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Vibrant Goals

Vinicola Tombacco
Ca’ Del Doge
Prosecco DOC
Vino Spumante
Extra Dry
Glera 85%, a potential blend (15%) of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Nero vinified in white, Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Long Glera
Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy
Tombacco Family

Very pale yellow/green starlight with teeny fine bubbles. Breathing in memories of homegrown Golden Delicious apples, green pears, a squish of lemon, and donut peaches. First sip is mouth tingling and then here comes a bigger squish of lemon mixed with lime & other citrus, crisp green apples & crabapples, firm green pears, and a sliver of slightly underripe white peach. It’s dry, crisp and so vibrantly full of life.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: yes please

The Tombacco Family has been creating and cultivating wine for 3 generations, and it all started way back with a peach farm that over time grew into a love of the vines. Now they also have different labels/brands showcasing the grapes’ regions of origin. Their “Ca’ Del Doge” line is best described in their own words, “Ancient traditions that speak of beauty, taste and knowing how to live well. Like a reflection in the waters of the most famous lagoon in the world, the Ca’ del Doge Wines reflect ancient and shimmering memories, flavours and aromas of the Veneto region, bringing some of the goodness of our wines to tables around the world.” Love the idea that they’re sending you a bottled bubbly postcard, and I also admire that Vinicola Tombacco has a code of ethics that includes a part about “socially responsible work management” where they actually care about their employees and especially for those still in school or courses to make sure they are provided with the time to achieve their education goals…now that to me is a reason to raise a fizzy glass to them in appreciation & cheers. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #prosecco #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #italy #Tombacco #cadeldoge #docwinebar #docwineshop

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“The Story Is Still Going On”

Barone di Villagrande
Etna Bianco Superiore DOC 2023
Carricante 90%, other Indigenous Etna grapes 10%
Certified organic production (but they don’t shout about it)
Milo, Sicily, Italy
Marco Nicolosi

Shining yellow gold like I remember from a Cimabue viewed years before. Breathing in round ripe pears, a splash of lemon/lime, touch of grapefruit, lychee, mango, and a sprinkle of sage & oregano. All of the sniffs are in the sip with a dryness/sizzle along with golden delicious apples ripe & warm just picked from the tree, lick of a well washed over river rock/conglomerate, fresh grown sage and oregano. That dryness is still there with a weaving in and out of a bit of richness…or should I say moving in sync together like a couple tangoing around the room.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Back away from the bag!

The Nicolosi family’s connection to their lands date back to the 17th century but it was in the 18th when the Bishop of Catania came to them with a not so easy task to transform the wild, gnarly, difficult fields of Etna into a flourishing “delicious garden”. Guess they impressed the powers that be in 1727, and Emperor Charles VI of Augsburg, King of Naples, gave Don Carmelo Nicolosi the title of Baron of Villagrande. Over all this time passion for their territory and grape grew, new cellars were built, and a focus began on keeping the red and white grapes separate bucking the ways of old that just blended them all. They’ve kept growing in knowledge, passion, and just making the best darn wine they can. As they say on their site: “We wrote a fundamental page on the Etna wines history. The story is still going on.”

Side note: Do you want to combine a delicious & educational winecation with a bit of added pleasure? Check out their site and book one of their 4 rooms. Blend & immerse yourself with the history of the manor & local nature, bask in the sun, and of course view the vineyards while chilling in the infinity pool. Oh, what I wouldn’t do to be there right now.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #Sicily #italy #omniwines #baronedivillagrande #villagrande_winery #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Women Can Save The World

Al Feu
Insolia 2022
Terre Siciliane IGP
Organic, indigenous yeasts, unlined/unfiltered
Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Michele Castiglione

Golden amber pour. Sniff and it starts off with a crumb of toasted baguette that fades in & out, citrus blend with their zest, pears, sliver of Winesap apples, touch of honeysuckle & spring flowers, and a fresh running river mineral rock. First sip and WOW! All the sniffs are here but dancing in a smooth & more refined way, the rock gets a shake of salt too, and a little peat on the back. While tasting it’s almost more of an emotion…it’s serene yet quietly powerful…a moment of natural reflective peace & sense of place…am I nuts?

Pairs w Cheez-Its: don’t ruin the moment

Michele Rizzo (Michele’s grandfather) had a good sized estate but none of the children in the family were interested in taking it over. Well, fortunately Michele’s mom (Giuseppa Silvana) stepped up to the plate. Once it was time for Castiglione to hop on board he decided it was time for him to present a new brand called “Al Feu”…8 ha of vines & 2 more divided between pomegranate, olives, and other lovely things to harvest. Not going to lie, as most of you know I’m a magpie for really good art & especially pieces created for bottles. Al Feu’s labels celebrate nature & women, but I should let Michele’s words from Steep Hill’s site explain their artistic choice:

“Nature is our greatest inspiration guiding our daily choices with her innate elegance” “The common theme you will find in our label is a pensive, thoughtful woman. Men has urbanized the cities, paved the streets, destroying the mountains by taking away the marble, polluting the oceans & burning the forests/animals living there. We took possess of the land without caring of the consequences. We pretend to love animals & we use them in labs for experiments or we run them down under our tires”. “According to Michele only women & their awareness can save the world. ‘We need women to think what’s best for the mankind’.”

