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Kitty, What’re You Meowing About?

Viña Echeverria
Miao
Pét-Nat Rosé 2020
98% Chardonnay, 2% Cabernet Franc
Organic, sustainable, vegan friendly, wild yeasts
Curicó Valley, Molina, Chile
Sustainable, low yield vineyards, estate grapes, wild yeasts, unfiltered, family owned & managed winery
Technical Director Chief Winemaker: Roberto Echeverría Jr.

For a rosé this is quite warm hazy antique gold with fine bubbles creating morphing shapes on the surface. Btw what’s up with the side-eye glancing cat. Is a selfie being taken? Breathing in wildly herbal magic, field flowers (like dandelions and daisies), smoke, dried and fresh apricots, peaches, bananas, and silt. Hello you adventurous wine, where are you taking me on a fun ride? Hay and grass tangle on my tongue along with apples, pears (calvados), citrus spritz, apricots, deep peaches, smoke, honey, and dried banana chips.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: ACK ACK ACK (hairball sound effect) ACK

So excited to get my 3rd wine by Viña Echeverria (Es Pituko Cabernet Franc & Es Pituko Chardonnay) and they’re definitely consistent in delightfulness and instructions on the label. This little kitty says to “shake me, chill me, drink me.” I’d listen to her advice…this family knows what they’re doing. Roberto Sr. revitalized the family winery, brought it into the modern age and dedicated so many years of his life to this passion. He had to completely replant and rebuild, but as you can see, it was worth it for his children (Paulina, Viviana, Roberto and Diego) and for of course us. Miao y’all! 😺 Oh and I just have to add, this label is just asking for a little good ol’ Tom Jones.

#wine #winelover #Rosé #petnat #vino #vin #chilewine #miao #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #Chardonnay #CabernetFranc #naturalwine #pairswithcheezits #winetasting #winestagram #curicovalley #Molina #Chile #TomJones #cat @echeverriawines @tedward_ws @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Stumbling Upon a Rare Find

Bodega Viña Ijalba
Tempranillo Blanco 2020
Rioja DOC
1st ecological certified winery in Rioja, native yeasts, native grape
Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
Founder: Dionisio Ruiz Ijalba and his winemaking family

Shimmering yellow with green hints. Scents of coconut sunshine and reminds me a little bit of a piña colada (oh no now that song is stuck in my head), wisteria, orange blossoms, pineapple, bananas, lemon/lime, and Valencia oranges. Sipping lemons, limes, pineapple, and as it rolls around a smidge of honeysuckle nectar with slate and a shake of salt. It’s crisp, and a tropical vacation in a bottle.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: oh yeah baby this is a good one

Tempranillo Blanco is one youngster of a mutant. I guess you could say it was born on 1988, or at least discovered in a vineyard in Murillo de Río Leza. Seriously what an amazing thing to be checking out your vineyard and in a sea of bluish-purple you stumble upon a bunch of yellowish golden beauties. Viña Ijalba was the lucky winery that were first to introduce this as a single varietal (along with Maturana Blanco, Graciano and Maturana Tinta). They worked with the Rioja government and university research to revitalize these native grapes. Also their vineyards were built on old rocky and poor soil so the vines have to go deep for water which may cause low yields but better. Quality is more important than quantity to this family, which makes me love them even more.

#wine #winelover  #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #naturalwine #pairswithcheezits #RupertHolmes #pinacolada #winetasting #winestagram #TempranilloBlanco #Rioja #Spain @baronfrancois.ws @docwineshop @docwinebar @vinaijalba @cheezit

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Approved By Hitchcock

Frecciarossa
Sillery
Pinot Nero 2019
Dry white wine
Oltrepò Pavese DOC
Organic,  hand-harvested 
Casteggio, Italy
Owners & winemaking family: The Odero family, latest generation: Valeria Radici Odero

The absolute faintest glimpse of blush warmth on a pale gold like a smile from a crush. Scents of wet granite, tiny roses, light cherry, peaches, and a little lemon in the back. This is a delicious jumble of peaches, nectarines, pluots, yellow and red cherries, a citrus splash, and a little funk way back. Within this mellow and velvety fruit basket there is a dry slate that ends it all quite nicely. Dress me up, dress me down…this glass is welcome anywhere.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Nope it destroys the delicate beauty

Here’s a bottle tracing a hundred years of history (1919-2019). The latest generation, Valeria Radici Odero, can look back to the start with her great grandfather resettling back to Italy from the UK by acquiring a majestic new home on a hill called “Frecciarossa” (red arrow). Well this arrow’s real name was “fraccia rossa” (red landslide)…oops! His son Giorgio not only fell for the land but also Pinot Nero, and was so passionate about it he went to France to learn from the best. Bottling his own magic, the wine garnered notice…even a high alert from Alfred Hitchcock who downed a few at the posh Villa D’Este. Giorgio passed the torch to his daughter Margherita, and now we are full circle with her daughter Valeria. Can’t wait to see where the next 100 years takes them.

@docwineshop @docwinebar @frecciarossawinery @vignaioli_selection @cheezits #pairswithcheezits  #wine #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Italy #oltrepopavese #pinotnoir #pinotnero #alfredhitchcock #villadeste

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Give Her the Gold

Château Haut Lavigne
Cuvée N comme … – Rosé 2020
50 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Cabernet Franc
Vin de France
Organic
Côtes de Duras, France
Winemaker: Nadia Lusseau

Burnt orange watermelon glass. Sniffing strawcherberry, raspberries, buttery brioche, and mandarins. Oh pile on the delicious tastes of cranberry, strawberry, cherry, raspberry, a sprig of hay along with a tiny tart funk balsamic tang, and a lick of granite.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: tons of strawberries and berries galore

Nadia Lusseau may have not started out as a winemaker, but during her studies she ended up doing a stint in an oenology lab where things changed. By 2002, she acquired her land in Côtes de Duras and was growing organically in 2005. This is one woman that is truly passionate about wine and is firmly invested/committed to her land and all that grows and inhabits it. As she says on her site, “The vineyard is year round devotion. No Sundays or public holidays !!!” Her hard work, patience, honed skills and natural senses are like Nadia Comăneci who graces this bottle, and I easily award it the gold.

@vinewinenyc @nadia_vignoble_haut_lavigne @jennyfrancois @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #vinho #vino #vin #beer #Rosé #rose #rosato #worldbyglass #cheezit #vinewinenyc #葡萄酒 #ワイン #organic #cotesdeduras #France #chateauhautlavigne #CabernetSauvignon #CabernetFranc #cuvee #vindefrance #NadiaComaneci

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Shhh…What’s That Vine Saying?

Costador Terroirs Mediterranis
Metamorphika 2018
D.O Conca de Barberà
100% Trepat
Catalunya, Spain
Organic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts, & as always a really cool clay bottle
Winemaker: Joan Franquet

Ruby with blue/purple hues. Take a breath and there’s some forest funk, cherry, pinch of raspberry, very small bit of roses that fade, white pepper, light rabbit tobacco (yes, rabbit tobacco…I grew up in the country), and a little licorice. Raising my glass and tasting cherries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries mixed with one or two strawberries, earthy funk that leads to black pepper, baker’s chocolate, and a juicy twang. It’s lively as in like biting into a fresh handful of all the above fruit.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: only makes it more smooth…but I like the tangy twang

The last Costador I encountered was Joan’s 2019 Chenin Blanc which was darn glorious, and gave me the chance to learn about his mountainous vineyards with wild boars. This indigenous Trepat is a completely other amphora delight. The vines are around 60 years old which make me feel like a youngster, and I think if these vines could talk what would their tales say. Would they whisper how the climate has changed? I bet they would speak lovingly of Joan since he has cared for them so well and organically over the years. Most of all they would probably tell us the history of the land and their heritage. You don’t have to wait for the vines, all you have to do is pour a glass and let your nose and tastebuds translate it all for you.

@docwineshop @docwinebar @costadorwines @saviosoaresselections @cheezits #wine #cheezit #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #wineinfluencer #winestagram #pairswithcheezits #biodynamic #organic #Metamorphika #Catalunya #Spain #Catalan #Trepat #JoanFranquet

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A Princely Little Fox

Famille Coulon
BiotifulFOX 2019
Vin De France
60% Roussanne, 20% Marsanne, 20% Viognier
Organic and biodynamic
Southern Rhône Valley, France
Winemakers: Daniel & Frédéric Coulon & Daniel’s sons Victor & Antonin

A glass of spun straw. Breathing in apricots, peaches, salty slatiness, honeydew that is a little musky as it warms, tangelo, and pineapple. Take a sip and it’s heavenly, bright and a little decadent at the same time. We have a fun fruit basket of peaches, apricots, honeydew, pineapple, with a smidge of honey and rocky mineral. Just wonderfully crisp, delicious, and delightfully foxy.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out tiny flowers too, nice

With a swish of a tail this pretty little fox can spark a new project and expand the future of Domaine de Beaurenard’s historic wines. The Coulon Family has branched outside of their own vineyards to work with bio and organic grapes sourced from their friends’ Rhône vines. This beautiful blend is the culmination of their 8 generations of expertise and attention to nature, listening to the earthly rhythms, and following the pull of the stars and planets above. By the way, check out the label…remember “The Little Prince”? Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s work transported many of us as kids and even rings true or more poignant now. Dang, I didn’t realize how much emotion this would bring back reminiscing. Just remember as the fox said, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ❤️

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @wilsondaniels #FamilleCoulon #DomainedeBeaurenard @beaurenard @cheezits #pairswithcheezits  #wine #vino #vin #whitewine #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #wineinfluencer #winestagram #bio #Roussanne #Marsanne #Viognier #Rhône #France #fox #thelittleprince #BiotifulFOX

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Pour Me a Watercolor

Grochau Cellars
Etheric Wine Workshop
Willamette Valley Skin Contact Pinot Gris 2019
Sustainable, hand-harvested, locally sourced grapes, native yeasts, unfined, unfiltered, minimal intervention, and Chill AF
Amity, Oregon
Winemaker: John Grochau

It’s shining dark orange ruby tinged that reminds me of a favorite rose from my childhood. Pour me a watercolor in a glass and breathing in roses lightly coated in vanilla, strawberries, blood orange and its peel. That orange appears again in the first sip along with strawberries, blackberries, watermelon, smoke, granite, lemon zest, and a smidge of a Nilla wafer. Also a tiny bitter bite like sour grass. Now that is a good thing. Sour grass is a weed that tastes like a combo of sweet grass and bitter that I chewed as a kid, generally when I was sent to the outfield in softball where the lawnmower didn’t always venture.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: surprisingly really good. I seriously thought it was going to be awful. It’s even more juicy

From cycling for a French racing team, to 14 years in Oregon’s restaurant/sommelier realm, and learning the ropes of the wine industry, John Grochau keeps ever evolving. Now a waaaay established winemaker, he is constantly furthering his craft by sticking with minimal intervention, letting nature choose the rhythm of the vines, knowing when it’s time to have his sourced grapes harvested, and going by his philosophy (which I love) “Don’t screw it up. Resist the urge to do too much.” From all I’ve heard Grochau Cellars is also into giving back to the community. In April 2020, they paired up with Vincent Wine Company for virtual tastings and Sip Packs to give a percentage back to well deserving charities. Even now, Grochau has “Up Rising Sparkling” that donates to the ACLU of Oregon and the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. That’s a lot of good karma.

@docwineshop @docwinebar @grochau_cellars @cheezits #pairswithcheezits  #wine #vino #vin #rosé #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #wineinfluencer #winestagram #WillametteValley #Oregon #skincontact #pinotgris #goodkarma #karma

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Cheers to a Beautiful Daydream

Renardat-Fâche
En Blanc Aussi…
Brut Nature VDF 2019
100% Chardonnay
Méthode-ancestrale, organic, biodynamic, and on the lees for a year
Mérignat, Bugey, France
Winemakers: Alain Renardat and his son Elie

Straw yellow with very active white bubbles. As those bubbles keep floating up delivering scents of apples, grass or freshly stripped young apple branch, Marcona almonds, a little citrus zip that mellows into a little Lemonhead candy, followed by tiny spring flowers. Now here comes a zingy sip. It’s fresh, dry,  with a squeeze of lemon, a blend of crisp tart apples and a few sweet. The bubbles settle down some and there’s a bit of the filling of a lemon curd tart. Refreshing and easy drinker but it’s only 10.5% so feel free to have another glass

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Fab! Even more lemons!

The vineyards of Mérignat have history that goes back to the Middle Ages, and the Renardat-Fâche family has been working them for eight generations. Browsing through their site and I can see why they would stay in this area for so long. It is gorgeous! There’s sloping hills of vines overlooking the enchanting little town and mountains in the background. It’s like falling back in time where I could see a knight on a quest riding up on horseback. Hey, I’m a hopeless romantic, and this bottle with those sights…I’ve drifted off into a daydream filled with love.

@vinewinenyc @renardatfache @louisdressnerselections @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #vinho #vino #vin #beer #worldbyglass #cheezit #vinewinenyc #葡萄酒 #ワイン #wineinfluencer #organic #Chardonnay #sparklingwine #bubbly #brut #Mérignat #Bugey #France

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A Wine with a Soundtrack

S.C. Pannell
‘Basso’
Garnacha 2019
100% Grenache Noir
Organic, dry-grown, hand harvested, and unfiltered
McLaren Vale, SA., Australia
Winemaker: Stephen Pannell

Shining cranberry ruby. Oooooh tickling my nose are raspberries, cherry, orange peel, some flowers appear like tiny roses, and as time goes by a bit of earthy funk? Tasting fresh raspberries and also a little strawberry jolly rancher, and cranberry tart tang. This is fun glass full of life and is juicy that also has dark earthiness hiding in the background that pops out and waves every once in a while. Can totally see sipping this under the stars with a big steak on the grill and watching the bats dip, dive and soar while feasting on those pesky mosquitos.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: I like it…hmmm…not sure what it is doing. Just goes really well.

What a slew of awards and recognition are in Stephen Pannell’s pocket. Guess that explains why this bottle is so good. Pick early, release early and watch this youg’un burst full of life. I love that even while looking as to which soil speaks best to the grapes, he’s also thinks ahead to what local food will go with the wine in the end. ‘Basso’ is supposed to pair with chicken or pork shashlik cooked over coals with a tomato and pomegranate salad. Mmmm that does sound better than my first thought of steak. He also has a soundtrack for your drinking pleasure and this glass goes with Masego & FKJ – “Tadow”, so relax, tuck into your fabulous meal, and enjoy the tune.

@docwineshop @docwinebar @scpannell @vsiwine @cheezits #pairswithcheezits  #wine #vino #vin #redwine #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Garnacha #Grenache #GrenacheNoir #Australia #Masego #FKJ #Basso #mclarenvale

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Pick From the Best

Flat Brim Wines
Not Basic 2020
50% Picpoul, 50% Roussanne
Columbia Valley, Portland, Oregon
Sustainably sourced grapes, and indigenous yeasts
Winemakers and owners: Ian & Becky Atkins

Hazy orange and deep golden streaked sunset, almost copper. Breathing in a delightful citrus blend of lemon, orange, tangerine, with a smidge of clove, coconut, a little fresh cut grass, and some wet granite. There’s a bit if Vanilla that plays hide and seek, and very light oak as it breathes…poof gone. Sipping and here comes orange, pineapple, shake that salt, and tangy tart sparks. Then all of a sudden there’s a touch of Kirby cucumbers,  and some white pepper. I know it’s neutral oak, but there’s a little vanilla of it hanging out in the background with a smoky ember. It’s like a fresh fun playground in my mouth.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it even more smooth and even a little creamy

This is my third Flat Brim wine, and each has been so unique and all delicious. I guess it’s due to them being an urban winery and able to source the best grapes from growers they trust and know are sustainable (some are also organic and others biodynamic). Having such a beautiful diverse painter’s palette to work with has to be an amazing opportunity, and this bottle is a great expression of their creativity. One more thing to add, “Not Basic 2020” is a wine that can win over your beer loving friend that consistently says NO to wine. Give ‘em a little nudge and once they try, they’ll be sold.

@vinewinenyc @flatbrimwines @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #vinho #vino #vin #beer #worldbyglass #cheezit #vinewinenyc #Portland #Oregon #葡萄酒 #ワイン #wineinfluencer #organic #Picpoul #Roussanne #ColumbiaValley #flatbrimwines