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🎶Oh! Darling🎶

âmevive
Cariño 2023
Estate Grown Ibarra-Young Vineyard
Tempranillo 84% & Graciano 16% (coferment)
Los Olivos District AVA
Organic, unfiltered, unfined, environmentally thoughtful
Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA
Alice Anderson & Topher de Felice

Oh so lush looking deep purple maroon cherry cocktail. First sniff and there’s cherries with a touch of something creamy like a light coat of frosting on a sugar cookie, followed by raspberries, a splash of cranberry, and as time goes by beautiful blueberries emerge. All of the scents are there in the taste with a bit more of the cherries (both tart & mellow), blueberries that are so fresh, an orange peel twist, rhubarb, and I think on the back a memory of homegrown bell pepper crunched in the field. There’s nothing overly heavy weighing you down, but there’s something leading you down a path of natural happiness and pure joy awakening your whole mouth.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: honestly don’t defile this wine

As some of you know I’m a magpie when it comes to wine labels, and I’m not one ounce ashamed of it. Alice Anderson’s mother Eileen paints from what I’ve found most if not all of their labels depicting the flora & fauna of their farm and surroundings (Alice depicted the back label of as she calls them “psychedelic compost microbes”.

These mushrooms are a sign of their healthy vineyards & soil. Alice & Topher have taken great care to grow & live as natural/organic/holistic/regenerative as possible. I know you hear all those terms bantered about all the time now in the wine world but this team actually does it. Check out their IG and look at the menagerie they have…sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, a pupper, beneficial ground cover & local plants, and all (along with the grapes) can contribute back to compost. It’s a joyful circle of biodynamic life.

Side note: This bottle lives up to its name, Cariño because it is truly a beautifully blended “darling”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #california #amevive #vinewinenyc

 

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The Rhythm Of Nature

Vinyes Tortuga
Fruita Analogica
Comfortably Numb 2023
Garnacha Tinta, Garnacha Roja, Garnacha Blanca
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested
Rabós, Alt-Empordà, Cataluña, Spain
Dido Voorma & Jurriaan Morsink

Raspberry/cranberry cocktail minus the umbrella. Sniff this chilled pour and over time it’s a swirl of raspberry, a little wild hay/funk that will fade, pomegranate, cherry, a citrus tingle with a plummy depth, white pepper, and a small poof of smoke. First sip and the funk has left the room. There’s also cherries & cherry Jolly Ranchers, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry, tart plum, even a little gooseberry with a little citrus sizzle on the lips followed by white pepper. Such a fun, crunchy, easy drinker.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: yeah man

Dido & Jurriaan (originally hailing from Amsterdam) had been all over learning about & making wine until they found their little space in the world in Empordà near Rabós. Those 9.5 ha were their dream vines and instead of waiting any longer they crowdfunded the purchase of the plot. Now they are working natural or as they say, “we farm with the rhythm of nature, transforming grapes into living, breathing wines that pulse with energy”. They want their bottles to tell a tale of where they’re from, a touch of history, and to spark conversations…and part of that whole picture is also their love of all sorts of music which feeds their wines names. There’s “Hunky Dory”, “Juicy”, “Cloudbusting”, “Little Fluffy Clouds”, etc., and the one I brought home, “Comfortably Numb”. Now, I want to know the secret behind this particular lyrical pairing; so if by chance Dido & Jurriaan happen upon this post…please do tell.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #Garnacha #Spain #selectionsdelavina #vinyestortuga #vinewinenyc

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A Chill Love Note

El Mas de l’A
Tot-Ú 2020
Blend of Garnacha Peluda, Garnacha Gris, Garnacha Blanca, Garnacha Tinta, Trepat, Cariñena
Organic, bio
Priorat, Spain
Alfredo Arribas

Cheery stained glass cherry. Sniff once…twice…three times a…wait I just got stuck in a song. Back to the glass, there’s scents of raspberries, cherries, pomegranate, young strawberries, and a little dragged through the forest floor with a dried pine needle. Sipping and this is so lovely and lives up to all I’ve been told. I could drink this blend all day.

