Do You Believe In Magic?

Domaine de Thalie
Plutonic 2020
Saône-et-Loire IGP
Gamay 50%, Syrah 50%
Organic, biodynamic, sustainable, hand harvested
Bray, Saône-et-Loire, France
Winemaker: Peter Gierszewski

Ruby stained glass with purple glints and rim. Breathing in cherries, plums, a woodsy forest filled earthiness, and a slight bit of cherry blossoms/lilacs waft  out later and flow back and forth. The more it breathes the better it gets. Very happily tasting juicy cherry, cherry jolly ranchers, & also tart cherry zing, strawberries, blackberries, plums (tart & mellow blend), and a tiny grind of black pepper with a pinch of coriander (or wait is it ajwain? Nope it’s coriander). Refreshing and a good summer red that still has a backbone and can stand up to whatever you throw at it, so give me a burger or a fried chicken sandwich or queso fundido. This may sound crazy but how about give me all three! Restrain yourself from guzzling the whole bottle because trust me you’re going to want to do it.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: yep it goes with everything including this bag

This is the Domaine that Peter built, and boy did he pick the right place (terroirs). Of course, he didn’t go into this without a wine education and the garage wine route. This man knows his stuff and knows how to listen to nature, follow its lead, snd have patience. It’s like he has a hand in a bit of moonlight magic too. Hard to explain until you experience his wine…then you’ll know exactly what I mean, and your senses will be enchanted.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #syrah #gamay #Plutonic #saoneetloire #France #kylieminogue #magic #domainedethalie @communalbrands @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Let Nature Be The Artist

Johannes Zillinger
Revolution
Ancestral Pet Nat NV
Gruner Veltliner (mostly), Riesling (15-20%)
Organic/Biodynamic (Demeter)
Niederösterreich, Austria
Winemaker: Johannes Zillinger

Shiny golden with tiny active white bubbles. Floating upward are scents of apples, light young firm peaches, a little something hazelnutty that turns into baguettes and a pinch of baking spice. Sipping tart apple, whiff of smoke that comes and goes, lemony spark kind of like Kas Lemon soda, yeasty goodness like the bread we’ve all been making for the past 2.5 or whatever years, good shake of salt & small bit of white pepper.It’s just vibrant, crisp, and keeps your mouth alert.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: bleh

Johannes Zillinger’s dad raised him right…the organic way (since 1983) and “viewing the vineyard as a habitat”, so when his time came to shine, Johannes took it another step further with bio certification. From the moment you pop onto their site, his ideals and passion about it are emblazoned right there on the home page and throughout the site, so I’m just going to let his words tell the tale. “Being ORGANIC is not a trend, it’s a lifestyle and we have been living it for over 35 years. Avoiding all sorts of chemistry is our philosophy. Regarding the environment, natural water, nutrition and particularly in terms of wine. A healthy soil is the key to remarkable and exciting wines. Especially if no boundaries are being set for the development of wines in our beautiful cellars.” And he also let’s nature be the artist which I love that sentiment, “The most beautiful pictures are painted by nature; with minimalistic wine making in the cellar we frame those artworks.” BTW does anyone know who creates his gorgeous labels? Each one is has a circular view of a natural moment with a white line work butterfly floating in on a black label except this “Revolution” Pet Nat. Hey, you know me, I’m always curious in artists in all forms. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #petnat #sparklingwine #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #biodynamic #artist #Niederösterreich #Austria @blisswineimports @vinewinenyc @johannes.zillinger @cheezit

Flying On A Flirty Red Breeze

Sentiviño Wines (side project involving Cume do Avia and Galgo Wines [Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos])
La Brisa Tinto (Castes Tintas) 2019
Mencia 40%, Garnacha Tintorera 40%, and the remaining 20% is made of Brancellao, Sousón and Caíño
Biodynamic, organic, hand harvested, unfined, unfiltered & vegan friendly
Galicia, Ribeiro, Spain
Winemakers: Diego y Álvaro Diéguez