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #italy #steephillwine #AlFeu #docwineshop #docwinebar

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Sip Till The Stars Come Out

François Montand
Brut Blanc de Blancs NV
Colombard, Ugni Blanc, and Chardonnay
Méthode Traditionnelle
Vineyards in Gascony & west facing slopes Jura Mountains
Crançot, France

Golden yellow with tiny active bubbles. Inhale and there’s a gentle citrus blend of Valencia oranges, lemon/lime, grapefruit, smidge of lemongrass, light green pear, a clean crispness like a really good sparkling mineral water, and over time a toasty bit appears. Sipping away and all of the scents are right there with a crisp dry vibe, a lick of garden fresh ripe bell pepper, and the lime is a bit more tart & fresh. It’s an easier drinker celebrator.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: perfect pairing

François Montand’s wines are not just a delicious bubbly kiss. They’re also happily easy on the wallet. Another fun perk on their site is a list of recipes, and I think I’ve found a new favorite take on a margarita in their “Méthode Margarita”. So follow along and raise a glass with me…

Ingredients
2c Orange Juice
1/2c Tequila
1/4c Lime Juice
François Montand Brut

How To Make The Magic Happen
Combine orange juice, tequila, and lime juice in pitcher. Rim margarita glasses with lime and dip in salt. Fill glasses with orange juice mixture. Top with François Montand Brut. Garnish with oranges and limes.

The final ingredient I would add is to kick back by the pool and slowly sip till the twinkling stars come out. ✨Cheers to the long weekend! 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #bubbly #brut #France #winebow #FrancoisMontand #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Time To Belly Up To The Bar

Cantine Madaudo
Barone di Bernaj
100% Nero d’Avola
Sicilia DOC
Villafranca Tirrena, Sicily, Italy
Winemaking family: Rosario Madaudo (son), Alfio (dad), Andrea (uncle), Giuseppe (younger brother), and more

Deep dark cranberry purple. Breathing in plums, dark cherries, deep raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, fresh pine, and an alpine herbal minty blend. Tasting those plums & cherries again, boysenberry along with a blend of raspblueblackberry, and a twist of citrus zest (in particular mandarin orange).

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Juicy goodness

Back in 1945, Rosario’s great grandfather started this venture with only a small farm and now it’s expanded into a full blown family affair of around 60 ha and several different collections that will take you, “Traveling through our Sicily through a glass”. While I & a lot of us (during a certain time) were stuck at home, that was my way of getting out and about, but now we can visit them in person at their wine bar “Palaverve“ connected to their Agrigento winery that from what I read features their bubbly bottles. It’s also what they call Madaudo’s “Welcome Room” where visitors can get a view of their “bottling & corking phases of the sparkling wine to give the right importance to the joy of tasting”. Come to think of it…out of all the wines I’ve tried from their lot not a single one was sparkling which means I’m truly missing out since they are so celebrated. Guess I’ll just have to continue my search here for these elusive bubblies until I finally find time to travel and belly up to the bar & meet one up close and personal. 🥂🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #italy #Sicily #wineemporium #CantineMadaudo #docwineshop #docwinebar

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Dreams Do Come True

Cascina Carlòt
San Rümu 2022
Dolcetto D’Alba DOC
Sustainable, biodiverse
Coazzolo (AT) – Italy
Claudio Mo

Ruby with splashes of burgundy. Breathing in bright cherries, plums, raspberries, boysenberry, moments of violets, and a touch of earth. Sipping away and again the cherries, plums, raspberries, blackberries, hint of blueberry, and a pinch of that earth with a little bramble. It’s dry yet fresh and oh so easy to love.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: I’d rather not

Even though Claudio Mo is a winemaker he prefers to go by winegrower, since he is “faithful to the – typically Piedmontese – philosophy that wine is made first of all in the vineyard and then in the cellar.” He also prefers to live in harmony with nature, to follow its rhythm, connect with all the cycles, and to live sustainably. This includes working toward a future of the farm eventually being energy self sufficient. What a beautiful gift to pass down to his family…or in other words as it greets you on his site, it is “Claudio’s dream come true”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #biodynamic #organic #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #italy #wineemporium  #cascinacarlot #docwineshop #docwinebar

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Shining A Light

Cantina Fiorentino
Masserie Pugliese
Primitivo 2021
Salento IGP
Organic in the fields, sustainable in the cellar, hand harvested on a cool night
Puglia, Italy
Pierantonio Fiorentino

Shining ruby with purple pops. Sniff and right out of the gate are cherries & dark chocolate, plums, touch of tobacco, raspberries, overtime a little blueberry with violets & clover. Sipping cherries & plums fresh/dried, red currants, Baker’s chocolate that grows into dark chocolate, cranberry, and teeny violets again. It’s dry but tastebud tingling finish.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: absolutely fabulous

Cantina Fiorentino like many other wineries/vineyards made a commitment to go organic & sustainable but they take it quite a bit further. Pierantonio applies his background in renewable energy in his cellars by using the power of the sun (photovoltaic system), insulation in the roof & pipes for temperature control, and “the whole Winery is illuminated with LED technology & the white color was chosen for the walls and red for the resin floor paint, to reflect the sunlight”, and will continue to be “a laboratory to study & optimize energy consumption in the wine sector”. Very ambitious & commendable along with their contributions to the “Liter of Light” project. It all starts with a clear plastic bottle, water, a little bleach to keep it clean, attach it to a hole in the roof of a structure, add sunshine & poof you have about as much light inside as a 40-60 watt bulb which can benefit so many others. They’ve continued expanding to light at night “with the installation of a 1W solar panel connected with an LED to a rechargeable battery.” Just imagine how far they can take this with further research and make the world a more clean and sustainable place. 💡🌍

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #literoflight #italy #wineemporium #MasseriePugliese #Cantinafiorentino #docwinebar #docwineshop

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A Peaceful Perfumed Dream

Tenuta La Giustiniana
Gavi di Gavi 2023
DOCG
Terre Antiche
100% Cortese
Gavi, Piedmont, Italy
Owners: Stefano Massone & Magdalena Pedrini

Light shining yellow. Breathing in lemon & lime and both are wafting in on a cool springhouse breeze followed by honeydew, white peaches, super ripe cucumbers, a little light tangerine squeeze in the background, honeysuckle and orchard blossoms. All of the scents are in the sip but with more flowers, yellow plums, a little mango & lychee & sort of a tad pineapple, and a lick of mineral & salt. It’s like a peaceful perfumed dream that continues to bloom.             

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Bursts of happiness

This estate is drop dead gorgeous (no wonder people want to get married & have events here) and has a long history filled with vine cultivating monks, the La Giustiniana family who built the neoclassical villa, Napoleon seizing “ecclesiastical estates”, and in 2016 Stefano & Magdalena breathing new life into this historical structure & lands. They meld a bit of modern with traditions of old in the vineyards & cellar, and absolutely respect their nature/environment in order to bring out the best in their Cortese & celebrate Gavi’s classic beauty. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #italy #skurnikwines #LaGiustiniana #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Bit Of Romance In A Glass

Cantina di Conselve
Silvanum 2023
Veneto IGT
Chardonnay 70%, Raboso 30%
Sustainable & socially responsible
Conselve (PD), Veneto, Italy

Gold-yellow brick road. Lovely scents of apples, pears, whiff of lychee, light lime/citrus spritz as it opens, fresh cool rained on granite, and a honeysuckle or 2 with a teeny dash of vanilla. Everything I’ve been sniffing is right here in the taste, along with a little honeydew, white peaches, and more of that honeysuckle nectar. There’s a bit of luscious romance in this glass.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Just don’t

Back in the 1950, the coop Conselve Vigneti e Cantine (like many other producers were & some still are) was more about quantity of the grapes & wine they produced, but then a certain methanol scandal shook Italy in the mid 80s and everyone started rethinking…well…everything. In the 90s the Cantine’s winegrowers/makers turned to the “quality” side and have made changes toward sustainability of their already rich & fertile lands with combining their generations of traditions along with modern thinking & planning. Now they’re a band of almost 600 winegrowers with their grapes situated on the “plains between Padua and Venice”, and from the bottles I’ve had now and in the past…they capture the essence of their beautiful world.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #italy #wineemporium #cantinaconselve #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Wine, Art & 3 Centuries Of Emotions

Tre Secoli
Le Ginestre
Vendemmia 2023
100% Cortese di Gavi
Gavi DOCG
Sustainably farmed
Mombaruzzo (AT), Piedmont, Italy

Pale yellow starlight with green blips. There’s scents of pears, white peaches, honeydew, nectarines, light tangerine, and a bundle of spring flowers & greenery. All of the sniff is in the taste with a lemon/lime zing,  no tangerine this time, teeny tiny honeysuckle, green apples, and it’s all delicate & friendly. Makes me crave a seafood tower, but when am I not craving one.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: a definite yes

Tre Secoli (Three Centuries) was born of 2 long established & large Piedmontese wine co-ops that span over 18 municipalities between the provinces of Asti and Alessandria and covers around 1,100 ha. Even with such expanse they do care about the quality & health of their grapes, their imprint on their land, and the safety & care for their workers that also includes ensuring they have “suitable conditions of health, safety and psychophysical integrity”. They also have their hands in the arts with their project “Terrazza in Arte” curated by Roberta Poggio. It’s their “desire is to create a bridge between two worlds that are particularly dear to us: art and the earth”. You still have time to catch their first show that features work of GianCarlo Ferraris entitled “Un Mare di Colline” and is up through April 30th, and while you’re there check out one of their tastings or as they call it “Three Centuries of Emotions”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #italy #wineemporium  #TreSecoli #docwinebar #docwineshop