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Do The Math…Or Not

Bodegas Más Que Vinos
5/4 Clarete 2022
Malvar 20%, Airen 20%, Garnacha 20%, Cencibel (Tempranillo) 40%
Working sustainably, certified organic, indigenous grapes, vegan friendly, co-fermented in amphora
Cabañas de Yepes, Toledo, Spain
Margarita Madrigal, Alexandra Schmedes and Gonzalo Rodriguez

Ruby deep purple (now I have “Smoke On The Water” stuck in my head). Breathing in cherries & plums dried & fresh, oddly a bit of tomato plants with bit of bramble, dash of herbal tea (old school smell from back in the Celestial Seasonings college days), red currants & reminder of a Christmas citrus vibe, cranberries, and a puff of smoke that fades. Sipping and there’s cherry, blackberries, tart plum, an herbal blend of thyme, rosemary, etc.; red & black currants, lime/orange citrus zest, lick of limestone, and a pinch of anise. It’s fresh, juicy and oh so good.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: this is a good thing

Not long ago I posted about Más Que Vino’s “Los Conejos Malditos” or as I called them “Bad Bunnies” who have a penchant for grapes and ransacking a harvest. This addictive bottle’s name 5/4 luckily doesn’t come from destructive critters but from the ingredients for this whole cluster co-ferment: 2 parts Cencibel (Tempranillo), 1 part Garnacha, 1 part Airen, 1 part Malvar. 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5 and then the 4 comes from the varieties. You may be eye rolling at me for the explanation but just looking at the front label it flew right over my head until I turned the bottle around. Yes, I can be that oblivious at times. 🤣 BTW this wine is very delightfully addictive so pick up two and don’t even bother thinking about the math.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Spain #clarete #badbunnies #valkyrieselections #BodegasMasQueVinos #vinewinenyc

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Absolutely No Brooding Here

Bodegas y Vinedos Ponce
La Xara 2022
100% Garnacha
Manchuela DO
Organic, vegan, biodynamic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Villanueva de la Jara, Cuenca, Spain
Winemaker: Juan Antonio Ponce

Ruby with some purple blue flashes. Breathing in light violets, cherries, plums both fresh & dried, touch of fresh tobacco, ccaramelized goodness (hence the tobacco), raspberries, and tomato leaves. What I’ve sniffed is in the taste with a grind of peppercorns, a tart tangle of singed citrus zest, blackberries (fresh picked on the side of the road while warm, juice dribbling & all), fresh dandelion & oregano, and an enjoyable lick of iron. This is not a brooding red, but bright, fresh, and a dry tingle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Smooth and juicy

At 14 Juan was already studying wine, applying his knowledge out in the world, and by 23 he started his own venture & from what I read it was with “11 barrels and a loan”…well and some land already being farmed by his father too. Now he’s known as one of Spain’s top “experts in biodynamic and natural winemaking”. He has a deep affinity for Bobal (he’s been called the Bobal whisperer), but he also has that “Gredos” touch with this lively, elegant, and as said before fresh Garnacha. Each glass just seems to shine more and if you listen closely it will start to whisper its tale since Juan “believes that every bottle tells a story”. This one is filled with love, care, respect and the passion behind his family’s life of wine. Wait…glass is there something else you’re trying to say? Is this really you whispering or is it the “wine” talking? You want me to get up off my butt & take a spin around the room to what…Sofi Tukker? Really? Well then I think it’s time to “Throw Some…” 💃🍷 Happy weekend & shake your tail feather, y’all!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #organic #sofitukker #Garnacha #Spain #tedwardwines #bodegasponce #docwinebar #docwineshop

 

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Wild Child

Galgo Wines
ÍB Sunset 2023
Garnacha & Jaén Blanca
Organic, unfined & unfiltered
Sierra de Gredos, Castilla-León, Spain
Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos & Daniel Ramos (producer)

Pomegrante-cherry haze with blue shimmers. Breathing in cherries & blossoms, roses, violets, and pickle juice that fades. First sip and there’s cherries tart & dark, deep fresh & dried strawberries, tingle tangle (it’s a bit of a wild child), red currants, pomegranate, a chew of sour grass, and a lick of pickle while chewing Choward’s scented gum (violet).

