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No Cheez-Its For You

Club 44
Rosé 2025
Grenache & Syrah blend
Méditerranée IGP
Provence, France

Shining light pink salmon. Let it breathe a little or maybe more than a little post cork popping because there’s a lingering old burning fan belt about to snap smell. There’s grapefruit & tangerines, hibiscus, honeysuckle, and white peaches. Sip and there’s raspberries, strawberries, white cherries, white peaches, lemon/lime/tangelo splash, and a sprinkle of salty sea breeze. Ok, I can’t do this…if I want to be honest a lot of people will kick back this bottle and not have a second thought. Unfortunately, I can’t just turn off my brain. Something about that fan belt hanging around and then there’s a flavor that reminds me too much of Hello Kitty candy and an overwhelming pinkness that old school Barbie would embrace. So it’s a no for me, and don’t even bother cracking out the Cheez-Its. This wine is going to get very well acquainted with the kitchen sink.

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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Small Roots Branching Out

Casa Vinicola Botter
Tor del Colle
Pecorino 2025
Terre D`Abruzzo IGT
Organic
Headquarters: Fossalta di Piave, Veneto, Italy
Luca, Annalisa and Alessandro Botter (3rd gen)

Pale straw starlight. Breathing in pears, light tangerine, white peaches, apricots, and a pinch of a blend of fresh mint/basil/fennel. Everything I’m smelling is here with honeycomb, apples, grapefruit, green watermelon rind, a bit of walnut on the back, and those herbs are tingling a bit liveliness.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: most definitely

Casa Vinicola Botter started out with small roots in 1928 by Carlo & Maria Botter. They started as a small store selling wine in casks & demijohns (I love those bulbous beautiful bottles) and now they have grown into a Veneto based venture that’s keeping with the regions traditions & embracing the future while also branching out to further territories with their Toe del Colle line. Even with all this growth they are still family run, and they care about the imprint they leave on their lands, all that reside & grow in it, and also our planet. As it says on their importer’s site, “Their environmentally-friendly outlook can be seen in their efforts to minimize pollution, waste, and reliance on non-renewable energy across the production chain. This mission also inspired Casa Vinicola Botter to achieve their certified-organic status, which they have held since 2009”. I say bravo on their looking forward to pave a better life for the next generations, and also on this lovely Pecorino that helped me weather another hot NY night!

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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An Adventure Story

Lulumi
Rosé 2025
Pays d’Oc IGP
Natural wine
Languedoc, France
Carrie and Philippe Marchal

Blushing salmon sunrise. Sniffing and there’s strawberries, raspberries, touch of blueberries & gooseberry, cherries, mango, gentle papaya, pink grapefruit & tangelo but all easy going, and fresh spring mineral. All of the scents are there with a slight good buttery feel. It’s fresh, lovely, and oh so good. There’s just cut open watermelon & Jolly Ranchers, that citrus spark is still there but at first is an actor in the background that wanders it way toward center stage but then blends back into the crowd, smidge of sugar cane, and a lick of mineral river rock.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nope

Carrie & Philippe’s story started in the NY wine business. He was at Boulud’s “Daniel” and she was a wine rep. It’s warming my heart wondering how they realized that romantic spark had been lit. Anyway, they’re married and have two kids (girls), Lucienne and Emilie (nicknames are Lulu & Mimi) hence where they came up for the name of their wines. Now let’s backtrack to 2015, that’s when they left NY to go on their great adventure in France. They began their new life in a small town where they could just absorb and revel in the countryside, and their wines are all about that feeling. The beauty and freshness of the land, its people, the passing seasons, and all the new experiences coming their way. As they say on their site, “This story is about our adventure, and the comfort spending precious time with friends and family while sharing a meal and a bottle of wine. This is a love story, and the best love stories never end.” ❤️

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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Hard Work + Passion = A Happy Successful Life

Pascal Janvier
Coteaux Du Loire Blanc 2023
Chenin Blanc
Farming: Lutte Raisonnée, hand harvested, native yeast
Loire, France
Pascal &  Dominique Janvier 

Light gold/straw twinkling starlight. Breathing in green apples & pears, mango, guava, pinch of cloves, a little jasmine & wisteria, and a lemony citrus blend. Everything I’m smelling is in the taste with a zippy citrus spark, apples are more round, a little grass in the back side that shyly comes out & waves hi & blends into the background again. The guava smidge of musk is joined by I think musk melon that rears it’s head once in a while. It’s bright with also a backbone and a strong sense of where it was born.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: definitely

