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“Music as an Emotional Tasting Note”

Weingut Weninger
Rózsa Petsovits 2022
Syrah, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch
Grapes are from Austria & Hungary (Syrah)
Biodynamic, hand harvested (take a look at the t-shirts)
Vineyards across the border Hungary/Austria
Horitschon, Austria
Franz & Petra Weninger

Deep shining rose with salmon glints. Breathing in watermelon, strawberry, raspberry, whiff of hay that fades but reappears here and there, plums, cherries, apples, red currants, and a bit of orange zest (there’s a lot in this little glass). Sip and all of the scents are there in the taste, with a squeeze of lime & a shave more of deep citrus zest, and a sweetness that reminds me of the rock candy made from cane sugar my parents bought me as a child on special occasions. It’s bright, light, fresh and joyful.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Zingy

At first I thought I’d be writing about Franz’s grandmother Rózsa Petsovits since this bottle of deep rosé is named after her, but then I found out about “Sound of Terroir” their music project. Franz gathered musician friends with a proposal or challenge to “visualize the different taste of Blaufränkisch grown on 3 different grounds” (Sopron [Steiner], Mattelburgenland [Dürrau], & Südburgenland [Saybritz])  and express what they tasted & how it made them feel. Oh and they also had to come up with instruments made from the vineyard or cellar materials. With trial and error they sorted out using bottles, barrels (designed a barrel-zither), and even a hose-trumpet. Not sure how much wine was consumed, but from that tasting they began to sort songs that paired with each bottle and then adapt them to work with these new musical instruments. Next up they had to find a performance space since the cellar didn’t work for pretty obvious reasons, so they ended up at the Liszt House which is pretty appropriate and cool. All of this played out pretty fast over a few days too, so pretty amazing wrangling a whole orchestra with homemade instruments and filming the performances. They pulled it off, and you can check out the videos on their site. Franz and friends had achieved as quoted, “Music as an Emotional Tasting Note”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #biodynamic #austria #Hungary #winemusic #Liszt #dnswines #WeingutWeninger #Weninger #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vinewinenyc @franz_weninger @dnswines

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🎶There’s A Firefly Loose Tonight🎶

Andrea Marchetti
Lucciola Bianco 2021
La Corte dei Miracoli
Trebbiano Romagnolo 70%,  Albana 30%
Organic (practicing), indigenous yeasts, unfiltered & unfined
Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Orange amber with a few pops of rose. Sniffing and there’s scents of a citrus blend of orange, tangerine, mild grapefruit & more, as time goes a good funk grows that will surely pass on by, and flowers bloom like wisteria, butterfly lilacs, hyacinth, irises, and magnolia thrown in. Sipping and there’s the citrus blend along with zest, a good splash of lemon, green bell pepper, crabapples, the green of a whittled apple tree branch, small ember of smoke, and shake of white pepper. It’s crisp, fun, and has a depth but not brooding.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out a little heat sizzle

Each Marchetti wine never fails to grab my attention and fill me with delight. He’s one creative busy bee as you can see in my previous posts. This man has boundless energy with his collaborations with other natural winemakers, his own wine, launching wine fairs, and more. Take Andrea’s “La Corte dei Miracoli” line is another such project where he farms 2.5 ha near Brisighella. The wines are created and bottled in Filippo Manetti’s (Vigne San Lorenzo) cellar, and I love his viticulture guidelines which align very much with Marchetti, “the first rule is to use LITTLE TECHNOLOGY, the second rule is to DO NOT DO, that is, not to do anything that is really necessary, both in the vineyard and in the cellar”. Back to Lucciola, take note, there are only so many bottles (2,500) so feel yourself gifted to catch one of these fireflies. It brought a smile to my face and that old childhood joy like when I was set free on summer evenings in a simpler, slower time watching the sun go down and running through the orchard following the tiny flashing flying lamps. Treat yourself to a glass and maybe you too will get a chance to see “a firefly loose tonight”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #Italy #organic #winetime #orangewine #worldbyglass #edsheeran #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #firefly #lucciola #steephillwine #AndreaMarchetti #docwineshop #docwinebar @andrea_marchetti @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar

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It’s All Art

Christoph Heiss
Malinga
Hotrot 2022
50% St Laurent, 40% Rotburger (Zweigelt), 10% Muller Thurgau
Organic, hand harvested
Kamptal, Austria

Shining like stained-glass garnet with light purple pops. This bottle loves a good chill. Right after the cork is pulled there’s a touch of wild scents that starts to fade, cherries, earth, raspberries, blackberries, orange/lemon zest, a spice blend I am still figuring out and it turns out to be cardamom. Now sipping and boom! There’s so much at once…tart and sweet cherries, blend of raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, a tart tingle that sort of sizzles, young plums, a warmth is added to the sizzle that almost feels like a hot pepper but not the taste, and again cardamom joined with violets.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: deliciously juicy

Malinga is Christoph’s business within a business, or should I say a natural wine venture within his family’s winery & vineyards. Honestly from all the pics it looks like a beautiful life and he’s someone with a true appreciation for the art in the bottle as well as on it. Here’s a quote from one of his posts, “Malinga has achieved a big goal. Labels are more than just printed paper. They have the power to represent the ideas and the attitude of the winemaker and spread those into the world”. So very true, and Hotrot’s label and that post led me to find another artist Anika Katzengold. Her drawings and tattoos are well…just breathtaking. In fact, rather than call them tattoos, to me they feel like a moving abstract artwork come to life on the body she uses as a canvas. Check out her work on Malinga’s labels and on her IG page @a.nik.a.katzengold_______ and take a look into how she works her visions from thoughts to reality. https://www.instagram.com/p/C30jH21srFi/?img_index=1

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #organic #wineislove #winetime #malinga #tattoo #art #austria #worldbyglass #volkerwineco #docwinebar #docwineshop @malinga._.wines @volkerwineco @docwinebar @docwineshop

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This Is Not That Story

Valdisole Wine
Helios 2019
Nebbiolo
Organic, biodynamic
Corneliano d’Alba (CN), Piedmont, Italy
Giuseppe Amato & Kyriaki Kalimeri

Shining garnet pour. Sniff and it starts off a bit wild but it’s just been opened so over a short amount of time it tames, tart cherries, young raspberries, blackberries, tomato leaf, tiny roses & violets, over time there’s plums of all sorts, red apple, and a rugged bit of peat/earthiness. Tasting and it starts out light & delicious that grows into a richer moment, cherries (tart & sweet), red currants, plums, a touch of peat or smoke, raspstrawblueberries mix, a drop of blackberry, tiny reminder of sugar cane that turns into violets, smidge of green tomato, and touch of grounded earthiness.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: sweeter

You know the usual tales of growing up in a wine family and inheriting land…this is not that story. Giuseppe & Kyriaki’s strength in finding their way in wine is curiosity. She had a background in computers & electrical engineering but that curious spark led her to getting an education as a sommelier & a diploma. He had a great appreciation for cuisine so ended up taking cooking classes and realized the attraction of pairing food & wine so he also ventured into sommelier courses, but that a wasn’t enough. The whole wine experience grabbed his attention and they both jumped full in to buying a vineyard…oh, and it was an online site where you can buy stuff secondhand. The vineyard was a half ha of “abandoned & shabby Nebbiolo”. (Makes me think of people who buy a house for $1 in an old town and when they get there they see the full extent of the repairs needed 🙀.) They’ve expanded, added varying grapes, are keeping it all natural, and I have to say this Nebbiolo is definitely not shabby now. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #naturalwine #Nebbiolo #italy #terrellwines #valdisolewine #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vinewinenyc @valdisole.wine

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Returning To A Sparkling Nest

Domaine J. Laurens
Le Moulin
Blanquette De Limoux AOP
Brut
Mauzac, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay
Sustainable agriculture, HVE 3
La Digne d’Aval, Graimenous, Languedoc, France
Jacques Calvel and team

Very light yellow-gold with a green sheen and very fine white bubbles. Breathing in and it starts cool, clean and creamy smoothness (or a poof of meringue). Next up are pears (fresh & baked), green apples, lemon blossoms, light white peaches, and toasty brioche.  Sip and there’s green apples again with a few crab apples thrown in, firm green pears, apricot, a lemon/lime spritz, and mineral lick. It’s lovely, dry, crisp, and very lively.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: absolutely delicious

I always love stories of being able to reboot your life and return to your roots, just like Jacques Calvel. He grew up near Limoux and learned the satisfaction of a good day’s hard work from childhood. As often happens a person will leave the nest or in his case even France to venture to Switzerland, build his expanding venture and then after success, sell the business and return back to his homeland. Sparkling wine was his calling, and his business acumen & exporting knowledge were a perfect pairing. When he purchased Domaine J. Laurens it had a history of making sparklers, he just needed to rethink how they (he & his team) would work to better the lands, the winemaking process, and quality which is very important to all of them over quantity. They’ve achieved the 3rd level of HVE, and are working constantly harder to achieve organic. As Jacques says on his site, “Our next goal, which is not a small one, is to become organic. We are just at the start off our organic conversion; however, I am excited to work hard to provide a cleaner environment for the next generation.” Cheers and raising a glass J. Laurens caring enough to plan for the future of the next generations. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #sparklingwine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #France #blanquettedelimoux #worldbyglass #cynthiahurley #cynthiahurleyfrenchwines #jlaurens #docwinebar #docwineshop @cynthia_hurley_french_wines @domainej.laurens @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Back To The Origin

Mas del Serral de Pepe Raventós
Ancestral
Viñya del Mas 2018
100% Xarel·lo
Natural sparkling wine
No. Bottles 1863
No disgorging, no dosage, brut nature, organic/biodynamic, vineyard work all by hand or horse
Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain

Hazy yellow gold with a little sheen of green (kind of IPAish) with fine bubbles & deepens over time from the bottom up. Sniffing and it’s creamy at first like an Oreo center and later turns into a tiny drizzle of honey on top of sourdough, lovely pears (reminds me a bit of Poire Williams), white peaches, apple pie, and a light citrus blend (like Valencia oranges smooth & Mandarin). Tasting all of the scents are there…especially the pears with a twist of lemon & lime tingle/sizzle on my lips and tongue, there’s even a little Key lime pie, pinch of salt & mineral lick, and smidge of hay that fades fast. Very bright and full of life.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: just don’t

When you see Pepe’s last name you know he comes from a long line of winegrowers and the prestigious winery Raventós I Blanc (documented since 1497 & one of the oldest wine producers in the world). His grandfather Josep Maria championed the creation of DO Cava and passed the torch to Pepe’s father Manuel who was joined by Pepe who like his grandfather had a dream and withdrew from the DO Cava in favor of a being recognized for their Conca del Riu Anoia that would rise to a higher standard. To be included there would be a higher min. paid to growers, vineyards must be at least 10 yrs old, native & organic, smaller yields, and a longer time on the lees (18 month min). Pepe’s project Mas del Serral is a plot within the Raventós vineyard (Clos del Serral) where they return to the ancestral farming traditions. It brings together humans, vines, and animals living & working together in harmony to tell the story of their and their land’s origin. As he is quoted, “What I love is to taste a wine and that it takes us to the place where it was made”. ❤️🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #cava #sparklingwine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #naturalwine #biodynamic #Spain #raventos #masdeserral #vinewine #vinewinenyc

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Intersecting Generations

Guidobono
Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2022
100% Nebbiolo
Sustainable
Canale (CN), Piedmont, Italy
Faccenda family

Deep ruby with a garnet rim. Give this bottle a little breathing room, inhale and there’s tart cherries, cranberry (fresh and dried), plums, jumble of blueberries, raspberries & blackberries, violets, the more it opens a warm spice, and on the back orange zest. Tastes swirl on my tongue of all of the scents joined with pomegranate and a little cedar.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: smooooth

The Faccenda’s purchased their winery just over 20 years ago and have proceeded to celebrate their love for the land and vines(30 to 40 years old). They sum it up best on their site, “The vineyards of the Rorero are our family’s home, where we both live and work. In keeping with our respect of nature, we use the ‘integrated farming’ agricultural practices set by the EU. Our winery is also a proud participant in Piemonte’s ‘Vino Sicuro’ project, aimed at keeping our region’s wines free of harmful pollutants.” Now onto their branding/labels which piqued my curiosity. Kept wondering why the clean lines forming an X or cross & also a metallic diamond/square (each wine has a different color) at their intersection. Turns out they worked with a very cool art director, Derrick Lin. He used the crossing lines to symbolize, “the generational bond between grandmother Velia (the vineyard’s first owner) and her children who have carried on the business; as well as the meeting point between the dedication of her grandchildren — both winemakers — and the generosity of extraordinary regions such as Roero, Langhe, Barolo. Guidobono wines emerge from this “intersection” of lives, affections, people and territories.” Perfect packaging and an even more perfect wine. 🍷❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #Italy #Nebbiolo #worldbyglass #jandamorewines #Guidobono #docwinebar #docwineshop @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Sharing Traditions

