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“I Just Wanna Be Part Of Your Symphony”

Ja’na:re
Falanghina del Sannio DOP
2021
Sustainable
Campania, Italy

Springy gold with a touch of green. Breathing in white peaches, ripe sun kissed cucumber, mango, lychee, and a bundle of white flowers, a light touch of grapefruit, and wet limestone after a cool & cleansing rain. All of the before scents are in the taste along with firm pears, lemon/lime squeeze & zest, a bit of yellow watermelon added to the mix, trace of honeysuckle stamen dragged across my tongue, and a mineral bit on the back.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: heightens everything

This is one of those wines that pulled me down the rabbit hole of information. Tales of the Samnites…witches, warriors & the written word. Ja’na:re is part of the co-op La Guardiense that has been around since 1960. They started out with only 33 members but are now around 1,000 and all very proud of their history which leads back to Ja’na:re or rather janare who were the local women/witches, “who weave the secrets of the earth with silvery moonbeams and dance in the shade of a walnut tree” and carry on tradition & natural knowledge to this day. Then there are Sannio’s men once fierce warriors are now strong & noble farmers driven with the same passion of their heritage. Finally there’s this bottle that comes from their “Alfabeto line” which their designs are Inspired by the Oscan-Samnite language/alphabet (btw it’s read from right to left and words are separated by dots). Grapes for this collection are selected from the best of their vineyards/terroirs and are brought together as they say “Just like conducting an orchestra where each component must give its best, guaranteeing absolute harmony to the whole”. Love that their gift to the world is this beautiful bottled symphony.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #cheezit #worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #cleanbandit #sustainable  #Campania #Italy @vinijanare @vini_la_guardiense @toutonselection @cheezits @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Ticket Booked

Finca Casa Balaguer
La Rambla del Peligres 2020
100% Garancha
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested
Villena, Alicante, Spain
Winemaker: Andrés Carull

Dark cherry with a little violet hues and blue pops. Breathing in and there’s raspberries, a light creamy moment, dark cherries & Twizzlers, tiny delicate roses & irises mixed with red plums, and some oomph earth dragged in with a pinch of white pepper, and something a little green. Rolling it around in my mouth it’s bursting with cherries, raspberries, very ripe & also green strawberries & the greenness of their caps & stem, a drop of pomegranate, blackberry,  boysenberry, violets & their leaves (day 2 a bit of hyssop appears), singed orange peel that has my lips tingling, and as it opens it is so lovely juicy and blueberries join in. Can you tell how much I LOVE this bottle?

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes everything more velvet

Finca Casa Balaguer is Andrés Carull & Marta Ribera’s small family winery, and boy is it all natural (my 2nd wine by them). After a surprising encounter with a natural wine during a trip to France in 2008, they were hooked or as they say seduced by its magical power. They only work with local varieties to enhance the true feel and taste of their lands, and keep it biodynamic and organic. And their own words sum their passion beautifully, “Immerse yourself in a world, from which you have no escape. When you enter the world of natural wines, wines made with nothing but fermented grape juice, no additives and no makeup, you won’t want to escape. There is no way back. We can tell you from experience. The lasting memory of these wines is not stored in the mind, but in the heart.” They also say that wine has a way of “teleporting” you so you can “travel by glass” to visit their wonderful part of the world, which is hey, a statement as you can tell…I fully believe. Consider my ticket booked.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #redwine #cheezit #worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #Garancha #Alicante #Spain @casabalaguer @selectionsdelavina @cheezits @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Fabulous Night & Beautiful Day

Day Wines
Lemonade Rosé 2022
94% Pinot Noir, 6% Grenache
Grapes sourced from organic & biodynamic vineyards
Dundee, Oregon
Owner & winemaker: Brianne Day

Pinky with a flash of salmon. Scents pop up of raspberries & strawberries, mellow bit of lemon curd, a light bounce of cherries, and later a bit of lime & zest floating in on a fresh cool breeze. Sipping and this is just refreshing! There’s raspberries, strawberries, Rainier cherries, smidge of grapefruit squish with a small salty lick, and lovely fresh zesty homemade lemonade stand blend kiss. 💋

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: gives it a deeper dashing flair

So many parents make such a fuss about their kid getting a tattoo. How many times did I hear that if I got one no one would hire me. Well, things certainly didn’t end up that way for Brianne Day. In fact, her grapevine/grapes tattoo attracted the right attention and brought on a  conversation with a couple who ended up investing in her winemaking career (which she had already been passionately working on) and helped move it forward. Now I’m rethinking my folks outdated advice and maybe…just maybe will finally make that artistic inked commitment and who knows what new adventures might come my way.

