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Fossil Fueled Wine

Weingut Stephan Steinmetz
Elbling 2020
Sustainable, hand-harvested, and working in rhythm with nature
Mosel, Germany
Winemaker: Stephan Steinmetz

Shining shimmering starlight with a little hints of green interplanetary life. Breathing in a valley breeze of crisp apples and pears, a squeeze of peach, a little fresh melon, lemon wafts, smoke, and lovely salt. Fresh summer sipping much in line with the sniff. Crunchy apples and pears, and a good shake of salty mineral, light peach, lemon spritz, and a teeny tiny leaf of parsley. 

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Fresh and elegant

Ooh Elbling you are such a youthful ancient grape! I can just see the Romans partying with you. All your very fresh and salt goodness fed by Obermosel’s fossil/shell rich fields and the natural care of the Steinmetz family. They do as much as possible by hand, and dwarf sheep live and tend to the vineyard (not sure if they are in the entire vineyard or just the grapes for the “Unkultiviert”). Honestly they are so ruggedly wooly cute! BTW back in December 2020, they had a wine & wool pairing through their wine retailer Frau Hauptmann and Zwei Rechts wool shop. It may not be from the vineyard dwarves, but it is merino, and I can raise a glass to that.

#wine #wein #vin #vino #whitewine #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Elbling #sheep #winelife #Mosel #Germany #cheezit #worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #weingutstephansteinmetz #stephansteinmetz #sussexwinemerchants @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezits

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Roses, Satin, and Romantic Notions

Forti del Vento
AltoFhrà 2018
100% Dolcetto
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested, and native yeasts
Ovada, Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy
Owners and winemakers: Tomaso Armento, Marco and Manuela Tacchino

Light red and somewhat plummy. Fragrances of cherries, cranberry, raspberries, a dozen roses, lilacs, and some natural forest funk that runs out the door. First sip and there’s a little exciting tingle on my tongue. Next are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and all so deliciously juicy. Also a tangy spark in the very back of my mouth. Smooth easy sipping…like relaxing back on a satin pillow.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Ack! No!

Their name alone conjure up dreams of castles, period dramas, and winds fleeting over the hills of Castelletto D’Orba (as I’ve said before, I’m a hopeless romantic). Guess that’s why I love the stories of the young taking on the mantle of the old and recreating their inherited land (from their grandparents) and winemaking skills into natural, organic, bio, and have been proudly accepted as a member of Vinnatur. They (Tomaso, Marco and Manuela) have such high standards and most importantly respect for their part of the world, and have a very important rule of their cellar, “Do not remove or add anything to the wine, so it can be the expression of the vineyard.” Sounds simple, but it takes a lot of patience, knowledge, practice, and of course the best ingredient…love.

#wine #winelover #vino #vin #organicwine #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #dolcetto #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Piemonte #Italy @fortidelvento @docwineshop @docwinebar @steephillwine @antosicurezza @cheezits

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A Polished and Spirited Youth

Gioventù
Falanghina ‘Orange’ 2020
Organic, unfined and unfiltered
Grapes from Campania, Italy
Winemaker: Michael Schmelzer

Warm golden sunrise with an orange streak creeping in. Sniffing Golden Delicious apples (my childhood fave from the orchard), fresh apricots, honeysuckle, a little dancing lemons, some anise, grass, a sprig of hay, and a crumble of a lemon cookie. Sipping and there’s pears, apples, and again fresh apricots, lemons, mandarins, a shake of salt, here comes a little grass, and a smidge of that anise seed again, but really just a smidge and a sprinkle of baking spice.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: it’s elegant and really works. Mellow fruit

A Italian, a Michiganian, and a German walk into a bar…well, that’s all rolled up into one man, Michael Schmelzer. His dad’s job kept him on the go. Born in Italy, grew up in Michigan suburbia, finished high school in Germany and then kept on moving through culinary education in Paris & London to later learning the ropes of winemaking in Australia. Luckily his parents wanted to find a place to retire, have their children near and working with them. Buying Monte Bernardi (long wine heritage) brought that dream to reality. Now with a successful winery, Michael also has another creative outlet in his Gioventù wines. As the name says, he has bottled this essence of “youth” that shines in this orange Falanghina, but this spirited youngun’ has finesse, polish, character, and one more surprise too…it’s not going to break the bank, so pick up two! One sip and you’ll thank me later for that nudge.

#wine #vin #vino #italianwine #orangewine #organicwine #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winelife #cheezit #worldbyglass #organic #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #falanghina #MonteBernardi #Gioventù #Campania #Italy @docwineshop @docwinebar @tedward_ws @cheezits

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Immortalized Affection

Famille Sumeire
Château Coussin
L’Orangé
Vin de Macération
100% Ugni Blanc
Sustainable agriculture
Trets, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
Winemaking siblings: Olivier and Sophie Sumeire

Color shining shimmering golden orange. That orange keeps on coming with scents of orange and other citrus blossoms, and after a while Orange Julius hence my I’m getting a hint of vanilla. Next are tangerines, mandarins, salt, with a familiar green smell of just whittled branches or fresh buds pre bloom, and at last a tiny smidge of anise. That was delightful! Sipping tangerines, mandarins, and of all things a pinch of those Valentine’s Day “Conversation Hearts”. That was a surprise that faded and then enters pears, crab apples, and grass. It’s just darn fresh and lovely and I would say very picnic friendly. Yeah, get outside, spread that blanket and relax back and stare up at the tree branches with that clean blue sky peaking through.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nice and friendly and weirdly snuggly.

Château Coussin (one of Famille Sumeire’s 3 estates) and has a splendid view of Monte Sainte-Victoire. Maybe this is a better place for a picnic…I can see why Cézanne captured these landscapes time and time again. Another famous artist, César Baldaccini, known for his compression sculptures and being one of the Nouveau Réalisme pack (side note: I used to work for one of his contemporaries and that movement was truly revolutionary) was also affiliated with the area and  a family friend of the Sumeire’s. In 1987, as a symbol of affection for the family, he designed a special wine case from their labels, and part of that art now graces two of their wines (rosé & red) immortalizing his name and signature. As we all know, wine and art are a perfect pairing.

#wine #vin #frenchwine #Provence #France #winelife #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #UgniBlanc #Cézanne #Cezanne #cesarbaldaccini #nouveaurealisme @docwineshop @docwinebar @famillesumeire @cheezits

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A True Treasure

Galgo Wines
Uva Attack Airén Ancestral 2020
Pét-Nat
100% Airén
Organic (certified since 1998), dry farmed, hand harvested, vegan, unfined, and unfiltered
Alcázar de San Juan (Ciuded Real), Castilla La Mancha, Spain
Partners in wine: Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos and Jesús Sánchez-Mateos Campo/Bodega La Tercia

Golden yellow shining pour with lots of teeny bubbles and some crunchy natural bits. Right after popping the crown cap vanilla hits me in the nose then gently hangs out with fennel fronds, cream or better yet Oreo centers, light coconut, and some floral funk fun. Tasting a mishmash of bright citrus and lemon rind, a vanilla touch that rounds out to lemon cream soda, and then a smidge of grassy goodness. Bright, fresh and beautiful and makes your tastebuds go kaboom!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: even more crisp and apples and sharp, but it loses a lot of the grape’s beauty.

As I’ve said in a previous post, Sanchez-Mateos has the best job in the world! Owning Galgo Wines gives him the opportunity to travel, meet interesting souls that have the same love of wine, and when everything is just right and in synch, he can team up with the perfect match for each new project. Uva Attack Airén Ancestral pairs Ezequiel with Bodega La Tercia and their 80+ year old Airén vines (some pre phylloxera). Oh these are a treasure! The grapes are treated with kid gloves and carefully selected (they’re even double sorted in the cellar) so only the best ends up in your glass. They’re a gift or as it says on Galgo’s site, “Child of the earth, the best wine is not necessarily the most expensive, but the one that is shared.” Pass one on to the one you love.

#PétNat #petnat #uva #wine #vino #vin #organicwine #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #CastillaLaMancha #Spain #Airén #Airen #GalgoWines #BodegaLaTercia #ReservaYCata @docwineshop @docwinebar @steephillwine @antosicurezza @cheezits

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Peace, Harmony, and Panxu

Celler Tuets
Conscious Wine
Tot Rosé 2019
Parellada, Macabeo, Grenache Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Muscat of Alexandria, Tempranillo, and Syrah
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested
Tarragona, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain
Winemaker: Albert Domingo Navarro

Reddish orange dark rosé. At first, scents of forest floor natural funk that turns into woodland flowers and mossy earth, tangy cherry, oranges, plums, and a small grind of mace. Linger a while and a smidge of caramel comes out in the end. Sipping raspberries, blackberries, cherries and cherry jolly ranchers. Hmmm…Jolly ranchers. Why are they so good and memorable? Also blueberries, strawberries, that head into a dried cherry bite. Just the right amount of fruit sweet with the right balance of funk/hay…delicious.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Ugh NO

My first glance at Albert and I thought of guys I knew in Athens, GA back when I was in college. Shouldn’t judge by looks, and assume someone is super crunchy natural, but yeah, from what I’m reading he is and also at peace or in synch with nature and understands how it comes through in his wines. His creations are “Conscious Wines”, and they’re happy, joyous, and honest. Each grape of Tot Rosé lives in their own little individual home or “little piece of land” until that special singular day when they are all hand harvested so they can commingle in stainless. On their own each grape could tell the tale of their sweet plot, but together they bring you a tapestry-like novel that tells you the journey “from the vine to the bottle”. Side note: I am totally fascinated by Albert’s buddy, Panxu who is an enormous pig that looks like a gentle giant. There’s a great video of them taking a Sunday stroll on IG https://www.instagram.com/p/CAUnT2NpbJr/ Seriously adorable!

#wine #Rosé #rose #rosado #ConsciousWine #naturalwine #winelife #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #fruitofthevines #Spain #organic @docwineshop @docwinebar @celler.tuets @worldbyglass

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Party Pig!

La Mongestine
Bob Singlar 2020
Vin de France
Merlot 40%, Marselan 10%, Pinot Noir 40%, Roussanne 10%
Organic, minimal intervention, & on its way to biodynamic
Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, France
Owners: Harry and Celine Gozlan
Winemaker: Maxime Gamard

Color shining cran-raspberry lollipop. It’s a light red masquerading as a rosé so give it a little chill. Take a little sniff and there’s raspberries, strawberries, dark plums, cherries, and a little natural funk wiggling there in the air and if you give it a time out…poof it’s gone. (Also if you wait a loooong time there is a whiff of hazelnut.) Tip and sip and absolutely freaking delicious! There’s raspberry, strawberry, boysenberry (giving that little tart spark). It’s fresh and light but this young little piggy has some depth and wonderment. Ok piggy doesn’t really fit, Bob is a wild boar, and from the looks and the glouglou…he’s a party animal. Dare I say, I could see him cheering on a rugby match.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: just makes it more fruity

Harry and Celine Gozlan took on Domaine de la Mongestine in 2017, but the land has a very long history (you can still find artifacts like pottery, etc in the earth) and had at one point been pretty much abandoned. They lucked out though because it was replanted in 2001, and certified organic in 2014. Another plus is they have a fabulous winemaking team that keeps it natural. If you want to see what they’re doing behind the scenes, you can even do a workshop to find out more about the whole organic process from vineyard to cellar, which I think would be a whole lot of enlightening fun. You’ll respect that bottle in your hand even more.

#frenchwine #wine #vin #VindeFrance #organicwine #skincontact #Provence #France #bobsinglar #winelife #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Merlot #Marselan #PinotNoir #Roussanne @docwineshop @docwinebar @lamongestine @SkinContactWines @cheezits

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Toe Tapping Tuba

Teutonic Wine Company
Jazz Odyssey 2020
Riesling and Gewürztraminer
Produced and bottled: Portland, Oregon
Winemaking couple: Barnaby and Olga Tuttle

Pale yellow-green like the crayon but lighter. The closer it gets to my nose, out comes magnolias, peaches, pear, apple, a lemon/lime mix, and a cooling freshness of our old springhouse. Lovely bright blend dancing on my tongue. Pears, apples and peaches mingling with honey and honeycomb, peat, and tang of a lemon sliver on the side.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out even more honey

Teutonic came about by Barnaby falling in love with how diverse German rieslings can be and later a friend saying they could plant grape vines on her farm. Oh, and Olga telling him which credit card was ok to use to buy the vines. Now they still grow their own but also source from other vineyards (Willamette Valley) but only ones that are dry farmed and preferably vines that are 20 years or older. It’s a passion and a lot of hard work, and their wines really shine. Jazz Odyssey is a bottle of fun happy dancing joy, like Old Fish Jazz Band’s toe tapping live performance of “Doctor Jazz”. Check it out and crank that tuba loud!

#wine #oregonwine #naturalwine #winelife #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #tuba #cheezit #OldFishJazzBand #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Riesling #Gewürztraminer #Gewurztraminer #Portland #Oregon #WillametteValley @docwineshop @docwinebar @teutonicwines

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Giving Your All, and Getting It Back

Ampeleia
Bianco di Ampeleia 2019
Toscana Bianco IGT
Trebbiano, Ansonica, and Malvasia Bianca
Biodynamic, organic
Roccatederighi, Maremma, Toscana, Italy
Original founders: Elisabetta Foradori, and her friends Giovanni Podini and Thomas Widmann
Winemaker and company manager: Marco Tait
And there’s a different sort of family behind the scenes

Warm orange golden “morning is breaking” sunlight. Easy breezy scents of oranges and orange blossoms, apples, and a little toasted brioche with a pinch of ginger. Once it touches your lips, here comes orange/lemony/tangerine zest, apples and crabapples, pears, a hint of allspice and a lick of limestone. Very vibrant and alive and a joyful moment frozen in time…or should I say I wish I was frozen. Seriously this summer heat is killing me.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: just makes it a little more tart, so I could go either way

It’s a field blend party where Trebbiano, Ansonica, and Malvasia Bianca get to hang out and in the vineyard together and then be co-harvested and co-fermented. It’s a new blended family, much like Ampeleia, only the grapes didn’t get to chose their new kin. Marco Tait already had his birth family before being invited to Ampeleia by Elisabetta Foradori to join a new type that he got to pick. For around the past 20 years, Marco and his now chosen wine family have all grown together and added new people, animals, farming choices, and experiences. Having Roccatederighi as home must be such a beautiful feeling. I’ll end with a quote from Marco, “I am giving my all to Ampeleia, but she is giving me back even more.”

#italianwine #organicwine #skincontact #tuscany #Italy #ampeleia #winelife #wine #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Trebbiano #Ansonica #Malvasia #Roccatederighi #Maremma #Toscana @docwineshop @docwinebar @ampeleia @bowlerwine @cheezits

 

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A Dreamy Grape and Homemade Pie!

Kalogris Organic Winery
Mister Helios 2019
Moschofilero 100%
PGI Arcadia
Organic, wild yeasts, minimal intervention in cellar, no filtration or fining
Mantinia, Peloponnese, Greece
Winemaker: Evangelos Kalogris

Pale twinkling starlight gold. Gentle fragrances of peaches, grapefruit that turns into mellow lemon, honeysuckle, and whisk me away sea breeze salt. A sip and a swish and here come peaches, pears, and a not heavy honey, lemon, some tangerine, and a good shake of salt that keeps it all so balanced and fresh. You could drink this one all day and graze on a beautiful seafood tower like I’ve been craving during the whole lockdown. Oh for the love of langoustine, this is lovely!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Nope, nope, absolutely not. It kills this enchanting beauty

What would you do if your grandfather handed over the family house and land with strings attached? You’d follow the family dream like Evangelos Kalogris and revitalize the 1870s home, nourish an organic vineyard/winery and make it a beautiful place for guests to visit and learn its past and it’s natural present. Oh and to boot, Evangelos is right smack in the land of the Moschofilero grape (🍇 which is ever so elegant and dreamy). What could be better? Well, also having your family work by your side…that makes it even more heartwarming and special. Oh now I’m seeing one more perk, they have homemade pie! As some of you know, I❤️🥧!!!

@docwineshop @docwinebar @kalogris_organic_winery @Eklektikon @cheezits #winelovers #pairswithcheezits  #wine #vino #vin #whitewine #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Moschofilero #Mantinia #Peloponnese #Greece #pie #🥧