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From Vineyard To Your Glass

Vinica
Morgia Lafesta 2016
Terre degli Osci Rosso IGT
Tintilia 50%, Aglianico 50%
Ripalimosani, Molise, Italy
Organic, indigenous yeasts, dry farmed, green manure, hand picked, not filtered, & NO chemicals
Owner: Rodolfo Gianserra, Agronomist & winemaker: Pierluigi Cocchini, Company’s administrator: Giuseppe Tudino

Dark plum with a ruby rim. Breathing in plums, prunes, dried and fresh cherries, tiny pops of blueberry, a poof of that iron smell of a very rare bloody steak, and a faint scent of lilac. First sip and this is damn elegant and rustic in a good way and now “Leather and Lace” is stuck my head (at least it’s a well loved song). There’s cherries, that iron taste that makes you want to embrace the wild side, blackberries, dried cranberries, and an earthy depth that doesn’t take it all over but just enhances all the flavors. It’s a beautiful dance of the two grapes.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: ooh tasty love
Side note: Really really good with @milkbarstore Chocolate Birthday Truffle Crumb Cakes

For those of you that may have not seen my post from 3/15/21, let me introduce or reintroduce you to Vinica or VI.NI.CA. …established in 2007 by the above 3 guys, & the name came from Rodolfo’s 3 kids: Vittorio, Nicholas & Carola. I love all I’m reading about how they took abandoned land & created this beautiful pure farm/vineyard of 220 hectares (30 hectares for the vineyards, the rest are farm & woodland). They say the only ingredient they have added is healthy grapes. Well, I’m sure they aren’t thinking of the other ingredients of hard work & love. Also there’s more to love than just their grapes, olives, and all the vegetables on their farm. This family cares also about how the wine gets to you and what trace is left behind on this world. Instead of traditional corks, they have found 2 innovative ways to preserve their wines. For their white, rosé & oranges they use Stelvin screw caps, and their reds are protected with ArdeaSeal (evidently has links in it’s project stage to MIT). These final steps in the bottling process ensure their motto ”from the vineyard to your glass”. 🍷❤️

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #stevienicks #donhenley #winestagram #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Tintilia #Aglianico #agricolavinica #Molise #Italy @agricolavinica.it @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Glorious Confusion

Swick Wines
The Flood
American White Wine 2021
fbib.
33% Gewürztraminer, 33% Chardonnay, 22% Pinot Gris, 8% Auxerrois, 4% Riesling
Lacewing, Finnigan Hill, Zenith, & High Pass Vineyards | Columbia Gorge, Chehalem Mountains, Eola-Amity Hills, & Lower Long Tom AVAs
Washington/Oregon blend
Organic, unfined & unfiltered, skin contact, indigenous yeasts, skin contact
Bottled & produced Newborn, OR
Winemaker/Proprietor: Joe Swick

Hazy warm orange delight. Whoa this is fragrant! There’s so many different flowers from all over, sweet pears & apples, orange whiffs with blossoms, mango, pineapple, a little smoke & salt, and right there on the back there’s coconut. Every single scent is right there in the taste and a bit more of a citrus tang. It’s got a tropical cocktail feel with white pepper & salt. A glorious bit of confusion, and as it opens, it’s the orange wine gift that keeps on giving.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NOPE

Ok, who out there doesn’t love a good Swick. Every time you see that telltale label/font you know you’re going to have something delicious and even surprising at times like with this orange “Flood”. They say the name comes from the “Missoula Floods that shaped the Columbia Gorge and Willamette Valley 10 million years ago”, but in my mind it’s more of the flood or onrush of flavors and nose tickling scents that emerge from each pour. Oh and as it says on the back of the bottle “fbib.”, and sure enough, boy does it ever “bring it”. 🧡

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #naturalwine #orangewine #organic #washington #oregon  @swickjoe @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Intriguing Melody

Cascina I Carpini
Rosato Frizzante Pet Nat NV
Barbera
Organic, holistic, vegan
Pozzol Groppo, Piedmont, Italy
Founder/winemaker: Paolo Carlo Ghislandi

Late sunset warm red and orange electric with tiny bubbles. It’s like breathing in a glass of fun. There’s a squeeze of blood orange, salt rim, a touch of natural funk that merges to a mineral vibe with depth, and raspberries and strawberries grooving together with white pepper, and as it warms and grows  tiny rose blooms. Those strawberries and raspberries are still dancing but this time on my tongue joined with a little young gooseberry pucker & smidge of lemon spritz spark, and that white pepper pinch again. My lips are tingling from this crisp/vibrant party.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: bleh goes too tangy. Leave it solo.