BTW if you’re still reading, I just noticed on IG that @daywines has a very cool event coming up. “Mark your calendars, grab your dollars, and dust off your most extra fits because DRAG EXTRAVAGANZA IS BACK AT DAY! Friday (evening), June 16th. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜💖” Ooh that sounds like a fun and fabulous night! @winecountrypride 

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Rosé #Rose #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #organic #WineCountryPride #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @daywines @vinewinenyc

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More Than Just “Nice”

Weingut Schlossmühlenhof
Das ist Schön
50% Scheurebe, 40% Müller Thurgau 10% Gelber Muskateller
Organic, indigenous yeast, unfiltered
Rheinhessen, Germany
Owners & winemakers: Gabriele & Walter Michel, Nicolas (their son & 6th generation, who has been at the helm since 2015) & his girlfriend Janine

Translucent pale yellow-green. Sniffing bright lime, grapefruit & citrus mix-a-rita, along with firm pears and a little fresh cut grass. Tingling on my tongue is even more lime & zest with the rest of the citrus cocktail trailing along, all the pears and a little apple rolled in with honeysuckle, white peaches, a smidge of an herby bite balancing blend including thyme & a little rosemary (just not BBC’s old gardener sleuths series), and fragrant blossom on the exhale.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: blossom breeze

As the label says, “das ist schön” and yes that (or this bottle) is nice…ok it’s better than nice and is bound to make you smile on these recent hot nights. You know what else is nice…the way the the members of the 5th & 6th generations work together or in Walter & Gabriele’s case, at times kick back & let the younger ones carry on. You’ll also find on their site two more important members that round out their family. They may not be winemakers, but Emil & Cuno (a pair of 4 pawed woofers of varying sizes) contribute to the estate by being two bundles of doggo joy. 🐾

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #instawine #worldbyglass #Germany #organic #winetime  #dasistschön #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @schlossmuehlenhof @saviosoaresselections @docwineshop @docwinebar

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There’s No Fungus Among Us

Cantina Pizzolato
HOOPA
PIWI Collection
Pét-Nat
Veneto IGT
100% Johanniter
Organic, indigenous yeasts, vegan friendly, unfiltered
Villorba, Italy
Pizzolato Family: Settimo (father & owner) along with his wife Sabrina and children Federico & Stefania

Shining yellow green stained-glass with itty bitty bubbles. Sniffing and there’s pineapple, mango (that little bit of creaminess too), lemon/lime spritz, a drop of fresh squeezed orange, tangelo, citrus zest & and shake of salt, and a little southern in the heat of the night musky magnolia breeze that turns into wisteria or a little sultry romance. Wooo! Sipping and this is very easy drinking, so be careful. All that citrus is rolled into one shaken cocktail & the lime sings in it. Here comes pineapple & a little mango again with a light tingle, a small celery (cel-ray) crunch, sliver of very ripe just picked from the garden cucumber, and seltzer saltiness…just delicious & crisp.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it even brighter

As far as this PIWI Collection is concerned, there’s no fungus among us. PIWI grapes are from a continuing international project/collaboration on breeding fungus disease resistant vines (this isn’t in a lab but in the vineyards & no genetic engineering) which is wonderful for keeping everything sustainable & organic. The Pizzolatos chose to let the labels tell the story of these wines, not just through the beautiful artwork/mandala labels that also peel back to reveal it also in words. As they say on their site, “For us, each of these wines represents the stage of a journey into a yet unexplored world that we are experiencing day by day. The names chosen for the PIWI wines bring back the imagery of exploration, travel and discovery: “Huakai” represents the journey; “Kontiki” the means used to land at the final destination “Hoopa” and “Hurrah” the moment of rejoicing with the group for having reached the destination.” I highly recommend picking up one of these beauties and joining them on this innovative & delicious natural journey. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #instawine #petnat #Frizzante #bubbly #sparklingwine #worldbyglass #Tuscany #Italy #organic #winetime #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @piwiinternational @cheezit @cantinapizzolato @naturalmerchants  @docwineshop @docwinebar