Deep ruby with maroon highlights. Before I forget to mention, give this one a little chill, but not too much…kind of like the Goldilocks spot. Pull that cork and like a genie emerging from the bottle scent of a little bit of Walker’s Shortbread that goes all peppery (and that includes black pepper and fresh bell pepper), cherries, raspberries, and some forest vegetation and earth. Oooooh this is good! Sipping cherries, raspberries, blackberry from the roadside eaten in the sun with juices dripping down my chin. There’s also pomegranate, tart plums, pepper, and some earthy smoke. It’s just freaking fun and I want some good BBQ with it. Pull me some pork!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: just enhances it all

Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos is at it again with another beautiful project and this time teaming up with Diego y Álvaro Diéguez (1 of the 2 pairs of brothers of Cume do Avia). As I’ve said before, I truly think Sanchez-Mateos has the best job in the world, getting to travel, work with cool people, and live wine life to the fullest. This time these vines live in fragmented vineyards/individual plots with varying treasures to be found (Sabrego, schist, shale, quartz, etc). When you think about it, it’s like these artists are being given an amazing palette to blend and blur and drip and in the end create their liquid form of art and it’s beauty all flies in on this flirty red breeze. 🍷💋

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram  #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Spain #Ribeiro #Galicia #redwine #cumedoavia #galgowines #SentiviñoWines @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

The Language Of Flowers

Sonshine Vins
Blanksia 2019
100% Colombard
Biodynamic, indigenous yeast
Jujurieux, France
Winemaker: Lisanne van Son

Spun gold. Breathing in and it starts out soft or should I say creamy with mellow peach, pear & apple, a tiny tangerine whiff, pluots, and salt. Sip and it elegantly glides in with nectarine, pear & apple, also those pluots again & green plums, a lime/citrus stabilizing spark, and lick of slate. It’s just fresh, delicious, and full of life.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: vibrant joy

Blanksia’s name is taken from Australia’s Banksia flower(s). I had always wondered what these exotic looking beauties were. Turns out they symbolize rebirth and new beginnings which could represent each part of Lisanne’s wine globe hopping tale. Originally from the Netherlands (somm life started there), then on to the stops in the UK & Belgium, next up is France where she set her sights on making her own wine in a troglodyte cave with grapes from reputable organic/biodynamic grapes which she was part of the hand harvesting. She doesn’t stop there either, bc there’s also Australia and another project with other natural wine friends in the Adelaide Hills. I can’t wait to see where or what she has coming up next!

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Colombard #France #tessbryantwine @tessbryant.wine  @vinewinenyc @sonshinevins @cheezit

When Life Brings You Grapes

Commune of Buttons
Gloria 2019
100% Pinot Noir
Organic, biodynamic, indigenous yeast
Basket Range, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Winemakers, owners & farmers: Sophie & Jasper Buttons (sister & brother)

Shining ruby with purple splashes. Ooh what’s that waving at my nose…strawberries, cherries, some forest floor with a dash of cardamon, and then back to blossoms. Tasting strawberries ( both ripe and green), cherries…and oddly a little of a cherry starburst (over time), lemon (fruit & zest), a splash of mandarin orange, red currants, and a pinch of white pepper. Just remember give it a little breathing room…don’t crowd it…a little extra space and time is a good thing.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: yummy

Jasper and Sophie came back not to get into winemaking but to revitalize their parents’ farm. Well..sometimes life just throws you a new route. You know how the saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, and in their case it brought them grapes and influence & knowledge from natural winemaker Anton van Klopper, so then hey, make organic/biodynamic wine! Not only did they make wine but Jasper was voted in as the 2016 Best New Act at the Young Gun of Wine Awards. Guess they were really fast learners and got into the rhythm of the vines to the cellar. Also in 2016, they branched out past the farm to become a partner in the restaurant/wine bar and communal conversation place, “The Summertown Aristologist” which added on their “Cellar Door” in 2020, where you can do a wine tasting and if you like, take some home. Sounds like they are keeping quite busy in a beautiful way of life. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #PinotNoir #SouthAustralia #Australia #adelaidehills #communeofbuttons #thesummertownaristologist @tessbryant.wine @vinewinenyc @commune_of_buttons @cheezit

Naturally Engineered

Maysara
Cyrus
Pinot Noir 2014
McMinnville AVA
Biodynamic, native yeasts
McMinnville, Oregon
Owners: Moe & Flora Momtazi and their 3 daughters: Tahmiene (winemaker), Naseem (sales manager), Hanna (events & hospitality)

Ruby stained glass beauty. Breezing in are fresh & dried cherries, puff of smoke, plums, prunes, very ripe strawberries, roses, and dried marjoram. Tip and tasting cherry, a tobacco tingle, prunes, singed orange zest, raspberry, rhubarb, a pinch of earth, and a good berry darkness. Alive, bright and smooth all at the same time and stays that way over several days.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: mmmm silky

“Pure, female-made biodynamic wines: grown with intention, crafted in harmony with the land we farm.” Reading a statement like that always piques my curiosity, so I wondered about how did the parents of these brilliant young women start this wine dream, and it was more than I expected. Moe was originally from Iran, but had come to the U.S. for an engineering degree, and after finishing he returned home with his wife Flora in 1978. I was a kid back then and remember my parents having the news on at dinner and hearing about unrest and upheaval and then the “Iran hostage crisis” so I can’t imagine how their family felt when they knew it was time to leave. Luckily they did get political asylum in the U.S. and in 1997, they bought their farm because it turns out Moe did have more than just an engineering background…his dad and grandfather both used to make wine. From the start they were dedicated to biodynamic, so as for the pesky weeds…no problem just plough and turn the earth over and over and let it rejuvenate. Also instead of chemicals they use natural tea concoctions. As they say”90% of the winemaking is in the vineyard”, and it’s so gloriously natural with such a delicious outcome!

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #PinotNoir #Oregon @vinewinenyc @maysarawinery @cheezit

Two Sides Of The Same Coin

Lesehof Stagård
Goldberg 2016
100% Riesling
Kremstal DAC
Organic
Krems/Stein a. Danube, Austria
Winemakers: Urban and Dominique Stagård

Warm golden glass. Floating in are apples & pears and their blossoms too, along with butterfly lilacs, and a little chilled pie (like what is so scrumptious for breakfast. Hey, you grow up in an orchard and fruit’s in every B. L. & D.), and a pinch of salt. Sip and again apples, pears, a little honeysuckle nectar but not really that much, a tiny lime spritz, salt, cardamon, lick of granite, and a smoky exhale.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: bright crisp snap

What a piece of history, the cellar has been around for close to 1,000 years, but the family roots came on board in 1786, as Lesehof Tegernseer. Fast forward to the early 1980s and there’s a name change to Lesehof Stagård after Kenneth Stagård married into the family. Now it’s Urban and Dominique and they took everything to the next level by going organic and biodynamic, and their own words some up everything best: “Unlike the generations before us, we wanted to make wines that not only quench thirst, but should also tell about us, our ideas, our vines and vineyards. We immediately switched to organic farming and defined goals that had to be achieved in slow steps. We wanted to make bold, exciting and authentic wines, wines for which evolution and tradition should be two sides of the same coin, wines that should be fun and others that should challenge. And we wanted Riesling.” Also, I think they have brought a lot of joy to this generation. Just check out their 2020 end of harvest dance https://www.instagram.com/p/CGstlgAHTzW/

❤️

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Riesling #Kremstal #Austria #organic @schatziwines @vinewinenyc @lesehofstagard.wines @cheezit

 

Biodynamic Cool

Mas Théo
‘L’imprévu’ 2016
VDF
Syrah (mostly), Grenache & Mourvèdre
Organic & biodynamic
Drôme Provençale , Rhône, France
Winemaker & farmer: Laurent Clapier

Ruby rimmed purple (and later so is my tongue). Breathing in deep and tart cherries, plums, strawberry preserves, and a tiny whiff of what I remember as a kid…the outside of a licorice jelly bean which then fades into herbal mix of juniper, fennel and good funk. Tarty tang and dark cherries again just dancing on my tongue, and in a little bit they’re joined by dried brown Turkish figs, forest floor earthiness with a twinge of pepper and juniper that opens into blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Everything melds together like a beautifully woven tapestry.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: perfect

The vineyards are only one part of Laurent’s organic/biodynamic big picture. Mas Théo has 5 different terroirs over 173 acres which give him an opportunity to diversify. They also have lavender, olives, truffle oaks, and hay which is very important because Laurent uses it as a trade with cattle farmers. Oh it’s not for beef to put on the table, but for manure to go back into nourishing the land. He also acquired the Caves Cathédrales to house his winery…a very smart move since the average temp year round is 57F. One more cool thing about the Caves (and Laurent) is that there is plenty of space, in fact enough to share, such as in space for others to age their bottles and room for new/young winemakers to create their own wines. Now that’s very, very cool in so many ways.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #vinnaturel #vinbio #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #biodynamic #organic #Syrah #Grenache #Mourvèdre #Rhône #rhone #france @tedward_ws @vin_mastheo @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Something Special Going on Here

Weingut Claus Preisinger
Puszta Libre! 2020
Zweigelt, St. Laurent
Organic, biodynamic unfined, unfiltered, spontaneous fermentation
Gols, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee, Austria
Winemaker: Claus Preisinger

Beautiful deep ruby that needs a good chill. Starting with a long whiff of smoke and salt joined with cherry, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, orange zest, and a little all spice. Pace yourself because this is another one of those easy drinkers…like can potentially get you in trouble if you keep chugging easy, so beware of “wine goggles”. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you take a sip. There’s tart cherry along with a lemon spark of fresh followed by black pepper. Next up is juicy strawberry (like when you wait for them to hit that dark almost overripe red color and pick it and eat it in the garden), plums, blackberries, blueberries and white pepper on the back along with a bit of smoke. Just lively and lovely!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out the citrus zip and blueberries

Everything I’m finding about Claus Preisinger…he is so full of vibrant life (heck he’s a surfer/kitesurfer!) and in tune/connected with nature, and has a “less is more” ethic from the soil, the vines, and in the cellar. The winery and vineyards are settled near Lake Neusiedl, and this very modern architecture popping out of a peaceful lush countryside just somehow beautifully works, feels right and kind of looks magical. He really has something special going on there and knows it, as he said on “The Living Vine”, ‘I don’t have to go to an office; don’t have any traffic jams; am outside in nature and the vineyards as much as I want (and the vines demand); I just look across the landscape and feel the weather. All of this is a privilege that I appreciate (more and more).’ 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #redwine #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Zweigelt #StLaurent #organic #biodynamic #glouglou  #Austria #Neusiedlersee #ClausPreisinger @c__laus @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Just One More

Lapati Wines
Kidev Erti
Tavkveri 2019
Natural sparkling wine rosé
60% Tavkveri & 40% of Chinuri (both from Shida Kartli region)
Natural, organic, & environment friendly, 1 month fermentation in qvervi
Sagarejo, Kakheti, Georgia
Winemakers: Vincent Jullien and Guillaume Gouerou

Pale salmon with active white bubbles dancing in patterns on the surface. Breathing in tiny strawberries and cherries (and an underlying hint of cherry Twizzlers), a little plum, yeasty bread, and all of this is super light. First sip and it’s a tart cherry seltzer, a lemon tingle blended with a little underripe apple, and just a smidge of strawberries (green and ripe). Very, very vibrating on the lips and easy drinking that you don’t have to overthink (so don’t do what I’ve been doing.) Just follow the instructions in its name “Kidev Erti” because it says for you to have “one more”.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: yeah it works. Really doesn’t change much.

I could start with the good ol’ joke, 2 Frenchmen walk into a bar…or in this case into Georgia, but its a bit more than that. Vincent was on the scene first already investigating sparkling, and Guillaume showed up for an art residency. They found mutual conversation and ground (now literally in Sagarejo) and embarked on creating Lapati Wines. They blend Georgian and French/European natural ways of winemaking and even though they’re not certified biodynamic they follow the practices because they respect nature, the environment, and very importantly the final outcome in their wine.

#wine #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #naturalwine #organic #Kakheti #Georgia #winestagram #instawine #Tavkveri #Chinuri #biodynamic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #Lapati @lapatiwines @vinewinenyc @cheezit