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Dancing Tastebuds

Vignobles Gueissard
Les Papilles 2023
Côtes de Provence DOC
Dry Rosé
Mourvèdre 30%, Grenache 30%, Syrah 30%, Cinsault 10%
HVE (working on certification), going through organic conversion, weeding done by sheep & horse, & sustainable
Le Beausset, France
Clément Minne, Pauline Giraud, their son Marcel & their team

Pretty in pink with a swish of salmon. Inhale and here comes a cool blend of honeydew & delightful pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, peaches, pears, apples, very ripe cucumbers, salt, wet limestone, and a lemon flies by. Sip and all of the scents along with all sorts of light cherries (pink, red, white, yellow, etc), not fully ripe blackberries, blood orange, and pink watermelon including the fresh green rind…so lively, vibrant and delicious.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Smooooooth

Pauline & Clément have over time collected plots in Bandol and Côtes de Provence, kind of like pieces of a quilt that when they are banded together create a beautiful array of wines. Each piece as they say is diverse with “very different in terms of soil type, exposure and maritime influences” and are also dearly cared for and protected. They’re going through the routes of organic certification, and maybe it’s the sentimental part of my childhood heart that loves seeing all sorts of beneficial trees planted. There’s ones that are magnets for birds & bees, others that give back to the earth & help deal with erosion, and on a personal note I hope there’s a few for climbing too because…well as a kid you could often find me in the orchard perched on a branch. BTW if you’re in their neighborhood on Sept. 26, you might get a chance to raise a glass to the end of summer if you can manage to snag a ticket to their tasting of 5 wines and snack on local delights. Maybe you might even encounter their “Les Papilles” which will keep your tastebuds dancing.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #organic #France #provence #artisanwineselections #vignoblesgueissard #docwinebar #docwineshop

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My Dorothy Moment

Celler Jan Vidal
Vita Vivet Brut
Xarel-lo 50%, Macabeu 30%, Parellada 20%
Penedès, DO Cava
Organic
Bellvei, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain

Twinkling starlight yellow with a green sheen and lovely little bubbles. Scents pop up of toasted rice (think Bibimbap) mixed with day 2 baguette edges, a lemon/lime spritzed apple & pear blend, and tiny roses & a few wild flowers. Taking a sip and there’s crunchy apples & pears, lemon/lime again that has a little tingly vibration, salt, smidge of dried pineapple, with a toasty melba vibe that’s in the back. Just dry, crisp, and very alive.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: So vibrantly delicious

A good cava is one of my favorite things in the world. It always lifts my spirits and can turn a bad day into a joyous celebration. I remember my first encounter in high school art class. My teacher would often set up a still life, and one of the more interesting parts was the iconic black bubbly bottle (you know the one) & the detail that had to be rendered to depict it properly. No I did not kick it back 🤣, I was way too young so by the time I finally did try it, I honestly was not that impressed & kind of disappointed. When I did finally find a proper glass…oh it was like that moment in “The Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy steps into a Technicolor world. Now, every time I have one it transports me back to Catalunya, and if I close my eyes & allow myself to dream, I can just smell the tapas & remember the taste of good squishy cheese, feel the cool evening breeze, hear the clip of high heels on cobblestone, and feel all stress fade away. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #cava #sparklingwine #bubbly #worldbyglass #organic #Spain #barcelona #Catalunya #selectionsdelavina #cellerjanvidal #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Two Creative Gifts

Bodegas Barbadillo
Sábalo 2021
100% Palomino Fino
Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz
Organic
Cádiz, Andalucia, Spain
Winemaker: Montserrat Molina
Barbadillo Family

Warm gold. Inhaling sold crisp apples & pears that grow over time into baked, a mix of fresh spring rained on slate & lick of limestone, lemon lime squish, Lemonheads, and teeny squeeze of Valencia orange. Drinking in apples, pears, singed orange zest, grate of hazelnut & marcona almond, limestone, light handed honey, and young watermelon & rind sprinkled with salt. Delicate, polished, a touch romantic, and very easy to drink.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: bleh

I’m sure most of you have had a wine, sherry, manzanilla, and/or a vermouth by Barbadillo. They’ve been around over 2 centuries, have 16 cellars & 250 ha of vines (they’re 1 of the largest in Jerez), and are still family run after all these years. Their bodega “ is a seafaring winery, always between the sea and the land. Hence, the first wine in this organic range bears the name of the Sábalo, a sea-faring fish, but which defies the river currents on its way to the spawning ground. It is a great metaphor that represents the entrepreneurial and adventurous spirit of Barbadillo.” It’s also a tribute to Manuel Barbadillo (grandfather of the current president, who was not only a winemaker but also a poet so he was bestowed with two creative gifts). You’ll find part of his lovely verses that weave romantic imagery on the label alongside the watercolor of a Sábalo aka Shad.

