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Going to California

Monte Rio Cellars
Skull 2019
50% Petite Sirah, 30% Mission, 20% Zinfandel
Sebasropol, CA
Organic, indigenous yeast, hands off, and NO sulfur
Winemakers: Patrick Cappiello and Pax Mahle

Deep dense purple with a ruby tint on rim. Sniffing spices, first cinnamon barkiness, next mace, and then comes cherries, plums, cola, and I want to just say vanilla but it’s more sugar cookies with butter cream. Rolling around in my mouth are tart cherries, smoked plums, Mom’s strawberry preserves which were like a savory/sweet treat and a warm hug, lemon, citrus zest, and white and black peppercorns. It’s juicy, lovely and super shining vibrant. Where’s my shades?

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Really doesn’t change it yet more juicy. Just easy drinking with a teeny tiny burn

Emblazoned on the front of their website is, “Handcrafted wines in the spirit of old California.” Well, that is what Patrick Cappiello and Pax Mahle are definitely doing. The sommelier and the renowned winemaker are a perfect pairing. Working with family owned organic vineyards, they have the ability to select exactly what they see as best, and recreate that old California. Often they are working with a single grape but “Skull” is a beautiful blend that has a bring me a black and blue steak cry. Oh, and add a side of shoestring fries and mayo please, and this is what a sommelier would want for a wine. I also have a confession, I have watched every episode of Mr. Cappiello’s “Tasting Notes.” I already knew about him but stumbled upon those while I was home recovering from a procedure and searching wine on Amazon (BTW Pax’s Griffin’s Lair Syrah is on Season 1 Ep 10). Next thing I knew, it was like eating potato chips, you can’t just stop at one. Started coveting his t-shirt collection, and was so excited when I saw shirts were for sale on Monte Rio’s site. It’s a cool shirt, and it is SOLD OUT! Please guys, please get some new ones ready to ship out. Led-Zinfandel needs to be added to my wardrobe.

Led Zeppelin – Going To California

@vinewinenyc @monteriocellars @patrickwine @paxmahle @bowlerwine @paxwines @cheezits #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #redwine #cheezit #organic #natural #PatrickCappiello #PaxMahle #PetiteSirah #Mission #Zinfandel #Sebasropol #California #ledzeppelin

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No Folly in this Whale’s Tale

Folly of the Beast
Pinot Noir 2018
Pinot Noir 100%
Central Coast, Santa Maria, CA
Sustainable
Winemaker: Ryan Zotovich
Produced and bottled by Winc

Bright and lively cherry color. Just opened and there’s light butter that I’m betting will head out in a bit.  Next scents are cherries, plums, a tiny grind of pepper. Everything is light and fresh. Now on to see how this glass tastes. Full of strawberries, raspberries, cherries, deep plums, some oak and cedar. Also something herbal for the season like rosemary but not smacking you in the face. Snuggly comfy feeling that pairs so well with my lounge wear (honestly as much as I’d love to say it’s La Perla, but it’s TJ Maxx pj pants and a beer t-shirt).

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out a more rugged feel. more dark

Ryan Zotovich, you have truly made a winner of a wine at an awesome price. I’m so glad that you left the computer science track and returned to your wine roots and ended up at Winc. Folly of the Beast would definitely go well with what I’m reading in your interview when asked, “If you were throwing a dinner party and could invite anyone, who would it be?” Betting your pick “Bill Murray as Steve Zissou” would give this wine his seal of approval.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @cryanzotovich @winc @cheezits #cheezit #wine #redwine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits  #organic #biodynamic #naturalwine #pinotnoir #SantaMaria #CA #california #sustainable #billmurray #SteveZissou #HermanMelville #mobydick

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We Could All Use a Heroine (or a Sidekick) Right Now

Iconic Wines
Sidekick 2018
Cabernet Sauvignon
Lodi, California
Sustainable farming
Winemaker: Birk O’Halloran

Deep ruby shine. Inhaling cherry and dried cherries, plum and prune, flowers, and of all things pine sap like the same smell from the small forest near my grandparents home. There’s a deep richness and some smoke. Wow, first sip and it packs a delicious punch! There’s deep sweet cherries, dark plums, raspberries and blackberries. It has some rustic earthiness, then juicy, and here comes the velvet, and at last a small touch of licorice. Fabulous!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: dried fruit explosion

Iconic Wines was started by Birk O’Halloran and Karl Antle (college buddies), and according to their website, Birk made his career by “drinking his way up the supply chain.” Honestly from what I’m also seeing, he did this with a lot of hard work and picked up influence both from California and European styles. They have two lines, Heros and Sidekicks. Sidekicks are the best bang for your buck. Made from locally sourced grapes from different vineyards that they rely and trust. I can vouch for this reasonably priced wine. If I didn’t know the original sticker, I would have thought it was a lot more $$. On top of such a fab wine, just check out their labels by artist Cliff Chiang. He’s known for working with Lucasfilm, DC Comics, GQ Magazine, ACLU, etc, and very importantly his and Brian K. Vaughan’s comic book series “Paper Girls” which has been green-lit on 7/23/20, by Amazon for a television adaption (exciting!). In short, the wine and the labels are totally kick ass.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @iconicwine @cliffchiang @cheezits #cheezit #wine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Lodi #California #CabernetSauvignon #hero #heroine #sidekick #papergirls #cliffchiang

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Life, Music and a Turntable

Lo-Fi
2019
Santa Barbara County
Buellton, CA
60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Chardonnay
Organic, indigenous yeasts, and naturally occurring malolactic bacteria
Winemakers: Mike Roth and Craig Winchester

Golden glass full of skin contact. Breathing in melon, flowers/honey, pear, salt, some richness and smoke. First taste is  honeydew and other melons, grass, pear, lemon, a little honey, salt, smoke, and gets heady as it breathes.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: as I would expect less tang, but not expected…there’s less honeydew, but it’s not a “honey don’t”. Still fun.

Mike and Craig started out Lo-Fi as a project aside from their winemaking day jobs. So glad they decided to share it with the rest of the world and not just keep it for their friends. They are all about natural and also good ol’ vinyl which is definitely reflected in their very cool labels and their tasting room which is unfortunately not open at the moment (but they do have wine to go). Here’s a quote from their site, “Wine is like life and music. Both are filled with resonance, distortion, simplicity, modesty, intimacy and ingenious integrity of the natural processes.” I also love and appreciate that they have used stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels for this wine. Oak and I have a love hate relationship when it comes to some California chardonnay (and blends). The light smoke/oak touch in this wine are just so perfectly suited. I could drink this all day, while spinning some old tunes that fit like a glove.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @LoFiwine @lo_fi_wine @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #SantaBarbara #CA #california #SauvignonBlanc #Chardonnay #tweaker #DavidSylvian #Waxplotation

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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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Night Flight

Stolpman Vineyards
Para Maria Rosé de los tecolotes 2019
100% Syrah
Santa Barbara CA
A collaboration: Ruben Solorzano + Pete Stolpman

A delicate pale salmon color. Inhale and there’s a dozen roses waiting on you. There’s also salt, lemon and something herbal. A small sip and there’s grapefruit, which for some reason has been following me everywhere lately. There’s also apples, a touch mineral, strawberries, and some citrus zest. This is a lovely quencher. Oh and also the artwork/label is an homage to the Great Horned Owl that polices the vineyard at night to keep it rodent free.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Really brings out the grapefruit

#wine #worldbyglass #pandemic #covid19 #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits  #cheezit #vinewinenyc @worldbyglass @StolpmanVineyards @vinewinenyc #SantaBarbara #California