From Vineyard To Your Glass

Vinica
Morgia Lafesta 2016
Terre degli Osci Rosso IGT
Tintilia 50%, Aglianico 50%
Ripalimosani, Molise, Italy
Organic, indigenous yeasts, dry farmed, green manure, hand picked, not filtered, & NO chemicals
Owner: Rodolfo Gianserra, Agronomist & winemaker: Pierluigi Cocchini, Company’s administrator: Giuseppe Tudino

Dark plum with a ruby rim. Breathing in plums, prunes, dried and fresh cherries, tiny pops of blueberry, a poof of that iron smell of a very rare bloody steak, and a faint scent of lilac. First sip and this is damn elegant and rustic in a good way and now “Leather and Lace” is stuck my head (at least it’s a well loved song). There’s cherries, that iron taste that makes you want to embrace the wild side, blackberries, dried cranberries, and an earthy depth that doesn’t take it all over but just enhances all the flavors. It’s a beautiful dance of the two grapes.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: ooh tasty love
Side note: Really really good with @milkbarstore Chocolate Birthday Truffle Crumb Cakes

For those of you that may have not seen my post from 3/15/21, let me introduce or reintroduce you to Vinica or VI.NI.CA. …established in 2007 by the above 3 guys, & the name came from Rodolfo’s 3 kids: Vittorio, Nicholas & Carola. I love all I’m reading about how they took abandoned land & created this beautiful pure farm/vineyard of 220 hectares (30 hectares for the vineyards, the rest are farm & woodland). They say the only ingredient they have added is healthy grapes. Well, I’m sure they aren’t thinking of the other ingredients of hard work & love. Also there’s more to love than just their grapes, olives, and all the vegetables on their farm. This family cares also about how the wine gets to you and what trace is left behind on this world. Instead of traditional corks, they have found 2 innovative ways to preserve their wines. For their white, rosé & oranges they use Stelvin screw caps, and their reds are protected with ArdeaSeal (evidently has links in it’s project stage to MIT). These final steps in the bottling process ensure their motto ”from the vineyard to your glass”. 🍷❤️

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #stevienicks #donhenley #winestagram #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Tintilia #Aglianico #agricolavinica #Molise #Italy @agricolavinica.it @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Pure Devotion

Celler Credo
Can Credo 2017
100% Xarel·lo
Penedès D.O.
Organic, biodynamic, skin contact, dry farmed, hand harvested, vegan
Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Penedès (Barcelona), Catalonia, Spain
Xarel·list & winemaker: Ton Mata (Josep Mata Capellades’ grandson)

Warm gold pour. Sniff and there’s so much going on all at once. There’s pears, mix of apples, some greenery…oh it’s fennel, a touch of smoke that turns to oak, honeysuckle, lime/orange spritz & zest, a little kumquat, and a dash of salt. Sip of elegance with a creamy feel, with a mix of lime, apple, crisp pear, that little oak touch, some salt & limestone, and a tiny bitter herb (maybe a little fennel seed) touch in the end that makes a perfect ending for this delicious tale.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: sweeter and just lovely

I so LOVE Celler Credo’s wines (Recaredo’s still white wine label) which I’ve gushed about before as in the case of their NƎꓒꓕ and Miranius. Their devotion to Xarel·lo and its extremely natural cultivation totally shines through in their wines. It’s like a love story to this special grape (which is one of my favorites), their lands and all that live there. “Can Credo 2017” is limited to 1,633 bottles, so if you find one, I highly recommend picking up a bottle and sharing it with someone special in your life. Maybe a little of this “love story” will add a spark to your night.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #naturalwine #Xarello #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Penedès #Penedes #catalunya #catalonia #Spain #organic #madrosewine @rosenthalwinemerchant @vinewinenyc @cellercredo @cheezit

Glorious Confusion

Swick Wines
The Flood
American White Wine 2021
fbib.
33% Gewürztraminer, 33% Chardonnay, 22% Pinot Gris, 8% Auxerrois, 4% Riesling
Lacewing, Finnigan Hill, Zenith, & High Pass Vineyards | Columbia Gorge, Chehalem Mountains, Eola-Amity Hills, & Lower Long Tom AVAs
Washington/Oregon blend
Organic, unfined & unfiltered, skin contact, indigenous yeasts, skin contact
Bottled & produced Newborn, OR
Winemaker/Proprietor: Joe Swick

Hazy warm orange delight. Whoa this is fragrant! There’s so many different flowers from all over, sweet pears & apples, orange whiffs with blossoms, mango, pineapple, a little smoke & salt, and right there on the back there’s coconut. Every single scent is right there in the taste and a bit more of a citrus tang. It’s got a tropical cocktail feel with white pepper & salt. A glorious bit of confusion, and as it opens, it’s the orange wine gift that keeps on giving.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NOPE

Ok, who out there doesn’t love a good Swick. Every time you see that telltale label/font you know you’re going to have something delicious and even surprising at times like with this orange “Flood”. They say the name comes from the “Missoula Floods that shaped the Columbia Gorge and Willamette Valley 10 million years ago”, but in my mind it’s more of the flood or onrush of flavors and nose tickling scents that emerge from each pour. Oh and as it says on the back of the bottle “fbib.”, and sure enough, boy does it ever “bring it”. 🧡

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #naturalwine #orangewine #organic #washington #oregon  @swickjoe @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Intriguing Melody

Cascina I Carpini
Rosato Frizzante Pet Nat NV
Barbera
Organic, holistic, vegan
Pozzol Groppo, Piedmont, Italy
Founder/winemaker: Paolo Carlo Ghislandi

Late sunset warm red and orange electric with tiny bubbles. It’s like breathing in a glass of fun. There’s a squeeze of blood orange, salt rim, a touch of natural funk that merges to a mineral vibe with depth, and raspberries and strawberries grooving together with white pepper, and as it warms and grows  tiny rose blooms. Those strawberries and raspberries are still dancing but this time on my tongue joined with a little young gooseberry pucker & smidge of lemon spritz spark, and that white pepper pinch again. My lips are tingling from this crisp/vibrant party.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: bleh goes too tangy. Leave it solo.

It’s all about watching, listening, and waiting for Paolo Carlo Ghislandi. Before he even chose where he would establish his winery and vineyards he considered the perfect spot, the right grapes, how to get it to work together naturally, and let it guide the path to wine. His site details his vision & process (and boy is it well designed and beautifully written). Just read this little passage because anything I write will not do it justice to his creative eloquence. “In wine I always look for the fruitiness typical of the single grape varietal and the expression of the territory where is harvested. I imagine the must is the assembly of all the strings inside the grand piano case. Experimenting over the years, I noticed there is big difference in the sound output when the “must” is performed using selected yeast rather than indigenous yeasts. The indigenous yeasts, being heterogeneous and different from each other, are able to play from lower to higher tones with all semitones, providing a melody not immediately recognizable, but more complex and intriguing. And that’s why I choose to use only indigenous yeasts and spontaneous fermentations.”

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #petnat #winestagram #instawine #Barbera #winemaking #pairswithcheezits #italy @icarpini @SkinContactWines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Finally Found!

Chateau Le Payral
Bergerac Blanc 2021
Appellation Bergerac Contrôlée
50% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Sémillon, 20% Muscadelle
Organic, biodynamic (Demeter), green fertilizer, indigenous yeasts, and a lot of love
Razac-de-Saussignac, Bergerac, Dordogne, France
Owners and winemakers: Isabelle & Thierry Daulhiac

Pale golden starlight with green shimmers. Sniffing lemon/lime squeeze & zest, young green apples, a small whiff of that green lightly musky honeydew, and an oregano/tarragon shake as it warms up. First sip and it’s crisp and fresh. Tasting crunchy green apple bite including the skin, zingy lemon/lime, a garden herbal bouquet twinge, and a lick of limestone. It’s dry, clean and light on its feet, and makes me think of a bright spring day.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: mmm good. Kind of kicks everything up a notch

Finally found Bergerac wines in NYC (thank you @all_things_food_nyc)! As some of you know, I am a huge fan of Martin Walker, and have been on the hunt for wines from his neck of the woods (and I’m still excitedly seeking more). His “Bruno Chief of Police” series is what got me hooked. If you haven’t read them yet, I highly recommend you do and get drawn into a world of food, wine, police work, great character development, an appreciation for the small moments in life, and genuine friendship. Each book lures me even further into his fictional St. Denis, but with Chateau Le Payral, I’m able to taste what truly exists. Running out of space so will be investigating them more with their Bergerac Rouge 2020. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram  #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #SauvignonBlanc #France #Dordogne #bergerac #martinwalker #brunochiefofpolice @martinwalker346 @saviosoaresselections @chateaulepayral

So Easy To Love

Mad Med
Le Rouge 2021
Dry Red Wine
VDF
Grenache Noir 50%, Carignan 10%, Vermentino 40%
Organic (working on certification), native yeast, unfiltered
Provence, France
Grapes selected, vinified, aged & canned by Harry et Max

Please chill before popping this can. I know it’s sometimes hard to wait, but trust me it’ll be sooo good. Pomegranate cranberry stained glass. At first there’s a butter glazed whiff that fades. Scents then emerge of strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, cranberry, dark cherry, and yummy brioche. Sipping and here’s a cocktail of all those berries & cherry with a granite zing. It’s a fun bunch of juicy and dry all at the same time. Throw it in the cooler and crack it out on a mountain trail while checking out the turning leaves.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: refreshing and deeper

Ok Mad Med, once again you have really surprised me on how good a wine in a can, can be. This red & white grape blend (vin gris?) rocks my world. You make it so easy to love you, and so easy to take you anywhere…well, anywhere that is legal. Still awaiting word on if you’re related to my favorite “party pig” #bobsinglar  Also take note this can is kind of like the Tardis, and you may consume more wine than you realize, so beware of 🍷 goggles.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #vinnature #wineinacan #cannedwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #naturalwine #vermentino #grenache #carignan #organic #Provence #France #lamongestine #harryetmax #madmed @madmedcans @SkinContactWines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Sipping Cider Through A Straw

Eden Ciders
Harvest Cider Cans
Brut Rosé
15 Heirloom apple varieties infused with red currant juice (from Eden Orchards, Scott Farm, Sunrise Orchards, Windfall Orchard)
Focused on supporting local orchards, sustainably grown
Newport, Vermont
Founders & Co-owners: Eleanor & Albert Leger

Crack the can and it’s a rosy orange sunset blend with teeny bubbles. Breathing in all sorts of smooth & crisp apples smashed with red currants , and as it opens apple blossoms breeze in. Sip and whoo! It’s a mix of those apples again but with a tart and sweet fun pucker up, red currants, a splash of cranberry, and a sizzle on the back of my tongue. This is like a fast tingly stolen kiss saying farewell to summer.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: oh yeah, makes it sweeter and a little spicy

This bright little can has given me a little gift of an old tune stuck in my head. It’s really catchy so play at your own risk. Also be forewarned and be careful who you find yourself with sipping through a straw. You might end up with a lot more than just that smooch. 🍏💋🍎

#cider #wine #vin #vino #vinho #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #apples #naturalwine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #ellajenkins #folkmusic #locallygrown @smithsonianfolkways @edenciders @vinewinenyc @cheezit

Nature’s Gifts

Domaine Marc Portaz
Tête de Cuvée 2020
Vin de Savoie ‘Apremont’
100% Jacquère
hand harvest, indigenous yeasts
Apremont, Savoie (AOC), France
Winemaker: Jean-Marc Portaz

Light golden shining beacon. Breathing in bit of lemon-lime creme pie and spritz, round flintiness as it opens, and a smidge of tarragon. Now onto the taste and there’s honeysuckle, lemon/lime spark and a bit of key lime, pear, a limestone lick, pinch of white pepper, and a little of that bit of tarragon again (hey its been in my csa box a lot lately so we’ve become close friends).