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698 Bottles Of Wine On The Wall

Cal Xurriu
Xanduné 2020
Chardonnay
Biodynamic, indigenous yeasts, unfined & unfiltered
Sant Sadurnì d’Anoia, Alt Penedès, Catalunya, Spain
Winemakers: Agustì Costa & Paula Sandoval

Orange coppery with rose tints drifting in sort of like a sunrise. Sniffing and there’s orange, a little grapefruit (not strong but gentle), lemon & zest with a lime nose tickle, salt breeze, a natural depth or a little good darkness like what you smell while crabbing on the east coast waterfront when I was a kid. (Have you ever been chased by fiddler crabs? Those little guys are feisty.) There’s also a light wave from a magnolia, rained on slate, something a little green like young acorns or raw green peanuts. Sip and tasting orange & back to that citrus mix with a lively natural tang vibe & a smidge of orange bitters, smoke, salt, a lick of limestone, crab apples, on the exhale green strawberries (stems, caps & all), and after time a splash of orange tea.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: ack berg no

When I saw the shelf talker state, “Chardonnay fermented on the skins producing a head turning wine that will have you questioning everything you know”, I knew this bottle was coming home with me, and yes it made my head spin in a good way. Agusti & Paula are bucking Penedès old time convention of growing large vineyards for bulk cava. Their plots of choice are small, very natural & sometimes hidden within other bits of growth. I can only imagine the excitement of hiking to check on the vines progress. They know this land is shared with native plants & animals: wild goats & boars, who can wreck havoc on any vineyard! Their choice is to hope and ask “please don’t come” because  “Life is about sharing”. From what I can find, this man truly loves being embraced by the whole of nature and has a deep gratitude to care for the parts he is gifted to farm. Good grief, this is bringing happy tears to my eyes. BTW there are only 700 bottles & I’m so happy for my 2.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @super_glou @calxurriu @vinewinenyc

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Giving Back For The Future

HER
Chenin Blanc 2022
Sustainable, grapes sourced from single vineyard site of Worcester
Western Cape, South Africa
General Manager & Winemaker: Praisy Diamini
Consultant Winemaker: Natasha Williams
Viticulturist: Ruth Faro
Logistics: Jody-Ann Appollis
Accountant: Janine Goosen
Production Clerk: Nichole van Wyk
Quality Manager: Verna Ross

Dance that yellow brick road gold. Breathing in pears, peaches, pineapple, a few slices of overripe cucumbers, apricots, and a blend of citrus. Taking a sip and it’s all of the above, along with nectarines, grapefruit squish, lychee, Golden Delicious & a bit of Granny Smith apples, and a few blades of grass.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: so smooth

This is my 2nd bottle by HER, & I want to make sure everyone knows about these incredible women so I’m going to repeat myself. Every single one of them are important to the whole entity. As they say on their site,  “Each of us brings our skills, our heritage, our energy and our expertise. The HER Wines Team is comprised of a group of black women who, by grabbing at opportunity, working hard and relying on each other, have stepped into the world of business, previously unattainable to our families, particularly the women.” They also know the importance of giving back, and are setting aside 2% of their profits toward a scholarship for the driven, talented & passionate children from families that work with the vineyards where HER sources their grapes. Who knows, some of these young ones may be the next big winemakers that we’re all chasing for their next bottle in the future. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #westerncape #southafrica @herwinecollection @wine4theworld @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Bless The Mood

Brutes
Alright Alright Alright
Fruit Pét-Nat 2021
Swedish apples, pears, plums
Organic, biodynamic
Stockholm, Sweden
Tobias Eriksson, Nick Ivarsson, Joakim Kviberg, Brad Sawicki, Fredrik Winberg

Pink tinted golden haze with active bubbles on the pour. Hovering over the glass and smelling a little bit like a good sour or sharp cider on tap, and just like the label says on content there’s round & tart and baked apples (also crab apples), pears & plums, also all sorts of blossoms, oddly a bag of mixed jelly beans, a touch of holiday spice like cinnamon & clove, and all of it brings on memories of mom’s homemade tart apple pie. Sipping and it’s totally a cider of apples, pears & plums, again the cinnaclove, touch of smoke & sizzle and fruit peels, and a bit again like a sour or at least sour lovers would dig this juicy tangy twang that’s so very lively and awake.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: just lovely

If an apple falls in an orchard…well how about if a bunch of them get shaken from old orchard trees…if you’re like this group, you make some darn good natural sparkling cider or as they call it fruit pét-nat. I know, yeah, yeah, technicalities & purists of the naming convention be darned. This is a bottle of tingly sparky bubbly goodness that surpasses the rules…kinda like its namesake Mr. “Alright, Alright Alright” McConaughey. So pour another glass, revel in the rebel…“look to your left baby, look to your right, who knows you might meet a friend and end up partyin’ all night” and “Bless The Mood”!

