🎶There’s A Firefly Loose Tonight🎶

Andrea Marchetti
Lucciola Bianco 2021
La Corte dei Miracoli
Trebbiano Romagnolo 70%,  Albana 30%
Organic (practicing), indigenous yeasts, unfiltered & unfined
Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Orange amber with a few pops of rose. Sniffing and there’s scents of a citrus blend of orange, tangerine, mild grapefruit & more, as time goes a good funk grows that will surely pass on by, and flowers bloom like wisteria, butterfly lilacs, hyacinth, irises, and magnolia thrown in. Sipping and there’s the citrus blend along with zest, a good splash of lemon, green bell pepper, crabapples, the green of a whittled apple tree branch, small ember of smoke, and shake of white pepper. It’s crisp, fun, and has a depth but not brooding.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out a little heat sizzle

Each Marchetti wine never fails to grab my attention and fill me with delight. He’s one creative busy bee as you can see in my previous posts. This man has boundless energy with his collaborations with other natural winemakers, his own wine, launching wine fairs, and more. Take Andrea’s “La Corte dei Miracoli” line is another such project where he farms 2.5 ha near Brisighella. The wines are created and bottled in Filippo Manetti’s (Vigne San Lorenzo) cellar, and I love his viticulture guidelines which align very much with Marchetti, “the first rule is to use LITTLE TECHNOLOGY, the second rule is to DO NOT DO, that is, not to do anything that is really necessary, both in the vineyard and in the cellar”. Back to Lucciola, take note, there are only so many bottles (2,500) so feel yourself gifted to catch one of these fireflies. It brought a smile to my face and that old childhood joy like when I was set free on summer evenings in a simpler, slower time watching the sun go down and running through the orchard following the tiny flashing flying lamps. Treat yourself to a glass and maybe you too will get a chance to see “a firefly loose tonight”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #Italy #organic #winetime #orangewine #worldbyglass #edsheeran #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #firefly #lucciola #steephillwine #AndreaMarchetti #docwineshop #docwinebar @andrea_marchetti @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar

Making My Day!

La Battagliola
Gran Pignoletto DOC Millesimato
2021
Spumante Brut
100% Pignoletto
Sustainably produced
Piumazzo, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Owner & wine family: Alberto Salvadori and his children (Beatrice & Tommaso)

Deep gold (kind of the color of an IPA/lager not hazy blend that my friend Bob orders at The Gutter) with active bubbles tracing continents on the top. Breathing in and it starts off with a vanilla puff on the first pop that turns into memories of Mom’s pineapple meringue pie, firm pears, golden delicious apples that as it lingers takes on a little caramelization, teeny tiny lemon tingle, and old time Texas toast that goes brioche. Going in for the sip and again there’s pears, my favorite apples with that crunch, sliver of pineapple & a little of it grilled, a tiny drop of honeysuckle in the back with a bit of lemon sizzle that happily grows to a perfect balance, and a touch of that toast reappears here and there.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: good but better without

I just love learning how people end up living the life of the vine, but I will admit sometimes I am a bit jealous. How wonderful it would be to inherit like Alberto and end up with their mother’s country house and realize your life is going to change. He went from logistics to farming! Once again another wine family living the dream. Just makes me smile and yes, yearn for that lifestyle. Oh and they’ve given me a little wine education from this bottle since this my first Pignoletto. Turns out after some genetic testing this grape is also known as Grechetto Gentile (or di Todi) which I have met in the past. So pleased to meet you Pignoletto through such an addictive delicious sparkler. You’ve made my day much brighter and lighter! 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #instawine #worldbyglass #winetime #EmiliaRomagna #Italy #spumante #Pignoletto #sparklingwine #bubbly #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @la_battagliola @soilairselection @docwineshop @docwinebar

Creative Perfect Pairing

Podere Sottoilnoce
Valtiberia 2020
Vino Bianco Frizzante
70% Trebbiano Modenese, 30% Trebbiano Di Spagna
Biodynamic, organic, indigenous yeast, minimal intervention
Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Owner & winemaker: Max Brondolo

Warm golden sunshine with tiny bubbles. Breathing in a gentle creamy vanilla start that morphs, next up are pears, green apples, a smidge of berry, and musky touch that fades on day 1 and leads to light melon, and a smidge of anise. On the tip of my tongue it’s dry, with crisp pear & apple, lemon/lime squeeze, a bit of berry, that spice/anise is still there but joyously light & fresh, and a bit of almond on the back

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: oh this is gooood

As I said in my previous post, Max Brondolo is a Renaissance man. Earlier in life, he had an successful and cool career in advertising/communications/digital media. I wonder how it felt to start his new life in wine which seems to be an old love. Must be exciting, freeing and satisfying to start a 2nd act by working & growing in many ways with nature…to channel and pour a new creativity into these bottled moments in time that you share with family, friends, and the world. Have to also write about the artist whose paintings grace his labels. Something about these birds just pulled me in and I went down the google rabbit hole. Denis Riva is brilliant. It has been a while that I’ve found a “new to me” artist that pulled up such emotions that I can’t even put into words what I’m feeling. Please take a look at his website. I don’t know what brought these two creatives (Max & Denis) together but they are a perfect pairing.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Trebbiano #emiliaromagna #Italy #italianwine #terrellwines @derivadr @vinewinenyc @poderesottoilnoce @cheezit

Meet Me Under The Walnut Tree

Podere Sottoilnoce
Franzes 2019
90% Lambrusco Grasparossa, 10% Lambrusco Sorbara
Biodynamic, organic, indigenous yeast, minimal intervention
Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Owner & winemaker: Max Brondolo

Maroon/ruby with bluish purple rims. I gave this wine 2 tries, once at 58F and next chilled. First go round and breathing in dark cherries, blackberries, earth that grows into tiny yet fragrant blossoms, and a pinch of bell pepper. Sipping cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and a bit of blueberry, a mix of bell pepper, balsamic, white pepper, olive pit that weaves back and forth in the fruit and hides at points and flirts with earth. Just light and elegant. Now chilled and starts out with very floral of blossoms, magnolia, and all scents the same as before but even more alluring. Again same with the taste…just a bit more sleek and a welcome fine tart spark. I like it better chilled…so chill it good!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out lavender and more juicy

Max Brondolo is quite the Renaissance man which I will get to in my 2nd post about another wine of his, “Valtiberia”. For now I’m just falling for his beautiful land (6 ha) that are filled with old (some abandoned) and new vines, buzzing bees, various plants & animals (including deer & pheasants) that share the neighborhood, and a stately walnut tree that gives the place its namesake. I can just imagine lying beneath and staring up through the branches, smelling a mix of the soil & greenery,  feeling a cool breeze on my face, and hearing an old very familiar Keane song stuck in my head.

“Underneath the walnut tree
Where you said you’d wait for me
And I waited a long, long time…”

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Lambrusco #emiliaromagna #Italy #keanemusic #italianwine #terrellwines @vinewinenyc @poderesottoilnoce @cheezit

🎶No One Can Judge Me🎶

Torre Tusini
Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC
100% Lambrusco di Sorbara
Secco
Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Light blood orange cocktail with a tiny blush foam (double check). First sniff and it’s creamy like an Oreo center splashed with creme de cassis, raspberries, and strawberries floating in along with spring daisies, and a tiny butterscotch. First and foremost no matter how much fruit this sounds like…it is dry. Sipping strawberries, raspberries, a wee smidge of boysenberry, a little gooseberries and a squish of all of this in a jam. Again this is DRY and you’ll be so happy it is because it’s fresh and snappy!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: delicious crisp and beautiful

Modena, what a city of magic. Is it something in their water (or maybe the famous Balsamic vinegar) that births great artists in multiple fields, such as Luciano Pavarotti, Enzo Ferrari, and Massimo Bottura? While searching around a bit more I discovered it’s also known as “the Italian capital of ‘Beat’ music” which led me to Caterina Caselli and oh what a find! She is absolutely one cool cat. How have I never heard of her before? Check out this video of one of her songs that will have you up on your feet and grooving to the beat like no one’s watching, because “Nessuno mi può giudicare”.

#wine #lambruscodisorbara #lambrusco #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Modena #EmiliaRomagna #Italy #CaterinaCaselli @torre.tusini @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Caterpillar Caterpillar

Cantina San Biagio Vecchio
Cacciabruco 2018
Ravenna Bianco IGT
Faenza Emilia-Romagna Italy
Chardonnay 80%, Malvasia di Candia Aromatica 15%, Trebbiano 5%
Winemaker Andrea Balducci
Organic and indigenous yeasts

Color deep rich orange tinted gold due to the 8 days of skin contact. After admiring this gorgeous glass, breathe in orange zest, a little ginger like a gingerbread cookie, honeysuckle, flowers, and apricots. First sip and it’s very floral and then there’s melon, honeysuckle and downright honey. There’s also again delicious apricots and something a little bitter like an almond. This wine has such a heady enchanting mystical fairy-kissed richness.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Weeds out any almond or bitter. Just an explosion of flowers.

As I read about Cantina San Biagio Vecchio, Andrea Balducci named Cacciabruco after his daughter’s favorite song (well, it was her favorite song when she was 3). I have to say, it’s a whole lot better than Baby Shark. Let’s all dance and hunt that caterpillar.

Andrea and Lucia Balducci’s Cantina San Biagio Vecchio (from what I’m finding) is not just an organic winery, but they also grow the wheat Gentil Rosso. Gentil Rosso is an ancient grain that’s a soft wheat, which is great for cakes and pastries. The vineyards are situated in beautiful hills near the medieval Torre di Oriolo. The tower started out as an old castle that was transformed into a hexagonal military fortress in the late 1400s. Over the years it had been pillaged then restored, used as a dwelling for sharecroppers, in WW2 it became a place of for the citizens of Faenza to ride out bombings, and now restored again, it is a public place where you can a enjoy wine tasting, a night of music under the stars, or the wedding of your dreams.

Branching out to the Emilia-Romagna region. A 30ish minute drive from Faenza is Dozza, a town well known for their murals. The last Biennale del Muro Dipinto was in September 2019, and the town walls are the artists’ canvas. The works, new and old are so diverse in styles and content, but each has their own form of beauty.

Another 35 to 45 minute drive from Faenza is Ravenna. Ravenna is not so far from the Adriatic Sea and has eight monuments that are UNESCO Heritage sites. Each are spectacular, but the one that grabs me is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. The mosaics are breathtaking. I just get lost in the arrays of blues and a sense of peace from the ceiling mosaic “The Garden of Eden”. “The Good Shepherd” is amazing in its own rights too. I have to say the sheep do look a bit pissed off by the shepherd. Ha! Seriously though, I truly have to find a way to get here when we can travel again.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @CantinaSanBiagioVecchio @visionwinebrands @murodipintodozza @TorreDiOriolo @cheezits #cheezit #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #Faenza #EmiliaRomagna #Chardonnay #MalvasiadiCandiaAromatica #Trebbiano #organic