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: smoooooth

When I was a kid, during summer vacation from school, dad would pack up our station wagon and drive us across country and through Canada. He wanted me to see nature in all it’s beauty and power. I was fascinated by the glaciers we saw, their history, and what may be in and under them. Portaz’s vines in their ‘Apremont’  vineyards were born from an avalanche and the soil fed from what it left behind (debris from glaciers and limestone bits). Gives me a nostalgic warm feeling knowing I’m drinking a creation formed from that icy natural history that still fills my heart and brain with awe, and reminds me how grateful I am to have a father that cared enough to show me how beautiful and powerful nature can be.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #vindesavoie #winestagram #vinblanc #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #glacier #beautyinnature #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Jacquere #Apremont #Savoie #france #MarcPortaz #DomaineMarcPortaz @wilsondaniel @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Oh Those Dancing Bubbles

Bujonis
(produced and bottled by Bodegas Sumarroca)
Cava Brut
Parellada 41%. Xarel·lo 27%, Macaque 23%, Chardonnay 9%
Sustainable, estate bottled, family run
Subirats, Alt Penedès, Catalonia, Spain

Cool straw with bouncing bubbles. Smells crisp all around of apple, pineapple (smidge), and citrus blend, with wet granite, and a tiny crumb of buttery brioche. First sip and it is so ALIVE! Again crisp, green and red delicious apples that wake up your cheeks, a squeeze of lemon and zest, and a lick of mineral rocky seltzer. Just so bright and refreshing.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: pretty good. Kind of like how cheddar and apples meld

One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is to kick back with a glass of cava. In fact, it’s a ritual of mine in the evening. There’s just something about all those dancing bubbles of a good crisp pour that takes my mind well…on vacation. It gives me that same feeling as the first day we’ve set down in Spain and are about to start a new adventure. It’s the simple things that sometimes awaken the best memories. ✈️🥂❤️

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Cava #sparklingwine #brut #winestagram #vinblanc #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #AltPenedes #Penedes #catalunya #catalonia #Spain #bujonis @bsumarroca @vinoslibres @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Nature’s Gardeners

Domaine Philémon
‘Croix d’Azal’ 2020
100% Braucol
Gaillac AOC
Organic, hand harvested,
Villeneuve-sur-Vère, France
Winemakers, growers & owners: Mathieu et Stéphanie Vieules

Deep purple with maroon rim (boy isn’t that fit to be a band name). Scents of earthy cherry & plum, blackberries, raspberries, dried blueberries, teeny hint of shiitake, and back whiff of an herbal tangle with a pinch of licorice. Oh this is delicious! Tasting plums, cherries (and after a while cherry hard candy but not super sweet), raspberries & blueberry jamming in tune together with some earth, and a touch of anise. Not too heavy not too light…it’s just right (ok it’s medium). Oh and I totally should have started with this but better late than never: keep it at good ol’ cellar temp.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Savory

While on the search for wines from Bergerac, I wandered upon Domaine Philémon’s “Braucol”. They’re in southwestern France, around a 3 hour drive outside of my goal, but what a happy surprise for me. Mathieu (who also inherited the Philémon name passed down from his great-grandfather) reshaped and created the Domaine in 2003; and focused on only working with indigenous grapes and some are even old and “forgotten”. As you can expect, I’m getting all romantic about grape rescues, but there’s even more. Over the years he also took the farm and lands and vines to the organic side. There’s grains, lentils, even truffle oaks and as of 2020, they’re kept trimmed and groomed by the old hardy breed of sheep, “Solognote”. From what I’m reading they are very protective mamas, so it’s best not to get in between them and their babies. You might get a headbutt from nature’s gardeners. 🐑 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #Braucol #Gaillac #France #Solognote #sheep #naturalwine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic @domainephilemon @winetraditions @vinewinenyc @cheezit