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Here Kitty, Kitty

Vinos Ambiz
La Gatta Mormigliana 2016
100% Tempranillo
El Tiemblo, Ávila, Sierra de Gredos, Spain
Winemaker: Fabio Bartolomei
Organic (just not certified, you’ll see why below)

This is the deepest dark goth purple which fits the label. Starts out with dark funk and grass scents. Very quickly that all turns into deep cherry, dark plum, oddly coriander that become cloves, and then licorice. This wine keeps evolving like crazy. First sip is deep sweet cherry, raisin, prune and plum. Something toasty emerges. There’s a touch of bitter bit at end, like pecan hulls that get left in after you shell them and think it’s all just meat. Here it goes changing again and it’s all fruit. I had been cautioned about this wine because I was told it might be too funky for me. Nope! It has funk but not to the extent I been told. In the end it is smooth and romantic. Not what you would expect from a giant monster cat nightmare.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: super sweet fruit with just a hint of the funk

Fabio Bartolomei is the outsider artist of wine. He has no training in winemaking, and during his start he worked out of garages, stables, etc. If La Gatta Mormigliana is any example of the rest of his wines, he’s freaking brilliant. The name comes from a story his father recounted to him of a fearsome cat with iron teeth and steel whiskers, that would say “Chi vien giù lo mangio” (If you come in, I’ll eat you…). If anyone knows where to find more on this tale, please do reach out to me. Sounds like a good scare. Fabio is also very adamant about making natural and organic wine, but bucks the certification. Here it is in his own words, “I refuse to certify because I believe that the polluters should pay for the damage they are doing to the environment, not the clean farmers”. Because of this, the bottle has a back label with a lengthy list of what it doesn’t contain, what processes it went through and what he didn’t do to it.

Would also like to give credit to the two label artists: Francesco de Aguilar and José Perico. That is one scary cat!

@vinewinenyc @vinosambiz @IndieWineries @francescodeaguilar @joseperico_design.illustration @cheezits #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #vinewinenyc @worldbyglass #tempranillo #FabioBartolomei #ElTiemblo #Ávila #SierradeGredos #Spain #naturalwine

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Heavenly Honey (and Peaches)

Weingut Clüsserath-Weiler
Trittenheimer Altärchen Riesling Kabinett 2009
100% Riesling
Trittenheim Mosel, Germany
Winemaker: Verena Clüsserath

Spun gold glassful. Inhaling flowers, fresh apricots and just picked peaches, a touch of grapefruit and then at last mineral. The peaches are really here in the first sip. Reminds me of the ones from back home, we’d pick for mom to make cobbler. Next is honey and melons, again the slightest touch of grapefruit dryness and mineral. Makes me think of something the gods would have drunk out of a goblet while one of us mortals were feeding them cheese and grapes. Kind of makes me feel a little decadent but stops before it gets too heady (thank goodness). It’s a delicious ethereal beauty.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Less honey and more peaches

Here’s another ethereal beauty to enjoy: Mazzy Star – Fade Into You (Live)

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @WeingutCluesserathWeiler @cheezits #cheezit #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #magellanwineimports #weingutclüsserathweiler #Riesling #Trittenheim #Mosel #Germany #mazzystar

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A Wine of Mystery

Azienda Agricola Crivelli
Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOC 2018
Ruchè 100%
Castagnole Monferrato, Asti, Italy
No herbicide or pesticide used, hand harvested, indigenous grape
Winemakers: Marco Maria Crivelli and his son Jonathan

Shining ruby and purple. It’s buttery at first…just a little bit. Next it’s fragrant warm spice, deep cherries, plumminess, and a touch of Twizzler. Sipping in spiced cherry, plum, prune and other dried fruit richness, and some cola. There’s also twinge of bitter like an olive pit or maybe an almond and some black pepper. Medium body and lovely and easy to drink.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Juicy, juicy, juicy, fruit

According to Azienda Agricola Crivelli, ”If someone in Castagnole Monferrato offers to you a Ruchè, it’s because he cares of you”. Now, that makes me feel pretty special to have a bottle of this grape with mysterious origins. In the past there were tales that monks may have brought it from Burgundy, but that got a big fat no with a DNA test. It appears to be an indigenous grape that has been around at least from the Middle Ages, and was revitalized by a local priest, who has been said to have wished he had more time to spend with the vines than people.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny #aziendaagricolacrivelli #jandamorewines @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #italy #ruche #ruchèdicastagnolemonferrato #CastagnoleMonferrato #asti #MarcoMariaCrivelli

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A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Southold Farm + Cellar
Piquette
Sparkling Rosé Wine
A blend of the pomace of all the grapes they grow
Texas Hill Country
Fredericksburg, Texas

This piquette is a dark watermelon/cranberry cocktail and a bit of bubbles. Intriguing… do let it breathe because there’s some natural funk. Got some gose a going here. It’s summer, so let’s kick back that swig. There’s tart, sour, white pepper, and a mix of berries. It’s light and fresh, and just go with it.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Less sour and more raspberries. Got to love those berries.

Hey it’s only 4% ABV, and it’s hot so crack one and then another. Enjoy the afternoon, and grab a straw for this wine. Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance (Official Music Video)

@vinewinenyc @southold_farm_and_cellar @cheezits #wine #beer #gose #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits  #cheezit #vinewinenyc @worldbyglass #piquette #rose #rosé #Fredericksburg #Texas #nenehcherry

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All Hail the Queen

Forlorn Hope
Queen of the Sierra 2017
White blend
Verdelho, muscat, and chardonnay (mostly, but there may be some others thrown in too)
Calaveras County, CA, USA
Organic, hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation, native yeasts, unfiltered and unfined
Winemaker: Matthew Rorick

Crystal shining light yellow. Wafting in citrus, melon, something a little musky, slate/mineral, and light grapefruit. Tilting the glass back and tasting honeydew, muskmelon, and citrus. Nice acid and there’s that mineral again…you can taste the limestone from the land. It’s a feisty and fun wine.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: sharpens the wine and tones back sweet

I was really surprised when I looked up their site. Love the rockstar font and really love what I’m finding out about the winemaker Matthew Rorick. What a man of all trades and accomplished at all! At first glance you see this tatted, white-beard and mustached rocker dude. Then you read about his past and whoa, he repaired submarine telescopes for the U.S. Navy, ridden skateboards for a living, and built electric guitars. That is really cool. Also cool is that Forlorn Hope pulls for the outsiders and longshots. That’s something near and dear to my heart. Ok, have I had too much of this lively wine, because I’m tearing up right now. All hail the little guy that survives and thrives in any circumstance. Definitely pleased to meet you, Forlorn Hope!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @forlornhopewines @tedward.newyork @cheezits #cheezit #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Calaveras #california #verdelho #muscat #chardonnay #matthewrorick

 

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The Lion, the Vigneron, and the Castle

Società Agricola Bussoletti Leonardo S.S.
Ciliegiolo di Narni “0535” 2018
Umbria IGT
Narni, Umbria, Italy
100% Ciliegiolo di Narni
Organic and spontaneous fermentation
Winemaker and Ambassador of Ciliegiolo: Leonardo Bussoletti

Deep ruby color but shining like a piece of stained glass window. Scents of cherry, roses, a mellow berry, and a pinch of cola. Flavors of dark and sweet cherries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries with their seeds included to give a little good bitter kick

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

Chill it a little, it’s really good that way. This is your summer red.

When I first looked at the label with the lion and the name of the town being Narni, I immediately thought of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. Even if C.S. Lewis never set foot in Narni (previously named Narnia), he did discover it in an atlas, underlined it, and told his biographer (Walter Hooper) that the name had inspired his magical realm. In 2009, Walter sent the same atlas to Narni’s local historian (Giuseppe Fortunati), so it all comes full circle. How cool is that! Narnia was a place I spent many hours in my childhood visiting through the pages of his wonderful series, and now I get to travel there by glass.

Another image on the label is Narni’s square fortress Rocca Albornoziana. It looks like it could have fallen out of C.S. Lewis’ world or even GOT. There’s four towers, a moat, and a second wall of protection. You would seriously need a dragon to get past all that. It’s also been a home to popes (one holed up in there to escape a plague), military officials, and in 1906 a Russian prince, when he bought it for a song. Now it’s back in the hands of Narni.

Narni also has secret below known as “The Underground”. Back in 1979, six young men who loved exploring caves, stumbled upon quite the discovery of an underground chapel, frescos, tunnels, and many other closed off rooms. Over the years, research (some also from Vatican documents) and preservation continued and it turns out that this hidden treasure was part of the Papal Inquisition. No one ever expects the Papal Inquisition! There are scratch marks on the walls from tools of torture. There’s a cell where prisoners left their mark, one of them is in a code that no one has been able to crack. Chilling to think of these poor people being forced to confess to heresy.

Ok, I can’t leave this wonderful city on such a dark note. Each year, from July through part of August, Narni has the Narnia Festival of music, dance, theater, exhibitions, workshops, etc. Check out their site  and here.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @leonardobussoletti #leonardobussoletti #jandamorewines @narniafestival @NarniSotterranea @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #italy #umbria #Ciliegiolo #narni #narnia #RoccaAlbornoziana

 

 

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Rosato, Rosè and Roses

Tenuta I Fauri
Baldovino 2018
Rosato
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC
Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy
Montepulciano 100%
Sustainable farming
Winemaking family: Luigi and Valentina Di Camillo (brother and sister)

This is a cherry red Rosè. Elegant fresh breath of flowers and more specifically roses. Cherry and strawberries start to pop in too, the more it warms. Delicious swig that has my tastebuds dancing. Definitely cherry, plummy and strawberry sweetness. It’s fruity but not overwhelming. It’s more refreshing, oh and something floral in the taste too. Wait something woody nutshell emerges, but not bad. The more I think about it, it’s almond and not the shell. Been eating quite a few when we were locked down. Yes, I do eat other things than just Cheez-It’s.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: say goodbye to the almond and hello to a gush of fruit

Tenuta I Fauri was founded in 1978 by Domenico Di Camillo (Luigi and Valentina’s dad). This is another lovely story, of a family falling in love with wine and passing it down the generations. Also brother and sister both studied oenology and then came aboard the family business. Quite the power team with some great PR. They were picked by Forbes back in 2019 as one of five small wine producers to watch. From this bottle alone, I can definitely see why.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @tenuta.ifauri @wineberry.newyork @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #italy #chieti #abruzzo #rosè #rosato #rose #montepulciano #tenutaifauri

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Familiar Feeling

Quinta da Lixa
Escudo Real
Vinho Verde 2019
Minho, Portugal
35% Loureiro, 35% Arinto, and 30% Trajadura
Sustainable wine with an under $10 price tag
Winemaker: Carlos Teixeira
Note from winemaker: Drink Very Chilled

Very pale delicate gold with tiny little bubbles. The first breath is a bouquet of flowers, apple cider, and something creamy like vanilla, and finally honeysuckle. Here comes the taste of tangerine, lemon, orange (do I get my daily allotment of Vitamin C from this?), tangy herbal and a pinch of spice. There’s that verde bubble sizzle. It’s crisp, fresh and has a beautiful body. Let’s head down to the river with a few in the cooler and strap it in the middle inner tube. Let’s go a floating.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it creamy and have even more body with a hint of lemon

It gives you that familiar feeling of summer that a Vinho Verde should but with more oomph, complexity and just something special. This is now my favorite ever Vinho Verde!

Let’s hit the dance floor with another Familiar Feeling: Moloko. Also for the first time dedicating a post to my S.O. who absolutely loves Vinho Verdes. This wine and song is for you!

@vinewinenyc @quintadalixa @skurnikwines @harmon.skurnik.wines @cheezits #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits  #cheezit #vinewinenyc @worldbyglass #vinhoverde #minho #portugal #Loureiro #Arinto #Trajadura #moloko #roisinmurphy

 

 

 

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A Glass and a Dance

Malaparte Vinos
Dindi Blanco 2019 (I think)
Cuéllar, Segovia, Spain
Albillo Mayor (mainly), Jerez, Huerta del Rey, and Verdejo
Natural farming, no pesticides or herbicides, indigenous yeasts and spontaneous fermentation
Winemaking family: Mariano de Frutos (dad), Elisa de Frutos (daughter), Ruben Salamanca (son-in-law)

Color pale golden yellow. Looks refreshing! Smelling a blend of citrus, melon, some vanilla sweetness, then salty smoky, and something greenish like grass. Sipping cantaloupe and honeydew, a twinge of apple, tangy orange, and lemon tart (with a not so sweet yet toasty vanilla savory crust just lingering in the back). As it opens more, it’s sultry but still has a mineral granite lick. Medium body with an acidic finish. In other words, the best of both worlds

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: more melon, more fragrance

Reading up on how Malaparte Vinos, grew from a dream of Mariano de Frutos. Back in 1996, (wow when I typed this, I was thinking that’s not that long ago, but in reality, yes it is…time flies.) he started planting only Tempranillo in a small 3.5 hectare vineyard, but over the years it has branched out to a variety of grapes such as mentioned above in the wine notes. Very glad his dream has been realized and shared with his daughter Elisa de Frutos and her husband Ruben Salamanca.

Mariano’s dream started and is still in Cuéllar, so off we go to check out the town. If you happen to arrive the last Sunday of August, better keep watch of what’s happening around you. Early each morning (the Festival of Nuestra Señora del Rosario lasts 5 days) the bulls are released to do the infamous run through the streets. I think I’ll stick to just visiting the Dukes of Alburquerque castle. Awe inspiring gothic and renaissance architecture are blended in this incredible structure. Quite a fortress, that became abandoned after the dukes left the neighborhood. Much later in 1938, it became used as a prison and later a sanatorium for TB infected prisoners. What a change from being an exalted lap of luxury. As of now though, it has become a vocational school. Can you imagine going to school in a castle! Oh wait, that makes me think of Hogswart. That could be magical.

Let’s check out one more place in the nearby town of Iscar, the Museo Mariemma. Guillermina Teodosia Martínez Cabrejas, otherwise known as Mariemma, was one of Spain’s most important and influential dancers and choreographers. Born in Iscar, but due to her father wanting to make a better future for his family, they packed up and moved to Paris. From what I’m discovering about her past, she often danced in the street and was discovered for her talent at the age of 9, and then sent to study with a professional. By the age of 12, she was already performing as a soloist at the Olympia Theater. She passed on her love of dance, knowledge and creativity by teaching at Real Conservatorio de Arte Dramático y Danza de Madrid, and forming her own school: Mariemma Ballet de España. If you want to learn more about Mariemma, check out Daniel G. Cabrero’s documentary, “My Paths Through Dance”. Now I have another museum to check off my visit list whenever I get to travel again.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @malapartewine @steephillwine #steephillwine @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #Cuéllar #Segovia #Spain #Iscar #albillomayor #jerez #huertadelrey #verdejo #Mariemma

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WINE MEMORIES 3.8.2018

Cantina Argiolas
Turriga 2011
Isola dei Nuraghi IGT
Sardegna Italy
Cannonau (mostly) with Carignano, Bovale Sardo, Malvasia Nera

Hesitantly opened back in 2018. One of my favorites, and I didn’t know when I would get it again. From what I remember of that night (and my sparse notes), it was deep, dreamy, dark fruit, some herbal thing like fennel, and as it grew chocolate/coffee. Elegant and strong and just filled with love. Was a gift from my dear, but here is the problematic part, did he get it here or was it a bottle he brought me back from Basel? Shhh… don’t tell him I can’t sort where my present came from. I swear my brain has been so fried memory-wise since lockdown, and I didn’t take a picture of the back of the bottle. It may have come from Paul Ullrich AG in Basel or it could have come from D.O.C. Wine Shop. It’s a coin toss at this point, so giving both a nod of credit. Either way, still one of the Sardinian wines I ABSOLUTELY LOVE! Oh, and this is from the pre-Cheez-It’s era.

Cantina Argiolas https://argiolas.it/

@ArgiolasWinery @docwineshop @docwinebar @paulullrichag #wine @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #sardegna #sardinia #italy #Cannonau #Carignano #BovaleSardo #MalvasiaNera #argiolaswinery