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  NOPE

It’s been a while since my last Galgo wine but they are always fun, fresh, and at times like this one frisky. Daniel, has a passion for Garnacha (& so do I!) in particular from Sierra de Gredos where he saved & resurrected a few hectares. From what I’m learning he also has a penchant for Jaén Blanca which he tends to add to his wines like IB Sunset. They’ve also created a 100% Jaén that I’m still on the hunt for and hoping one day to finally get a taste of its natural beauty. BTW did you catch the name of Sanchez-Mateos & Ramos’ Galgo collaboration line, “Ínsula Barataria”? Do you remember where that comes from? Here’s two hints, there’s a donkey on the label & you probably had this on a test long ago. See I knew you’d get it. 📖 🍷Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #naturalwine #worldbyglass #organic #Spain #steephillwine #ReservaYCata #galgowines #vinewinenyc

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Devoted From Beginning To End

Vinos del Viento
Rosé 2022
100% Garnacha
Campo de Borja DO
Sustainable, unfiltered, hand harvested
Aragón, Spain
Winemaker: Michael Cooper

Electric 80s magenta watermelon rose salmon. Sniffing and it starts off gentle with red currants, strawberries, a bit of very ripe watermelon, an orange zip, some blossoms float by my nose and a whiff of salt & smoke. Sipping and it’s bright, bold and delightful! That citrus zip comes forward along with cranberries, pomegranate,  strawberries (red, pink & green), watermelon rind, and smidge of herb (including fennel) with a touch of heat on the back. Damn delicious!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: meh

Ah love…it comes in many forms and so does passion. First Michael (originally from CA) found romantic true love while studying in Italy and then before he knew it he also fell hard for wine. I love that he threw himself fully in with studies, working in the industry, and just learning on his own by drinking to see what grapes and flavors spoke to him. Now, he calls himself a “vine hunter” which is very accurate since he “has searched out high altitude, old-vines and dry farmed vineyards. Their unique microclimates and indigenous century-old clone strands make some of the most original wines in the world.” They vines are dry farmed and no pesticides are used. There’s another very important thing I’m seeing more and more, caring about the container the wine is delivered. He uses “locally fabricated lightweight bottles made from recycled materials.” He’s totally devoted from the beginning to the end with his “Wines of the Wind”.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #winelover #wineoclock #winemaker #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #naturalwine #Rosé #organic #Spain @cheezit @vinosdelviento @soilairselection @docwineshop @docwinebar

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A Festive All-Nighter

Bodegas Navarrsotillo
Gaupasa 2022
Navarra DO
Garnacha
Rosado
Organic, biodynamic
Beire, Navarra, Spain
Andrés & Ramón Serrano Arriezu (brothers)

Salmon with s touch of magenta gradation. Sniffing and there’s strawberries, raspberries, a moment of roses, cranberry/pom cocktail, and a watermelon Jolly Rancher. Sipping and tasting strawberry, raspberry, teeny bit of cranberry, boysenberry, splash of watermelon, a lemon squeeze spark and an orange zest crisp. This is a total summer easy drinker, so be prepared for the consequences.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NO

After pouring a glass, turn the bottle around and get the skinny on its name. “Gaupasa is a Basque word for staying out until daybreak, to maximize time with friends and family especially during a village’s yearly fiesta, wise alternating of excellent food and local wine is key. On the best nights you lose track of time, notice the bakeries have opened, and that it’s time for breakfast.” So anyone ready for a festive all-nighter under the stars with me? We can keep it going till the cows come home! ✨

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Rosé #Rose #rosado #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #organic #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Gaupasa #Basque #Spain @navarrsotillo @vinewinenyc @cheezit

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Ticket Booked

Finca Casa Balaguer
La Rambla del Peligres 2020
100% Garancha
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested
Villena, Alicante, Spain
Winemaker: Andrés Carull

Dark cherry with a little violet hues and blue pops. Breathing in and there’s raspberries, a light creamy moment, dark cherries & Twizzlers, tiny delicate roses & irises mixed with red plums, and some oomph earth dragged in with a pinch of white pepper, and something a little green. Rolling it around in my mouth it’s bursting with cherries, raspberries, very ripe & also green strawberries & the greenness of their caps & stem, a drop of pomegranate, blackberry,  boysenberry, violets & their leaves (day 2 a bit of hyssop appears), singed orange peel that has my lips tingling, and as it opens it is so lovely juicy and blueberries join in. Can you tell how much I LOVE this bottle?

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes everything more velvet

Finca Casa Balaguer is Andrés Carull & Marta Ribera’s small family winery, and boy is it all natural (my 2nd wine by them). After a surprising encounter with a natural wine during a trip to France in 2008, they were hooked or as they say seduced by its magical power. They only work with local varieties to enhance the true feel and taste of their lands, and keep it biodynamic and organic. And their own words sum their passion beautifully, “Immerse yourself in a world, from which you have no escape. When you enter the world of natural wines, wines made with nothing but fermented grape juice, no additives and no makeup, you won’t want to escape. There is no way back. We can tell you from experience. The lasting memory of these wines is not stored in the mind, but in the heart.” They also say that wine has a way of “teleporting” you so you can “travel by glass” to visit their wonderful part of the world, which is hey, a statement as you can tell…I fully believe. Consider my ticket booked.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #redwine #cheezit #worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #Garancha #Alicante #Spain @casabalaguer @selectionsdelavina @cheezits @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Will You Do The Fandango?

Barranco Oscuro
La Traviesa Tinto 2020
Garnacha & Tempranillo
Organic, unfiltered, unfined, indigenous yeasts
Alpujarra, Granada, Andalucía, Spain
Manuel (Manolo) & Lorenzo Valenzuela

Chill this bottle but after the pour let it linger a while. Shining glass of maroon/ruby and a bit of bubbles. Breathing in raspberries, ripe strawberries, a slight touch of balsamic, and flowers dance in & out. Sip and it reminds me of a framboise lambic. There’s raspberries, pucker up sour cherries, dark & red plums, and a touch of cedar. FYI Joe, this one’s for you.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: step away from the bag…just say NO…but please pass me the pretzels

So if I’m understanding this right, if it were not for a politically motivated exile, this wine might not exist. During the era of Franco, Manolo had to leave Spain for France and was bitten by the natural wine bug. Once he was able to return home with high aspirations…or shall I say altitude…which is where he decided to cultivate & tend to his grapes with no pesticide. Their “La Traviesa” line’s grapes are still from 1,300+ meters up but sourced from local organic growers/neighbors. BTW this bottle’s name, it’s feeling a little bit naughty & mischievous (since they can’t officially put the “Sierra de La Contraviesa” DO), and giving a wink & nod to the 1935 flick, “Naughty Marietta” & the leading lady Jeanette MacDonald is sending you a flirty look from the label. Look closely and there’s also another treat in a phrase by trovador (troubadour) Epifanio Lupión, “¡Como la leche en la lumbre esta tierra ha de subir!” which led me to investigating Andalucía’s folk music & fandango, but I am stumped when it comes to the proper translation (betting it’s political). Can someone please help a fellow wine lover out, so I can stop chasing my tail and uncover all the easter eggs this wine has to offer? This educational adventure is fun, and so much more than the SNL bit from years ago, that first popped into my mind.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #naturalwine #instawine #winetime #organic #artisanwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Spain @barrancooscuro @selectionsdelavina @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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A Wine with a Soundtrack

S.C. Pannell
‘Basso’
Garnacha 2019
100% Grenache Noir
Organic, dry-grown, hand harvested, and unfiltered
McLaren Vale, SA., Australia
Winemaker: Stephen Pannell

Shining cranberry ruby. Oooooh tickling my nose are raspberries, cherry, orange peel, some flowers appear like tiny roses, and as time goes by a bit of earthy funk? Tasting fresh raspberries and also a little strawberry jolly rancher, and cranberry tart tang. This is fun glass full of life and is juicy that also has dark earthiness hiding in the background that pops out and waves every once in a while. Can totally see sipping this under the stars with a big steak on the grill and watching the bats dip, dive and soar while feasting on those pesky mosquitos.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: I like it…hmmm…not sure what it is doing. Just goes really well.

What a slew of awards and recognition are in Stephen Pannell’s pocket. Guess that explains why this bottle is so good. Pick early, release early and watch this youg’un burst full of life. I love that even while looking as to which soil speaks best to the grapes, he’s also thinks ahead to what local food will go with the wine in the end. ‘Basso’ is supposed to pair with chicken or pork shashlik cooked over coals with a tomato and pomegranate salad. Mmmm that does sound better than my first thought of steak. He also has a soundtrack for your drinking pleasure and this glass goes with Masego & FKJ – “Tadow”, so relax, tuck into your fabulous meal, and enjoy the tune.

@docwineshop @docwinebar @scpannell @vsiwine @cheezits #pairswithcheezits  #wine #vino #vin #redwine #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Garnacha #Grenache #GrenacheNoir #Australia #Masego #FKJ #Basso #mclarenvale

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Rugged Horse Carved Vineyards

Galgo Wines Selection
Ínsula Barataria
90% Garnacha, 10% Jaen
Gobelet (bush trained), organic (not certified), no pesticides and herbicides, horse carved vineyards, hand-harvested, indigenous yeasts, no intervention in the cellar, unfined and unfiltered
Sierra de Gredos, Castilla-León, Spain
Winemaking Team: Daniel Ramos (wine grower) and Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos (negociant)

Bright shiny cherry glass. Beautiful light spring flowers floating, along with cherries, fresh picked strawberries and their leaves, raspberries, and earth. Such a smooooth taste, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries…digging in the dirt and being rewarded with your harvest. There’s also rosemary, salt, and a lush, vibrant, light and a beautiful end as all the flavors keep coming and going. This is no cheap isle, you’ve been rewarded your own luxurious paradise.

Pairs with Cheez-it’s: turns deep and Gothy dark

I truly think Sanchez-Mateos has the best job in the world. Owning Galgo Wines gives him the chance to meet with interesting people from small producers, other distributors, local (and not so local) enthusiasts, writers, etc (who doesn’t love conversation with kindred spirits) and utilize his financial background education into the mix..he also gets to travel far and near and pair up in the cellar with people like Daniel Ramos. Daniel, has a passion for Garnacha (and so do I!) in particular from Sierra de Gredos district near Avila where he has 15 hectares (saved and resurrected) to farm in several parcels (“parcela wines”) which are harvested and processed separately. There’s also 8 Jaen hectares, and it’s a nice fresh blend with the Garnacha. Am really looking forward their 100% Jaen Blanca, to see how the grape shines on it’s own. Side note, Daniel shares a cellar with Fabio Bartolomei of Vinos Ambiz, and if you’ve read any of my previous posts, you will know how crazy I am of his La Gatta Mormigliana 2016. So exciting to discover these two are minimal intervention cellar roomies, and wonder the secrets they share.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @ReservaYCata @steephillwine @antosicurezza #galgowines #danielramos @cheezits #wine #redwine #cheezit #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #galgowines #danielramoswines @ReservaYCata @reservaycata.madrid #Garnacha #Jaen #SierradeGredos #CastillaLeón #Spain #petergabriel #donquixote

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Loving The Alien

Bodegas Maestro Tejero
El Marciano 2018
100% Garnacha (my favorite)
Vino de la Tierra de Castillo y León
Sierra de Gredos, Navarredondilla, Avila, Spain
Biodynamic and organic (but not certified); wild yeasts
Winemaker: Alfredo Maestro

Deep purple ruby goblet. Scents of dark flowers, deep cherry, black pepper, and sweet ripe yellow plums. First taste is a snappy cherry, orange, pepper, earthy funk, and throw in some cardamon. Sweetness yet then tangy. It’s such an interesting combo on each sip. Going from the fruit, pepper, sweet and earth and back around again. Light and fresh and young

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: more tangy earth

Alfredo Maestro is another one of those amazing self taught winemakers that I keep stumbling upon in my wine wanderings. Started out as an economist with interest in wine, so he picked up some books, started with trial and error and testing on his friends to see where it would go. The less chemicals and more natural/old school he went…the more he and his test subjects knew he was on to something. As the old saying goes…less is more. He also learned to listen to the land, the plants, and revert to an old school tractor known as a horse. So let’s talk about the label on “El Marciano” which means the Martian. The village Navarredondilla atop of Sierra de Gredos is a hot spot for checking out UFOs. According to Alfredo, he found two Martians working in his vineyard and thus the tale was born. So here’s the question, do Martians like wine? And if so have their been sightings of tipsy weaving UFOs in the area? Either way, this wine is fun and fabulous and as the David Bowie song title says, I’m “Loving The Alien”.

@vinewinenyc @alfredo_maestro @josepastorselections @cheezits #cheezit #wine #redwine #organic #biodynamic @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Garnacha #SierradeGredos #Navarredondilla #Avila #Spain #martians #ufos #AlfredoMaestro #DavidBowie