I love reading how people find their wine path. Pascal’s parents did own land with vineyards but making wine wasn’t their thing. He also ended up in school to be a butcher but then something happened and I would love to know what because he changed his mind at 30 to head off and study the whole wine growing/making package. It took a ton of hard work & dedication to get to where they are now with 66 parcels (over 9 ha).  Now he and his wife Dominique are growing & making some of the best dry Chenin Blanc in the world. They are just another wonderful example that if you follow your passion with all your heart, you can create a happy successful life. ❤️

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A Portable Pup

Hamlet Hound
Bourbon and Cola
Small batch NY whiskey, honey, molasses, cola nut, and more
15% ABV
Copake, NY

Golden almost amber pour and at first bubbles that disappear. Sniffing and there’s cola, honey, molasses, pinch of holiday spice, and a little citrus zest. All of the scents are there in the sip with a little lavender, a bubble tingle, and maybe a little coconut that fades. It’s smooth, relaxing, and perfect for kicking back & chilling.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: absolutely NO

As many of you know, I love a good cocktail I can just toss in my bag and have on the go or in this case sip at home while watching the world go by or lately 🔥. Anyway, I was delightfully surprised to discover this little yet powerful pup (15% ABV) was concocted by Christy Frank. You’ve probably read one of her articles on Seven Fifty Daily (or elsewhere). She also has decades of wine & spirits experience working for Moët Hennessy USA (7 years), owned Frankly Wines before selling in 2017, became a founder of Copake Wine Works, a DipWSET, on tasting boards, a Bâtonnage mentor (“stirring up the conversation on women in wine”), and a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier…in other words she’s a wine/vine/spirit whirlwind. Hamlet Hound is another feather in her cap, and one of my favorite parts about her cocktails there’s absolutely no corn syrup in anything. 🥃

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Sun-kissed Glass of Joy

Maison Idiart
Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Sancerre AOP
Sancerre, France
Winemaker & founder: Nicolas Idiart

Light straw yellow with a touch of gold. There’s nose tickling grapefruit, Valencia orange, lemon, & a citrus blend with zest & all, orange blossoms, light spring flowers, and fresh cut grass with just cut & stripped apple branches. All of the scents are in the sip with a bigger spark of everything, parsley, smidge of fresh picked oregano, tangelo, good lick of lime, gooseberries, and a shake of salt.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

This is now my 3rd bottle by Maison Idiart. 1st was the Pinot Noir 2022, which was quite a delight and a wonderful introduction to Nicolas’ achievements, his “modern day wine company” that works with select natural growers whose grapes sing from where they are born, and passion for reducing carbon footprints with their “keg wines”. Albeit this is not a wine on tap, but it’s a bottled burst of Spring sliding into Summer that is a sun-kissed splash of joy that I need right now. While sipping a glass, I can almost hear a dawn chorus of migrating birds twittering & warbling away! 🪺

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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“Social Solidarity”

Vite Colte
La Luna e i Falò 2022
Barbera d’Asti DOCG Superiore
Vineyards at least 15 years old, low yields, hand harvested, integrated or organic viticulture
Barolo (CN), Italy

Deep ruby/maroon with lightened edges. Breathing in cherry, touch of vanilla, raspberries, strawberries, violets, anise/licorice, and red currants emerge over time. Tickling my tongue are all sorts of cherries, pinch of vanilla, brambly blackberries, licorice, raspberries, strawberries, black currants, and cranberry. It’s a tingle tangle of dry even with all the fruit, and it’s wild and elegant at the same time.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: so darn good

Vite Colte is not only known for their wines but also the design of their winery. Gianni Arnaudo’s award winning architectural creation embraces modern styles along with incorporating itself into its surroundings. As Arnaudo says “Vote Colte is a cultural message in its own right, visually summarizing the many transformations carried out in the Barolo area to ensure that production takes place in a way that is environmentally sustainable.” The winegrowers included in this group must adhere to either Integrated defense (sustainable) or organic viticulture. Beyond the vines they also use lighter weight bottles (helps lower their carbon footprint), recycled paper (office & packaging), 20% of their electricity comes from renewable energy, and native trees are planted in. “green areas” to encourage & protect biodiversity. Another part that is very important in this band of growers, friends & partners is their “social solidarity”. They also very importantly work together for sustainable incomes “small family farms that make up the productive and cultural fabric of Piedmont’s viticulture, those who manage and protect the agricultural landscape” which makes this group one intertwined large family. ❤️🍷

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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A Little Art History

Azienda Agricola Orneta
Centovie 2022
Irpinia DOC
100% Aglianico
Sustainable Agriculture
Ariano Irpino AV, Italy

Deep ruby with shiny glints. Inhaling cherry, plum, light creaminess/vanilla, dried autumn leaves; and as it opens there’s blueberries, blackberries, fresh cut clover, and a smidge of diesel that fades. Sipping and there’s cherries (skins, pits & all), blueberries, raspberries, plums, blackberries, and very ripe strawberries. Even with all this fruit, there’s a dryness & it’s so elegant, and reminds me of days past sitting outside at an in my old favorite haunt just relishing the the sun on my face, conversations with good friends, and passing around appetizers that warm my belly & heart.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: pretty darn good

Orneta dates back to 2013, and is the combined work of 3 families: Pannese, Pizzano, and Cerullo. Their current generation is upholding their grandparents traditions along with a touch of modern times. Speaking of traditions, this wine & its label have led me to another special part of their town Ariano Irpino. They have a long history in ceramics dating back centuries. There’s even a red banded jug (dates to 7-8th c.) found in the Ariano’s castle in 1929, that is now housed in their Museo Civico e della Ceramica. During the 13th-16th centuries plates, flasks, jugs, amphorae, oil lamps, etc became more adorned in plant & geometric designs and also more vibrant colors (cobalt blue, copper green, manganese brown and a little yellow & iron red). By the 17th century the designs, vessels & sculptural objects go even more radiant and detailed. In the 18th & 19th c. the clay works become full throttle over the top with hidden flasks & chalices in the shape of mermaids, sphinx, fish, etc. There’s also lively & spirited centerpieces & salt cellars with polychrome floral decorations & cherubs, tile work, communal serving plates, religious panels, and personal holy water holders. There are no words that I type that can do them justice so take a look at their page @museoceramicaariano. Some of these works might just take your breath away.

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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When In France…

When In France…
Wandering Barman
White Negroni
Gin, house made blanco vermouth, blanco amaro liqueur, juniper, & water
23% ABV
Brooklyn, NY

Super pale yellow haze. Breathing in pine needles (gin), golden pears & apples, starfruit, cinnamon (holiday vibe) & alpine herbs, fresh mineral water from a spring, white pepper and a pinch of salt. All of the scents are in the sip with that good amaro bite, and a little bit of pine wood.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

This cocktail got my curiosity up, so I decided to take myself down a very short rabbit hole. “Punch” had the best summation of this drink’s history. Turns out it was created out of a craving for an “ice cold Negroni”. Nick Blacknell & Wayne Collins were in France for a wine & spirits exhibition along with a cocktail competition. While readying themselves for the next day’s event, the warm weather had them bar hopping looking for the elusive Negroni. After failing on their quest, they decided to make them and headed to the local market only to find not all of the ingredients were available. This sparked the lightbulb moment of while in France why not use their counterparts. Lillet Blanc replaced the usual sweet vermouth and Suze in lieu of Campari. They already had gin and to give it all one more treat they added a wedge of pink grapefruit to the mix. Now after all these years of mixology, Wandering Barman’s portable Brooklyn spin on this drink has me totally crushing on this delicious cocktail.

#wine #cocktails #cocktailsofinstagram #spirits #negroni

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Preserving History To Make A Better Future

Bodegas Faustino
Cava Brut NV
D.O. Cava Guarda
Macabeo (mostly) & Chardonnay
Sustainable Wineries for Climate Protection (SWfCP)
Oyón (Álava), Spain
Current generation of the Martinez Family: Carmen Martínez Zabala & Lourdes Martínez Zabala

Golden shimmer with very active bubbles. After a few sniffs there’s apples, pears, touch of brioche, fresh from the beehive honey & wax but not overly sweet, cantaloupe, honeydew, and ripe cucumbers. Tasting crisp apples & pears, honeydew, green watermelon rind, splash of lemon, that honey again (not too sweet but just right), a bubbly sizzle, lick of salt, and a delightful longing for how it will grow & bloom over time.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: definitely and bring on a seafood tower too

Bodegas Faustino has over 160 years history in wine, and they were also the 1st winery in Rioja to be certified SWfCP, which is something everyone should be thinking about with how climate change is affecting our world. This designation includes the sustainability of the environment (greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, water & waste management, biodiversity, and healthy soil), sustainable management (proper communication and ethical behavior), ability to change & evolve to benefit the industry, being socially conscious and care about their employees & working partners, make sure their products and work environments are safe, and a part that I am always happy to see…holding onto and preserving traditions & culture, and their lands. When we all put our minds to a similar way of thinking we not only preserve history, but also look forward to a better future. 🥂

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine