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One Glass is Never Enough

Cantina Marilina
Sikelé 2017
Terre Siciliane IGP
100% Grecanico (darn fabulous ancient grape)
Sicily Italy
Organic, indigenous yeasts, no fining or filtration
Winemakers: Angelo, Marilina and Federica Paternò

Gorgeous glass of golden orange. First scents are orange, melon, sweet honeysuckle, and one of my faves sea breeze salt. Sipping while sitting in the sun and there’s orange, lemon, melon, pear, apple (now that’s a bowl of fruit), smoky salt, white pepper, a scattering of almonds, but the best part is the orange blossoms that keep wafting in and out.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out more heavenly flowers

So this is my first writing about a wine I’ve had outdoors in Phase Three. Admittedly it was so good…like you don’t want it to end good. Another day, I had more of it at home. Had to make sure how it pairs with Cheez-It’s. Having this wine in the Brooklyn “wild”, in the company of good people, conversation, and fabulous food was amazing. Grecanico Dorato is such a gorgeous aromatic and flavorful grape. Admittedly, this orange wine is just as wonderful at home, back in the confines of the “new normal” (oh how sick I am of this term). I do miss that lively and delicious evening, my friends, and feeling the sun on my face; but I will savor this wine and every second I had with the people I love. Can’t wait till my next excursion, and next “wine in the wild”.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @cantinamarilina @zevrovineselections @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #zevrovineselections #organic #italy #sicily #grecanicodorato #terresiciliane

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If You Like It Dirty

Ancarani
Indigeno 2018
Ravenna Trebbiano IGT
Frizzante Sui Lieviti
Oriolo dei Fichi, Faenza, Italy
100% Trebbiano Romagnolo
Wild yeasts and organic

Cloudy bubbly pale gold with lots of tiny bubbles. First sniff is citrus, spice, salt, and some yeasty crust. As I taste there’s that funky yeast again that turns toasty, then citrusy/lemony, tart yellow cherries, and again salt. It’s zesty and some spice thrown in…wait that’s Ginger not Mary Ann. It’s a party in my well…

Pairs with Cheez-its: kills the funk, amps the party

Interestingly, there’s drinking instructions on the back label. The spontaneous fermentation and the yeasts have left you a little treat at the bottom of the bottle. If you “like it clean” keep the bottle straight and pour as normal, but if you “like it dirty” turn slowly so the bottle is upside down and let the yeasts mix it up with the rest of the wine. As you can probably already guess, I went with “dirty”. Speaking of that, this dirty little ditty is still as fresh as when it came out Christina Aguilera – Dirrty (VIDEO) ft. Redman

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @ancaranivini @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #italy #oriolodeifichi #faenza #trebbianoromagnolo #xtina #christinaaguilera @xtina

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Ruby Velvet Romance

Buli
Estate 44 2015
Toscano Rosso IGT
Siena Italy
Sangiovese 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah 20%
Organic

Gorgeous deep dark ruby glass. At first vanilla fragrance popped out of the bottle, and not long after was cherry, cola, some oak but not overpowering (it’s elegant like a beautiful romantic dance), plums, tiny flowers, and maybe a little basil. On my tongue is tart dark cherry, rustic oak and small smooth vanilla, plum and prune, a tad of white pepper, and smoky. As it opens it’s luscious and velvety.

Pairs with Cheez-its: Just pure lovely vanilla darkness and velvet. Light the candles and close the drapes.

This wine has so much romantic history. It is a story filled with Ukrainian immigrants, Pennsylvania, two U.S. Army men on a motorcycle in WW2 in search of a bottle of red wine in Tuscany, but instead one of them finding love at first sight. I could try to weave this tale, but truly, Robert Buly (the true spelling of his last name) does it best on his winery’s site, so please check it out here. Someone could and should make a movie of this story.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @buliwine @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #toscano #tuscany #siena #italy #Sangiovese #CabernetSauvignon #Merlot #Syrah

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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

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Afternoon Delight

Conti di Buscareto
Rosè Brut
Sparkling wine
Charmat Method
Marche, Italy
Lacrima di Morro d’Alba 100%

A dancing glass of pale salmon with pretty bubbles. When first opened a vanilla whiff escaped but eventually ran away, roses follow along with sweet cherry and strawberries. Take a refreshing sip and there’s cherries with a touch of lemon. It’s dry, super fresh and perfect on this hot afternoon. Now all I need is to be sitting poolside with someone refilling my glass.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: fun and fresh and just overall smoothes it out

Lacrima translates to tears, but there’s definitely no need to shed any. This sparkler is a glass of happiness. Conti di Buscareto, I’m so happy to be introduced to you!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @buscareto @tedward.newyork @tedward.ws @cheezits #cheezit #wine #sparklingwine #charmat #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #rose #rosè #marche #lacrima #lacrimadimorrodalba

