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Bottle Of True Love For A Hot Night

Domaine de Sulauze
Pomponette 2025
40% Grenache Noir, 15% Cinsault, 20% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Vermentino
AOP Coteaux d’Aix en Provence rosé
Biodynamic, organic & animal powered
Miramas, Provence, France
Karina & Guillaume Lefèvre

Light salmon pinky w a flash of orange. Breathing in strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, oh heck all the berries, little whiff of roses, lemon/lime/tangelo/citrus spark, & a cool fresh springhouse mineral that just refreshes all. Sip & this is so good on this over 90 degree hot night. There’s strawberries, raspberries, boysenberry, cherries, red currants, watermelon, a little citrus (including pink grapefruit) sizzle that tones back but keeps it all so alive, & that lovely cool mineral moment again. This is a wine you want to keep around for these upcoming sweltering days.

Pairs w Cheez-It’s: perfect but you know on a hot night like tonight just don’t bother

Everywhere I look Karina & Guillaume are described as “2 of the loveliest & warm-spirited people you would ever encounter”. Their tale starts w the couple meeting while hiking across Corsica & of course love at first sight (true love). Eventually they made their home in Southern France & in 2004, Domaine de Sulauze became theirs w a little help by a French govt. program to encourage the younger gens to stop leaving the countryside for the city life. Now they have 30 ha of vines, 2 of barley, 2 of wheat, 5 of olive trees, & a great team who share in the work & creations because not only is there a winery but also a brewery, “Brasserie de Sulauze” (1st brewery in France to have biodynamic certification, so hats off to them!), a ranch “La Manade du Vieux Sulauze” managed by the Fano family, & La Miellerie de Sulauze (honey farm) w beekeeper & harvester Julie Victoria. To top it all off they also have La Salle Fénière a reception hall in a 17th century hay loft transformed into an elegant event space for parties, meetings, or 💍. How perfect a space for celebrations when you have access to all the other collective amenities right there. I think I hear wedding bells calling!

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Carbon-free Lawnmowers

Domaine des Côtes Rousses
Coteaux de la Mort 2022
100% Mondeuse
Vin de Savoie AOP
Biodynamic (cert since 2020), organic, horse powered
La Motte-Servolex , Savoie, France
Nicolas and Marielle Ferrand

Maroon with a ruby rim. Breathing in dark cherries & also dried, prunes/raisins, plums, an earth touch that has a tang to it that turns to iron, as it opens there’s a blend of strawraspboysenberry, green leaves & grass float in & out, twist of citrus peal, with a pinch of juniper, smidge of sage & a hit of mint. Sipping and all of the scents are in the taste with fresh wild blackberries and a grind of pink, white & black pepper mix. Damn this is good and don’t over think it like me. Just enjoy the ride.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: meh

I love this quote from Domaine des Côtes Rousses site, “A good winemaker can be recognized by the soil clinging to his boots.” From what I read there was a chance Nicolas’ boots could have taken a turn down another path. His Master’s degree was in Rural Land Management and as he says, “my place should have been in an office”. Well I’m glad he chose to get his boots and hands dirty in the alpine fields & vineyards because we get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Right off the bat, he started out organic & biodynamic in 2020, which is also when Marielle was able to join him on a daily basis with all aspects of wine growing/making & also the business side. If you check out their IG, you’ll get a chance to see some of their other coworkers like the horses that till the vineyard & the grass munching sheep or as they called them “carbon-free lawnmowers at work!” Seriously, who wouldn’t want to spend their days in such good & furry company. Cheers! 🍷🐑🐴

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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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Don’t Stop The Dance

La Grange de l’Oncle Charles
La Danse des Corbeaux 2021
Riesling, Chasselas, Sylvaner, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer
Organic, biodynamic, no sulfur, horse & sheep powered
Alsace, France
Jérôme François & Morgane Stoquert

A golden ray of summer sun that deepens over time. Inhaling apples & pears (baked & fresh), honeycomb, pinch of allspice, clover & orange blossoms & their greenery, gentle lemons & key limes, May roses, and a cool sea breeze with a touch of spring house mineral. Sipping and all of the scents with a heightened citrus twang that now includes pink grapefruit & tangelo, dash of juniper berries, a little woodsy/smoky on the backside that joins in with the honeycomb/wax, that salty/mineral taste grows, and it all melds together into a zingy lively sip that is filled with an elevated elegance. I truly love this wine!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Oh no! Step away from the box.

