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🎶No One Can Judge Me🎶

Torre Tusini
Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC
100% Lambrusco di Sorbara
Secco
Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Light blood orange cocktail with a tiny blush foam (double check). First sniff and it’s creamy like an Oreo center splashed with creme de cassis, raspberries, and strawberries floating in along with spring daisies, and a tiny butterscotch. First and foremost no matter how much fruit this sounds like…it is dry. Sipping strawberries, raspberries, a wee smidge of boysenberry, a little gooseberries and a squish of all of this in a jam. Again this is DRY and you’ll be so happy it is because it’s fresh and snappy!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: delicious crisp and beautiful

Modena, what a city of magic. Is it something in their water (or maybe the famous Balsamic vinegar) that births great artists in multiple fields, such as Luciano Pavarotti, Enzo Ferrari, and Massimo Bottura? While searching around a bit more I discovered it’s also known as “the Italian capital of ‘Beat’ music” which led me to Caterina Caselli and oh what a find! She is absolutely one cool cat. How have I never heard of her before? Check out this video of one of her songs that will have you up on your feet and grooving to the beat like no one’s watching, because “Nessuno mi può giudicare”.

#wine #lambruscodisorbara #lambrusco #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Modena #EmiliaRomagna #Italy #CaterinaCaselli @torre.tusini @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Meet Me Under The Mistletoe

Fatalone
Teres Primitivo 2020
Primitivo Racemi 100%
Puglia IGT
Organic, sustainable, solar power, dry farmed
Gioia delle Colle, Puglia, Italy

Brilliant shining stained glass cranberry and cherry cocktail mix. Pull the cork and it’s butterscotch that merges into a basket of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and add in some gentle cherry. As it grows there’s a teeny tiny reminder of my Great-Aunt Parnice’s buttercream frosting. She was such an amazing professional baker and never failed to make me a special December birthday cake of green velvet which were occasionally decorated with my Star Wars action figures. Han and Leia just had to deal with frosting on their shoes. Sipping and oh this is just delicious! I almost don’t want to think and just enjoy. Opened at 58F but could even have a little more chill if it’s warm outside. There’s cherries and it’s full of bouncing berries. You know like strawberries (fresh and a smidge preserves), blueberries, raspberries, a little tart plum (that would go great in a cobbler) with a spark in the back of something herby. Can you tell I’m in full holiday mode?

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: richer with a bit of dried fruit

This is my 2nd Fatalone, and again it’s another “Great Seducer” (check out previous post). It pairs well with kissing the dishy brooding one you’ve had your eye on under the mistletoe…or if that’s not in the picture this year, hang onto the bottle (chill it a little more) till the seasons gets warmer again when you can do a cannonball in the pool. Either way, I am still fascinated with their piping in classical music and nature sounds (wind, rustling leaves, rain, and birdsongs) into their soundproofed cellar for the sake of the micro flora. They believe the soft vibrations will improve its activity. Hey post this hectic holiday rush, I could use a few hours alone sitting in the dark with all that ambiance too. Sounds so peaceful, dreamy and relaxing…and I think I’ll open up a bottle while drifting in the cave too. 🍷

#wine #holidaywine #holidays #Primitivo #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Puglia #Apulia #organic #sustainable #Fatalone @FataloneWines @bonvivantimports @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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What’s in a Name?

Pantaleone
Onirocep 2020
100% Pecorino
Falerio Pecorino DOC
Organic, hand harvested, biodiverse
Ascoli Piceno, Marche, Italy
Family (Pantaloni) owned winery in latest hands of Federica and Francesca (and her husband Giuseppe)

Remember that yellow-green crayon? Well think a little more yellow. Give the glass a little time to grow and scents of pears, apricot, pineapple, and musky white peach are joined with smoke/peat and rained on slate…this is darn lovely. First sip and there’s a little mild sizzle on the front edges of my tongue. Tasting and there are those pears and apricot again followed by Mandarin orange, nectarine, a sliver of dinosaur plum and its skin, pineapple and a smidge of pineapple gummy bear (those are my favorite!) and a little bitter herby like a rosemary and thyme mix. Yum, yum yum!!!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: crisp yet luscious at the same time

So I evidently opened this bottle a tiny bit early. I’m reading online that Federica advises to wait 2 years. Well, we’re almost to 2022 (I can’t believe how time has flown this year), and if it gets better than what I just had then I’m getting another bottle and sitting on it. Heck, maybe I should buy a whole case! As for the name “Onirocep” I kept thinking is that the name of the artwork on the label or is it the name of some ancient beast that roamed the land? Then it hit me…it’s Pecorino spelled backwards. Before it was a DOC (2012) it was an IGT and you weren’t allowed to list the varietal on the bottle. Why do I always overthink things 🤣? Cheers y’all!

#wine #whitewine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Marche #Italy #Pantaleone #Pecorino #organic #jandamorewines @pantaleonewine @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Holiday Wine? Look No Further!

Grosjean Vins
Gamay 2020
Valle D’Aosta DOC
No pesticides or herbicides, organic, biodynamic, natural yeasts
Quart, Valle D’Aosta, Italy
Winemaking family

Ruby stained glass that reminds me of an old chapel window of the Virgin Mary and her sacred heart (we used to have years ago…man, I wish we had never needed to sell that piece). Smooth buttery scents in the beginning that head into warm earth & spice, orange zest, strawberries, and dried cherries. This is going to grow into a really fine sip. Tasting strawberries, a jumble of raspcranblackberries, golden raisins, Brown Turkey figs, a twinge of oranginess, a sage leaf and a grind of black pepper. It’s medium-light, and you can pair this baby with so many holiday treats and meats.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: deeper and delicious

So this now 12 hectare estate (originally 3,000 square meters) got its start all from a friend nudging Dauphin Grosjean to bottle his wine for the “II Exposition des Vins du Val d’Aoste”. Dauphin also got the early organic ball rolling around 50 years ago by banning all pesticides. Now the grandsons and a son-in-law are also following in their grandfather’s path with their Solar PV system. As they say on their site (google translated), “Perhaps our home, with its products and its riches, is really the place to start building something more beautiful and healthier.”

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #redwine #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Italy #ValleDAosta #italianalps #Gamay #organic #biodynamic #madrosewine @docwineshop @docwinebar @grosjean.vins @cheezit

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Who Let the Dogs Out?

Valdinera
Roero Arneis D.O.C.G. 2020
100% Arneis
Uncertified organic
Roero, Piedmont, Italy
Winemaking Family: Giuseppe “Beppe” Careglio and daughters Pamela and Carol

Palest starlight with a slight green shimmer. Lovely scents of pears and pear blossoms (reminds me of warm southern nights in Granny’s backyard, but thankfully without the mosquitos), slate, salt and mild honeysuckle with hints of Valencia orange and wild flowers. First sip and there’s pears and apples with a little tangelo, nectarine, and honeysuckle nectar following not far behind. Next up is a nice shake of salt, a little granite, and a few fresh blades of grass to balance everything out.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: sharpens everything. Nice

2nd encounter with Valdinera and again darn delightful. 1st was their Chiaro di Luna Rosé (see “Rose Dappled Moonlight“ post) and it whisked me away to their breathtaking beautiful Roero. Check out the video footage on their site, and I bet you’ll start scanning around for plane tickets for a visit. You can book a tour and also bring your dog. They are pet friendly and have safe space for them to run around and wear themselves out and also a bowl of fresh water for when they wind down. Of course what else would you expect from a winery with those two stately and regal pups as their logo. Ok, so now due to all this canine talk, it’s pretty obvious I have a certain woofable song stuck in my head, so I just have to share this earworm with y’all. Please don’t hate me…

#wine #winelover #whitewine #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit @worldbyglass #wholetthedogsout #dog #puppy #Arneis #pairswithcheezits #winetasting #winestagram #Roero #Piedmont #Italy #dogs @valdinera_azienda_agricola @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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A Creative Solution

Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Etna Bianco DOC
2020
60% Carricante, 25% Catarratto, 10% Grecanico, 5% Minnella
Organic, sustainable, and vineyards are located on the northern slopes of the Etna volcano, 600-900 meters a.s.l.
Randazzo (CT), Sicily, Italy
Owner: Marc de Grazia

Light gold starlight. Scents grow while sitting for a little of peaches, pears, winesap apples, blossoms/lilac, and a fresh salty seaside bit. Beautiful! Now sipping yellow plums, apricots, ripe soft pears, oddly a little oregano on the edges (it’s good trust me), granite-volcanic fed/mineral, and salt. Now I’m craving unagi and west coast oysters and a mortadella (or if you can’t find it substitute bologna & salami) grilled cheese. Yeah, there’s nothing like a good grilled cheese.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: absolutely delicious

Marc de Grazia is a man with his hands on two sides of the wine industry. He started out as a wine importer and from what I’m reading it was spurred from not being able to find the wines he loved while studying in the US. Now that’s a creative solution! After working with all of these wonderful winemakers, he then became one of the early “pioneers” revitalizing winemaking in Etna with buying the land and creating “Tenuta delle Terre Nere” aka “Estate of the Black Earth”. From eruptions and destruction came this beautiful opportunity to work with unique soils which they continue to research. They’re thinking about what is coming next, and how to adapt since climate change is very real.

#wine #winelover #whitewine #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #Sicily #Italy #etna #mtetna #mountetna #naturalwine #pairswithcheezits #winetasting #winestagram @tenutaterrenere @skurnikwines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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No Chemistry, No Technology, Just Nature

Vini Conestabile Della Staffa
Grecorange 2020
Umbria IGT
Grechetto
Organic, vegan, unfiltered, native grape, 20 days of skin contact
Monte Melino, Italy
Winemaker: Danilo Marcucci but the winery and land are from his wife’s side of the family

Electric orange…very orange…like Cheez-It orange. Breezing in are orange blossoms, magnolias come out after a bit and fade back, oranges and a twinge of lime. First swig and tastes are of lemon/lime/mandarin zest and a citrus squeezed mix. Give it a little time and then there’s something mineral, and a touch of real saffron threads (not that fake stuff that’s metallic). Just dry enough, fresh and light, and a glass of sunshine.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: pairs up fab, but I prefer the wine solo

It’s pretty obvious how much I love wine, but it’s also the tales, the history, and what drew 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.” Can’t get better than that.

#wine #winelover #orangewine #vino #vin #winetasting #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #naturalwine #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #Grechetto #Umbria #Italy @viniconestabile @selectionaturel @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Could Become a Delicious Hoarding Situation

Oltretorrente
Timorasso 2019
Colli Tortonesi DOC
Organic, hand harvested
Paderna (AL), Italy
Winemakers: Chiara Penati and Michele Conoscente

Pale twinkle twinkle starlight. Breezing out are pears, peaches, wet granite, and a basketful of spring orchard blossoms and a little honeysuckle buzzing by.First sip and wow there’s a lot going on here so give me a second to sort it all out. Luscious ripe pears and peaches, apricot (fresh and dried), and mango. Delightfully creamy! Next there’s salt, honeysuckle nectar (don’t eat any other part of the plant unless you know it is not toxic!), a sprig of grass…just a clipping, and a teeny tiny squish of lime hanging out. It’s elegant and very refined, and like a beautiful dream you don’t want to end, so I ran back to the store today and picked up two more bottles. Hoping this doesn’t become a hoarding situation.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nope, ruins the elegance

Restoration, elevation, and celebration of the old, that’s what Chiara Penati and Michele Conoscente embarked on back in 2010 starting their venture/adventure in Paderna. They started with 1.5 hectares and have expanded over the years with old vines ranging from 100 to 15 years old. It’s exciting to know I’m drinking something that has deep roots physically and emotionally. For some reason that feeling started before I even bought the bottle. That badger kept staring at me from the store shelf. I left it behind many times, but for some reason it felt so familiar and finally brought him home. (Side note: I ❤️ badgers! They are so cute and feisty!) Well, lo and behold, now I know why…this little critter was illustrated by Lorenzo Gritti. He’s illustrated works for Bloomberg, NY Times, New Yorker, NPR and many more and if you want to admire more of his art check it out here.

#wine #naturalwine #winelife #perfectpairing #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Timorasso #Paderna #Italy #Piedmont #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #Oltretorrente #bowlerwine @hellogritti @Oltretorrente @bowlerwine @vinewinenyc @cheezit

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Well Designed Enchantment

Il Censo
Praruar 2017
IGT Terre Siciliane Bianca
100% Catarratto
Organic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts, unfined & unfiltered
Bivona (near Palazzo Adriano [where Cinema Paradiso was filmed]), Sicily, Italy
Owners: Gaetano & Nicoletta Gargano
Winemaker, architect, & artistic creative behind the label: Giampiero Bea

Deep skin contact orange copper. There’s scents of a warm baking spice, oranges and peel, apples, apricots and a nutty almondness. Tasting orange peel and  blossoms, honey, puff of smoke, apricots fresh and dried, lemon, nectarines, Mom’s baked apples, ginger sprinkle, Marcona almonds, a smidge of dried sage and this glass has a smooth depth that I’m going to slow down, linger and let the flavors build.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nice and smooth

I stared at this beautifully designed label for some time, not knowing what to truly expect, since I’ve had a few Catarratto wines this summer and each is so unique. Some flirt, others leave me wondering and this one leaves me enchanted. Il Censo is one of those stories that an old (some would say ancient) family property was rejuvenated, there’s some replanting, and loving it back to organic life. All it makes me want to do is listen to the stories from this historic estate. What were the tenants of old like? What historic architecture still stands? What was the one moment when Gaetano and Nicoletta knew this is it…it’s time to leave banking and return to the vines? I could go on all night, but I’ll stop. If I’m lucky, maybe one day someone will join me at the table, share a bottle and reveal the tales of long ago.

#wine #winelover #orangewine #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #cataratto #pairswithcheezits #winetasting #winestagram #Bivona #Sicily #Italy #igt #GiampieroBea #gaetanogargano #ilcenso #madrosewine  @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Ancient Ways & New History

Pietro Beconcini Agricola
Antiche Vie 2020
Chianti DOCG
Sangiovese 80%, Malvasia 10%, and Trebbiano 10%
Organic
Grown in San Miniato, Tuscany, Italy
Wine Couple: Pietro Beconcini and Eva Bellagamba

Shining ruby that should be decanted for about an hour. I tried a couple different time frames and it seems to be the sweet spot. At first there’s a mellow morphing caramel scent, dark cherries, irises, forest earthiness, black pepper, and as it opens it’s more perfume. Tasting delicious cherries and dried cherries, plums, raspberry, boysenberry, blackberry, orange peel, white and black pepper, and digging in the dirt (earth)…yeah I have that Peter Gabriel song stuck in my head again. There’s also a small bite of rosemary and sage. All of this is joyfully light (that grows as it opens into medium) and lively with a seductive backbone, and this wine makes me smile and I feel like it’s winking back at me. 😘

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: deeper, darker and more sultry

Antiche Vie has ties all the way back to Pietro’s grandfather who back in the 50s bought their farmland, which is really important because it broke the cycle of being a sharecropper. Pietro’s Chianti celebrates the ways of old, the region’s indigenous grapes, and also his father who was a “pioneer in the cultivation of the vine in this area.” He also has written a new history with his San Miniato fed Sangiovese which was his 1st project and the grapes he is working with today in his “Wines of the Tradition”.  “Wines of Innovation” is the other route he has taken. They are the only ones growing Tempranillo in Italy, and their IXE will knock your socks off. As I keep repeating, it’s like Spain and Italy had a beautiful baby, and just like Antiche Vie it will be love at first taste.

#wine #winelover #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Chianti #Tuscany #Italy #SanMiniato #Sangiovese #Malvasia #Trebbiano #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #pietrobeconcini @pietrobeconciniwines @soilairselection @cheezits