There’s again those raspberries, cherries, pomegranate, sweet & tart strawberries, and hanging out in the back and shyly waving a blueberry or two. Pinch of earth lingers but the funk has left the building and again this is awesome. Chill it a little, chill it a lot (my fave)…either way you will have some very happy tastebuds.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: absolutely not

Every time I find a “new to me” wine, it’s not just a tasting experience but a chance to learn about the person behind the bottle. It’s even more of a delight going in blind and discovering it’s by a winemaker I already ❤️ but just under a different monicker. First encounter with Arribas’ was in Barcelona (at La Vinya del Senyor) with a glass of his Somni and over the years others have happily dropped in my lap (bottles not glasses bc that would be quite a mess). His wines are truly fabulous but that’s just scratching the surface of this creative fount…he’s also an internationally acclaimed (award winning) architect & interior designer, who also has a recurring thread of sustainability across his ventures. Alfredo’s “El Mas de l’A” project lets Garnacha varieties (red & white) mingle, shine and reflect his personal spot of Priorat, and (to me) this Tot-Ú is like writing a love note not only to these grapes but also to everyone that gets a chance to share in this experience. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #Garnacha #Spain #josepastorselections #portaldelpriorat #alfredoarribas #vinewinenyc

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26 Hours

Grace Wine
Koshu 2023
Fermented and matured in stainless steel, hand picked, grapes grown above 400m
Yamanashi, Japan
Ayana Misawa (5th gen) & the Misawa Family

Very pale starlight yellow green. First sniff and there’s a light smash up of apple with Mandarins, Valencia oranges & other citrus (very small tangelo), which leads to round pears, touch of fresh honey & honeysuckle blossoms, and over time a pinch of nutmeg. Sipping and wow! All of the scents are there with a touch of smoke that fades and on day 2 lighter & joined with that smidge of nutmeg, all sorts of apples & pears, a lick of fresh sugarcane (but not overly sweet just a memory) that morphs into honeysuckle nectar, ripe fresh picked cucumber, winter melon, and an end welcome bitter bite that normally I’d single out almond or an herb or two like parsley without the greenery taste but this one is harder to define. Maybe it’s more like a fruit pit without the fruitiness or a lemon seed. Either way the best way to describe this bottle is it’s a gentle wine…well balanced…graceful (no pun intended)…elegant…and a happy surprise.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT

Ooooh when my friend pointed out this bottle, let’s just say I was giddy. Wanted to try a Japanese wine for so long, and quite happy that it turns out Grace Wine will be my first. They’ve been around for just over a century and now in their 5th generation, there’s a woman in charge of making the wine. Ayana Misawa followed in her father’s footsteps (he’s a winemaker with an organic chemistry education) but also branched out by studying in Bordeaux & Stellenbosch, and working abroad in Australia, Argentina, Chile & New Zealand. In 2014, she brought home a Gold Medal from the Decanter World Wine Awards (1st for Japanese wine) and the heralds & honors keep coming while thriving in what is still an old boys club. She and Grace keep shining with her knowledge, viticulture gift, and her hard work since her workdays last 26 hours.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #japan #koshu #GraceWine #vinewinenyc

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Patience Is A Virtue

Roxanich
Mara 4/6 2011
100% Borgonja Istriana
Organic & biodynamic, long aged
Motovun, Istria, Croatia
Mladen Rožanić & family

Dark rose-orange amber. At first right after opening there’s a scent of toasted rice bit that turns to baguette, a blend of red plums & young cherry, rasp/blackberry, red currants, and a cranberry pomegranate cocktail along with a mineral bit of a fresh rained on rock. Everything I’m sniffing are there but the toast dissipates and evolves into watermelon rind, squeeze of lemon/lime & balsamic, dark rose cotton candy (I don’t know how else to describe it), and on the back end a smidge of caperberry…but not overly. It just balances all.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NOPE! DO NOT RUIN THIS EXPERIENCE

Roxanich produces three different collections of wine: Philosophy (aged Istrian reds), First Roses (entry level wines), and lastly the Sorelle line (6 wines dedicated to Mladen’s 6 daughters) which is their “natural, orange, long macerated whites and reds”. Honestly I’ve ever had a wine like this Mara 4/6…a rosé this aged and complex yet still fresh and so full of life took me by surprise. The magic ingredient to this bottle is time or as Mladen says on their site, “Patience is a fantastic cellar technique…Because wines need time to find each other.” In this fast paced, rushed, insane world; it’s such a delight to take a moment to savor, to rest, and to reflect. I say slow down, enjoy the wait, anticipate what is to come, and of course take time to linger & smell the rosés.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #worldbyglass #croatia #livingwine #Roxanich #vinewinenyc

