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Piece Of Heaven

UDO Giardino Agricola
Cajvo 2021 
Col Fondo
Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
Brut Nature
Sui Lieviti
Glera, Verdiso, Bianchetta, Perera
Sustainable, bee keeping, pest control through sexual confusion
Collalto di Susegana,TV, Italy
Federico Ricci

Very pale starlight with a tad green hue and very fine white bubbles tracing designs on the surface. Toasty brioche scents are right there after the cork pops and persists that later is joined by a backed apple & pear tart, daisies & other field flowers & a little light funk that fades, and a little lemon & lime spritz. Now the pour is dancing on my tongue and it’s so delicate & alive yet a bit of a gentle softness, lemon & lime (almost key lime pie reminder) lightly appear, lick of a piece of granite or rock, shake of salt, a trace of a hard pear arrives later along with more of that bakery goodness. Just delicious, crisp, dry, and a little flirty saucy sizzle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: amps all up

I have had “Col Fondo” before but there’s something magical about this bottle. I’m betting it has to do with Federico’s dedication to his varied farm/vineyards that is nestled in all I can describe as a little piece of heaven. The lands are just beautiful, and there’s some barnyard buddies residing too & doing their part. There’s dwarf sheep & ponies, that are adorable but also useful as lawnmowers. Bee keeping, that I know is a labor of love due to watching my great grandfather learn the dances and harmony that can be shared with these little buzzers and how they in our case pollinated our orchards, as in the case here at UDO. Checking out more of their pics and there’s some strutting chickens that from what I can tell make the best eggs due to the color of their yolk (so jealous…yum). Lastly from @udogiardino IG, there’s an endearing moment captured of Federico and his horse. His words sum it up best, “Realization of a dream, a passion I’ve had since I was a kid. Finally I can enjoy the company of my horses daily, take care of them and try to pass on this passion and love to my children.” See just a piece of heaven. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #sparklingwine #colfondo #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Italy #docwinebar #docwineshop @docwineshop @docwinebar @udogiardino

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Keeping The Tradition

Encostas de Alqueva 
Piteira
Alentejo DOC
Vinho de Talha Branco 2017
Roupeiro 60%, Diagalves 40%
Sustainable
Douro, Portugal
José Piteira

Amber orange golden pour. Scents of Valencia orange & orange blossoms start out and next up is lemon lime zest & a little singed, roasted pears, something a little green with a touch of wild tiny onions I used to pull as a child and end up with grass stains on my jeans, round apples, and a smidge of sherry. Sip and there’s a whole lotta love/everything, touch of caramel but not overly sweet, a tiny nut, again those pears & apples & some baked, touch of honey and pinch of brown sugar glaze reminding me of cracking the top of a savory creme brûlée I had that was a special made lightly with chive blossoms and I loved it so much I had seconds. Again a touch of that smooth Valencia orange, blossoms & nectar again, blend of zest, tiny almond sliver, and salt.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Brings out all sorts of juicy fruit

Talha wine is more than just the vessel it’s created in…it’s a tradition & natural recipe passed through Alentejo’s generations. All you need is the clay talha (design varies from town to town), grapes (red, white or both), some pushing, patience, trust that everything aligns, and anticipate November 11th, Dia de São Martinho. It’s celebrated like Beaujolais Nouveau day in France, so it’s a time of friends, family, sharing, conversation, chowing down on petiscos & other local eats, checking out each other’s vinho, partying, and maybe even getting down to some dancing. So I’m raising another glass of this Talha Branco to next year’s celebration. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #naturalwine #amphora #Talhawine #Alentejo #portugal #tedwardwines #EncostasdeAlqueva #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vinewinenyc @tedward_ws

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Do You Hear What I Hear?

Domaine Pélaquié
Côtes du Rhône
Rouge 2021
Grenache noir 50%, Syrah 50%
Sustainable, HVE certified
Rhône, France
Luc Pélaquié and team

Stained glass garnet with a bluish rim. Sniffing and at first creamy followed fast by cherries, dark plums, raspberries, a little oak & smoke that I bet will fade & it does, next up is cranberry, boysenberry, and a light mandarin orange zest. Everything I’ve been sniffing is right there in the taste along with dried Sumatra figs, blueberry, very ripe strawberries, pomegranate, and a fruity, delicious & happy zing.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: absolutely delicious

The Pélaquié’s have worked with the vines since 16th C, passing down traditions, embracing modernity, and breaking free from the coop in 2008 to claim their full independence. This leads me to their icon of the cigale/cicada which as some know I’ve had a great affection since childhood. My grandfather (mom’s dad) used to help me collect their husks/shells post molting. They absolutely fascinated me with their cycles of “rebirth/resurection”. He taught me just where to find the staggered broods and await (imagine a little pigtailed girl running around with a plastic loaf bread bag full of them). They’re noisy little things but the weirdo bug girl I was, quite like that chorusing. From what I read in France, there’s a tale that they were given by God to tell everyone to “WAKE UP!” from their afternoon breaks and get back to work. Check out their beautiful sounds here.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #Rhône #Rhone #France #cigales #cicadas #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #bowlerwine #docwinebar #docwineshop #Pélaquié @bowlerwine @docwineshop @docwinebar @domaine_pelaquie

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A Borrowed Planet With Living Wines

Domaine Frederic Brouca
L.A. Picturale 2019?
Languedoc AOC
Grenache 45%, Syrah 30%, Mourvèdre 25%
Organic (certified since 1997), unfined, unfiltered
Faugères, France

Deep shining ruby with even deeper purple points. Breathing in cherries, deep plums, a vanilla cream moment that is ever so gentle, raspberry & strawberry jamming together, a warmth of spice blend like nutmeg, cinnamon, etc, and a touch of earth or small good masculine funk. Sipping a smooth blend of all of the scents with more of that strawberry/raspberry blend with blackberries & blueberries joining in along with some jolly rancher medley roaming in, a small bitter bite of earth and maybe a little iron. As time goes by everything heightens…becomes stronger (like as in will step up for you with the schoolyard bully but instead of punching them out will outwit them verbally) and more delicious yet so silky and carries a lilt in its step.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Nah, pass

Globetrotters, farmers, and winemakers…Frederic & his wife Elaine, as many other natural winemakers are dedicated to looking back to the past, and following the steps of forefathers in growing & vinification. Quoted from their site, “In his modest winery in the village of Laurens, Frédéric is creating a new vision for Faugères wines; fresh, vibrant and made without artifice. Nothing revolutionary, simply returning to our grandparent’s ideology of farming and winemaking to craft ‘Vins Vivants’.” They also make steps to protect their earthy wormy beneficial friends which always makes me smile. They have another endearing quote that stood out to me from first glance, and made me know this is a wine for me. “We do not inherit the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children”. – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. So, so true and I wish more people took that into consideration in all walks of life.🍷❤️🌍

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #naturalwine #France #DomaineFredericBrouca #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vinewinenyc

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Beaujo-Burned No More

Dufaitre
Beaujolais Village Nouveau 2023
Gamay
Natural wine
Burgundy, Beaujolais, France
Laurence & Rémi Dufaitre

Shiny, shiny red & maroon dancing in the moonlight. Sniff and first off is butter that later turns to Oreo center, then all of a sudden a bramble & blueblackraspberry tumble, and a touch of cherry, cranberry & red currants. Sip and letting it roll around a bit and what a delight. There’s sweet Canadian wild strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, oh just so many berries! Followed by honeysuckle, light plums, boysenberry grows with a black currants zip, and it’s all just light, smooth, satiny & festive. Don’t think I’m crazy, but I’d love to be drinking this on a snowy day in a hot tub.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: boosts all the fruit especially black currants

Yeah, yeah I’m late with the Beaujolais post, but I’m making up for it now. This one is fun. Will admit I have been Beaujo-Burned for a long while with some I’ve had in my youth (they were like bad stale movie popcorn theater butter), With age comes if not wisdom at least more sense to pick a good wine and not follow the crowd. Oh and I have to mention the label because these characters remind me of a certain South Park inhabitant, and by the way this bottle paired very well with their, “The Streaming Wars” & “Joining the Panderverse”. If you haven’t seen them, take a break for a good long laugh. We all could use one right now. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Beaujolais #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #southpark #winetime #worldbyglass #France  #docwinebar #docwineshop #Dufaitre @jennyfrancois @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Sparkles Galore, But There’s No Lipstick On This Duck

Filipa Pato
3B Blanc de Blancs NV
Brut Nature
Bical (70%), Maria Gomes (23%) and Cercial (7%)
Biodynamic, unfiltered
Bairrada, Portugal
Winemakers: Filipa Pato & William Wouters (wife & husband)

Deep orangey gold with fine white bubbles. Breathing golden apples, poached pears with pie spice, touch of bakery toastiness, lemon, lime, a little thyme & a salty shake. Sipping and the start has a little hay that tumbles out the door, smidge of baguette on the back, lemon & lime and their zest, drop of kumquat, crisp slivers of hard pears & crabapples, lightest tiny bit of pineapple, salty seltzer, and a crisp mineral lick.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: bright, crisp and toasty

Filipa is part of one of my favorite flocks “The Pato” family, but she’s left her own imprint (or duck footprint) in wine history too. In 2020, she was elected winemaker of the year in Portugal (1st woman in 30 years) and recently included as one of the 4 from Portugal in Meininger 100 Finest list which is really cool. Not to forget her partner in all of this, her husband William (chef/head sommelier/restaurateur. His roots come from Belgium, so to no surprise he has a past in being a head chef to keep the Belgian soccer/football team happy. I also love which I have mentioned before on another post their motto: “Authentic Wines Without Make-up”. They stay true to indigenous grapes and let nature guide you through the final story that comes out of the bottle. Also if you check out their IG page, they have a perfectly cute piggy family in their vineyard/farm. Would love to know their names! 🐷 Now, I just await my next encounter with another of their wines to gracefully swim up.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #sparklingwine #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #portugal #naturalwine #docwinebar #docwineshop #Bairrada @skurnikwines @docwineshop @docwinebar @filipapato

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“The Curse” Is Really A Gift

Bodegas Cinco Leguas
La Maldición
Malvar en Bota 2019
Malvar 100%
DO Vinos de Madrid
Organic practices & sustainable
Project located in Chinchón
Madrid, Spain
Winemaker: Marc Isart

Deep 0range amber with a bit of golden that keeps turning a bit deeper over time. Breathing in honeysuckle, spring flowers & apple blossoms followed by a nuttiness & honey, dried orange & lemon zest, tarragon & thyme, later a hint of pine sap. First taste and it’s so many things at once…like a light sherry with dried apple, hazel nuts & a few other nutty bits, mellow orange, lemon & a little lime, in the end a little chalk like those ol’ time Valentine’s conversation hearts, and bit of a welcome burn.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Step away from the box

“The Curse” is more a gift. Yes, the land Marc has acquired and started out with is rough, rocky, and a small harvest, but these grapes are precious. He did pick up some more parcels but still kept everything natural and as hands off as possible in the winemaking process. Pretty inspiring honestly that he is going after his dreams with his own productions/projects. It shows a true passion not only to his vines, but also to letting the Madrid region terroir gain more and more of  its own voice through each bottle.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #naturalwine #malvar #Madrid #Spain #bodegascincoleguas #vinewine #vinewinenyc @tedward_ws @vinewinenyc @bodegas_cinco_leguas

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Family Business

Tenuta Hans Rottensteiner
Eisacktaler Sylvaner 2022
Alto Adige Valle D’Isarco DOC
Bolzano, Italy
Toni (father) & Hannes (son) Rottensteiner and the whole family

Lightest shiny yellow brick road gold. Right out of the gate the scents are full on waving at my nose and saying to come in for another sniff. There’s honeydews, cantaloupes, pears & golden apples, a tangerine & citrus blend (reminds me of a hazy IPA), pine needles (oh I think it’s time to get the ornaments out), eucalyptus, and a bit of muskiness. Oh the is so much more gentle in the taste. Again there’s pears & golden apples, pine, eucalyptus, honeydew, watermelon rind, a much smaller citrus twang, and a little mango/pineapple blend that creeps in the longer it’s resting.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Please do not make me do this…blerg!

At Tenuta Hans Rottensteiner, it’s all about family…the whole big family…men, women, and evidently that also includes their vineyards & grapes. Here’s the views from some of the family from their site. As Toni says, “Wine is like a young child to me. It must always be taken care of so that it can mature to be its best, and can be bottled with pride and joy.” Now that’s a good vino parent. For Hannes, he sees wine a little more creatively magical or mystical, “Wine, the beverage of the gods, would never become that what it is to drink without human intervention, but yet its quality remains entirely dependent on nature, and this is just incredibly exciting to me in all its facets.” For Judith, “wine is family tradition with roots, and the courage to innovate.” Lastly Evi sees it as a joyful moment from being raised in the vines, becoming a sommelier, and now having her own vineyard, she can proudly say for each bottle of achievement “That’s mine!” 

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Sylvaner #Italy #massanois #docwinebar #docwineshop #rottensteiner @massanois @docwineshop @docwinebar @rottensteiner.wine

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A Woven History

Quartomoro di Sardegna
Òrriu
Caòr
Cannonau di Sardegna DOC
Red Wine
Marrubiu, Sardegna, Italy
Low intervention, indigenous yeast, unfined & unfiltered
Winemaking couple: Piero Cella & Luciana Baso, and their children Alberto & Violante

Deep yet bright ruby/garnet. There’s all sorts of lovely scents like Mission figs, cherries, a touch of Oreo cream, bowl of berries blend: raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries; light balsamic reduction, and orange zest. Sipping away and there’s cherries, dark plums, prunes & dried figs, a teeny pine resin, red currants, blend of citrus zest with mostly orange, and again that bowl of berries with balsamic reduction which is just crying for a good steak. It’s delicious…not too heavy, not too light, just right.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: so smooth

Every time I meet a Quartomoro wine it reveals something new. I’ve had wines from their Òrriu collection but hadn’t looked into what that word would mean in Sardinian, which is to “ weave, weft, warp”. From their IG, “The wines of this line are the intersection of tradition and innovation. The threads that make up them are biodiversity, knowledge of man, passion, dreams and tradition.” Of course I wasn’t just going to stop there, I needed to find out more of Sardinia’s historic tradition of hand weaving beautiful tapestries, carpets, etc that had almost been lost. The fine detailed work is so beautiful. I was just reading that if a weaver loses count of the “pibiones” they have to backtrack to the last section they remember. My box of squirrels brain probably would not be very good at keeping track of something so intricate. If you want to check out some of their work and the women keeping it alive, check out the documentary by @sardinianarts Kelly Manjula Koza  “I Want to Weave the Weft of Time”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #redwine #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass  #redwine #cannonau #sardinia #sardegna #italy #steephillwines #docwinebar #docwineshop #quartomorodisardegna #quartomoro @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar @quartomoro