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Spring on a Wing

Wild Nature Wines
Prosecco Rosé Brut DOC 2019
Millesimato
90% Glera, 10% Pinot Noir
Certified vegan, organic for more than 40 years, and biodynamic
Veneto, Italy
Winemaker: Emilio Fidora

Salmon rose pour with delicate white bubbles. So alive and romantic! Breathing in a salty fizz, laid back strawberries and cherries, light cherry blossoms, red delicious apple peels, and a dreamy breath of Spring. This is a beautiful mouthful of cherries, strawberries, cranberry, and salt. The tingly bubbles also have a spritz of lime, and an apple roundness, a smidge of cinnamon on the back, and as time goes on all of a sudden a cherry jelly belly drops in. It’s a total party!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Makes it even more crisp if that is possible

Wild Nature Wines are essentially that. They have two estates in Veneto (Venice and Verona) where they live in harmony with the all sorts of four-legged and winged neighbors such as owls, foxes, rabbits, and even this regal and funky pheasant on this label. Each wine gets their own unique familiar drawn entwined with the environment and growing as one. I don’t know who the artist (anyone know?) is but they are truly talented. Talent also runs in this family, and innovation. Emilio’s grandfather (Guido), made history bringing on the organic over 40 years ago (Veneto’s oldest organic estate); and then Emilio decided to embark forward in the steps toward biodynamic and now they are certified bio and vegan and living up to their name.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @wildnaturewines @SkinContactWines @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #Millesimato #wine #vino #cheezit #Prosecco #Rosé #rose #sparklingwine #bubbly #organic #naturalwine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #winestagram #instawine #Italy #Veneto #Venice #Verona #Glera #PinotNoir #WildNatureWines

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Rugby Pandamonium

Vinovalie
Les Valeurs Sures
Les Blousons Noirs 2018
100% Malbec
AOP Cahors
Saint Sulpice, France
Wine co-op; Cellar master (for Cahors): Hervé Froment

Inky dark ruby with blue highlights (natural not dyed). After pulling the cork, it’s buttery at first, and then start rolling out of the pour are vanilla, cherries, plums, and a walk around a lush dark velvety forest. Hmmm this is really friendly and enchanting. Sipping and white pepper says “hello”, then dried and dark fresh cherry, blueberries, plum and prunes, and a few blackberries wave back. It’s smooth with a tiny upstart fight, but after a bit there’s a light little brown sugar brittle. This is one scrumptious Malbec.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: smooth lovely sailing

Who out there loves rugby and of course a good scrum? Well, I sure do; and Vinovalie sees their co-op in team terms. As they say, “Vinovalie is all about collective performance. As in rugby, success is in the quality of the pass – through mutual dialogue and shared exchanges”. They draw on everyone’s diverse experience and knowledge to get the best from their lands and vineyards, and work forward to the best in bottle goal (or a try). Les Blousons Noirs is one cool panda sporting a very apropos biker jacket. Rugged on the outside and warm and sweet on the inside. Hey, that sounds like a description of many players I know. All I can say is grab a glass and let’s head to the match!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @vinovalie @steephillwine @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #cheezit @worldbyglass #needmorewine #winestagram #instawine #Cahors #saintsulpice #France #Malbec #LesValeursSures #LesBlousonsNoirs #panda #rugby

 

 

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Generation to Generation

Domaine Victor Sornin
Beaujolais Lantignié Nature
“Les Monthieux” 2019
100% Chardonnay
Appellation Beaujolais Villages Protégée
Organic, sustainable, hand harvested, native yeasts, and NO OAK in aging
Lantignié (vineyard), Régnié-Durette (winery), Rhône, France
Winemakers: Frédéric Sornin (Domaine Frédéric Sornin) and his son Victor who this cuvée is named after

Light straw yellow. Inhaling crisp apple and pears, orangey bits floating on a fresh clean spring breeze, and clean wet granite. First sip and say hello to crisp and clean apples, then luscious pears, some tartness and tang from a smidgen of orange rind, and a little nectarine. It’s clean and fresh, a splash of salty; and no I haven’t been crying into my wine. There’s something bitter in the end. It’s like biting into rosemary but not the fragrant exhale, but all the fruit comes quickly back. I have to say, thank the Lord there is no oak and you get to embrace the pure chardonnay.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: ooh perfect! More fruity goodness

Frédéric Sornin’s father passed down the estate to him in 1990, and now he has his son Victor learning and working with him, so what better way to honor that than have two cuvées in his son’s name (a red and this white). It truly must be wonderful to watch your offspring grow while working by your side and sharing the same love of the land and creating wine. It’s such a beautiful snapshot of family love, and I bet Frédéric is one proud papa. Oh by the way, they’re also joined in the vines by free roaming sheep that graze and replenish the land, the natural-organic-bio way.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @Domaine-victor-sornin @vinotas_selections @DomainedesRonze @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #cheezit #whitewine #organic @worldbyglass #needmorewine #winestagram #instawine #Chardonnay #Beaujolais #BeaujolaisVillages #Lantignié #regniedurette #Rhône #rhone #France

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Rose Dappled Moonlight

Valdinera
Chiaro di Luna Rosé
Langhe DOC
Rosato 2019
100% Nebbiolo
Uncertified organic
Roero (winery), Corneliano d’Alba (CN), Piedmont, Italy
Winemaking Family: Giuseppe “Beppe” Careglio and daughters Pamela and Carol

Delicate salmon color. Breathe in and there’s light Crème de Cassis, shortbread, then all that fades or blends into light dancing cherries and everything keeps circling and eventually chercranstrawberry enters stage right but walking in on tiptoes ever so lightly. First sip and all that tiptoeing stops. Out pops cherries, strawberries, and cranberries. This is just a happy delicious wine full of dance and life.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Not bad. Everything goes deep and dark. It’s like from day to night.

One dad, two daughters and two majestic dogs carry on the winemaking/vineyard history passed down through this family. Their beautiful land of Roero (which is part of a Unesco World Heritage site since 2014) is filled with “Rocche” which were created from erosion and are canyons, chasms, hills that are sheared off, pinnacles, and such that appear through the region. They are incredible geological wonders, and detail the history of this part of the world. Much to my delight you can still find fossils and shells. I can only imagine this place dappled by moonlight or “Chiaro di Luna”.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @valdinera_azienda_agricola @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #cheezit #Rosé #rose #rosato @worldbyglass #needmorewine #winestagram #instawine #Arnad #Italy #Nebbiolo #Roero #Alba #Piedmont #Langhe #Italy #Rocche #moonlight #chiarodiluna #jgwines

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A Natural Seduction

Finca Casa Balaguer
Picofino
Monastrell 2019
Red Wine
100% Monastrell
Organic and biodynamic, hand harvested
Villena, Alicante, Spain
Winemaker: Andrés Carull

Deep cherry with spots of blue. Pull out the cork and immediately its creamy scents with cherry, cola, and cinnamon butter cream frosting. Channeling my inner Cookie Monster. Let it be for a bit and it’s earthy along with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Now you’re ready to dive into that sip. There’s tart cherry tang that goes deep and later there’s that tang once again. Now here come the raspberries, some strawberry sweetness, earth, dark chocolate, and a dry woody bit like a pecan hull at the end that with each sip can turn around again to that fruit.Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Smooth and velvet

Finca Casa Balaguer is part of Andrés Carull and Marta Ribera’s small family winery Vinessens, and boy is it all natural. After a surprising encounter with a natural wine during a trip to France in 2008, they were hooked or as they say seduced by its magical power. They only work with local varieties to enhance the true feel and taste of their lands, and keep it biodynamic and organic. And they sum their passion beautifully on their site, “Immerse yourself in a world, from which you have no escape. When you enter the world of natural wines, wines made with nothing but fermented grape juice, no additives and no makeup, you won’t want to escape. There is no way back. We can tell you from experience. The lasting memory of these wines is not stored in the mind, but in the heart.” I do have a question about this wine. Can someone please tell me is the bird with the cute hat on the label a kiwi or what is it? I have a little bet running with a friend, so would love to know.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @vinessens @zevrovineselections @zev_rovine @cheezits #wine #vin #vino #redwine #cheezit @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #Monastrell #Villena #Alicante #Spain

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A Fresh Fragrant Sunset

La Kiuva
Rosé de Vallée
Picotendro (Nebbiolo), Gros Vien and Neyret
Valle d’Aosta
Hand harvested and all vineyard work by hand
Arnad, Italy
Cooperative winery with 50 grower members

Deep orange rose sunset. Breathing in fresh cool rained on slate, orange blossoms, roses, sweet cherries and their blossoms, and then after a bit…raspberries, and strawberries. Tasting those strawberries, raspberries, and that slate again. It’s so refreshing, clean and bright! Toward the end out pop blackberries with their bitter seeds too. You know like when you pop one in your mouth while picking them in the tangled bramble.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Lord no!

All I have to say is wow, what hard work it must be for this 50 grower co-op. The vines are nestled on high (between 380 and 500 meters above sea level) and steep hills, so everything has to be completely worked by hand. No tractors driving around up here in these vines. As for their lovely Picotendro, it’s a clone of Nebbiolo and as you can see from what I wrote above, it is so wonderfully fragrant. I am going to be so sad when this bottle ends. Adding one thing about the town (commune) of Arnad (which is a breathtakingly beautiful place). They have another gift to the world other than just their wine. Their piggies make the very special Vallée d’Aoste Lard d’Arnad DOP, which is the only lardo to have DOP status that they received in 1996. Local production has been documented to at least the 1500s, and they even have a yearly festival celebration in the last week of August called “Féhta dou lar”. Lardo, wine, cheese, and all sorts of dishes to chow down on…now that’s my type of party!

@docwineshop @docwinebar @lakiuva.arnad @ethicawines @lardarnadop @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #cheezit #Rosé #rose @worldbyglass #needmorewine #winestagram #instawine #Arnad #Italy #Picotendro #Nebbiolo #GrosVien #Neyret #ValledAosta #lakiuva #lardo

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A Howling Story of the Land

Ca’ Lojera
Lugana DOC 2019
100% Turbiana
Organic (just not certified) and hand harvested
Rovizza di Sirmione, Brescia, Italy
Owners and winemakers: Ambra and Franco Tiraboschi

Bright yellow with some green shimmer. Reminds me of the colors of my childhood bedroom. For those of you who know me, no, I did not have a goth bedroom. Beautiful scents of pears mixed with yellow apples, white peaches, honeysuckle, honeydew, a salty breeze, and wet granite. Sipping crisp and sweet pears, golden delicious apples, light peach paired with honeydew, and a small squeeze of lemon, maybe even just a wedge on the side of your glass. There’s also that salty bit again, a lick of that clean wet granite, and in the end there’s an oomph of dried sage, thyme and smoke that waves in and out

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Boom this becomes more exotic

Now this is a house with a heritage and local tales. Back in the 13th century, it was a summertime home for the Bishop of Verona, but the more interesting story is told by the locals. Once upon a time, it was a smugglers’ hangout that was guarded by wolves. Can you imagine the intrigue? So when Ambra and Franco decided to purchase the place, Ca’ Lojera (House of the Wolf) was the perfect name. From what I’m finding, they lucked out with these 30 to 40 year old vines and then fell into winemaking when they couldn’t find a buyer for the grapes. Well, seems like a perfect happy accident to me. They certainly have honed their craft over the years, and as they say on their site, “Every day we work to differentiate ourselves, be unique and innovative in our project of producing only wines that tell the story of our land.” Let that wolf keep on creating and belting out that new beautiful part of history for years to come!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @calojera @soilairselection @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #cheezit #whitewine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #winestagram #instawine #Lugana #Turbiana #Brescia #Italy #houseofthewolf #CaLojera

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Happy Cows Make Happy Wines

Meinklang
Roter Mulatschak
Österreich Red 2019
Zweigelt,  St. Laurent
Biodynamic (Demeter), organic, hand-harvested, and spontaneous fermentation
Burgenland, Austria
Winemaking and Farming Family: The Michlits

Before we even get started…chill this baby which looks like a cranberry plum cocktail. Scents of fresh raspberries, cranberries, cherry but also cherry twizzler, and forest floor funky goodness. This is going to be good. There’s the cranberry again with a zing tingle, cherrylicious, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, a twinge of orange, and some earth depth and pepper. It’s dry yet lively with tiny fireworks of fruit bouncing around.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Oddly not what I was expecting, it doesn’t change it at all. Pair it up y’all!

This is my second bottle of happiness from Meinklang. Last was Prosa 2019 which you can see in my post “A Little Slice of Heaven” which sums up where they live and grow their vines (located inside the gorgeous WHS of Neusiedlersee). As a farming family, their 3 sons grew up working the land and each one found their calling (from wine to tractors to animals/plants), and decided not to roam far from home. In fact, they expanded the farm so all the families have space and live in harmony together and with nature. And they have a lot of nature. There’s a whole pile of animals (cows, horses, pigs, sheep, a few chickens) and they are what fuels this whole operation. Yep, their poop is the fertilizer for the whole farm, hence the proud cow prancing on the label. And as it says on the back, “Cows are dancing, bulls are jumping, the lush pastures inhaling life. That’s <<Mulatschak>>, cheerful celebrations, joyful being.” I say raise a glass, and join in on the roaming or “moooving” party!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @meinklang_farm @zevrovineselections @cheezits #wine #vin #vino #redwine #cheezit @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Österreich #Burgenland #Austria #sustainable #biodynamic #happycows

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A Wine of Legacy and a Camel Named George

Folded Hills
Estate Lilly Rosé 2020
100% Grenache
Santa Ynez Valley
Biodynamic, organic, sustainable, native yeasts, and sheep in the vineyards
Santa Ynez, CA
Owners: Kim & Andrew Busch; Winemaker: Michael Brughelli; Vineyard Manager: Ruben Solorzano

Shimmering very light rose gold like my great, great, great (I lost count) grandmother’s ring passed down to me. Uncork and out flies grapefruit, yellow/red sweet plums, lemon, salty breeze, peach, yellow watermelons, and granite. Oh what a mouthful! My tastebuds are darting all over. There’s peaches, honeydew, yellow plums, lychee, pineapple, a squish of lemon to liven it up, salt, and chervil.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out cantaloupe. Just delightful

Andrew and Kim have a lot of pride and integrity in their small family owned, organic winery and farm. Always remembering Andrew’s dad’s words “making friends is our business”. As you can see on their site, there’s a kind and welcoming nature of this family with a long and famous Busch legacy. Their “Lilly” is a family name and honors not only the original Lilly Anheuser (who married Adolphus Busch) but also their 1st granddaughter. They also have an extended “farmily” which includes their Farmstead where you can pick up organic produce and local foods while checking out the roaming Kunekune pigs, goats, miniature donkeys, llamas, sheep, a rescue mini jersey cow named Peaches, a cute camel named George, Zazu the zebra, and Gus & Dolph their Budweiser Clydesdales. Seriously how cool is it that, they have a camel! Who wouldn’t want to stop here and become their friend.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @foldedhills @cheezits #wine #vin #vino #cheezit @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #Grenache #SantaYnez #California #Busch #Rosé #rose #camel #Budweiser #Anheuser #Lilly #Clydesdales

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Devotion to Pure Tradition

Illahe Vineyards
Estate Grüner Veltliner 2019
Willamette Valley
Sustainable, hand harvested, mature plants are dry farmed, family owned, certified salmon safe, and horse-powered vineyards
Dallas, OR
Owners, growers and pioneers: Lowell and Pauline Ford; Winemaker, owner and president: Brad Ford

Shimmering light gold. Super inviting scents of honey, crisp apple, a smidge of light allspice (light but pie worthy), firm pears, slate, and a whiff of cedar. Flavors like a pear apple pie with a honey graham crackers crust, some gooseberries, a smidge of a fresh green garden shoot, and pinch of white pepper. It’s a light and dancing and just darn good.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: well, it just stays refreshing and delicious

This truly is a full on family affair that started with an immigration from Russia to Canada and then finally Oregon. They strive to make handcrafted wines with great respect to the land, the water (and salmon) and tradition. Some of the wines don’t even have any electricity used during their creation. The majestic Percheron horses, Doc and Bea (now in retirement), deliver the grapes from the vineyard and mow between the vines. In the case of their 1899 Pinot Noir project, there’s even more. Brad had visited France and wanted to embrace the traditional ways, so he got the horses, made the harvest and winemaking all by hand and foot, including the bottling process. Yes even putting the wine in the casks and bottling, by sorting out a bicycle powered pump. Please watch the video. Then when it comes time for it to go to the distributor, it gets loaded on a mule driven stagecoach, then into canoes on the Independence River (3 day trek) and then the last 11 miles are on bicycle. That’s romantic devotion to pure tradition.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @illahevineyards @cheezits #wine #vin #vino #cheezit @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #GrünerVeltliner #GrunerVeltliner #pinotnoir #sustainable #biodynamic #WillametteValley #Oregon #Percheron