finger Lakes region of New York. We also have to thank them for educating Penny about dry Rieslings. She had always avoided this varietal after trying a few versions that were too sweet for her taste. You can learn a lot about wine by sharing it with friends.

Recently the Washington Post featured Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard in Dave McIntyre’s article “This 60-year-old winery changed the way America grew grapes.” One of our toasts from this bottle will honor Ukrainian refugee Konstantin Frank for his contributions to winemaking and the education of wine consumers in this country. Another toast will be to the third and fourth generation of his family who operate the winery today.

A second nudge to place an order from this vineyard came when we spotted their dry Riesling on the menu at the Dubliner, where we’ve enjoyed this selection by the glass while lunching with friends.

Here’s what the winemakers say about their Sparkling Riesling Nature 2019. 

“Our Riesling Nature is 100% Riesling from our estate vineyards on Keuka Lake. Secondary fermentation took place in bottle for a minimum of 24 months in our historic underground cellar. The wine is finished without any additional dosage creating a very dry wine.”

“Toastiness comes first, with prominent fruit flavors of crisp red apple, lemon curd, and ginger come to meet up. Driven by its freshness and austerity, the creamy mouthfeel balances the dry, crisp, and bright green apple flavors.”

 

We purchase our bottle directly from the vineyard for $34.99.

We were pleased with every aspect of the transaction. They were offering a quantity discount, so we added three bottles of the dry Riesling and two more of their sparkling wines. The cost of shipping was reasonable. The packaging was sturdy, and our wines arrived promptly as promised.

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 Cherubino 

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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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...

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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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Details:

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