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Traditional Innovation

Château de Laubade
V.S.O.P.
Bas Armagnac AOC
Blend of more than 20 different eaux-de-vie (mainly Ugni-Blanc & Baco)
Sustainable agriculture: organic manure is produced by 600 ewes in the vineyards, barrels are made from trees of their own forests, and more
Sorbets, France
Estate owned by the Lesgourgues family

Golden light amber pour. Breathing very ripe pears and apples and baked ones too and a bit of pie crust, preserved plums, mellow vanilla, and orange & lemon peels. Going in for the sip and it’s sweet like fresh sugar cane, moments of a deeper pear cider, caramel smooth, orange zest & a simmering spice, and as it lingers it’s warming till there’s a vibrating spark on the back of your tongue to nudge you for another sip.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NOPE!

This little bottle introduced me to a historic Château and a forward thinking family. The Lesgourgues, since 1974, have brought a new creative life into the house and lands working to be as sustainable/green as possible; achieving awards and recognition such as “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant”; and make incredible armagnac. They also cultivate and support artists/artwork and that led me to Jeanne Paquin, who many, many years ago also lived here with her 2nd husband, French diplomat, Joseph Noulens. She was such a trailblazer in fashion! She took black to new heights. No longer the garb of mourning, in her hands it was a fashionable statement. She incorporated music into “défilé de mode” (where would we be now if we didn’t have music on the catwalk?), had an accomplished and successful  fashion house that became an international business, and was the first female designer to receive France’s Légion d’Honneur. In other words just like Château de Laubade, she’s an impressive blend of innovation & classic tradition…which rocks.

#armagnac #wine #spirits #vsop #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #France #laubade #JeannePaquin @baronfrancois.ws @docwineshop @docwinebar @laubade @cheezit

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Vivacious Expression

Weingut Tegernseerhof
T- Rosé Zweigelt 2020
Sustainable, hand harvested
Wachau, Austria
Winemaker: Martin Mittelbach (5th generation)

Deep rose with a touch of sunset orange. Let it sit a little and scents float out of strawberries, red plums, raspberries, fresh picked spring flowers (includes the stems, leaves and all), and a few blades of grass. Those strawberries and raspberries reappear in the sip along with blackberries, and of all things watermelon jolly ranchers. There’s also a smooth creaminess, white peaches, a blood arrange tingle and spark, and the tiniest hint of parsley on the back. This is a happy easy sipper that will bring your tastebuds a lot of enthusiastic joy, but it’s also thoughtful and more complex than a typical rosé party down pink fest.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nah it’s not for me

Martin Mittelbach says it best on his site, “Following ancient traditions, we use our own grape selections, chosen for their agility and vitality. Quality comes before quantity. Our wines reflect our values: they impress through their expression of vineyard and grape variety rather their alcohol or sugar content. Their finesse comes naturally, in our combination of soils, climate, and traditional viniculture.” That’s what you’re going to find in this bottle of rosé…true dedicated quality and a taste of their part of the world. Martin is the conductor that brings this symphony all together, much like how the Austrian conductor, Elisabeth Fuchs directs orchestras in her expressive passionate ways. Check them both out, because I can guarantee it will bring a smile to your day. 💕

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Zweigelt #Austria #rosé #rose #ElisabethFuchs @artisanalcellars @docwineshop @docwinebar @tegernseerhof @cheezit

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Bringing The Right Pick

Swick Wines
Wyd? 2020
Bring It.
100% Chardonnay
Willamette Valley
Organic
Conley Vineyard, Yakima, WA
Produced & Bottled by Swick Wines, Newberg, Oregon
Winemaker/Proprietor: Joseph Swick

Light yellow gold with a smidge of green. Scents of pears, honeydew, light cantaloupe, and all mixed with a touch of earth & smoke and finally a tangelo/grapefruit squish. Tasting a mash up of pearpineappledewalope along with a smokiness that sings in good way, followed by crisp and zingy fresh citrus popping around, and the ever tiniest drop of pie spice…like on the exhale. Why can’t more chardonnays taste like this..oh that’s right, they don’t have Joe.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: fuller, richer and deeper…it’s different and I like with and without

Not my best friend’s mama’s grocery store chardonnay. Ok seriously, who didn’t that scar? That smack you in the face overoaked semi-plastic fatty taste had me shying away and picking a red every time they were the only two offered. So glad I didn’t give up on this lovely grape, and the first time I realized not all Chardonnays are created equal was an amazing moment (kind of like when Dorothy opens the door to Oz and it goes all Technicolor). You just have to pick the right winemaker and Mr. Swick is definitely the one for me because man, does he “Bring It.”

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #biodynamic #organic #chardonnay #oregon #WillametteValley #joeswick #wyd @docwineshop @docwinebar @swickwines @swickjoe @cheezit

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The 3 A’s

Bodegas Antonio Montero
Colleita 2020
Ribeiro DO
Palomino 60%, Treixadura 40%
Sustainable, hand harvested, minimal intervention, native yeasts
Ourense, Spain
Family Winery/Winemakers

Pale yellow-green straw. Breathing in delightful pear and apple blossoms, honeysuckle, pears, mild apples, and you should see the smile on my face as I write this..there is a brief hint of pie with a smidge oregano that turns into fresh rained slate. Mmmmm…I’m betting this is going to be good! Sipping pears, again mild apple with a splash of lemon brightness, apricots, oregano, a little grass, and that good old slate is back.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: crisp, bright and delicious

This is a tale of 3 A’s…grandfather, father, and son; and each one carries the family name, Antonio Montero. Ok, so y’all are going to laugh at me, but as the name  “Antonio Montero” kept bouncing around in my head, a quote from “The Princess Bride” kept popping up (it is the 35th anniversary). “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die”. Yeah, I’m ridiculous but this is how my “box of squirrels” brain works, so back to the Antonios. Each generation imparted their touch. Grandfather: Antonio Montero Álvarez took the wine from “just for the family” to selling it to local bars and later outside of their own province. Father: A.M. Sobrino dubbed the winery Bodegas Antonio Montero and the indigenous varieties started winning awards. Finally the latest, Son: A.M. Pozo came on board and they made “Honor Roll of the best White Wines of Spain” and are now taking on the world. I just have one question for them, what happens if a following generation happens to be a girl…Antonia?

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #theprincessbride #Palomino #Treixadura #Galicia #Ribeiro #Spain #naturalwine @soilairselection @docwineshop @docwinebar @VinosAntonioMontero @cheezit

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Romance, Spice & All The Surprises Are Nice

Domaine Philippe Vandelle
Poulsard 2020
Côtes du Jura AOC
100% Poulsard
Jura, France
l’agriculture raisonnée
Winemaker: Philippe Vandelle

Glimmering strawberry cocktail (a little chilled). Those same strawberries are waving hello to my nose along with raspberries, a little blueberries, cherries, and let it open and there’s a pinch of spice with some forest goodness. All those berries are there again but this time they’ve brought cranberries with them, a smidge of citrus zest, and a puff of salty smoke that fades only to gently return. Even with all the fruit, It’s so light, refreshing, crisp and clean.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: bursts of juicy cherry

2nd Vandelle and again you can taste where it’s born, and thank goodness this poulsard has it’s chance in the sun and not blended away. Feels like that spark of first falling in love. It’s kind of like when you meet that special person and it’s all new. There’s romance, spice and all the surprises are nice. Y’all know Valentine’s Day is soon upon us, and I can vouch this bottle would be better than that yearly bon bons default. 🍬

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Poulsard #Jura #France #cotesdujura #naturalwine #domainephilippevandelle #philippevandelle @APWineImports @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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The Beauty Of The Blend

Budwood
Red Bluff 2020
Contra Costa County
Montepulciano 50%, “hodgepodge” field blend 50%
Sustainable, own-root vines, dry farmed
Clarksburg, CA
Winemaker: Matt Cline

A glass of chilled shining ruby. Fresh scents emerge of strawberry and bright cherry…next up as it opens is a mellow cherry Twizzler smell or raspberry jelly beans (light and not overpowering), and at last a tart tingle. Oh this is delightful to sip (don’t gulp even though you want to because this is waaaay easy to drink). There’s cherries, strawberries, cranberries, a pinch of dark like a cherry pit and a splash of tart with a blade of grass. This is a joyfully juicy, zingy, and big beautiful blended kiss! 😘

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: darn perfect

Matt Cline has had his hands in the vines for decades such as Cline Cellars, Trinitas Cellars, and Three Wine Company (with his wife Erin), and through it all he has been dedicated to a love for old vines. Contra Costa’s history of these ancient growths stems back to Italians, Spaniards, and other immigrants bringing over their rootstock that wasn’t hit by phylloxera. Budwood is Matt’s project celebrating these historic grapes and the old steamboat named “Red Buff” ‘that carried farmers and grapevine budwood through CA’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta’. Also side note, he’s the grandson of Valeriano Jacuzzi…yes that Jacuzzi family.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #Montepulciano #redblend #fieldblend #dryfarmed #dryfarmwines #Clarksburg #CA #contracostacounty #MattCline @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Keep It On Repeat

Tenuta Belvedere
Coccìnea 2016
Provincia di Pavia IGT
100% Croatina
Natural wine, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Montacalvo Versiggia, Oltrepò Pavese, Lombardia, Italy
Winemakers: Federica and Gianluca Cabrini

Deep ruby darkness. Let it breathe just a bit and scents of dark plums, prunes, dried cherries, raisins, a tiny bit of dried pineapple, whiff of pinesap, and earthy hillside…just rich enough. Wow, the taste, is…this is so much or should I say a powerful embrace filled with emotion. Again there are dark plums/prunes, dried figs, a pinch of black pepper, cherries and dried ones too, strawberry caps and some grass, piney pops, blackberries with seeds for the bite, and blueberries. It’s a lovely harmony of field and forest.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: deeper darker harder velvet tang

My first Tenuta Belvedere wine, was WAI 2018, Sparkling Rosé and it was a glass of bright, fun “summer love”. Coccìnea 2016, is also full of love…but it’s comforting and passionate at the same time, and creeps up on you as you sip away. Kind of like a Mark Eitzel song, the way his voice floats and wraps around you filled with such warm emotion. Yeah, the more I think about it, dim the lights and put his song “An Answer” on repeat, pour a glass and it’s a perfect romantic pair.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #redwine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Croatina #lombardia #Italy #naturalwine  #markeitzel #steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar @belvederewine @cheezit

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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

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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

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When You Can’t Stay Away From Your Roots

Sambucese (The Heart of a Native Sicilian) 2020
Catarratto 70% Chardonnay 20%
Terre Siciliane IGT
Sicily, Italy
Made by native Sicilians and the man that brings them together, Charlie Verde

Pale straw and the slightest twinge of green. Drifting in are scents of honeysuckle, fresh rained on slate, and then shortly light lilacs pop up along with a blend of pears, peaches and nectarines. First sip and there’s honeysuckle, pears, peaches and nectarines again and this time very crisp with a spark of grass. Oh, this is a little fun surprise, there’s a tiny pop of Lemonhead candy (but not the sweet part) and some lime zest which is a delicious combination. You’ll be charmed by this youngster by first glass!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: just smooth drinking

From what I’m finding, Charlie Verde couldn’t stay away from his Sicilian roots. Born in Sambuca di Sicilia, he did venture to the U.S. to seek his fortune & future. Time passed, a wife and family were included and it was time to revisit his homeland. Needless to say he felt that spark, the beauty of Sicily and it’s inhabitants and of course the wine. Now, he’s bringing the best of his Sicily to you (more than just wine too!), through Verde Imports, and as they say, “we understand that not only is quality of our products important, but quality of the people we work with, as well”. The honest, hardworking and passionate people that Mr. Verde has chosen are a recipe for delicious success.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Sambucese #Catarratto #Chardonnay #Sicily #Italy #sicilia  #verdeimports @sambucese @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit