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Whole Lotta Love

Stolpman Vineyards
Love You Bunches 2020
Sangiovese
Natural, dry farming, carbonic maceration
Ballard Canyon, Santa Barbara County, CA
Owners: Pete & Jessica Stolpman and family
Vignerons: Ruben & Maria Solorzano 
Winemakers: Kyle Knapp & Matt Nocas

“You need cooling. Baby I’m not foolin” Bright maroon-plummy-rose glass. Breathing plums, cherry, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries with a funky depth in the back. Loving it! A sip and then a gulp of fabulous! There’s bright cherry (tart and sweet), dinosaur plums, raspberries, blackberries, pomegranates, and (don’t laugh at me) a little SweeTarts and a handful of Skittles. It’s juicy, tart, and smooth  at the same time. A crisp and crunchy party in my mouth.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: surprisingly lovely

One sip and you’ll know why the back label has “So Fresh” emblazoned on it. Whole beautiful uncrushed sangiovese bunches are left to ferment in stainless, and yes, I do love those bunches! It’s like a first kiss stolen. This is one of those wines you put on a flower wreath on your head and chase each other around and end up in a sweaty mess…or as Led Zeppelin said, Whole Lotta Love!

#wine #winelover #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #Sangiovese #pairswithcheezits #chilledwine #winetasting #winestagram #California #SantaBarbara #BallardCanyon #stolpmanvineyards #ledzeppelin #wholelottalove @docwineshop @docwinebar @stolpmanvineyards @cheezit

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Sunshine on a Rainy Day

Domaine Bertrand et Axelle Machard de Gramont
Bourgogne Aligoté “Le Chêne du Court” 2017
AOC
100% Aligoté
Organic, hand harvested
Nuits-St. Georges, France
Winemaker: Axelle Machard

Pale glistening gold. Fragrances of apples, peach, smoke, light tangerine, and wet rock or limestone. As the glass and I are both sweating due to the evening…rolling this around in my mouth and there’s fresh apple, pear, light peach, salt, a lemon lime swirl ting of tart, and something herby but I can’t quite place which. I should have my Penzeys’ card revoked. It’s just so crisp, refreshing, elegant and so welcome. Henri is knocking on the door and this glass brightens this rainy grey day. Unfortunately it has me craving mussels and super salty frites which I have neither, and am not about to make a delivery driver come out in this  rough weather.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: delicious and sweeter

Coming from a distinct wine lineage, Axelle, Bertrand’s daughter is at the helm of Domaine Bertrand et Axelle Machard de Gramont, and is who brought it into organic certification. I’m glad she came back from a 15 year stint in Paris to rejoin her father in wine. Her parcel of Aligoté is pretty darn special residing behind the Abbaye de Saint-Vivant which is now a historic site and had been going through restoration when a discovery took place. I got pretty intrigued about the Abbey and with some really bad Google Translate of different papers and posts, I found that a bottle was unearthed from under debris and a slab near the apse and altar. It could date back to 1772 or possibly 1810-60 and it was opened and tasted in 2011. I would love to know how that turned out, and I’m sure one of you probably knows.

#wine #winelover #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #Aligoté #Aligote #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #France #Bourgogne #burgundy #axellemacharddegramont @axellemacharddegramont @docwineshop @docwinebar @apwineimports @cheezits

 

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Raised Environmentally Ethical

Matthiasson Family
Tendu 2019
Cortese
Organic, sustainable, vegan
Sourced from: Lost Slough Vineyard, Clarksburg, Yolo County, CA
Winemakers & Farmers: Steve and Jill Klein Matthiasson

Delightfully dancing pale yellow green. Sniffing musky melon, lime, tangelo, kumquat, nectarine, and salty rock. Ooh that was lovely! Sipping lime and lemon, just a super tiny bit of fresh honeycomb, light white donut peaches, and surprise! a hint of coconut, and a lick of a river rock. Everything just smoothly balances and begs for shrimp tacos and some spicy guacamole.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: doesn’t do a lot, so I vote no.

