Champagne

Christofle, a gift and silver boutique on Boylston Street, hosted an invite-only champagne event for 10 guests on behalf of the French bubbly company Ruinart on Monday night. The evening included an dissection of the smells of the champagne. New York champagne rep Frank Girard helped with the party. Most of the guests - who were invited because they're known champagne enthusiasts - didn't want their names out in the public, but we know that Dr. Thomas Fay and Jeffrey Kuchenbecker, of the South End, were on the list.

With a splash of champagne, the Maine Department of Transportation on Friday welcomed into service the state's first new ferry in nearly 20 years. The Capt. E. Frank Thompson, named after a former long-time ferry skipper, was christened at the Rockland Ferry Terminal by his daughter, Than Hopkins, who broke a bottle of champagne on the ship's bow. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree joked that it looked like a Thompson family reunion because so many relatives gathered for the ceremony.

The friendly fromage-o-philes at the Boston Cheese Cellar in Roslindale would like to see the cheese that goes with your bubbly extend beyond brie and Brillat-Savarin. At a champagne and cheese pairing held earlier this month, says Cheese Cellar co-owner Kathy Lacher, standouts were Lille, from Vermont Farmstead Cheese Co. ($20.95 per pound), a soft-ripened cheese that's modeled on a French coulommiers; Seal Bay Triple Cream from Australia ($15.95 per pound), a "less expensive alternative to Brillat-Savarin"; and Istara Ossau-Iraty ($21.95)

When Oscar stars want to escape the camera's glare, they steal away into the lens-free green room. Created by interior designer Waldo Fernandez, the Architectural Digest Greenroom is actually decked out in shades of gray. "It's soft light, so they will feel comfortable and they will look beautiful," Fernandez said Thursday. "We wanted to create as calm a palette as possible. " Just off stage right, the greenroom is decked out in comfy sofas and antique furniture from the 1930s.

BARCELONA -- Ask Quim Sánchez if his favorite bubbly is cava from Spain or champagne from France and the owner of one of Barcelona's "best finds" tapas bars grabs his chest and exclaims, "Cava! I was nursed on the stuff!" Spain's favorite bubbly occupies a very special niche here, where you wonder whether there might be a bit of truth to his claim. In Catalonia, the region where cava is produced, the drink has a near-religious following. Its biggest success is that it bridges the gap between the uniqueness of celebration and the dailiness of affordability.

STOCKHOLM — Now that’s some vintage bubbly. Divers have discovered what is thought to be the world’s oldest drinkable champagne in a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea, one of the finders said yesterday. They tasted the one bottle they’ve brought up so far before reaching shore. Diving instructor Christian Ekstrom said the bottles are believed to be from the 1780s and probably were part of a cargo destined for Russia. “We brought up the bottle to be able to establish how old the wreck was,’’ he said.

THE ISABELLA STEWART Gardner Museum is unique, eclectic, and highly personal. Now it's getting a culinary makeover to match. With chef Peter Crowley at the helm, the new Cafe G opens Jan. 19. Crowley has been at the museum for a decade, but until now, his efforts were curtailed by the kitchen's limitations: a few small electric burners and one electric convection oven. With new facilities in the Renzo Piano-designed expansion, "it's like a cloud nine situation every day," he says.

TO EACH of four champagne flutes, add 1 teaspoon orange liqueur and 1½ ounces each freshly squeezed blood orange juice and orange juice from juicing oranges such as Valencia or Hamlin. Slowly top with champagne until the flutes are almost full. Run one strip of orange peel around the rim of each flute, twist the peel over the flute, then drop it into the liquid and serve at once.

MARIEHAMN, Finland — An accent of mushrooms merged with sweet notes of honey in a sampling yesterday of what has been billed as the world’s oldest champagne, salvaged from a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. An expert who tasted the vintage bubbly was lyrical, detecting hints of chanterelles and linden blossom. A reporter, who also sampled a bottle, found a slight fizz and flavors of yeast and honey. The champagne — of the brands Veuve Clicquot and the now defunct Juglar — was recovered from a shipwreck discovered in July near the Aland Islands, between Sweden and Finland.

With a splash of champagne, the Maine Department of Transportation on Friday welcomed into service the state's first new ferry in nearly 20 years. The Capt. E. Frank Thompson, named after a former long-time ferry skipper, was christened at the Rockland Ferry Terminal by his daughter, Than Hopkins, who broke a bottle of champagne on the ship's bow. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree joked that it looked like a Thompson family reunion because so many relatives gathered for the ceremony.

Somewhere in between Fat Tuesday and the Academy Awards and coming down from New York Fashion Week high, we decided to pull in the reins and investigate the realm of liquid diets. While we're not recommending you indulge in a juice fast of your very own, we can't help but feel tempted by the maple syrup/cayenne pepper/lemon water that may or may not have been responsible for slimming the hourglass figure of Beyonce before her 2006 "Dreamgirls" debut. Strapped for cash, commodities, and calories, we scoffed -- rather gasped -- at the staggering price tags for the BluePrintCleanse ...

TO EACH of four champagne flutes, add 1 teaspoon orange liqueur and 1½ ounces each freshly squeezed blood orange juice and orange juice from juicing oranges such as Valencia or Hamlin. Slowly top with champagne until the flutes are almost full. Run one strip of orange peel around the rim of each flute, twist the peel over the flute, then drop it into the liquid and serve at once.

" After we were well frozen we went to eat oysters, with Sillery, to warm ourselves again, and after that we went from one casino to another, not intending to commit any debauchery, but for want of something better to do. "   In the field of playing the field, Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) was a giant who gave his name to generations of pygmies - guys who couldn't pretend to attain the lofty standard he set for both quality and quantity. For The Original, the highly intelligent, well-educated offspring of an Italian actor and actress, no effort, ingenuity, or gold was to be spared in pursuit of...

THE ISABELLA STEWART Gardner Museum is unique, eclectic, and highly personal. Now it's getting a culinary makeover to match. With chef Peter Crowley at the helm, the new Cafe G opens Jan. 19. Crowley has been at the museum for a decade, but until now, his efforts were curtailed by the kitchen's limitations: a few small electric burners and one electric convection oven. With new facilities in the Renzo Piano-designed expansion, "it's like a cloud nine situation every day," he says.

The friendly fromage-o-philes at the Boston Cheese Cellar in Roslindale would like to see the cheese that goes with your bubbly extend beyond brie and Brillat-Savarin. At a champagne and cheese pairing held earlier this month, says Cheese Cellar co-owner Kathy Lacher, standouts were Lille, from Vermont Farmstead Cheese Co. ($20.95 per pound), a soft-ripened cheese that's modeled on a French coulommiers; Seal Bay Triple Cream from Australia ($15.95 per pound), a "less expensive alternative to Brillat-Savarin"; and Istara Ossau-Iraty ($21.95)

Christofle, a gift and silver boutique on Boylston Street, hosted an invite-only champagne event for 10 guests on behalf of the French bubbly company Ruinart on Monday night. The evening included an dissection of the smells of the champagne. New York champagne rep Frank Girard helped with the party. Most of the guests - who were invited because they're known champagne enthusiasts - didn't want their names out in the public, but we know that Dr. Thomas Fay and Jeffrey Kuchenbecker, of the South End, were on the list.

" After we were well frozen we went to eat oysters, with Sillery, to warm ourselves again, and after that we went from one casino to another, not intending to commit any debauchery, but for want of something better to do. "   In the field of playing the field, Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) was a giant who gave his name to generations of pygmies - guys who couldn't match him for quality or quantity of accomplishment. For The Original, the highly intelligent, well-educated offspring of an Italian actor and actress, no effort, ingenuity, or gold was to be spared in pursuit of a date - or...

At this rate, the Stanley Cup celebration may last right into next season. The world-beating Bruins have been on a nonstop binge since winning the franchise’s first Cup in nearly 40 years, and the boys show no sign of slowing down. “I’ll sleep later,’’ said Shawn Thornton , the team’s de facto social secretary. Friday, the guys brought Lord Stanley ’s king-size stein to Gypsy Bar, and the crowd went wild each time players lifted hockey’s holy grail over their heads.

Tony Bennett turned 85 earlier this month, but his birthday celebration continues, and will be part of this year's U.S. Open. Bennett, a big tennis fan, will be feted at the Open's president's box before the opening ceremonies on Aug. 29 with Moet & Chandon, which is sponsoring the tennis grand slam for the first time this year. He'll autograph a special bottle, which will be auctioned for charity during a special reception. "It's for him, and also the charitable component to our involvement in the U.S. Open, which is very, very important," said Daniel Lalonde, president and CEO...