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A Delicate Harmony

Ampeleia
Unlitro 2019
Toscana Rosso IGT
Roccatederighi, Maremma, Toscana, Italy
40% Alicante Nero (aka Grenache), 25% Mourvedre, 15% Carignano, 15% Sangiovese, 5% Alicante Bouschet
Biodynamic, unfined, and unfiltered
Founders: Elisabetta Foradori, and her friends Giovanni Podini and Thomas Widmann
Winemaker: Marco Tait

Bright ruby garnet. As expected cherry is the first thing that hits your nose. Next is smoke, plum, salt some tiny flowers with a kick of funk. As it opens throw in a dash of spice and singed orange peel. When it hits your tongue you already know first thing is again cherry. Again smoke and some bio funk is still lingering. After letting it settle a bit there’s tangy fruit and definitely orange. It’s a natural light red, that you’re happy it comes in a liter format, because you’re going to want more than one glass. My second visit with this bottle, ok I chilled it. Don’t be insulted. It’s bleeping hot. It’s much the same but a little more body. I love it and it’s still  an easy picnic or pizza wine, but just elevated. Less tang and more velvet

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Tangy and smoky

You might remember the incredible winemaker Elisabetta Foradori, from a previous post about her family’s winery Agricola Foradori and her devotion to natural/biodynamic wine. She and her friends Giovanni Podini and Thomas Widmann, started Ampeleia back in 2002. From what I am reading on their site, Thomas Widmann left them in 2009, and there is a “it takes a village” style team that help with all the aspects of how a winery runs. Also not to be left out is Marco Tait who has been their winemaker from day one. He has a beautiful section on their site I just discovered. It’s a personal blog of sorts with musings on the passion and hardwork put into this biodynamic winery, the vineyards, learning to listen to the earth, trust the grapes, and more. At the end of one of the entries, this Goethe quote sums it all up: “It is so pleasant to explore nature and ourselves at the same time, without causing violence neither to Nature nor to our spirit, bringing us both, together, to a balance, to a delicate harmony”.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @ampeleia @bowlerwine @cheezits #cheezit #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #toscano #tuscany #maremma #roccatederighi #organic #biodynamic #ampeleia #AlicanteNero #Mourvedre #Carignano #Sangiovese #AlicanteBouschet #ElisabettaForadori #MarcoTait

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Here Kitty, Kitty

Vinos Ambiz
La Gatta Mormigliana 2016
100% Tempranillo
El Tiemblo, Ávila, Sierra de Gredos, Spain
Winemaker: Fabio Bartolomei
Organic (just not certified, you’ll see why below)

This is the deepest dark goth purple which fits the label. Starts out with dark funk and grass scents. Very quickly that all turns into deep cherry, dark plum, oddly coriander that become cloves, and then licorice. This wine keeps evolving like crazy. First sip is deep sweet cherry, raisin, prune and plum. Something toasty emerges. There’s a touch of bitter bit at end, like pecan hulls that get left in after you shell them and think it’s all just meat. Here it goes changing again and it’s all fruit. I had been cautioned about this wine because I was told it might be too funky for me. Nope! It has funk but not to the extent I been told. In the end it is smooth and romantic. Not what you would expect from a giant monster cat nightmare.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: super sweet fruit with just a hint of the funk

Fabio Bartolomei is the outsider artist of wine. He has no training in winemaking, and during his start he worked out of garages, stables, etc. If La Gatta Mormigliana is any example of the rest of his wines, he’s freaking brilliant. The name comes from a story his father recounted to him of a fearsome cat with iron teeth and steel whiskers, that would say “Chi vien giù lo mangio” (If you come in, I’ll eat you…). If anyone knows where to find more on this tale, please do reach out to me. Sounds like a good scare. Fabio is also very adamant about making natural and organic wine, but bucks the certification. Here it is in his own words, “I refuse to certify because I believe that the polluters should pay for the damage they are doing to the environment, not the clean farmers”. Because of this, the bottle has a back label with a lengthy list of what it doesn’t contain, what processes it went through and what he didn’t do to it.

Would also like to give credit to the two label artists: Francesco de Aguilar and José Perico. That is one scary cat!

@vinewinenyc @vinosambiz @IndieWineries @francescodeaguilar @joseperico_design.illustration @cheezits #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #vinewinenyc @worldbyglass #tempranillo #FabioBartolomei #ElTiemblo #Ávila #SierradeGredos #Spain #naturalwine

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Heavenly Honey (and Peaches)

Weingut Clüsserath-Weiler
Trittenheimer Altärchen Riesling Kabinett 2009
100% Riesling
Trittenheim Mosel, Germany
Winemaker: Verena Clüsserath

Spun gold glassful. Inhaling flowers, fresh apricots and just picked peaches, a touch of grapefruit and then at last mineral. The peaches are really here in the first sip. Reminds me of the ones from back home, we’d pick for mom to make cobbler. Next is honey and melons, again the slightest touch of grapefruit dryness and mineral. Makes me think of something the gods would have drunk out of a goblet while one of us mortals were feeding them cheese and grapes. Kind of makes me feel a little decadent but stops before it gets too heady (thank goodness). It’s a delicious ethereal beauty.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Less honey and more peaches

Here’s another ethereal beauty to enjoy: Mazzy Star – Fade Into You (Live)

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @WeingutCluesserathWeiler @cheezits #cheezit #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #magellanwineimports #weingutclüsserathweiler #Riesling #Trittenheim #Mosel #Germany #mazzystar

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Searchin’ For My Lost Shaker of Salt

Frozen Margarita
Acquired at Sugarburg
Made with love

A tall takeaway glass of frosty yellow. Sniff and it’s citrus candy. Pop in the straw and again citrus candy that becomes tart and white pepper thrown in. Then there’s that tequila kick and small burn! This is so so delicious on this sweaty hot day, and I know I should only drink one because boy, this is strong.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Heightens the white pepper and the tequila!

Ok, this is fun and I didn’t have to think a lot, and after one or two of these you won’t be able to either. Also pairs really well with Sugarburg’s Throwback Burger. Now that’s a mini-staycation for me. Happy holiday weekend y’all!

@SugarburgNY @cheezits #cheezit @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #brooklyn #newyork #beer #wine #margarita #tequila

 

 

 

 

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A Wine of Mystery

Azienda Agricola Crivelli
Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOC 2018
Ruchè 100%
Castagnole Monferrato, Asti, Italy
No herbicide or pesticide used, hand harvested, indigenous grape
Winemakers: Marco Maria Crivelli and his son Jonathan

Shining ruby and purple. It’s buttery at first…just a little bit. Next it’s fragrant warm spice, deep cherries, plumminess, and a touch of Twizzler. Sipping in spiced cherry, plum, prune and other dried fruit richness, and some cola. There’s also twinge of bitter like an olive pit or maybe an almond and some black pepper. Medium body and lovely and easy to drink.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Juicy, juicy, juicy, fruit

According to Azienda Agricola Crivelli, ”If someone in Castagnole Monferrato offers to you a Ruchè, it’s because he cares of you”. Now, that makes me feel pretty special to have a bottle of this grape with mysterious origins. In the past there were tales that monks may have brought it from Burgundy, but that got a big fat no with a DNA test. It appears to be an indigenous grape that has been around at least from the Middle Ages, and was revitalized by a local priest, who has been said to have wished he had more time to spend with the vines than people.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny #aziendaagricolacrivelli #jandamorewines @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #italy #ruche #ruchèdicastagnolemonferrato #CastagnoleMonferrato #asti #MarcoMariaCrivelli

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A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Southold Farm + Cellar
Piquette
Sparkling Rosé Wine
A blend of the pomace of all the grapes they grow
Texas Hill Country
Fredericksburg, Texas

This piquette is a dark watermelon/cranberry cocktail and a bit of bubbles. Intriguing… do let it breathe because there’s some natural funk. Got some gose a going here. It’s summer, so let’s kick back that swig. There’s tart, sour, white pepper, and a mix of berries. It’s light and fresh, and just go with it.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Less sour and more raspberries. Got to love those berries.

Hey it’s only 4% ABV, and it’s hot so crack one and then another. Enjoy the afternoon, and grab a straw for this wine. Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance (Official Music Video)

@vinewinenyc @southold_farm_and_cellar @cheezits #wine #beer #gose #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits  #cheezit #vinewinenyc @worldbyglass #piquette #rose #rosé #Fredericksburg #Texas #nenehcherry

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All Hail the Queen

Forlorn Hope
Queen of the Sierra 2017
White blend
Verdelho, muscat, and chardonnay (mostly, but there may be some others thrown in too)
Calaveras County, CA, USA
Organic, hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation, native yeasts, unfiltered and unfined
Winemaker: Matthew Rorick

Crystal shining light yellow. Wafting in citrus, melon, something a little musky, slate/mineral, and light grapefruit. Tilting the glass back and tasting honeydew, muskmelon, and citrus. Nice acid and there’s that mineral again…you can taste the limestone from the land. It’s a feisty and fun wine.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: sharpens the wine and tones back sweet

I was really surprised when I looked up their site. Love the rockstar font and really love what I’m finding out about the winemaker Matthew Rorick. What a man of all trades and accomplished at all! At first glance you see this tatted, white-beard and mustached rocker dude. Then you read about his past and whoa, he repaired submarine telescopes for the U.S. Navy, ridden skateboards for a living, and built electric guitars. That is really cool. Also cool is that Forlorn Hope pulls for the outsiders and longshots. That’s something near and dear to my heart. Ok, have I had too much of this lively wine, because I’m tearing up right now. All hail the little guy that survives and thrives in any circumstance. Definitely pleased to meet you, Forlorn Hope!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @forlornhopewines @tedward.newyork @cheezits #cheezit #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Calaveras #california #verdelho #muscat #chardonnay #matthewrorick

 

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The Lion, the Vigneron, and the Castle

Società Agricola Bussoletti Leonardo S.S.
Ciliegiolo di Narni “0535” 2018
Umbria IGT
Narni, Umbria, Italy
100% Ciliegiolo di Narni
Organic and spontaneous fermentation
Winemaker and Ambassador of Ciliegiolo: Leonardo Bussoletti

Deep ruby color but shining like a piece of stained glass window. Scents of cherry, roses, a mellow berry, and a pinch of cola. Flavors of dark and sweet cherries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries with their seeds included to give a little good bitter kick

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: deeper, darker, and sweeter

Chill it a little, it’s really good that way. This is your summer red.