Steve & Jill Matthiasson didn’t inherit a vineyard or any of the often told tales, but they both had a love and destiny in sustainable farming in common, oh and also UC Davis. From what I’m reading, Steve’s journey got a kickstart as a kid in Canada being sent to his cousin’s, who had a wheat farm; and later in Arizona going to a school where the kids mingled with farm animals and had their hands in gardening. Who wouldn’t grow up in love with nature and respect for the critters that inhabit it with an education like that? So now with their vineyards and also ones they source from (such as grapes for their Tendu wines), everything is all about organic, sustainability, reducing carbon footprint, and considering their feathered and furred neighbors; yet it goes further than that…they consider everything they do, grow, etc. and their impact on the environment not only just locally but globally. If only everyone could think forward like them, maybe we could start digging our way out of our climate change mess.

#wine #Tendu #winelover #vino #vin #organicwine #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #Clarksburg #Napa #California #Cortese @tenduwine @matthiasson_wine @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezits

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Perfume of Adventure

Vinos Malaparte
Pico Lunar Amphora
Tempranillo
Natural farming, no pesticides or herbicides, indigenous yeasts & spontaneous fermentation, aged 8 months in amphorae
Cuéllar, Segovia, Spain
Winemaking family: Mariano de Frutos, Elisa de Frutos, Ruben Salamanca

Deep purple tapestry with a ruby rim. Holding the glass up and a puff of buttery caramel that floats out and then morphs into cherries, biscotti, raisins, cola, forest fronds, and a little of the green fairy. Alcohol alert…you have been warned because it will go into hiding as a spicy dried fruit but this is 14.1%, yet it’s soooo smooth. First splash on my tongue and there’s plums, cherry and dried cherries jammy, raisins, hay (that fades), sage/thyme bouquet garni, smoke, and after a bit more breathing time it is so smooth once again. BTW this wine will make you tipsy before you know it, so beware of wine goggles. You might fall in love with more than this wine, and sometimes…well you know, it can spell trouble, oh and don’t go shopping online while drinking…you might end up with a pair of 1976 roller skates…trust me.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: FAB! Love them

My 1st Malaparte wine was their Dindi Blanco which I loved and this one brings on that same feeling but is such a different deep lush creature. The taste and smell of their natural land and all that grows and nourishes their vines just shine in their wines. I love this quote from their site, “When you walk through the vineyard, in a second, you bring clothes caught on forever perfume of adventure. The scent of thyme, lavender, rosemary, odor open field, later, hunting and feathers. And how many of those scents we are in the wine after a spring and summer of coexistence with pines, lavenders, sage, thyme, rock roses and evergreens.” Ah, it’s a celebration of Tempranillo and their part of Segovia in a beautiful bottle.

#wine #winelover #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #Tempranillo #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Segovia #Spain @malapartewine @docwineshop @docwinebar @steephillwine @antosicurezza @cheezits

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Wine Saves the World

Bodegas Neleman
Nucli 2020
Macabeo 70%, Sauvignon Blanc 30%
Organic, vegan, dry farmed, and a nifty stopper
Casas del Rey, Valencia, Spain
Founder: Derrick Neleman
Winemaker: Diego Fernández Pons

Warm inviting gold glassful. Breathing in a swirl of honeysuckle and peach swirl, pear, hint of smoke and a little salty, and a smidge of tangerine in the back. Sipping and here come those peaches again but this time joined with lychee, lime, and a tiny grapefruit squirt. It’s all followed with white pepper and some fresh cut grass. So crisp and fresh and makes me feel like I’m back in Spain sipping outside at a table of La Vinya del Señor while people watching and snacking on one of their lovely meatballs. Can’t wait to travel again…

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: luscious!

Derrick Neleman…this guy has my dream life! Looks like this Dutchman fell for Spain pretty hard (I know how that feels) and purchased a winery that used to be a co-op in the tiny Casas del Rey (they say there are only 30 residents now and all I can say is wow to that!). He also says his wines are, “Good Wines To Save The World” and he’s right. They’re organic and vegan but there’s more than that too. He and his crew are doing everything to limit their carbon footprint and believe firmly in using real cork. There’s a special design and it’s really cool. No corkscrews necessary! Just follow the instructions printed on it and twist and pop. Also I’m seeing online that he has a beer or beers named Vrolijkheid (Cheerfulness). Is this true and where can I find a bottle? Who wouldn’t want a good glass of cheer!

#wine #winelover #vino #vin #beer #organicwine #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Valencia #Spain #Macabeo #SauvignonBlanc @bodegasneleman @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezits

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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