“¡Ay Sanlúcar, si yo fuera

Si yo fuera marinero

De Sábalos y de lunas

Mi barca sería tu cuna

Y yo tu patrón remero

Y si fuera cantaor

Sanlúcar del Alma mía,

Que copla te cantaría

Junto a cualquier mostrador…”

Oh Sanlúcar, if I were

If I were a sailor

Of shads and moons

My boat would be your cradle

And I am your rowing boss

And if I were a singer

Sanlúcar of my soul,

What song would I sing to you?

Next to any counter…”

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #organic #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #organic #Spain #skurnikwines #bodegasbarbadillo #vinewine #vinewinenyc

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“A New Adventure Each Time”

Domaine la Roche Buissière
Le Rosé 2022
VDF
Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre
Organic, hand harvested, unfiltered & unfined
Rhône Valley, France
Antoine & Laurence Joly

Warm sunset rose orange. This enchanting blend speeds up to my nose where it’s faster than thinking the words as a rapid fire collage of pics. There’s tangelo, strawberries, all the berries, pomegranate, a little red currant, peach, fresh rain on concrete, a teeny herby thing that I’m trying to place…the pics went by too fast….and also light hazelnut. All of the scents are on the tip of my tongue with a touch more manzanilla lick at times (it goes in and out), gooseberries, watermelon cubes, and a little chew of bright sourgrass. There’s a full out fun but also a refinement & class. You can take this bottle anywhere from a backyard grilling party to a swanky night dining under the stars.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

Antoine & Laurence may be the 2nd generation making wine on their land, but Antoine’s father Pierre had been growing vines for quite a while. The grapes were generally sold to a co-op, but he is also one of the early organic growers in Rhône with certification in the 80s (was already working organic since mid 70s). With so much knowledge to share, it must have been exciting to have Antoine and his wife Laurence join in, and to take the vineyards a step farther into the natural winemaking world. And as each new wine will be a potential surprise, I love this quote from their site, “Winemaking does not follow a predefined recipe: each vintage is different, we accompany the fruit towards its purest expression, it is a new adventure each time!” A great way of life to keep you on your toes & raising a celebratory glass when the time is just right. 🍇

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #Rosé #France #worldbyglass #zevrovine #larochebuissiere #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Bottled Emotions

Weingut Claus Preisinger
Puszta Blanca! 2023
60% Grüner Veltliner, 35% Weissburgunder, 5% Muscat Ottonel
Organic, biodynamic, unfined/filtered, spontaneous fermentation
Gols, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee, Austria
Winemaker: Claus Preisinger

Shining yellow brick road with a touch of haze. Oh there are so many scents flying out. There’s cool ripe cucumber, melon, lemon, mango, and of all things dill which makes me laugh because I’m caught off guard, but it’s fun! Next up are limes, fresh raw peanuts like the ones I remember from my granny’s garden. Can’t tell you how much I used to look forward to digging those plants up & shaking the dirt. All of this is followed by green & golden delicious apples, camellia, and dainty roses. There are so many childhood memories floating here. Sipping and all of the scents are right there with the dill & a smidge of mustard seed being more of a pickle brine flavor, limeade, and a salt shake. Oh this is seriously delicious & zingy!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: So mellow

Preisinger’s wines bring out such bubbling emotions for me. Some make my tastebuds happily buzz around like a bee in an apple orchard, others steal a little piece of my heart, and this one makes me giggle like a giddy child from the dancing flavors bouncing all over the place. They’re like him…full of vibrant life. As I’ve mentioned in a past post he’s a surfer/kitesurfer (pic from 510w ago), in tune/connected with nature, has a “less is more” ethic from the soil, vines, & in the cellar. His winery & vineyards are settled near Lake Neusiedl in Gols (where the kite surfing pic is from), and also the area where his band of other like minded winemakers founded their association Pannobile (2024 is their 30th anniversary). Each winegrower creates a red & maybe a white cuvée from their local/indigenous grapes picked at that Goldilocks just right ripeness. It’s still bottled in their name but under the Pannobile label/umbrella, and for those that want to try 1 from each  of the 9, you can buy a case boxed in a true wooden artistic treasure.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #austria #worldbyglass #volkerwineco #clauspreisinger #docwinebar #docwineshop

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A Kiss To & From Italy

Bacio
Lemon Spritz
Italian lemon & bubbly white wine cocktail
7% ABV
Eco-friendly
Produced & packaged at Cantine Sgarzi Luigi (Fidenza, Parma, Italy)
Born in New York
Founders: Diego Faccioli & Tadas Nikulin

First, follow the directions on the can and “just chill it” then crack, pour, and it reveals a lovely yellow hue with some tiny bubbles & a tad of greenish starlight twinkle. Scents drift up of lemon & grated citrus zest (also reminds me a bit of Limoncello too), a squeeze of lime, and a dash of nose tickling seltzer. Sipping and there’s again lemons & one of my faves a touch of Lemonhead candy, lime squish, a mellow sweetness but not too sweet, mineral rock lick that balances all with a pinch of salt, and that zippy spritz feeling. It’s fresh, crisp, vibrant, and rocking it out of the park.

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  Surprisingly really damn good.

Faccioli & Nikulin bring their Veneto inspired vibe in such a fab portable way that also keeps with their goal of quality. As Diego says, “Bacio combines Italy’s winemaking legacy with modern sophistication. Our sparkling wines are a fusion of tradition and innovation, presented in eco-friendly elegance. It’s not just wine; it’s a reimagined experience of Italian luxury.” BTW do you need a tour guide to Italy? Let Bacio show you the way through their journey. They’ll lead you through wines, cities & the people that live there & a peek into their traditions, where to grab a bite & imbibe, special recipes, festivals, sights not to miss, and you’ll also learn that Diego not only has a mischievous smile…he also has a “sonorous snore” 💤🤣. Anyway, grab a can and feel that flirtatious 💋 from Italy because the country & this spritz are both so easy to love.

Side note: My little shadow or maybe not so little anymore (José Andrés) decided he needed to be included in the pic. He’s such a ham.

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My Summer Crush

Weingut Leon Gold
Neon Gold 2023
Trollinger
Organic, biodynamic
Weinstadt, Württemberg, Germany
Collaboration with Super Glou
Owner & winemaker: Leon Gold

Shining garnet stained glass. Breathing in raspberries, strawberries, touch of blueberries, a childhood memory of Froot Loops, orange/lemon/lime rind, tiniest whiff of peat, and a dried herby alpine mix that’s so mellow. Sipping and hello raspberries again with cherries, a mix of ripe and green strawberries (some wild too), that citrus rind again but more gentle yet still very alive, a weird reminder of Hawaiian Punch’s Fruit Juicy Red that I had as a kid on a very hot summer day at Sea World, cranberry, red currants & that savory herb sprinkle again but as before M-E-L-L-O-W with a teeny tiny sliver of white horehound (horehound candy), and a chew of sour grass from the outfield. Chill it a little or a lot. Either way it’s so bright and so darn easy to glou glou.

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  brings out all the tarty party

So childhood dreams can be fulfilled. Leon Gold was first enchanted with the wine ideal very young and followed it through with education, dedication, learning to listen to the sun, moon, & all nature has to whisper, and patience. He lets the grapes have their space and time in the cellar. I can just imagine the pressed fruit calmly chanting “om” and being one with space & time until it transcends and travels into the bottle. It’s not all inner peace & slow pace for Gold. Leon is one of the 3 chosen winemakers for a cool event coming up on 8/28 (tonight) at the restaurant Bachofer’s Terrace in Waiblingen. It’s Wine Speed Dating & I’m not sure if you’re meeting people or just “dating” the wines to find one you may fall for and goes well with their BBQ tapas. I know which one is my summer crush. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #speeddating #organic #Germany #bachofer #superglou #leongold #vinewine #vinewinenyc

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Making Perishable Permanent

Fontanavecchia
Fiano 2022
100% Fiano
Sannio DOP
Torrecuso (BN), Campania, Italy
The Rillo family: Managed by Libero with extra help & guidance from his father Orazio & brother Giuseppe

Color straw with green pops and flecks. Sniff and there’s nose tickling lime followed by lemon & a citrus blend & their orchard blossoms, apples, pears, honeydew, honeysuckle, fresh rained on slate, and a shake of salt. Dancing on my tongue are all of those lovely scents with a savory smidge smoke/peat accent that is waaaaaaay in the back and just gives a little depth & backbone stability much appreciated.

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  perfect pairing

The Rillo family though the years has kept their goals of cultivating & protecting their vines, grapes & lands; learning from history but not forgetting it or leaving traditions behind even as they & their lives continue to grow & intertwine. As often is said about wine families that span generations that they carry a “passion”, “it’s in their veins”, etc., and with them it’s not just an echo of those words or following through the motions…they truly do. A select quote on their site by John Arnott (journalist, cricket afficionado, wine lover, and poetic wordsmith) really struck me. “Wine is a successful effort to translate the perishable into the permanent”. It’s such a simple sentiment yet so encompassing that you can recognize in Fontanavecchia’s wines whether it be their youngsters or reserves. These lovely bottles capture, cement and imprint their solid place in history one drop at a time. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #Sannio #Campania #Italy #worldbyglass #wineemporium #fontanavecchia #docwinebar #docwineshop

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A Sparkling Future

Langmann
Pet Nat 2017
Gelber Muskateller
“Sustainable Austria” seal by the Austrian Winegrowers’ Association
Steiermark, Austria
The Langmann Family: Stefan & Anna (husband & wife), Günther & Stefan junior (sons), and Daniela (Stefan Jr’s wife)

Orange gold with an impressive head like an IPA. As I walked back from the kitchen after pouring scents of pineapple, pine needles, mango, a little IPAish vibe, tangerine, mandarins,  whiff of magnolia, hyacinth /jasmine, and almonds. Sipping and that head is still lingering. All of the scents are in the taste with a bit more orange/mandarin, papaya, teenist smidge of coconut, sprig of hay that waves bye, puff of peat/smoke that fades, pinch of nutmeg & a slight little warm spice burn on the very back, and once again that IPA vibe. It’s crisp, dry and so much fun!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: it’s ok

The Langmann family have been working the vines since 1746, and are still devoted with 3 current generations living and working on their land. I love it when I hear about people that truly respect the earth and take on the mantle of what their footprint will leave behind. As mentioned before they received recognition for sustainability for over a decade which means, “the rows of vines are planted with a variety of grasses and flowers, the vineyards are free of herbicides and insecticides, the winery relies on 100% green electricity and offers fair working conditions for all employees.” That is how you strive toward a better & sparkling future for all. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #sparklingwine #petnat #PétNat  #winelover #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #organic #sustainable #austria  #MonikaCahaSelections #weingutlangmann #Langmann #vinewine #vinewinenyc

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A Permanent Home In My Heart

Morgante
Rosso 2020
100% Nero d’Avola
Sicilia DOC
Grotte (Agrigento) Italy
The Morgante Family: Antonio (father), Carmelo & Giovanni (sons)
Winemaker: Riccardo Cotarell

Deep ruby. Breathing in plums, cherries, raspberry, blackberry, a creamy frosting bit lightly floats by joined by a raisin, and a little blend of pine, eucalyptus & thyme. From the first sip it’s a very alive jumble of all the scents with a bigger bunch of blackberry, strawberry,  cranberry, black tea, a dark blueberry or maybe dried strawberry, and wild fennel. This is delicious but it has me craving a Thanksgiving sandwich. Yum!

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  it’s complicated

When I started really learning about wine, Nero d’Avola enchanted me and has a permanent home in my heart. I love that it can be dressed up and on the town with a good rare steak with balsamic reduction, lamb chops, and a good cheese board (drunken goat, pecorino, etc); or you can chill and have it on the front stoop munching on a gyro & sausages from the cart down the street. This wine isn’t a snob but it sure is a star, and it’s just another reason to book a trip to Sicily & find out more about the Morgante Family’s passion & dedication to this lovely grape. ✨✈️🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #Sicily #Italy #worldbyglass #nerodavola #winebow #morgantevini #docwinebar #docwineshop