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An Artistic Blend

Frequency Wine Company
Artist Series 2021
Grenache 35%, Syrah 35%, Graciano 30%
Santa Barbara County
Los Alamos, CA
Winemaker: Zac Wasserman
Producer: Almond Wasserman
Intuit: Maria Wasserman
Muse: Nicole Wasserman
(As you can see this is a family thing)

Deep maroon with garnet rim. Breathing in a familiar cola scent along with cherries, plums, raspberry jam, blueberries, shave of cedar, pinch of wintergreen /mint, and toasted coriander. Sip and there’s cherries again, cranberries, plums, blueraspblackbosenberry jumble, red currants, grind of black pepper, a teeny sprig of spearmint that vibrates a little, and over time out comes a mellow moment of RC Cola.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: it’s ok

A friend of mine told me I’d love this wine since she did, and she was spot on. The Wassermans sum up their venture best on their site, “Frequency Wines was born in the belief that positive energy can be created, bottled, and shared throughout the world to be sown and harvested for a vast influence.” They also have an “Artist Series” (which is near and dear to my heart) where they work with an artist they appreciate for the label. In 2014, they collaborated with Toro Y Moi’s Chaz Bundick, and he not only created the label art but also a playlist to enjoy while sipping the wine which in my book is very cool, but I can’t find the music anywhere, so if anyone has a link please send it my way. The work gracing this 2021 is by Aria Dean. She’s a writer, critic, curator, and above all amazing artist. Her visual art varies through multiple medias such as 3D printed sculptures, digitally rendered/manipulated drawings, theatrical pieces/videos, and combinations of all set into incredible installations. Her “Abattoir, U.S.A.!,” (2023) is built with Unreal Engine and has a feel of a first-person video game set in an empty slaughterhouse with a haunting soundtrack, and political, historical & cultural meanings. Currently it’s on view (along with her conceptual sculptural work/installation, “Vitrine”) in her UK solo show “Abattoir” through May 5th at London’s ICA. Check out ICA Short Docs | Aria Dean ‘Abattoir’ for a glimpse into her vision behind the show. She and Frequency are quite the pairing and just brilliant.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #winemusic #wineart #art #AriaDean #SantaBarbara #CA #FrequencyWines #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vinewinenyc @frequencywines @lol_prosciutto

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When Life Brings You Smoke Make…

Matthiasson Family Vineyards
Tendu
Rosé Bubbles
Sparkling wine
Sustainable
Dunnigan Hills
Napa, CA
Winemakers & Farmers: Steve and Jill Klein Matthiasson

Crack the can and it’s a rosy/orange amber pour (or you could just drink straight from the can). Sniff and everything is light & breezy with cherries, raspberries, strawberries, boysenberries, a lemon/lime spritz, and a touch of funk that fades. Kicking back and sipping and again there’s cherry, raspberries, strawberries, boysenberries, orange/lemon/lime zing & zest with a little tangelo, seltzer sparky salt, and just so bright and light.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

This perky and easily transportable sparkler came about from the Matthiasson’s ability to persist through the 2020 West Coast wildfires which caused devastation and trouble for so many and gave them a fear of smoke taint. Instead of making any reds that year, those grapes went into their rosés. A smart move and here’s to hoping in the future all those fires and smoke fade away.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #wineinacan #sparklingwine #Rosé #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #organic #Napa #california #Tendu #matthiassonwine #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Smell Everything

Inconnu
Kitsune 2019
Red blend
Hand harvested, indigenous yeast fermented, unfined & unfiltered
Grapes sourced from organic & regeneratively farmed parcels
Napa, CA
Laura Brennan Bissell

Deep maroon with a glowing ruby rim. Pouring and dark cherry scents float up mingling with a little oak/cola (RC to be precise) but not overpowering (oak & I have a complicated relationship but this is a welcome one), blackberries & raspberries, dried cherries, plums/prunes, and touch of earthy depth that includes a growing mishmash of juniper, a comforting warm spice, zest and a tad of cedar. All of the above scents are in the taste that has a lively bright tang and smooth glide at the same time.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: hard to describe on how it heightens everything but it is delicious

The sense of smell for all of us is so important, easily taken for granted, and can touch every one of us in different ways. In my dad’s case, sometimes I wonder if his works…my schnoz is ultra hyper which is a good thing most of the time unless you are on a sweaty NYC subway in the heat of July. Reading about Laura’s (on her site’s bio) and as she says, “Smell has been the driving force for many decisions in my life…I want to smell everything.” Smelling everything hits home with me & I’m sure does too with all y’all wine lovers out there.

As I read more about Laura’s personal wine world, I feel like I did her a disservice by doing exactly what she didn’t wish. “Just like my life, I wish for my wines to be distilled into a poetic form, and not to have their entrails spread apart on a surgical table. There is pain and suffering, there is joy, chaos, recklessness at times, but more than anything, a quiet optimism that every day of our time here is yet another chance to experience something beautiful.” Sorry, if I pulled out a scalpel and diced Kitsune into singular scent & flavor notes, because this bottle is a performance of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch (strength, beauty, grace, wonder) & an encapsulation of a time in your life that I’m so happy to have now experienced.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #naturalwine #Napa #california #Kitsune #Inconnu #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vinewinenyc @inconnuwine

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Time To Shake Some Trees!

Dewey’s Wines
Syrah 2020
Sumu Kaw Vineyard
El Dorado County
Organic, unfined & unfiltered
Santa Rosa, CA
Charlie Miller & Emma Rosenbush

Inky dark purple with a maroon rim. Give this bottle a moment and then scents of raspberries w some cream pop out at first followed by blueberries, boysenberries, a warm smokiness, black pepper, cedar & coriander and other spice rub, dried cherries, cranberries & prunes, and over time a touch of dainty flowers. Sipping away and all of the scents are there with a little more pine & herbiness, dried dark figs, even deeper dried cherry that turns into dark raisins, the pepper & spice come forward over time, a smidge more of pine needles on the exhale with some singed Mandarin orange zest (love this fruit so much). I’m betting my tongue will be very purple later.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out cherry and strawberry Starbursts

Don’t know why I so often pass over California wines. So glad I ended up at a tasting for Dewey’s because it reminded me of how special they can be. Emma (originally from NY) & Charlie (native Californian) are making their own form of magic with their single vineyard wines and Sweet Vermouth (grabbed one of those up too ❤️). Once home, checked out their IG and turns put they have picked up roots, are now in NY, changing their name to “Dew East”, and not only are they continuing in wine but also cider which makes me giddy! Time to shake some trees!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #naturalwine #syrah #SantaRosa #California #vinewine #vinewinenyc #deweyswines @vinewinenyc @deweyswines

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Jazzy Holidays

Porter & Plot
Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Mendocino County
Grapes from Cox Vineyards located in Ukia, CA (certified organic)
Produced & bottled by WINC
Buellton, CA

Ruby with purple/blue pops. Sniffing and there’s dark cherry followed by an easygoing vanilla cream, raisins, black currants, a bit of dried fig, coriander, and a just right very light bunch of violets. Sip & swish and again there’s deep cherries, dried cranberries, golden raisins, dried figs, black currants, very light orange zest, blackberries, a little raspberries, boysenberries, a chocolate warmth & a velvet touch, smidge of a licorice jelly bean (yeah I’m probably the only kid that loved them), and a tingle of warm spice on my lips.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: smooth and juicy

Oh it’s that time of year again! Holidays are even closer than we all think. Anyway, if you haven’t started picking up wines for the gatherings, or in my case just for moi (yes, I’m working while the rest of you will be lounging in comfy clothes)…anyway, this Cab is for you. You can dress it up with an elegant meal (think steak, venison, lamb chops, wild boar, some fun funky cheese…etc.) and get out the good glasses meant only for company; or follow my kicked back menu of a more rare than medium-rare cheeseburger while spinning some “Pithecanthropus Erectus” and relishing in a multitude of Mingus memories. Either route you take, wishing y’all’s upcoming holidays will be happy and of course jazzy! 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #redwine #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #CabernetSauvignon #winetime #worldbyglass #Mingus #charlesmingus #califonia #CA #porterandplot #winc #docwinebar #docwineshop @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Science As Art

Tessier Winery
Soul Love 2022
65% Riesling, 22% Mourtaou, 11% Négrette, 2% Merlot
Sustainable, certified vegan, sourced thoughtfully, native yeasts, low intervention
Heraldsburg, CA
Founder & winemaker: Kristie Tacey

Electric magenta with a splash of orange sunset. Btw chill this baby. Ok there’s a Hawaiian punch memory from long ago. BTW I really loved that stuff as a kid and ran up quite a bill at Sea World eons ago. I don’t think my parents realized there were no free refills. Sniffing cherry, plum, raspberry, guava, juicy fun. Now onto the taste and there’s flying free deliciousness…cherries, plums, a bowl of berries with some guava again, splash of kiwi & a little light lemon/lime spritz that oddly has a little Boo Berry waving in the distance, and a bit of springhouse mineral to even it out. This is flat out scrumptious, glou glou, and a bring more than 2 bottles worthy.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out the tart

Well, it’s spelled out right on the label, “Science As Art”. Kristie Tacey wasn’t born into the vine life, but ended up there after becoming a published scientist. My S.O. is one too but he went into visual arts which enhance his research & imaging abilities, so I can totally see where this would work so well with Tacey’s vision for her wines. She can look at the full life cycle from the land to the the harvest and which grapes to select…through to the bottle and view it from different angles from logic, sustainability, creative blending, and intuition. The other cool thing about her is she pairs her wines with music (as you can see with this bottle of Bowie’s “Soul Love”) and she has fab taste! Check out her playlist here.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #davidbowie #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #california #docwinebar #docwineshop #tessierwinery @tessierwinery @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Get The Party Started

Catch & Release Wines
Block Party 2022
Pinot Gris 50%, Riesling 30%, Gewürztraminer 20%
Organic, native yeasts
McFadden Farm
Mendocino, CA
Beno Stewart & Monica Varriale

Rose tinted orange sunset with unfiltered goodness. Scents of a papaya/mango/orange-citrus cocktail blend with a little Creamsicle, some heady blossoms, a bit of musky IPA tangerine, and a salty slate breeze with a teeny bit of natural good funk in the way back. All of the scents are there in the taste and also a bit more natural sweet like honeysuckle, touches of fresh squeezed Valencia oranges, cantaloupe, a lime pop, and a smidge more of that salty slate. So delightful and easy to enjoy so don’t overthink this smile in a bottle, just grin and wink right back at it.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NOPE

Catch and release used to be what I did at my grandparents’ pond except the day I was using my kid’s reel and a giant catfish swallowed my plastic toy hook. Let’s just say my great-grandmother “Nana” had to come over and make some of the best batter fried catfish I ever had. Actually this wine would have been great with it but at the time was paired with Pepsi. Now let’s get back to the present and this wine. Beno & Monica sum up their objectives best, “We make wines we like to drink, in partnership with growers who lead from the front of regenerative farming. We champion simplicity, prioritize delicacy, and crave acidity at every turn.” What better reason than to make yourself, others and the earth happy. I say raise another glass to them, and “Get The Party Started”!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Mendocino #california #organic #sustainable #goodvibes #getthepartystarted #shirleybassey @catchandreleasewines @docwinebar @docwineshop

 

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Hallo

The End Of Nowhere
Spaceboy 2022
100% Pinot Gris
Organic, hand harvested, native yeasts, unfined & unfiltered
Grapes from Heringer Vineyard in Yolo County
Amador City, CA
Founder and winemaker: Chris Walsh

Burnt orange red stained glass. Sniffing and there’s cherry wit a teeny touch of balsamic, rhubarb, strawberries red & green, ripe bell pepper, and a dusting of white pepper. First sip and those strawberries & rhubarb are there again along with tart & smooth cherry, a cranberry & bell pepper cocktail, a grind of white pepper, and a lemon peel twist.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: deliciously vibrant

Drinking another glass and listening to “Hallo Spaceboy” remix on repeat. Will admit I am a fangirl of Bowie, Eno & PSB, so this bottle just said bring me home, and that led me to finding out who Chris Walsh is. Originally from Amador, his dreams took him to NYC. Eventually he ended up in the food & wine industry, became a sommelier, and then realized it was time to return back to his roots, home, wine studies, and work with great wineries & winemakers (two in particular I love: Donkey & Goat and Matthew Rorick). Now he has 2 lines of wines. “Little John Lane” made with grapes he grows on his 10 acres, and “The Edge of Nowhere” sourced from Sierra Foothills small organic growers he respects and trusts. As he says, “We are committed to practicing organic farming and treating the land with more than a little love. We live here, and will do whatever it takes to preserve our land for future generations… even if that pulling weeds by hand.”

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #california #organic #naturalwine #spaceboy #vinewinenyc #theendofnowhere @cheezit @vinewinenyc @end_of_nowhere

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Playing In The Waves

Las Jaras Wines
Waves Botanical Spritzer
Gruner Veltliner 75%, Albariño 15%, Chenin Blanc 10%
Angelica Root, Juniper, Rose Buds, Green Cardamom, Grapefruit Peel, Rosemary, Coriander, Douglas Fir Needles, Anise, Star Anise, Lemongrass (all organic)
Organic
Sebastopol, CA
Winemakers: Joel Burt and Eric Wareheim
Label art: Jen Stark

Pop that chilled can and pour…it’s light gold with green glimmers and a touch of fizz. Inhale a few times and out pops up juniper, cardamom, clove, a light sprig of rosemary, allspice, celery salt, and light white cherry soda. Sipping in the shade and there’s all of the above spices, light grapefruit squeeze with lemon/lime spritz, lemongrass, white & yellow cherries, a basil/mint spark, tiny crack of white pepper, and as it opens Cel-ray. This is very refreshing and tingly, and something about it makes me crave a grilled hot dog and some kielbasa so pack some up for a backyard party and don’t forget to bring a good sharp mustard.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: meh

Waves is a perfect name for this spritzer, since those flavors/scents just ebb & flow over your tastebuds and tickle your nose. Also very cool pairing with Jen Stark’s artwork bursting with color and life…kind of like a cross between a psychedelic star burst & a reminder of Jasper Johns’ “Target”. There’s nothing static about her work because her vibrant colors that are at times combined with reflective surfaces will draw your eye like a dance throughout the entire piece. Btw I love how Las Jaras finds artists they love for their labels. Check more out here.  🌊

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #California #organic #wineinacan #winetime #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #spritzer #waveswine @cheezit @lasjaraswines @waves.wine @docwineshop @docwinebar

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A Real Work Of Art

Las Jaras Wines
Superbloom Cuvée Zero Zero 2022
California Table Wine
Co-ferment of red & white grapes sourced from Sierra Foothills
Organic
Sebastopol, CA
Winemakers: Joel Burt and Eric Wareheim (yes, that foodie & funnyman Eric)
Label art: Jade Roche

Deep very ripe watermelon juice fresh from the garden. Sniffing and right off there’s so many layers of goodness. There’s watermelon, raspberries & strawberries, bell pepper & a little slice of French breakfast radish (as it opens up), fresh rained on cement & granite in the early summer warmth, squeeze of lemon & lime, and orange zest. Ooh I love this stuff! Dancing on my tongue are those watermelons again with not quite ripe strawberries, zippy citrus blend, kiwi, fresh rhubarb, green gooseberry, maybe even little twinge of tomatillo, a tiny green peppercorn, and a little wild fling. It’s bright, vibrant, so alive, and full of multiple personalities.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NOPE

I have walked past this cheerful looking bottle (the label made me think of what Rothko would paint if he’d microdosed) so many times meaning to pick it up but for some reason always getting distracted by something else. I have so been missing out! Joel & Eric’s wine is a rollicking good time. Just watch their videos and you can see how enthusiastic they are about the whole grape growing/winemaking process and also the art that graces their bottles & cans. Love that they asked friends to come up with imagery to pair with the wines and actually give them credit that is easily found and I don’t have to run around going nuts searching. Now I can just spend that extra time enjoying another glass of Superbloom. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #California #organic #superbloom #winetime #redwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @lasjaraswines @docwineshop @docwinebar