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Naked as the Day You’re Born

Terra di Briganti
Nato Nudo
Fiano 2018
Benevento IGP
Casalduni Campania Italy
Fiano 100%
Organic, biodynamic, vegan, and indigenous yeasts

Super deep glistening gold. Inhale and then there’s blossoms, tangerine, some wafting salt, and then here comes the apples, pears, and something a bit herbal. Go in for the sip and there’s those pears and apples again. Add to that melon, honeysuckle, citrus peel tang, and spice that may be black pepper, or something dried. All I know is I want a plate of salame and mortadella.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: gives it a citrus zing lightness with a touch of celery

Nato Nudo means born naked, and is a natural unfiltered wine with no added sulfites. You can really smell, taste, and feel the benefit of the wild rugged land where the guyot trained Fiano grows.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @TerradiBriganti @steephillwine #steephillwine @cheezits #cheezit #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #fiano #Benevento #Casalduni #Campania #organic #biodynamic #vegan

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Naturally Enchanting

Agricola Foradori
Foradori 2018
Vigneti Delle Dolomiti IGT
Trentino-Alto Adige Italy
Teroldego 100%
Organic and biodynamic

A goblet of total goth deep dark ruby purple. Take a breath of cherries, plums, vanilla, cola, flowers, and some mineral earthiness. First sip and there’s tart cherries that mellow out to smooth. Next there’s plums, raisin, singed orange peel,  I do believe some strawberries, and dark rich earthy goodness. It’s as enchanting as Elizabeth Fraser’s voice.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Everything smoothes out even more. Silky fruity goodness

This deep dark beauty had me thumbing through some of the music from my past, and here are two of my Fraser favorites.  Even now Song To The Siren gives me goosebumps and makes my heart fly, and let us not forget her lush work with Massive Attack – Teardrop.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @agricolaforadori @louisdressnerselections #louisdressnerselections @cheezits #cheezit #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #Trentino-Alto Adige #Teroldego #organic #biodynamic #ElizabethFraser #ThisMortalCoil #MassiveAttack

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Fresh and Foxy

Terra di Briganti
Coda di Volpe 2019
100% Coda di Volpe
Benevento Campania Italy
Organic, biodynamic and vegan

Cloudy orange goldness and tiny bubbles cling to the glass. Go in for the sniff and wow, honeysuckle and spring grass, then a hint of vanilla cookie, smoke, and a splash of cola.  This is delightful. Swirl and sip. There’s honey, a light citrus tingle, smoke and light citrusy and tangerine tingle with a dash of smoke and salt. This is one sleek, sly, fun fox.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: tangerine mellowness continues

The more you know: Coda di volpe means tail of the fox, which refers to how this type of grape looks on the vine growing in a long tail-like bunch.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @TerradiBriganti @steephillwine #steephillwine @cheezits #cheezit #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #codadivolpe #Benevento #Campania

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Old School

Migrante
Terre Olibani 2015
Cesanese 100%
Olevano Romano Lazio Italy
Organic and biodynamic

Glassful of garnet. Give it a little moment to breathe. Inhale and here comes the cherries, cola, some spice that I’m thinking is cloves, and orange peel. Going in for the sip and there’s tart cherry that turns smooth, raisin, orange, some smoke, a dash of white pepper and rustic earthiness. This is old school.

Pairs w Cheez-It’s: brings out the cherry orange sweetness

And here’s a little more old school: Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – Renegades of Funk

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @migrantevini @migrante.vino @steephillwine @afrika_bambaataa_official @Afrika_Bambaataa #steephillwine @cheezits #cheezit #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #biodynamic #organic #Cesanese #Lazio #Italy #OlevanoRomano #AfrikaBambaataa #oldschool

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Strength of a Woman

Sun Goddess 2019
Pinot Grigio 100%
Ramato
Friuli DOC Venezia Giulia  Italy
by Mary J. Bligh and produced by Fantinel

Shimmering light tinged pink orange ramato copper gold. Take a deep breath and there’s a floral perfume of orange and apple blossoms, and roses. There’s also tangerine, orange peel, and finally as it opens grassy salty sea breeze. Now onto the sip…citrus, melon, mineral, and and tiny strawberries, like the small Canadian ones that we got on the side the road when I was a little kid. They were tiny drops of delicious sugar. Finishes nice and dry.

Pairs with Cheez-Itz: strawberries, melon, yet dry. It’s smooth with a kick of citrus.

Also pairs well with a song that always inspires me

@sungoddesswines @vinewinenyc @therealmaryjblige @maryjbligh @FantinelWinery @cheezits #maryjbligh #wine #pinotgrigio #ramato #friuli #italy #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #vinewinenyc @worldbyglass