Behind (Or Beside) Every Great Woman, Is Another Great Woman

HER
Pinotage 2021
100% Pinotage
Sustainable
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

Shining ruby. Starts off with scents of tomato leaves (oh I love tomato leaves!), plums, prunes, cherries (fresh & dried), a touch of Pepsi, and a dried fruit bundle of raisins, figs & apricots. Tasting all the same fruit along with strawberry, blackberries, boysenberry, some garden fresh red bell peppers, lemon twist, a pinch of anise & forest herbs, and a bite of an olive pit. It’s young, lively, and a perfect wine for grilling season. Bring on the steaks!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: actually smooooooth and adds blueberries

You may wonder why I mentioned the names of the whole HER team. Every single one of these women 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. 🍷

Oh and this has sparked an old Eurythmics (ft Aretha Franklin) song to get stuck in my head.

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

The Dove Speaks

Domaine La Colombe
Féchy 2020
Féchy AOC La Côte
100% Chasselas
Demeter biodynamic certification, indigenous yeast
Féchy, Vaud, Switzerland
Laura Paccot (4th generation) and her La Colombe team

Warm golden glass. Breathing in white donut peaches/apricots, pears, apples, and all of their blossoms on a breeze followed by toast, and a bit of welcome smoke. All of the scents are right there in the taste and a lively round depth of personality, a spark of citrus, and a basil bit on the back that turns into mint which makes sense…they’re in the same family.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: goes floral

La Colombe aka “The Dove” actually comes from the coat of arms given to the family way back in 1356 for their help with a peace treaty, and the serene bird now graces their wines. Laura’s father Raymond (3rd gen) was one of the early backers of biodynamics (since 1999) in Switzerland. It’s so weird to think that not so long ago some thought you would end up with a not so fine wine going that route. Just going to let the dove speak about their natural philosophy, “It is not about applying a technique to better master life and produce better wines; on the contrary, it’s about letting yourself be inspired and having confidence in the dynamics of life, in order to… learn to live! This calls for a collaboration between the attention of the human being and what nature provides. It’s a return to observing and understanding nature’s enchanting diversity, it’s not a simple “laisser-faire” approach – living wine is not wild wine. We are in civilized wine, wine of emotion. So that’s enough fuss and excessive politeness. Make way for authenticity.” 🕊

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #naturalwine #dove #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Chasselas #Switzerland @paccotlacolombe @schatziwines @vinewinenyc @cheezit

What Do You Do In Your Spare Time?

Poggio di Cicignano – Vanempo
Aura 2017
Bianco Toscana IGT
Trebbiano Toscano 45%, San Colombano 35%, Malvasia Bianca 20%
Biodynamic, organic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts, 5 days skin contact
Montemurlo, Italy
Michele Sacchetti & Laura Fabbri

Deep prehistoric amber sans the mosquito. Give it a bit of time to breathe, and out pour scents of a blend of apples & pears and a bit of their cider, citrus zest, a hint of candied orange peels, dried apricots, tangelos, and a bit of that smell when you roll down a grassy hill. Wheeee! Take a swig and ooh there’s oranges, lemon squeeze, all sorts of citrus zest, tart apple cider, dried apricots, what I first thought was a memory of circus peanuts but actually as it warmed, morphed into one of my favorites of childhood…the taste of Original Pop Rocks without the popping (oh I loved that feeling!), and at last a touch of oregano. Fun, lively and btw is really good with bacon.

I had been wondering where the name “Vanempo” came from (btw it’s a well designed logo), and turns out it comes from a combo of two words, “Avanza and Tempo” which pretty much means “spare time”. Well, Michele & Laura originally started this wine adventure in their “extra time” as a passion project. As Michele says, “I’ve always believed in beautiful things, and beautiful things arise from a child’s dreams.” They launched those youthful dreams, and turned them into a full fledged bio certified winery reality, filled with “hands off” celebrated wines. Now, that’s so much more then a side gig. Been working my way through their line up, and all the ones I’ve tried so far have been pure natural magic.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #orangewine #worldbyglass #organic #Toscana #Italy @steephillwines @antosicurezza @vanempo @docwineshop @docwinebar

🎶She Put Love Above Everything🎶

Azienda Agricola Luretta
Castello di Momeliano
Boccadirosa 2019
Malvasia Aromatica di Candia
Colli Piacentini DOC
Organic
Gazzola, Piacenza, Italy
Owner: Lucio Salamini

Orange light amber. At the start smelling a bunch of spring flowers that as it opens goes honeysuckle & roses, vibrant oranges & their blossoms, a blend of dried citrus peels, fresh lime zest, ginger, and oddly a poof of Lemonhead candy right after you open the box. Sipping and it’s just sweet enough with lemons, Valencia and Mandarin oranges, tangerine, ok…don’t laugh but a few Fruity Pebbles, a shake of salt, and a lovely drop of honey. It’s a beautiful start or end to an evening.

Malvasia Aromatica di Candia may have its origins in Greece, but the Salamini family’s is something truly special that is like nothing I have ever tried before. As they say on their site, “Malvasia is often produced in sweet or sparkling versions. But according to Luretta, this traditional method could not exalt all the potentialities of such a rich and intense grape. For this reason, since 1992, we have been producing Boccadirosa, a unique still white wine, which has not been modified for thirty years. Why? No need for change.” Boccadirosa aka Rosemouth, please never change, I beg of you! You are a classic elegant beauty…and as the lyrics go:

“They called her Bocca di rosa
she put love, she put love
they called her Bocca di Rosa
she put love above everything.”

❤️🌹👄❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #orangewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #organic #Malvasia  #Boccadirosa #Italy #usawineimports @cantinaluretta @docwineshop @docwinebar

Good Deeds Of Warmth

Forlorn Hope
Baron Von Verm 2019
Vermentino
Rorick Heritage Vineyard
Calaveras County, CA, USA
Organic, hand-harvested, native yeasts
Winemaker: Matthew Rorick

Lovely bright gold. Pour and let it sit a bit and then there’s scents of lemon/peach meringue pie, mild bit of pineapple & mango, summer rained on granite, honeycomb, and smoke. I already know I’m going to really enjoy this…and yep, I sure do! Sipping a tango of lemon/key lime & zest with mango, young peach/apricot, and as it continues to warm pie spice, a bite of parsley, salt, smoke, and that taste of fresh honeycomb (I remember as a kid) from my Poppa’s hives and now I realize where that smoke light taste comes from when I tasted the comb. It’s from when he had to smoke the bees out to get to the honey.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: oh NO NO NO!

Some of you may know I’m a big fan of @forlornhopewines and also Matthew Rorick (he’s such a rockstar!). He’s been proving it even more with his good works with @insulate_ukraine. As they say on their IG page they are, “Designing emergency home-built solutions to replace windows blown out by the war in Ukraine. @harry_hopalot & @thebighoof on the ground in #kharkiv .” You can donate to https://www.insulate-ukraine.org/ and help keep families warm. Also if you want another delicious way to help, @vinewinenyc is donating $5 for every bottle sold of Forlorn Hope’s: “Baron Von Verm 2019”, “Queen of the Sierra Rosé”, and “Onavolk Merlot 2015” through the month of February. I always love seeing people do good in the world because it gives me hope and touches my heart.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #вино #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #organic #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #ForlornHope #Vermentino #CA #standwithukraine #Україна #🇺🇦 #славаукраїні #kyiv #stopwar #зупинитивійну #supportukraine #ятебелюблю @cheezit @mdrorick

Pairs With Pina

Bodegas Altos de Montanchez
Vegas Altas Orange 2021
Cayetana 50%, Pardina 50%
Organic & biodynamic
Extremadura, Spain
Winemakers: Juan Sojo and Ángel Luis González

Deep warm orange amber. Breathing in and there’s so much at once! Starts with orange creamsicle, orange blossoms that goes earthy with a light touch of smoke, a bit of caramel, dried apricots, and mandarin oranges & zest. All of the scents are there in the taste with a bit of grass, a spice moment of ginger along with tarragon, and as it warms up apple/pear cider.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: smooth operator

Sounds like these two winemakers were thrown together in oenology school and their blend of specialties in farming (Ángel) and science (Juan) creates a perfect mix in their creation of their wines. Their grapes are sourced but they are really selective and particular about when they are harvested under the moon in September…or in other words just at the right bio time. Not to forget they are the only organic winemakers in Extremadura, and they have an extra ingredient of “patience”. Also I’d like to add about this particular bottle, I don’t normally pair a wine with dance/theater but this goes so well with Pina Bausch. The structure, the romance, the passion and the strength…so damn good. Please check it out alongside a viewing of Wim Wenders 2011, “Pina”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #orangewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #organic #Extremadura #Spain #WimWenders #pinabausch #AltosdeMontanchez @selectionsdelavina @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Where Wild Horses Still Roam

Aphros Wine
Phaunus Pet Nat 2021
Vinho Espumante Rosé
50% Vinhão, 50% Alvarelhão
Biodynamic
Minho, Portugal
Owner/general manager: Vasco Croft
Winemakers: Tiago Sampaio, Miguel Viseu
Biodynamic viticulture consultant: Dominique Massenot
Viticulture manager: Alberto Araújo

Pinky/salmon with fine white dancing bubbles with a little bit of unfiltered goodness like a little piece of broken hard candy about one a glass. Scents of strawberries, tart cherries, a hint of teeny white flowers breeze through and seltzer. Sipping ripe & also young strawberries, a few raspberries & blackberries, tart & mellow cherries, cranberry pomegranate cocktail, touch of a lemon twist, and a zingy zaggy crisp spark. Such a happy bubbly and perfect for Valentine’s Day. It’s coming up soon you know…tick tick tick. As you know, flowers fade and die but this bottle is bursting with life and will make a beautiful memory.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: blerg NO

I knew these three natural winemakers names sounded familiar, but it’s the first time I’ve read of Vasco Croft’s past. His bio is a little mystical/magical with a youthful interest in astrology, then later a 3-D artistic leaning of various forms, a life journey of philosophies & spiritual, and evidently a pivotal moment of having a bottle of wine with a Buddhist monk. All of those experiences led Vasco’s life to the Aphros project, the team and their biodynamic way. Oh and when I say team, I’m not just including the people listed above, but also all the creatures joining them in the lands. Just the thought that there are still indigenous wild horses (yet endangered) roaming nearby & benefitting the area is truly exciting, along with sheep weaving their way through the vines and bees dancing from flower to flower. Their part of the world sounds like a peaceful piece of harmony. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #petnat #rosé #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #Minho #Portugal #Extremadura #Spain @aphros_wine @skurnikwines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

I Want To Believe

Dirty & Rowdy Family Wines
“Familiar” 2019
100% California Mourvèdre
Calistoga, Napa Valley, California
Owners & winemakers: Hardy Wallace & Matt Richardson

Dark ruby and good unfiltered detritus. Sniffing and there’s cherries, raspberries, dried figs, sandalwood, a bit of funky spice you smell being burned in freshman college dorms (you know what I’m talking about), and a smidge of pine. Sipping and it’s a juicy fun jumble of cherries (all sorts & some more tart than others), plums, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, pinch of light orange zest, and a poof of smoke. This is an easy super friendly wine that calls for small pours to let it breathe through the evening, and don’t forget to bring some tapas.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out a bit of clove

Well, it appears I missed the bus on this winery. The team has gone their separate ways, and here I am looking at this half bottle and realizing I might not find another one! Argh, I’m going to start crying. Am hoping I can track another one down and it’s not as elusive as the Sasquatch on the label. Maybe I’ll get lucky like the former cop in PA who spotted Bigfoot tracks in Dec. 2022. BTW do you know about the The Whitehall (NY) Sasquatch Festival & Calling Contest? It draws 2,500+ people each year, and the one coming up is Saturday, September 30, 2023. Get your lungs ready to holler and join in on the fun, beer, food, & evidence that just might make you a believer.

👣

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #NapaValley #California #bigfoot #sasquatch #sasquatchcallingfestival #bigfootfestival #dirtyandrowdywine #dirtyandrowdyfamilywinery @vinewinenyc @cheezit

Precisely Mature

Domaine Couly-Dutheil
Blanc de Franc 2020
100% Cabernet Franc
Sustainable farming
Chinon, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Winemaker: Arnaud Couly Dutheil (4th gen)

Shining gold with a tiny warm blush. Scents of strawberries, cream or an Oreo center, and later green strawberry garden grassiness with the little smidge of lemon hint. Drinking in lovely strawberries (red and the whole range to green), raspberries, lemon/lime squeeze, and a touch of that Oreo cream…but is definitely dry. Elegant, smooth and like a magical kiss from a woodland nymph.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: pretty good. I was expecting to channel my inner Bill the Cat pfffft

Franc Blanc…huh? What a beautiful surprise! I know you may think beautiful an overused term, but truly it best describes what I see when I taste this wine. It’s a painting of delicate colors of rounded shapes woven within intricate lace and moments flecks of gold & magenta. Domaine Couly-Dutheil, a long time star of Chinon and Loire, celebrates their Cabernet Franc (it takes up 98% of their 90 ha of vines). They are so focused on just the right maturity for harvest which gives them only a few Goldilocks days (4-5). This is part of what makes them stand apart from so many other Cab Francs. “For many decades, a catchphrase has highlighted the vegetal notes or the green pepper taste of Cabernet Franc… we consider these notes to be a reflection of a lack of maturity. This is why we are convinced of the importance of a good maturity of the grapes which gives the wines notes of ripe fruit, silky and supple tannins while keeping a great freshness.” See…beautiful.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #CabernetFranc #Loire #Chinon #France @coulydutheil_vin @cynthia_hurley_french_wines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit