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A Woven History

Quartomoro di Sardegna
Òrriu
Caòr
Cannonau di Sardegna DOC
Red Wine
Marrubiu, Sardegna, Italy
Low intervention, indigenous yeast, unfined & unfiltered
Winemaking couple: Piero Cella & Luciana Baso, and their children Alberto & Violante

Deep yet bright ruby/garnet. There’s all sorts of lovely scents like Mission figs, cherries, a touch of Oreo cream, bowl of berries blend: raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries; light balsamic reduction, and orange zest. Sipping away and there’s cherries, dark plums, prunes & dried figs, a teeny pine resin, red currants, blend of citrus zest with mostly orange, and again that bowl of berries with balsamic reduction which is just crying for a good steak. It’s delicious…not too heavy, not too light, just right.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: so smooth

Every time I meet a Quartomoro wine it reveals something new. I’ve had wines from their Òrriu collection but hadn’t looked into what that word would mean in Sardinian, which is to “ weave, weft, warp”. From their IG, “The wines of this line are the intersection of tradition and innovation. The threads that make up them are biodiversity, knowledge of man, passion, dreams and tradition.” Of course I wasn’t just going to stop there, I needed to find out more of Sardinia’s historic tradition of hand weaving beautiful tapestries, carpets, etc that had almost been lost. The fine detailed work is so beautiful. I was just reading that if a weaver loses count of the “pibiones” they have to backtrack to the last section they remember. My box of squirrels brain probably would not be very good at keeping track of something so intricate. If you want to check out some of their work and the women keeping it alive, check out the documentary by @sardinianarts Kelly Manjula Koza  “I Want to Weave the Weft of Time”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #redwine #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass  #redwine #cannonau #sardinia #sardegna #italy #steephillwines #docwinebar #docwineshop #quartomorodisardegna #quartomoro @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar @quartomoro

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Raised To Appreciate

Frank Cornelissen
Susucaru 2022
Rosato
Terre Siciliane IGP
Malvasia, Moscadella, Cattaratto, Nerello Mascalese
Organic, unfined
Etna (North Valley), Sicily, Italy

Deep magenta rose with a cork that gave me a battle, but I won. Scents start emerging of a blend of raspberry, strawberry & cherries, and it has a lot of depth. There’s also a straw of hay (that fades), smoke, black pepper, and orange & lemon squeeze and zest. Sipping and tart fruit flavors of cherry, blood orange & lemon, along with yellow plums, young strawberries, raspberries, red currants, watermelon Jolly Rancher, and a shake of white pepper. It’s crisp and glou glou worthy.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NOPE

Frank Cornelissen’s father is who led him to fall in love with wine by letting him take a sip (at a young age), taught him to appreciate a good glass, and eventually let him start picking bottles at their local shop. Makes total sense that this Belgian would land in Sicily and purchase hectares of ungrafted vines on the slopes of Mt. Etna, and dedicate himself to working obsessively organic and as natural as possible. In fact, he’s so committed to his environment and all that live in it that his site also has instructions on how to go about recycling everything from the bottle, the closure, label, case and pallet. His “Susucaru” Rosato is a very special wine, not only for how delicious it is but also for its name. Turns out in their local Sicilian it translates to “they stole it” which happened to a good part of the grapes from Frank’s first vintage. I wonder if the thieves were 2 footed, 4 or of the winged variety. Hmmmm? 🤔

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #rosato #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #organic #winetime #worldbyglass #Sicily #italy #zevrovineselections #Susucaru #FrankCornelissen #docwinebar #docwineshop @zevrovineselections @frankcornelissen_winery @docwinebar @docwineshop

 

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Leaving An Imprint

Casa do Valle
Homenagem
Rosso 2016
Reserva
Vinho Regional Minho
Sousao, Touriga Nacional, Merlot, etc
Organic, hand harvested
Cabeceiras de Basto, Portugal
Sousa Botelho family: Luis Botelho Cameira

Inky deep purple with a maroon rim. Trust me don’t accidentally spill this on your shirt…don’t be me. After the clean up, breathing in plums, prunes, deep cherries (dried & fresh), a little creaminess like an Oreo center, nutmeg & allspice, tiny bit of black pepper, and as time goes by a mix of berries tumbling through, and a woodsy oak touch that is one I can go with because it’s like Goldilocks would say “just right”. Sip and all of the scents are here with a smooth operator feel, orange zest, and what I at first think is just a creaminess that for a bit is a little coconut. Berries pop out including raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cranberries, black currants, and probably others too; a touch of alpine herbal (Ricola), and a single pine needle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: delicious and brings out an orange sizzle

Each vintage of Homenagem, is a lovely way for this winemaking family to pay homage & honor their father & grandfather, who passionately paved the way for their winery’s growth, developed their expansion through exporting, and overall success. What a delicious way to be memorialized! Cheers to all the generations and raising a glass to your future! 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #redwine #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass # Portugal #docwinebar #docwineshop #casadovalle @massanois @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Sometimes Older Is Better

Quartomoro di Sardegna
BVL
Memorie di Vite 2019
Isola dei Nuraghi IGT
Red Wine
Bovale Grande
Arborea, Sardegna, Italy
Low intervention, Alberello vine-training, indigenous yeast, unfined & unfiltered
Winemaking couple: Piero Cella & Luciana Baso, and their children Alberto & Violante

Stained glass garnet. Oh this smells so good! There’s cherries, plums, prunes, dried cranberries & a warm spice I can’t quite place, just picked berry jumble, fresh rained on granite, and a puff of smoke that turns into cola. Sipping and again cherries & cranberries (both tart & ripe), plums & prunes, and over time a raspbluestrawblackberry mix, smidge of olive pit, and a little coffee on the back with a touch of lovely balsamic reduction. There’s a brightness that’s also bold and just plain happy, and over time grows into a bottled Valentine so take note for next February. Hint, hint…I’d rather have this than a box of chocolates.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: all the cherries & berries joyfully grow

You may have noticed but I love Quartomoro’s wines and have never ever had one that didn’t fill me with the urge to book a plane ticket and visit them in person (I swear I will one of these days). This BVL was a gift from a dear friend, and it introduced me to a new grape to check off my list. I’ve encountered Bovale Sardo but never Bovale Grande, which long ago came to Sardegna via Spaniards. These ungrafted vines were planted back in 1925, and evidently the older the vine the better. Hmmm maybe that will be my new mantra about my life since my birthday is looming in about a month. 🤣 Seriously though, these old vines could only produce this beauty of a wine with the loving care and hard work of Piero & Luciana, their family & their whole team. Cheers to once again bringing the world a bottle of pure pleasure.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #redwine #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #bovale #redwine #sardinia #sardegna #italy #docwinebar #docwineshop#quartomorodisardegna #quartomoro @quartomoro @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Just One More Sip

Azienda Crocizia
Balós 2020
Emilia IGT
100% Pinot Nero
Organic, as little intervention in the cellar as possible
Emilia, Italy
Marco Rizzardi

Squished raspberry & strawberry rosiness. Sniff and it all changes over time but starts out tart not quite ripe strawberries & raspberries, dried cherries & cranberries, bit of earthy depth & forest floor, and a pinch of salt. First taste it’s a cocktail of all the berries then leading to tart cherry, dark plum, that bit of earth again with a smidge of smoke, little lemon squeeze, a lick of a salty rock, a straw of hay way in the back that later turns into a bit of balsamic, and a little sizzle on the tongue.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out more berries and smooths it all out

Marco Rizzardi rescued a little farm from abandonment, rebuilt and nurtured it into the small organic-bio vineyard it is now with the greatest of respect and care. He also has a bit of fun with the names for his bottles, like “Balós” and it’s a fitting moniker. So I’m told it’s “by name and by nature, the trickster who deceives you”, or a “cunning scoundrel who will not leave you alone” & lures you into another sip, then another, and next thing you know the whole bottle is “poof” magically gone! ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #sparklingwine #petnat #wineislove #winetime #organic #Italy #docwinebar #docwineshop #crocizia #winemc2 @crocizia @winemc2 @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Perfect Pairing/Partnership

Caruso & Minini
Terre di Giumara
Zoli
Inzolia
Terre Siciliane IGP
Sustainable
Sicily, Italy
Wine team: Stefano Caruso & Mario Minini (co-founders), and Giovanna & Rosanna (Stefano’s daughters)

Light yet bright yellow green shimmer. Breathing in peaches & their blossoms, magnolias & lillies, touch of melon, round pears & apples, oddly a fresh picked Scuppernong smell I remember from my grandfather’s vines, and a smidge of grapefruit. Sip, swish and here comes white peaches, a little honeydew, pears, a splash of pineapple & mango along with that floral again, lick of a mineral rock & it goes dry, citrus starts to emerge (lemon, lime, tangelo), a teeny bit of oregano.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: perfect

The Caruso family had a history of cultivating grapes to sell, then later to bottle in the 90s, but it took the latest two generations (Stefano & his daughters) to step everything up. Also Stefano partnered up with Mario Minini (hence their winery’s name) & utilized his experience in sales & marketing to bring them to their current success. Now their wines reach more than 30 countries, and that’s pretty exciting since now we all have a chance to taste their bit of Sicily without having to board a flight. ✈️❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #Italy #Sicily #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #docwinebar #docwineshop @carusoeminini @massanois @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Manners Maketh The Wine

Tenuta Belvedere
WAI
Moscato 2021
Provincia di Pavia IGT
Natural wine, organic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts, “just flip the bottle a little not too much”
Montacalvo Versiggia, Oltrepò Pavese, Lombardia, Italy
Winemakers: Federica & Gianluca Cabrini

Shimmering gold with tiny bubbles. Right out of the gate and headed for my nose are pears & golden apples, yeasty moments of fresh out of the oven goodness, hyacinth, a touch of mango, pineapple & honeydew, and a salty breeze on the back with a pinch of white pepper. Sipping and all of the scents are there in the taste and a bit more honeydew with a pinch of some spice that I’m trying to place. I know it’s pepper related but a warmth that grows like ginger sprinkle…that’s it! Also a short scrape of lime zest and it’s all so crisp and lovely.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: beautiful bursts of fruit

Oh Tenuta Belvedere, you continue to make life brighter. Have lost count on how many of your wines I’ve tried and you never fail to deliver a beautiful bottle. There’s something I never thought to question before is why, WAI? Turns out it’s a simple answer. Gianluca’s MIL liked the Thai traditional greeting. How fitting for such a friendly and welcoming sparkler. Did you know there are 3 levels of Wai? Honestly, I didn’t until this glass led me to these lessons in politeness. For an etiquette tutorial check out this video: Learn Thai Culture | How to “wai” like a Thai ไหว้อย่างสวยงามแบบไทย ๆ

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #moscato #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Italy #Lombardia #oltrepopavese #steephillwine @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar @belvederewine @cheezit

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Rock On!

Ruge
L’Essenziale 2021
Prosecco Col Fondo
Colli Trevigiani IGT
Glera
Old school natural re-fermentation in the bottle, hand harvested, unfiltered, member of ColFondo Agricolo
Valdobbiadene, Italy
The Ruggeri brothers (Ruggero and Andrea)

Yellow with green hints and lots of fine active bubbles. First up are creamy yeasty fresh baked scents followed by a pears & mellow apple blend, touch of lychee as it opens, and over time a teeny very light citrus tingle in the way back…it’s beautifully light & dainty. Sipping and all the scents & creaminess are right there…gentle, free and as it grows more full with a little more of a lemon/lime crisp tingle in a good way, and a crumble of sugar cookie with a pinch of salt. Just a dreamy, enchanting glass of bubble love that has enough edge can pair with some good ol’ rock n roll.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Not tonight

Ruggero & Andrea have designated themselves as “guardians” for their land, and what a beautiful rich, green, sloping vision it is. As in their own words, “We have the duty to transfer a little of the wonderful landscape in which we live into the glasses.” L’ Essenziale completely transports you to their history (how it’s made & etc) and celebrates their native grape. It also links you to a group (ColFondo Agricola) unified under 10 winemaking commandments, secondary fermentation in the bottle, and the sparklers being able to pass a blind tasting & seal of approval before they can carry the project’s logo on the back label. Oh and it doesn’t hurt if you like a little head banging to AC/DC, to join this sparky band of vintners. 🎸🤘Rock on!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #sparklingwine #prosecco #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Valdobbiadene #RugeValdobbiadene #italy #organic #acdc #jandamorewines @colfondoagricolo @docwinebar @docwineshop

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“It’s A Kind Of Magic”

La Masera
Anima 2020
100% Erbaluce
Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG
Organic
Settimo Rottaro, Italy
Alessandro, Gian Carlo, Davide, Sergio and Marco

Just like that good old yellow green crayon but shining. Breathing in white flowers & blossoms, mix of green apples, a  little green grass, firm crisp pears, a little bubbling citrus spark with a savory herb bundle with sage, thyme, & more, and of course my old familiar of that mineral spring house. Oooh this is delicious! Tasting green apples, pears, light honeysuckle, a sprig of fresh cut grass, a salt rim, and that same herb & mineral hit again. This is gentle, delicate and adventurous at the same time, and as it opens in the heat of tonight it blooms & shows its beauty.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: it’s ok but better on its own

Once upon a time there were five boys/friends that watched their elders revel & devote themselves to the growth & creation of an elixir, “Erbaluce Passito”, and well…it stuck. They did grow up, find their place in the world, but their minds circled back to that happy reminder from their childhood, or as they say “with our project we try to replicate those ancient gestures to give new life to that wonder of taste and inner search that springs out of a Settimo Rottaro Erbaluce Passito glass …”  Oh, to have a chance to recapture the past, harness a dream and make it real. Just like their native jewel of a grape…it’s a kind of magic!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #piedmont #italy #organic #queen #freddiemercury @lamasera.wine @omniwines @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Nothing Can Be So Beautiful

Vini Conestabile della Staffa
Rustico 2020
Umbria Rosso IGT
100% Sangiovese
Organic
Monte Melino, Italy
Winegrower & maker: Danilo Marcucci

Ruby…think deep stained glass like Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Breathing in scents of cherry, plum, a dash of good funk then violets, mini roses, a slight vanilla touch, and a mix of blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and as it says a rustic vibe. Tasting and it starts off tart & alive with cherries & plums, oil cured olive pits, dried crushed herb blend maybe tarragon & thyme, smoke, black & white pepper, juicy blackberries, red currants, tart & fresh green & pink strawberries, and a wood shaving from my grandfather’s shop.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: deliciously smooth

Y’all know how much I love wine, but it’s also the tales, the history, and what draws people to work the vines. Reading about Danilo Marcucci on SelectioNaturel’s site and they write he’s the first to say this is his wife’s land and “he is merely a guest, married to the vines and his wife Alessandra’s noble lineage” (dating back to the Middle Ages w an arranged marriage in the 1700s sealing the families’ deal). He just rebooted everything, and was lucky that chemicals were never used on the land, since he’s been called “Italy’s Lord of Natural Wine”. He learned from old school masters after being introduced to a glass of nature, and his philosophy is “No chemistry in the vineyard, no technology in the cellar.” Sometimes keeping it all about nothing can make everything oh so beautiful.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass  #organic #sustainable #Umbria #Italy #viniconestabile #selectionaturel @viniconestabile @selectionaturel @docwinebar @docwineshop