When I first looked at the label with the lion and the name of the town being Narni, I immediately thought of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. Even if C.S. Lewis never set foot in Narni (previously named Narnia), he did discover it in an atlas, underlined it, and told his biographer (Walter Hooper) that the name had inspired his magical realm. In 2009, Walter sent the same atlas to Narni’s local historian (Giuseppe Fortunati), so it all comes full circle. How cool is that! Narnia was a place I spent many hours in my childhood visiting through the pages of his wonderful series, and now I get to travel there by glass.

Another image on the label is Narni’s square fortress Rocca Albornoziana. It looks like it could have fallen out of C.S. Lewis’ world or even GOT. There’s four towers, a moat, and a second wall of protection. You would seriously need a dragon to get past all that. It’s also been a home to popes (one holed up in there to escape a plague), military officials, and in 1906 a Russian prince, when he bought it for a song. Now it’s back in the hands of Narni.

Narni also has secret below known as “The Underground”. Back in 1979, six young men who loved exploring caves, stumbled upon quite the discovery of an underground chapel, frescos, tunnels, and many other closed off rooms. Over the years, research (some also from Vatican documents) and preservation continued and it turns out that this hidden treasure was part of the Papal Inquisition. No one ever expects the Papal Inquisition! There are scratch marks on the walls from tools of torture. There’s a cell where prisoners left their mark, one of them is in a code that no one has been able to crack. Chilling to think of these poor people being forced to confess to heresy.

Ok, I can’t leave this wonderful city on such a dark note. Each year, from July through part of August, Narni has the Narnia Festival of music, dance, theater, exhibitions, workshops, etc. Check out their site  and here.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @leonardobussoletti #leonardobussoletti #jandamorewines @narniafestival @NarniSotterranea @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #italy #umbria #Ciliegiolo #narni #narnia #RoccaAlbornoziana

 

 

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My Oh My Pie!

Willie’s Superbrew
Hard Seltzer with Real Fruit
Sparkling Pear and Cinnamon
ABV 4.5%
Charlestown, MA
Acquired at Sugarburg

Very light golden pear pour and tiny champagne-like bubbles. Before I even get it anywhere near my nose, cinnamon is full on present and then pear or maybe apple pie. Sipping in pear/apple pie and cinnamon. Taste is true to the scent. It’s fresh and crisp and not at all sugary. Even though it is called a cold weather hard seltzer. I think this is yummy in any weather.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: cinnamon mostly disappears. This is now the third beverage where I have to say, “IN NO CASE SHOULD YOU PAIR THIS WITH CHEEZ-IT’S!”

Willie’s Superbrew, is really into the environment. In the past they’ve made a call to their fans to help “Clean up the Cape”; and they are committed to donating 3% of their profits to an environmental cause every year. They also want the public to help them select who receives this donation. Check out their site and nominate who you believe in, and then join in the vote!

@SugarburgNY @sugarburgbk @drinksuperbrew @cheezits #williessuperbrew #hardseltzer #beer #cheezit @worldbyglass #wine #pairswithcheezits

 

 

 

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Rosato, Rosè and Roses

Tenuta I Fauri
Baldovino 2018
Rosato
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC
Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy
Montepulciano 100%
Sustainable farming
Winemaking family: Luigi and Valentina Di Camillo (brother and sister)

This is a cherry red Rosè. Elegant fresh breath of flowers and more specifically roses. Cherry and strawberries start to pop in too, the more it warms. Delicious swig that has my tastebuds dancing. Definitely cherry, plummy and strawberry sweetness. It’s fruity but not overwhelming. It’s more refreshing, oh and something floral in the taste too. Wait something woody nutshell emerges, but not bad. The more I think about it, it’s almond and not the shell. Been eating quite a few when we were locked down. Yes, I do eat other things than just Cheez-It’s.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: say goodbye to the almond and hello to a gush of fruit

Tenuta I Fauri was founded in 1978 by Domenico Di Camillo (Luigi and Valentina’s dad). This is another lovely story, of a family falling in love with wine and passing it down the generations. Also brother and sister both studied oenology and then came aboard the family business. Quite the power team with some great PR. They were picked by Forbes back in 2019 as one of five small wine producers to watch. From this bottle alone, I can definitely see why.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @tenuta.ifauri @wineberry.newyork @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #italy #chieti #abruzzo #rosè #rosato #rose #montepulciano #tenutaifauri