 

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A Wild Tumble With A Jump Of Grace

Two Shepherds
Wiley 2024
Carbonic Carignan
Organic
Sonoma, CA
William Allen (owner/winemaker) & Karen Daenen (owner/Chief Shepherdess)

Stained glass ruby-magenta. Sniffing and there’s red currants, raspberries, strawberries, young plums, and a bit of a smash of fresh picked blackberries. Sipping all of the scents with gooseberries, wild sour grass I used to chew in the outfield, a little Virginia pepperweed too, white pepper, and a small chew of clover. There’s a little wild tumble that turns into a jumping arch of grace just like its namesake.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: nah

Back in 2010, Two Shepherds started out as a one man (William) micro/garagiste wine venture until Karen officially joined in 2015. Their backgrounds & personal expertise blended into a fabulous partnership in many ways. There’s also other members of their farm family, but they’re of the hooved, feathered, and furry kind ranging from donkeys, goats, pigs, chickens, dogs, and of course my favorite noble beasts…cats. If one of their wine creations has a personality that’s like one of these “kids”, they get their name on the label. That’s what led me to picking up this Wiley. He’s as they called him, a “unicorn cat” being that he’s a male calico with from what I’m reading had quite the independent rascally personality, a voice that matched, and a great little hunter. My heart leapt when I saw a pic of him as a kitten on their IG, and then I read the sad news posted on 12/1/24…Wiley was no longer of this world. My belated condolences to William & Karen. He must have been such a warm force of nature in your life. Here’s to hoping you continue making this carbonic carignan in his honor & memory because there’s nothing like the honest love of a cat.❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #catsofinstagram #cats #worldbyglass #california #twoshepherds #twoshepherdswine #vinewinenyc

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On The Road Again

Domaine Désiré Petit
Tribu’lles NV
Pétillant Naturel
Savagnin & Chardonnay
Organic, sustainable, hand harvested
Pupillin, Jura, France
The Petit Family

Shining yellow with very active white bubbles. Lovely scents of apples, pears, a sparkle of lime, hazelnuts, fresh pecans picked from my granny’s trees (used to throw sticks up in the high branches to make them shower down), dried pineapple, and golden raisins. Sip and all those sniffs are there with a bit more lime/lemon sizzle, now it’s almond instead of hazelnut, and a mineral/salt shake. It’s fresh, crisp with a touch of lush, and I’d love to drink this in my old home backyard watching the evening fade & the lightening bugs come out to dance.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: ooh yes

Désiré Petit started his domaine in 1932, and the family are now in their 3rd generation of winemaking. Over the years they have grown, held themselves to goals (going organic, expanding their plots, etc) and all the while letting their passion flow. They also say that to truly get to know who they, their land and their wines are would be best to let them guide you…”our greatest pleasure would be to show you around the cellars and share with you, glass in hand, an unforgettable tasting.” A good way to meet them upclose and personal is to camp out. They’re members of “France Passion” (friendly and gourmet stopovers). All you need is a self contained motorhome, a membership in the group, use one of the 5 spots on their beautiful land, and follow the “Golden Rules” which shouldn’t be hard for those that appreciate the experience. First of all be nice, say hi & enjoy their knowledge of their wine, territory, food, and the neighborhood; be respectful & don’t leave trash behind, and of course let them know when you’re ready to hit the road again (cue Willie Nelson music). 🚐

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #petnat #France #peterweygandt #domainedesirepetit #vinewinenyc

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Bridging Relationships For The Future

Sông Cái Distillery
Khà Tung Tóe
Bubbly Purple Rice Wine
100% Nếp Cẩm
Organic, fermented with koji
Gia Lâm, Hanoi, Vietnam
Founder: Daniel Nguyen

Electric magenta streaked sunset with teeny active bubbles. Sniffing and this is very interesting. There’s toasted rice (reminds of the rice on the bottom of a bowl of Bibimbap), a cucumber seaweed mix (in a very good way), bright plum, a sort of satay/peanuts/toasted sesame, puff of peat, savory soy sauce and a little shiitake. After a few sips all of the sniffs and a dash of fish sauce (also again in a good way), citrus twang, and an earthiness that is not one I’m completely familiar with but would love to get to know better. It’s tingly, bright and a total pét-nat.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: JUST DON’T

Sông Cái (Mother River) is mụch more than just a distillery, it’s a bridge. Daniel (originally from CA) built that “bridge” through relationships with locals, farmers, and foragers to create a “100% Vietnamese-owned endeavor of its kind” where the value of their agriculture would be elevated & increased through a new output: gin, spirits, wine & more. They’re also looking to preserve & nourish the local plants, cultures, & traditions that are the heart of Vietnam. Another thing that stands out to me is that Indigenous women make up 60% of their team and women also make up 75% of their managerial staff, so it’s a beautiful opportunity for them to provide, excel, and grow. At Sông Cái they also “focus on capacity building ensures that every team member has opportunities for professional growth, both internally and externally. We also cover essential expenses such as housing, food, and travel, our aim is to maximize the financial well-being of our team members and their families.” I love finding out about good souls such as this team because it gives me hope in humanity and in this wild world. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #ricewine #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #vietnam #songcaidistillery #vinewinenyc

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Bubbly Bottle Of Summer

Château Fontvert
Bulles Natures NV
Rosé Pét-nat
Mourvedre
Certified organic & biodynamic (Demeter), hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Lourmarin, Luberon Mountains, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Jérôme Monod & sons & family

Light salmon belly flash with active bubbles. All of the scents are dainty & gentle with raspberries, yellow cherry, white peaches, a grapefruit & citrus blend, mineral spring house, and a little sea breeze. All of the sniff is in the taste with a little more peaches and happy seltzer zing. It’s festive, friendly, oh so cheerful, and this is your summer bottle to keep on repeat.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Step away from the bag

Château Fontvert’s lands have been worked & farmed since Roman times. It passed hands to the Sambuc family toward the end of the 17th century when they established the estate & kept it for 14 generations. The Monod family acquired it in the 1950s, revamped the vineyard & at first sold the grapes to a co-op until 2003 when they decided to go all in on their own label. Now they’re biodynamic & organic certified and as far as I’m concerned, they’re knocking out of the park. Now this little pét-nat led me down another trail to Lourmarin which is known by travel writers as dreamy and “the prettiest village in Provence”. There’s ivy covered Provencal stone architecture that exudes a friendly warmth, an abundance of floral scents changing with the seasons, a bustling market day, outdoor cafés, and one thing that stood out to me their beautiful doors. Whether old or new they are distinctly individual wooden pieces of art. I can see where Peter Mayle got his some of his inspiration for “A Year In Provence” whilst residing here. Who wouldn’t want to live in such a lovely & magical place. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #provence #France #mfwwineco #chateaufontvert #vinewinenyc

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Cool Cat

Weingut Edgar Brutler
Sefu White 2022
Co-ferment field blend of Chardonnay, Riesling, Furmint, and Tămâioasă Românească
Organic
Crișana, Transylvania, Romania
Edgar Brutler & family

Warm antique gold. Just popped the cap and there’s a blend of tangerine/grapefruit/kumquat/young orange with all the zest, a touch of good funk, lemons/limes emerge, crab & green apples over time, a couple blades of grass, and dried coriander. Sipping and all of the citrus with a bit more tart & ripe green apples, crunchy  pear, watermelon rind & green tomato, over time a little honeysuckle, again the coriander with a touch of smoke/peat, and a light lick of something deliciously earthy. So alive, fun and frisky.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: YES

These cool cats gave me a crash course on the history of Transylvania, Romania & the Brutler family that is too long to condense in this post but I highly recommend checking out their importer, Danch & Granger Selections’ info . Sefu is a project they started in 2022 with inspiration from a family friend Laci Hetei, and his great love for & over abundance of grapes. He actually reminds Edgar of his grandfather, who had a quote I love, “a family with two or three kids needs 1000 liters of wine per year”. I can see his point. Anyway, back to Sefu (translates to “boss” or “chief”) & its catty label (by Agostina Suazo). If you live with a kitty you know who rules the roost so the name fits & this wine is also a rocking top meowser that belts out its territory. As Edgar says, “This is the taste of our region. Rustic, acidic and pure.”, and might I add delicious, so go out and adopt this liter/litter. 😻

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Romania #Transylvania #danchandgrangerselections #EdgarBrutler #vinewinenyc