Cantine Su’entu
Su’aro 2018
Marmilla IGT
Bianco
Native grapes
Sustainable, hand harvested
Sardegna, Italy
Pilloni family (currently Valeria, Roberta & Nicola are running the winery)

Bright gold with almost a light touch of orange/amber and gets deeper the more it breathes. Sniffing and there’s a citrus mix of tangerine, lemon, touch of grapefruit, hibiscus, honeysuckle, honeydew & more blossoms swirl, an apricot/peach blend, salt, and as it’s been open a good while caramelized sugar cane. Taking a swig & swish and here’s that citrus blend & honeydew again with orange zest, touch of smoke, a little honey & honeysuckle, smidge of sweet mellow pears, and salt shake. Bright & luscious all at the same time, and makes me dream of warm night outside under the stars just sipping and enjoying good company.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: so darn good!

“Working the land and making the best use of its fruits is a family tradition, and we’re delighted to have given new life to this value set, with regard not only to wines but also to our small olive oil output and the raw materials for the Estate’s Restaurant, Arieddas” – Salvatore Pilloni

I ❤️ Su’entu for so many reasons, and finding out about their restaurant Arieddas has me wanting to pack my bags. They work with what they have within the estate and if they don’t they source from other artisans/farmers. It’s a celebration of Marmilla’s (Sardinia’s) food, wine and culture which has a special place in my heart and belly. One pasta (on their menu & btw each dish comes w a wine recommendation) I have never had a chance to try are handmade lorighittas originating from the women of Morgongiori in the 16th century. They would gather to prepare the braided pastas formed into circular or O shape ahead of All Saints Day. It was also a chance to catch up on news, gossip, and camaraderie. It’s truly an art form that I hope doesn’t get lost in the hustle and bustle of modern times. Check out the Pasta Grannies to see how it’s made. They make such a hard task look easy.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #Italy #worldbyglass #pastagrannies #arieddas #winetwist #cantinasuentu  #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Always Time For More Wine

Nicolas Carmarans
Fer De Sang 2021
VDF
100% Fer Servadou
Organic, hand harvested, unfined & unfiltered
Aveyron, France

Shining garnet with a bit of ruby depth. Let this breathe a little. Sniffing in honeysuckles & white spring blossoms that mingle with cherries, bell peppers, cayenne pepper, white pepper, a then comes plums, raspberries, and cranberries. Tasting tangy cherries, raspberries, and again that bell & white pepper, plums, cranberries, young Turkish fig, an iron lick (or if you’ve face planted after tripping over a flattened bike lane guard that the city should have replaced….a slight taste/smell of blood), blackberries, boysenberries, and red currants.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out some more assorted berries

This bottle just called out my name while I was browsing. Maybe it was the font, the name “Iron Blood” or “Iron from Blood” (my French is rusty 🤣), the fact I have never tried Fer Servadou before, or maybe it’s all three? No matter what, it brought me to learn about Nicolas and his trail from being an owner of Paris’ Café de la Nouvelle Mairie (natural wine bar), heading to beautiful & enchanting Aveyron, juggling his time between the café & starting to make wine, finally acquiring his own vineyard, and now solely focus on his vines & wine. Oh and the land had been abandoned for years and needed a heck of a lot of work to dig out, rebuild & go organic. In the end that must have been pretty satisfying to look out and know this was all his…now’s the time to make more wine, and boy is it darn delicious & elegant! Cheers and looking forward to the next Carmarans’ bottle that falls in my path. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #FerServadou #winetime #organic #naturalwine #Aveyron #redwine #France #stevengraf #nicolascarmarans #vinewine #vinewinenyc @nicolascarmarans @vinewinenyc

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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