La Danse des Corbeaux translates to “the dance of the crows”. The first time I saw a murder of crows flying in a formation like a murmuration (more often it would be starlings) we were driving in the countryside in France. It was like a beautiful well choreographed swirling and whirling dance that took over the sky. Then they started coming up closer and closer to the back of the car in a way that almost looked like they were chasing us which was a slightly unsettling feeling (especially for a person who was scared & mentally scarred as a child due to the famous Hitchcock flick). Not much later they passed us and flew off to the side and continued their modern aerial ballet that just took my breath away. 🐦‍⬛

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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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The Brotherhood Of Vines

Domaine des Frères
Les Moulins de Beau Puy 2020
Chinon AOC
Cabernet Franc
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested at night, indigenous yeasts
Beaumont-en-Véron, Loire,  France
Valentin & Marie Bruneau (husband & wife)

Ruby stained glass. Sniffing and there’s cherries, forest floor that fades over time, lavender, violets, spring flowers, deep plums, blueberries, and a tad of boysenberry. All of the scents are in the sip joined with dried cherries with a touch of earth that add a rustic moment, and a small bouquet garni of thyme, juniper, horehound, marjoram and other herbs. It’s just elegant with a timeless depth that lingers long after the last sip. On day two it’s even better.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: DON’T

Valentin wasn’t always a winemaker. His first career path was in engineering, but his heart really belonged outdoors. He went back to school for a degree (BTS in Viticulture and Oenology), interned with Yvon and Jules Métra, and continued learning from other winemakers. The whole time his wife Marie was supportively by his side and also for the search for their own vineyard. In 2018, they found exactly what they were looking for in Beaumont-en-Véron (11 ha) and the mission was now on. They got help from friends and family with the financing, Valentin’s brother (Henri) came on board in 2019, and they continued with turning the lands organic. Now here’s the part that makes me scratch my head, his brother left for another venture in Oct. 2022. Being my usual curious self, I wondered what happened and found differing comments online but my guess it was amicable since Valentin did keep the name, “Domaine des Frères”. As he says on his site, “I chose to keep the original name of the estate unchanged because I don’t want to erase the past. He was fully in the development and construction of this project. Today the word ‘Frères’ with a capital F incorporates all of those who support us and are the estate’s lifeblood.” Wine can all bring us into a brotherhood, & cheers to celebrating all those that helped shape their vines & wines in the past, today, and the future! 🍷❤️🍇🇫🇷

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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Time To Fire Up That Grill!

Kuentz-Bas
Alsace Blanc 2024
30% Sylvaner, 30% Pinot Blanc, 20% Riesling, 10% Muscat, 5% Pinot Gris, 5% Gewurztraminer
Certified biodynamic & organic
Alsace, France
Owner & vigneron: Jean-Baptiste Adam (father/14th gen) & Laure (daughter/15th gen)

Sniffing and there’s pears, white peaches, a blended splash of mandarin oranges, tangerine, lemon, & kumquats. Then next up tickling my nose are spring fruit tree blossoms (pear, apples, plums, and more), tad of pineapple, gentle honeydew, touch of beeswax fresh from the hive, and that cool & clean springhouse feel. All of those lovely scents are in the sip with honeysuckle, a little kirby, mango, lychee, and that citrus tingle sizzle. It’s one dreamy wine.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: sparky

Kuentz-Bas’ reveal the beauty of their grapes, terroir, and Alsatian heritage. This Alsace Blanc’s pairing suggestions are brats & crab cakes, so I say it’s time to fire up that grill! Actually this domaine got its start from a pairing. First there were the Kuentz from back in 1795 that blended through marriage in 1895 with the Bas family. Now it’s in the hands of Jean-Baptiste Adam (since 2004) and he and his team take great care of their lands and all that inhabit it with their biodynamic ways. If you want a moment of zen, watch this video of them prepping and applying the “Bouse de Corne”. With a workout like that you’ll never need a gym membership and will definitely pump you and your biceps up. 💪 ❤️

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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Hare’s To Character

Famille Brunier
(produced by their Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe)
Pigeoulet Rouge 2023
Vin de Pays du Vaucluse
55% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 15%  Carignan, 8% Cinsault, 7% Mourvèdre
Organic, sustainable, hand harvested, & battles the moths (Eupoecilia ambiguella & Lobesia botrana) by sexual confusion
Bédarrides, France
Frédéric & Daniel Brunier (brothers), Nicolas & Manon (Frédéric’s son & daughter), Édouard (Daniel’s son)

Shining cherry/raspberry. Breathing in cherries, raspberries, plums, blueberries, red currants, a tangle of lavender/rosemary/thyme, and a light bit of licorice. All of the scents are in the taste but with even more grace & a sweetness but not overly. On the exhale there’s now more earth and a little peat. Such an easy drinker & so full of vibrant life that can turn a cold grey day into blue skies & rainbows.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: step away from the box

The Famille Brunier has a longstanding & well acclaimed history (over 125 years) in wine; and more than likely at least one of their bottles has crossed your path from such as Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, Domaine La Roquète, and Domaine Les Pallières (with Kermit Lynch). This fun bunny or aka Pigeoulet (“little one” translation from local dialect) hopped onto my lap when I was browsing wines to relax with while watching the latest season of “Drops of God”. BTW I’m still on the fence on how I feel about season 2…anyone else catching up on it? Would love to hear your thoughts.  Back to the Bruniers, they let their wines speak for themselves. As they say on their site, “Personality and balance are the two key words that guide our decisions and actions.” Well, this hare’s blend is full of that mentioned personality and heartwarming & smooth balance. I’d follow this little joyful character down rabbit holes any day. 🐰🍷

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Prehistoric Lessons

Sylvain Bock
Raffut 2023
100% Syrah
VDF
Certified organic, biodynamic, indigenous yeasts
Alba-la-Romaine, Ardèche, France

Dark maroon/purple with a shimmer of magenta on the rim. Breathing in dried figs, deep cherries dried & fresh, strawberries & raspberries that go deep, whiff of cola, briny olives, violets, sprinkle of cinnamon, plums that grow & darken, a little boysenberry, and peaty smoke. All of the scents are in the taste with a lighter touch along with Niçoise olives, and zippy orange & lemon zest that is also a bit singed. Let this baby have a good long timeout, and you will be rewarded as everything blooms.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: it does but it’s better without

Honestly this is my first Sylvain Bock wine. Didn’t know what to expect, but when I saw on the back of the bottle the very recognizable logo of Super Glou (a cat, a dog & in between a bottle of wine) I knew it would be up my alley. They work with “small-production, low-intervention producers from France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, Catalunya, Chile and pockets of America”, and Bock fits that criteria perfectly. He’s a zero/zero natural winegrower & maker with a true passion for his craft, wine, vines, and of course land. From an IG post by @super_glou & @glougloumagazine during one of their visits to his vineyards they were not only taught a lesson in “wine growing but in prehistoric geology” which I bet was exciting and inspiring. Sylvain’s knowledge of the soils & what lies beneath & nourishes the lands (limestone, fossils, basalt, etc) guides his decisions on which grape will thrive & where. And if you have a moment to peruse his IG page, you’ll see he also slows down to appreciate & cherish what resides in his vineyards (or maybe they’re just stopping by for a visit)…flowers, ladybugs, and a post from just a few weeks ago of one special moment of finding a “little nest in the middle of the vineyards”. As Sylvain  says, “Nature always finds its place, even in winter”, and I see it as a sign of the beautiful spring & growth yet to come. 🪺❤️🍷

#wine #vin #vino #winestagram #instawine

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Sharing Happiness

Domaine Beatrice et Pascal Lambert
Bulles Lambert 2022
Sparkling Rose
VDF
100% Cabernet Franc
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested, vines & bottling guided by the lunar cycle
Les Chesnaies, Chinon, France
Winemakers: Beatrice & Pascal Lambert

Light pink gold with fine active bubbles. Immediately wafting up to my nose are strawberries, cream/oreo centers, raspberries, Bosc pears, and delicate tea roses. Sipping away and again there’s strawberry & raspberry, cranberry smidge joined by a lemon bubbly tingle, an exhale taste of that Oreo center again but not as much as in the scent, crisp and tart young pear that eases into the background. It’s clean, dry, crisp, so fresh & fun and don’t overthink it like I am. Just enjoy!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Just don’t

At Domaine Beatrice et Pascal Lambert they have a refreshing philosophy:

“Farmers! Tomorrow, let’s cultivate life!!
And the earth will continue to smile.
And a smile produces a lot
Let us share this happiness together and we will guarantee love and peace on our planet Earth!!”

They share their happiness (and wine) with their crew, friends, and visitors alike. As they say a great estate needs a good team, and theirs is diverse. Eric handles business and is great dealing with the public, Fabien maintains the bio treatments for the vines, Paco is hands on with vine training, and not to be left off is Jelly the adorable dog. Now to the extended group of friends, family & others that want to join in the fun whether it’s with shears or hand harvesting. There’s Patrice (wine merchant) who helps harvest, Belgians that visit at the right time of the season, 2 different Jean-Maries, Vincent & Marie who are always ready to jump in, Polo who’s always been with the estate, and Ghislain who is a Michelin-starred chef because who wouldn’t want a fabulous chef by their side. Now I just have to ask, how do I get a chance to be on their team? Have nimble hands & would love to travel. Cheers!🥂

#wine #vin #vino #winestagram #instawine