It’s all about watching, listening, and waiting for Paolo Carlo Ghislandi. Before he even chose where he would establish his winery and vineyards he considered the perfect spot, the right grapes, how to get it to work together naturally, and let it guide the path to wine. His site details his vision & process (and boy is it well designed and beautifully written). Just read this little passage because anything I write will not do it justice to his creative eloquence. “In wine I always look for the fruitiness typical of the single grape varietal and the expression of the territory where is harvested. I imagine the must is the assembly of all the strings inside the grand piano case. Experimenting over the years, I noticed there is big difference in the sound output when the “must” is performed using selected yeast rather than indigenous yeasts. The indigenous yeasts, being heterogeneous and different from each other, are able to play from lower to higher tones with all semitones, providing a melody not immediately recognizable, but more complex and intriguing. And that’s why I choose to use only indigenous yeasts and spontaneous fermentations.” ✨

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #petnat #winestagram #instawine #Barbera #winemaking #pairswithcheezits #italy @icarpini @SkinContactWines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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So Easy To Love

Mad Med
Le Rouge 2021
Dry Red Wine
VDF
Grenache Noir 50%, Carignan 10%, Vermentino 40%
Organic (working on certification), native yeast, unfiltered
Provence, France
Grapes selected, vinified, aged & canned by Harry et Max

Please chill before popping this can. I know it’s sometimes hard to wait, but trust me it’ll be sooo good. Pomegranate cranberry stained glass. At first there’s a butter glazed whiff that fades. Scents then emerge of strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, cranberry, dark cherry, and yummy brioche. Sipping and here’s a cocktail of all those berries & cherry with a granite zing. It’s a fun bunch of juicy and dry all at the same time. Throw it in the cooler and crack it out on a mountain trail while checking out the turning leaves.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: refreshing and deeper

Ok Mad Med, once again you have really surprised me on how good a wine in a can, can be. This red & white grape blend (vin gris?) rocks my world. You make it so easy to love you, and so easy to take you anywhere…well, anywhere that is legal. Still awaiting word on if you’re related to my favorite “party pig” #bobsinglar  Also take note this can is kind of like the Tardis, and you may consume more wine than you realize, so beware of 🍷 goggles.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #vinnature #wineinacan #cannedwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #naturalwine #vermentino #grenache #carignan #organic #Provence #France #lamongestine #harryetmax #madmed @madmedcans @SkinContactWines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Nature’s Gifts

Domaine Marc Portaz
Tête de Cuvée 2020
Vin de Savoie ‘Apremont’
100% Jacquère
hand harvest, indigenous yeasts
Apremont, Savoie (AOC), France
Winemaker: Jean-Marc Portaz

Light golden shining beacon. Breathing in bit of lemon-lime creme pie and spritz, round flintiness as it opens, and a smidge of tarragon. Now onto the taste and there’s honeysuckle, lemon/lime spark and a bit of key lime, pear, a limestone lick, pinch of white pepper, and a little of that bit of tarragon again (hey its been in my csa box a lot lately so we’ve become close friends).

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: smoooooth

When I was a kid, during summer vacation from school, dad would pack up our station wagon and drive us across country and through Canada. He wanted me to see nature in all it’s beauty and power. I was fascinated by the glaciers we saw, their history, and what may be in and under them. Portaz’s vines in their ‘Apremont’  vineyards were born from an avalanche and the soil fed from what it left behind (debris from glaciers and limestone bits). Gives me a nostalgic warm feeling knowing I’m drinking a creation formed from that icy natural history that still fills my heart and brain with awe, and reminds me how grateful I am to have a father that cared enough to show me how beautiful and powerful nature can be.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #vindesavoie #winestagram #vinblanc #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #glacier #beautyinnature #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Jacquere #Apremont #Savoie #france #MarcPortaz #DomaineMarcPortaz @wilsondaniel @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Oh Those Dancing Bubbles

Bujonis
(produced and bottled by Bodegas Sumarroca)
Cava Brut
Parellada 41%. Xarel·lo 27%, Macaque 23%, Chardonnay 9%
Sustainable, estate bottled, family run
Subirats, Alt Penedès, Catalonia, Spain

Cool straw with bouncing bubbles. Smells crisp all around of apple, pineapple (smidge), and citrus blend, with wet granite, and a tiny crumb of buttery brioche. First sip and it is so ALIVE! Again crisp, green and red delicious apples that wake up your cheeks, a squeeze of lemon and zest, and a lick of mineral rocky seltzer. Just so bright and refreshing.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: pretty good. Kind of like how cheddar and apples meld

One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is to kick back with a glass of cava. In fact, it’s a ritual of mine in the evening. There’s just something about all those dancing bubbles of a good crisp pour that takes my mind well…on vacation. It gives me that same feeling as the first day we’ve set down in Spain and are about to start a new adventure. It’s the simple things that sometimes awaken the best memories. ✈️🥂❤️

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Cava #sparklingwine #brut #winestagram #vinblanc #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #AltPenedes #Penedes #catalunya #catalonia #Spain #bujonis @bsumarroca @vinoslibres @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Easy As A Beer

INT3GRAL3
Rosé Frizzante (Pet Nat)
Raboso, Marzemina, Corbinella, and Turchetta
Organic, indigenous grapes, hand picked
Indigenous grapes are from an area between Asolo and Valdobbiadene, Italy

Pinky orange rhubarb pale with dainty white bubbles. Breathing in bouncing strawberries, raspberries, and a cherry-vanilla creaminess (frosting). I can already tell this is going to be a splash of fun. Sipping cherrstrawraspberapplernilla cocktail with a little creme de cassis, salty seltzer, some fresh and oh so crisp tiny bit of rhubarb. This is a bottle to pop for your party.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Sharpens everything

When I saw this bottle I knew I was going to be in for a bit of fun, and from what I’m reading about the young team creating this beautiful bubbles so are they. Their story all started with a wonderment for natural wine and a love for craft beers. Their own words sum it all up, “We are young but we know what we want. We produce a good quality wine in a sustainable way. We respect our land, we respect life and the future generations. We will leave a better world after ourselves. We don’t stick to rules and we don’t perceive limits while producing our wines. We are convinced that wine should always be drinkable and pleasing for anyone, easy as a beer.” Now doesn’t that make you want to give them a try? Makes me want to head back to the store for another bottle. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #PétNat #petnat #Rosé #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Asolo #Valdobbiadene #Italy #organic #naturalwine @integrale.wine @brand_italia @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Tout Est Art

Château de Jau
Le Jaja de Jau
IGP Côtes de Gascogne
100% Sauvignon
Organic, HVE 3, beekeeping, & 2 of my fave ways to deter pests: “sexual confusion” & nesting boxes for birds & bats
Cases-de-Pène, France
Jean et Bernard Dauré & now Simon (Bernard’s son)

Shimmering starlight with a touch of super light green. Sniff and a friendly grapefruit waves hi, next up is a swirl of lemon, lime, and orange along with yellow plums, peaches, and a honeysuckle breeze. Sip and here’s that grapefruit again with lemons, limes, gooseberries (I only encountered them in person & fresh over the past 10 years and that was quite a surprise), a very green crisp apple bite with a bit of not overpowering peach and mango thrown in that all of a sudden you realize hey there’s bell pepper in here. Theres also a mineral lick of a rock. It’s bright and has me craving jamón croquettes.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nice but doesn’t rock my boat

Little did I expect this bottle to introduce me to such a long history (since 12th century) filled with monks, pirates, wine, and a silkworm farm. After an assortment of previous owners, Château de Jau is now a part of the Dauré family. They embraced everything about the property, what lives and grows there, and the creative spark that has been ignited within their walls. Actually, remember that silkworm farm…since the 70s they turned it into an exhibition space of some quite renowned contemporary artists and also workshops for budding ones. Even their “La Jaja de Jau” labels have the handiwork (literally) of Ben (Vautier). As his painting says, “Tout est art.” 🍷

Oh and side note, there is something about this artistically magical place that makes me think Wes Anderson.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #vinblanc #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #WesAnderson #accidentallywesanderson #art #Sauvignon #Sauvignonblanc #cotesdegascogne #france #benvautier @vinoviawinegroup @chateaudejau @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Graceful Composition

Georgas Family
Retsina of Mesogia
Black Label
100% Savatiano
Biodynamic, organic, hand harvested, unfined, unfiltered, skin contact & fresh local pine resin
Spata, Attica, Greece
Family winery in the hands of latest generation: Dimitris Georgas

Yellow gold that deepens over time. Tickling my nose upfront is citrusy (lemon, tangerine, valencia orange) pine, yellow roses, wafts of wintergreen, eucalyptus and a bit of Ricola. It totally clears your sinuses in a good refreshing way. All of the smells are in the taste and it really wakes up my mouth, and the citrus blend becomes more prevalent. It’s a unique and delightful glassful that is full of surprises, and right now I’m thinking there’s some smoked piggy this would match well with and heck even a hot pastrami on rye.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NO

Filled with tradition, the Georgas Family winery has been passed through the generations. The latest, Dimitris, originally followed another path with degrees in geology, oceanography, and environmental management, but returned after inheriting from his father. My guess is that his studies had a bit of influence on where their vineyards, wines, etc. are now with organic and biodynamic. So, the more good retsinas I try, I’m discovering they are at times fun & delightful and also can be structured & full of depth but always bursting with creativity. In this bottle it’s reverberates and vibrates like a Zoë Keating composition filled with passion and emotion. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram  #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #savatiano #Spata #Greece #Retsina #organic #biodynamic #zoekeating @georgas_family @eklektikon @docwineshop @cheezit

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Special Enough For A 2nd Look

Lectores Vini
Pomagrana Red 2021
100% Trepat
Conca de Barberà
Organic, hand harvested, native yeasts
Penedès, Cataluña, Spain
Winemakers/Owners: Fredi Torres & Marc Lecha

First and very important…chill this baby! Deep shining rose with blue pops. Creamy plush scent start that heads into raspberries, strawberries, pomegranates, cherries, and nice shake of white pepper. This is a lovely flavorful fruit cocktail of strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate, and a citrus splash of lemons & blood oranges. It’s juicy with a little granite/cement floor and shall I say flirty “you hoo, hey there!”…that makes me give a 2nd over the shoulder glance, turn around and go back for more. It’s just delicious, not too sweet/just the right fit, and easy drinking,

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it even more juicy

Well I got my wish…the 2nd Pomagrana. It’s a whole different beast (ok beast really isn’t the right word because it’s more of a glammy, fun beauty). Mr. Torres & Lecha bring their talent to the party again (see Artistic Expression By Bottle & Street), and also the design work of Goho Studios. The labels for the Red & Blanco gracefully guide you to the secrets that await, and I’m going to have mention Goho Estudio’s film “BCN Rise&Fall” again, because just like these wines, you’re going to want to revisit it again. I always love giving art/wines a 2nd gander to find something special I might have overlooked. Check it out, bc it’ll give you an insight on Barcelona’s street art history, the zines, shops for cans, the culture, the govt. that at times wipes it out and “penalizes genuine artistic expression”, and most of all the human side of it.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram  #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Xarello #Cataluña #Spain #Barcelona #streetart @SelectionsDeLaVina @gohoestudio @lectoresvini @docwineshop @cheezit