#cider#petnat #wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #Stockholm #Sweden #matthewmcconaughey #alrightalrightalright #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @super_glou @brutescider

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Living The Dream

Valdonica
COCO 2020
IGT Toscana Rosato Frizzante
Sangiovese 90%, Ciliegiolo 10%
Organic, unlined, unfiltered, not irrigated, vegan friendly
Sassofortino, Tuscany, Italy
Owner: Dr. Martin Kerres

Slightly salmon pink or almost a light hazy sunrise with a few bouncing bubbles. Breathing in nutty brioche toast, ok I keep fighting writing this bc I think I’m nuts but there’s a porcini sniff going on here in a good way (I will never forget my first smell & taste of a real porcini in Cortona while a student. It was orgasmic), a backyard gardening greenness, young not fully ripe strawberries, gooseberries along with a small bit of red currants, fresh picked bunch of daisies & few other wild flowers, and a whiff of smoke later that is so distant. Sipping and it’s tart, crisp & lively, those young strawberries & gooseberries again joined by a few raspberries & tart cherry with a squeeze of lime, salt and a lick of mineral rock, and a little of my guilty pleasure…almond croissant. Very tingly, vibrant, yet juicy in an addictively good way which as I love to say it’s a total party in your mouth.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nope

Well, I have to say Dr. Kerres is living the dream! Originally from Austria, he was only looking for a summer home, but as he says, “Valdonica happened to me, it was not planned.” There wasn’t even a vineyard there before he took on the task of planting them which he started off with them being totally natural. Now he not only wants to share his wine but the whole experience with all of us. You can stay over in the hotel or the guestrooms, dine in their restaurant or cellar, join their community with the purchase os one of their winery lofts, or pick up a job for a season or life. Just check out their site and I bet you’ll be as tempted as me and will be dreaming of a new existence in all that beautiful nature within a modern flair. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #instawine #petnat #Frizzante #bubbly #sparklingwine #worldbyglass #Tuscany #Italy #organic #winetime #livingthedream #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @valdonica @wine4theworld @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Enchanted Reality

Fattoria Corzano e Paterno
Il Corzanello 2021
Toscana IGT Bianco
Chardonnay 26% Sauvignon Blanc 20% Trebbiano 20%, Petit Manseng 13%, Verdicchio 15%, Semillon 6%
Organic, hand harvested
San Casciano, Firenze, Italy
Founded by Wendel Gelpke; now run by the extended Gelpke & Goldschmidt families

The lightest yellow green pale starlight. At first breathing in a little good floral funk that morphs into a little headiness and then lightens up into mellow pears, apples, a light blend of orange, lemon, grapefruit…citrus mix, and lychee. Sipping and all the scents are right there with a mineral conglomerate lick, along with ripe Kirbys (skins and all) green, a touch of light honeydew, honeysuckle, and a shake of salt.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: sharpens everything

This is a story of friendship and families. The Niccolini family held the farm for generations but when it became time to sell… the Marchese wanted his friend Wendel to get first dibs. Now that is a good buddy in my books. Over time he & his sister (Katerina Goldschmidt)’s family took up house, brought in Sardinian sheep (fab for their vineyards & cheese), restored accommodations (perfect for an architect like Wendel), and most importantly began producing wine. Their original aim was to not bounce off in many differing venues but to create the best possible product & be self-sufficient. Look at them now with their acclaimed cheeses & award winning wines. Btw if you want to read a very detailed history of this land’s past-future, please read Susan Gepke-Doran’s tale of going from art historian to farmer’s wife. I love one of her early perceptions, “The estate seemed under an enchantment, a romantic ruin”. It’s a start to not a fairytale but the reality of a  beautiful life.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #Italy #organic #winetime #Firenze #Tuscany #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #fleetstreetwine @corzanoepaterno @docwineshop @docwinebar