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Sip Till The Stars Come Out

François Montand
Brut Blanc de Blancs NV
Colombard, Ugni Blanc, and Chardonnay
Méthode Traditionnelle
Vineyards in Gascony & west facing slopes Jura Mountains
Crançot, France

Golden yellow with tiny active bubbles. Inhale and there’s a gentle citrus blend of Valencia oranges, lemon/lime, grapefruit, smidge of lemongrass, light green pear, a clean crispness like a really good sparkling mineral water, and over time a toasty bit appears. Sipping away and all of the scents are right there with a crisp dry vibe, a lick of garden fresh ripe bell pepper, and the lime is a bit more tart & fresh. It’s an easier drinker celebrator.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: perfect pairing

François Montand’s wines are not just a delicious bubbly kiss. They’re also happily easy on the wallet. Another fun perk on their site is a list of recipes, and I think I’ve found a new favorite take on a margarita in their “Méthode Margarita”. So follow along and raise a glass with me…

Ingredients
2c Orange Juice
1/2c Tequila
1/4c Lime Juice
François Montand Brut

How To Make The Magic Happen
Combine orange juice, tequila, and lime juice in pitcher. Rim margarita glasses with lime and dip in salt. Fill glasses with orange juice mixture. Top with François Montand Brut. Garnish with oranges and limes.

The final ingredient I would add is to kick back by the pool and slowly sip till the twinkling stars come out. ✨Cheers to the long weekend! 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #bubbly #brut #France #winebow #FrancoisMontand #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Bridging Relationships For The Future

Sông Cái Distillery
Khà Tung Tóe
Bubbly Purple Rice Wine
100% Nếp Cẩm
Organic, fermented with koji
Gia Lâm, Hanoi, Vietnam
Founder: Daniel Nguyen

Electric magenta streaked sunset with teeny active bubbles. Sniffing and this is very interesting. There’s toasted rice (reminds of the rice on the bottom of a bowl of Bibimbap), a cucumber seaweed mix (in a very good way), bright plum, a sort of satay/peanuts/toasted sesame, puff of peat, savory soy sauce and a little shiitake. After a few sips all of the sniffs and a dash of fish sauce (also again in a good way), citrus twang, and an earthiness that is not one I’m completely familiar with but would love to get to know better. It’s tingly, bright and a total pét-nat.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: JUST DON’T

Sông Cái (Mother River) is mụch more than just a distillery, it’s a bridge. Daniel (originally from CA) built that “bridge” through relationships with locals, farmers, and foragers to create a “100% Vietnamese-owned endeavor of its kind” where the value of their agriculture would be elevated & increased through a new output: gin, spirits, wine & more. They’re also looking to preserve & nourish the local plants, cultures, & traditions that are the heart of Vietnam. Another thing that stands out to me is that Indigenous women make up 60% of their team and women also make up 75% of their managerial staff, so it’s a beautiful opportunity for them to provide, excel, and grow. At Sông Cái they also “focus on capacity building ensures that every team member has opportunities for professional growth, both internally and externally. We also cover essential expenses such as housing, food, and travel, our aim is to maximize the financial well-being of our team members and their families.” I love finding out about good souls such as this team because it gives me hope in humanity and in this wild world. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #ricewine #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #vietnam #songcaidistillery #vinewinenyc

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Dreams Do Come True

Cascina Carlòt
San Rümu 2022
Dolcetto D’Alba DOC
Sustainable, biodiverse
Coazzolo (AT) – Italy
Claudio Mo

Ruby with splashes of burgundy. Breathing in bright cherries, plums, raspberries, boysenberry, moments of violets, and a touch of earth. Sipping away and again the cherries, plums, raspberries, blackberries, hint of blueberry, and a pinch of that earth with a little bramble. It’s dry yet fresh and oh so easy to love.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: I’d rather not

Even though Claudio Mo is a winemaker he prefers to go by winegrower, since he is “faithful to the – typically Piedmontese – philosophy that wine is made first of all in the vineyard and then in the cellar.” He also prefers to live in harmony with nature, to follow its rhythm, connect with all the cycles, and to live sustainably. This includes working toward a future of the farm eventually being energy self sufficient. What a beautiful gift to pass down to his family…or in other words as it greets you on his site, it is “Claudio’s dream come true”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #biodynamic #organic #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #italy #wineemporium  #cascinacarlot #docwineshop #docwinebar

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Bubbly Bottle Of Summer

Château Fontvert
Bulles Natures NV
Rosé Pét-nat
Mourvedre
Certified organic & biodynamic (Demeter), hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Lourmarin, Luberon Mountains, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Jérôme Monod & sons & family

Light salmon belly flash with active bubbles. All of the scents are dainty & gentle with raspberries, yellow cherry, white peaches, a grapefruit & citrus blend, mineral spring house, and a little sea breeze. All of the sniff is in the taste with a little more peaches and happy seltzer zing. It’s festive, friendly, oh so cheerful, and this is your summer bottle to keep on repeat.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Step away from the bag

Château Fontvert’s lands have been worked & farmed since Roman times. It passed hands to the Sambuc family toward the end of the 17th century when they established the estate & kept it for 14 generations. The Monod family acquired it in the 1950s, revamped the vineyard & at first sold the grapes to a co-op until 2003 when they decided to go all in on their own label. Now they’re biodynamic & organic certified and as far as I’m concerned, they’re knocking out of the park. Now this little pét-nat led me down another trail to Lourmarin which is known by travel writers as dreamy and “the prettiest village in Provence”. There’s ivy covered Provencal stone architecture that exudes a friendly warmth, an abundance of floral scents changing with the seasons, a bustling market day, outdoor cafés, and one thing that stood out to me their beautiful doors. Whether old or new they are distinctly individual wooden pieces of art. I can see where Peter Mayle got his some of his inspiration for “A Year In Provence” whilst residing here. Who wouldn’t want to live in such a lovely & magical place. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #provence #France #mfwwineco #chateaufontvert #vinewinenyc

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Cool Cat

Weingut Edgar Brutler
Sefu White 2022
Co-ferment field blend of Chardonnay, Riesling, Furmint, and Tămâioasă Românească
Organic
Crișana, Transylvania, Romania
Edgar Brutler & family

Warm antique gold. Just popped the cap and there’s a blend of tangerine/grapefruit/kumquat/young orange with all the zest, a touch of good funk, lemons/limes emerge, crab & green apples over time, a couple blades of grass, and dried coriander. Sipping and all of the citrus with a bit more tart & ripe green apples, crunchy  pear, watermelon rind & green tomato, over time a little honeysuckle, again the coriander with a touch of smoke/peat, and a light lick of something deliciously earthy. So alive, fun and frisky.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: YES

These cool cats gave me a crash course on the history of Transylvania, Romania & the Brutler family that is too long to condense in this post but I highly recommend checking out their importer, Danch & Granger Selections’ info . Sefu is a project they started in 2022 with inspiration from a family friend Laci Hetei, and his great love for & over abundance of grapes. He actually reminds Edgar of his grandfather, who had a quote I love, “a family with two or three kids needs 1000 liters of wine per year”. I can see his point. Anyway, back to Sefu (translates to “boss” or “chief”) & its catty label (by Agostina Suazo). If you live with a kitty you know who rules the roost so the name fits & this wine is also a rocking top meowser that belts out its territory. As Edgar says, “This is the taste of our region. Rustic, acidic and pure.”, and might I add delicious, so go out and adopt this liter/litter. 😻

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Romania #Transylvania #danchandgrangerselections #EdgarBrutler #vinewinenyc

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Do The Math…Or Not

Bodegas Más Que Vinos
5/4 Clarete 2022
Malvar 20%, Airen 20%, Garnacha 20%, Cencibel (Tempranillo) 40%
Working sustainably, certified organic, indigenous grapes, vegan friendly, co-fermented in amphora
Cabañas de Yepes, Toledo, Spain
Margarita Madrigal, Alexandra Schmedes and Gonzalo Rodriguez

Ruby deep purple (now I have “Smoke On The Water” stuck in my head). Breathing in cherries & plums dried & fresh, oddly a bit of tomato plants with bit of bramble, dash of herbal tea (old school smell from back in the Celestial Seasonings college days), red currants & reminder of a Christmas citrus vibe, cranberries, and a puff of smoke that fades. Sipping and there’s cherry, blackberries, tart plum, an herbal blend of thyme, rosemary, etc.; red & black currants, lime/orange citrus zest, lick of limestone, and a pinch of anise. It’s fresh, juicy and oh so good.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: this is a good thing

Not long ago I posted about Más Que Vino’s “Los Conejos Malditos” or as I called them “Bad Bunnies” who have a penchant for grapes and ransacking a harvest. This addictive bottle’s name 5/4 luckily doesn’t come from destructive critters but from the ingredients for this whole cluster co-ferment: 2 parts Cencibel (Tempranillo), 1 part Garnacha, 1 part Airen, 1 part Malvar. 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5 and then the 4 comes from the varieties. You may be eye rolling at me for the explanation but just looking at the front label it flew right over my head until I turned the bottle around. Yes, I can be that oblivious at times. 🤣 BTW this wine is very delightfully addictive so pick up two and don’t even bother thinking about the math.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Spain #clarete #badbunnies #valkyrieselections #BodegasMasQueVinos #vinewinenyc

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Growing Community

Unico Zelo
Sea Foam 2022
Vermentino
Pét-Nat
Riverland Region
Traditional owners: Ngawait Country
Holistic sustainability, vegan friendly
Adelaide Hills, Australia
Brendan & Laura Carter

Spandau Ballet gold & fine bubbles. Giving it a sniff and it starts with a baguette, that opens the curtains to apples & pears, and leads to a blend of lime, lemon, mandarin oranges, pomelo, etc citrus, and finally over ripe backyard garden grown cucumbers. Sip and there’s that springy citrus blend with a little sizzle, green/crab apples, young hard green pears, sliver of a pineapple bite, fresh cut grass & Kirbys, and a good shake of salt. This is one happy bottle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: goes great with the crunch & brings out more salt

I will admit it has been a bit since I’ve picked up an Australian wine, but I did a double take when I saw this Vermentino pét-nat…ok, “Sea Foam” you’re coming home with me. Turns out the Carters aren’t just focusing on Italian grapes, but which grape will thrive the best on their lands (or better to say the land tells you what they want). “We’re agnostic to variety – we want to find the best for our sites and climates. French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, German – whatever – we’re Australia, and we’re all about Australian Wine.” They also want to spread their love of wine with the world and encourage others that haven’t been bitten by the vino bug to give it a try. Check out their & Henry Doyle’s YouTube channel @bottle_shock (old name was “Wine For The People”). It’s a fun, non pretentious learning experience, and is also the name of their new wine bar that is to soft open Easter weekend. Now they’re not only growing their wine community online but also up close and personal. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Australia #epicureanwines #UnicoZelo #vinewinenyc

 

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“That’s How Strong My Love Is”

Poderi Cellario
È Orange
Nascetta & Moscato
SQNPI certified, biodynamic, hand picked, unfiltered
Carrù, CN, Italy
Winemakers: Fausto & Cinzia Cellario

Tangerine orange-gold. Inhale and my my all the oranges, orange blossoms, tangerine, kumquats & a big ol’ citrus mix, irises, magnolias, apples, smidge of ginger, and 1 straw of hay. Sipping and again ALL THE ORANGES & zest, clementines, the citrus blend again with a twist of lime, papaya, mango, sprinkle of ginger, mineral lick, white pepper, and a pinch of salt. So fresh, freewheeling, and fun!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

At Poderi Cellario they’re keeping it natural for their native & “forgotten vines”, holding onto the traditions passed down, and working in synch with the moon in their cellar (“waning for still wines, waxing for sparkling ones”). Then I found out one other special thing they/Fausto does: “I discovered about twenty years ago that my wife was intolerant to sulphites, this was one of the reasons that pushed us over time to create more and more a wine without chemicals … Genuine, natural. I could not leave her without drinking!” This is a true sign of love, and I can’t think of a better reason to ditch sulfur (or at least keep it minimal). Of course it brings to mind the tune Bryan Ferry covered.

🎶If I was a songbird way up there
I’d go with love most everywhere
I’ll be the moon when the sun goes down
Just to let you know that I’m still around
That’s how strong my love is, that’s how strong my love is
That’s how strong my love is, that’s how strong my love is
I’d be the weeping willow drowning in my tears
And you could go swimming when you’re here
And I’d be the rainbow after the tears are gone
Wrap you in my colours, keep you warm
That’s how strong my love is, that’s how strong my love is
That’s how strong my love is, that’s how strong my love is…🎶

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #orangewine #italy #selectionaturel #podericellario #docwinebar #docwineshop

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“Listen & Feel”

Anima Mundi
Gres 2023
100% Xarel-lo
Biodynamic, organic
Sant Sebastià dels Gorgs, Penedès, Catalonia, Spain
Agustí Torello Roca

Light gold starlight. Breathing in scents that are all delicate bits of pears, lemon pie, mango, pineapple, and Golden delicious apples. Sip and there’s all of the scents with lime sizzle, a dry salty mineral rock lick, sliver of green tomato, and on the back a dry bitter bite combo kind of like parsley, oregano & citrus zest.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Delicious & lively

I knew something looked familiar about this bottle and then it hit me, Agustí’s also the winemaker for his family’s winery AT Roca (I love their sparklers). He started Anima Mundi back in 2015 as a side project, and his view is in order to make “vibrant wines” you have to “listen & feel…to connect with nature in order to understand the life cycles that link us to it” and to nurture the soils as a living being with keeping check of its biodiversity. It’s also all about respect for his environment & minimal intervention during the winemaking aspect. To me that’s a beautiful way of living & working, and he truly lets the grapes sing and express their little place in the world. I think Mr. Roca & this Gres may have made me fall even more in love with Spain. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Spain #josepastorselections #atrocawines  #animamundi_celler #animamundi  #vinewinenyc

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Ditch The Suit & Tie

Vigneti Vumbaca
Cirò DOC 2023
Bianco
100% Greco Bianco
Organic
Calabria, Italy
Christian Vumbaca

Yellow with green starlight twinkling and over time starts to head toward golden. Sniffing and there’s lemon, mango, pineapple, a little lychee, pears, winter melon, and a seaside breeze. Sipping away and there’s a lemon/lime/other citrus & their zest sparky blend, white peaches, kiwi, winter melon, light young spring cucumbers, and a pinch of salt along with a mineral lick. Has me pining for a summer picnic.

Pairs w Cheez-Its: Most definitely

Vigneti Vumbaca was born from a passionate hobby. Christian’s mom (teacher) & his uncle (also in the education field “Secretary of the Scientific High School”) decided to purchase 6 ha in Cirò to farm & 2 of those were vineyards. Christian joined them after 15 years in Rome where he was studying & eventually practicing law. On return he took some time in a local winery to learn more of the ropes. Then his family’s dream became his to follow. What’s the saying, “Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Now he has 13 ha with 6 that are vineyards homing in on indigenous grapes. I find it so interesting to think of going from working in law, suited up, going to court on a regular basis; and then have an opportunity to take such a beautiful turn to working with your hands, ditching the tie & shiny shoes, feeling/tasting/smelling the earth, lovingly & organically nurturing their vines, and reconnecting with their home & history. I think my favorite quote I’ve found by Christian (on South Philly’s Le Virtù restaurant’s IG) “Making wine is easy when compared to the work that happens in the vineyard. I don’t make Coca-Cola, I make natural wine. Clean tasting and following the path made by hundreds of years of tradition. I make mistakes and I will probably make more. Every vintage is different and it should be. My wines are a reflection of the vintage; weather, drought rain etc are all factors that shape the wines.” Now that sounds like a man who is following his calling & enjoying every bit of it. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #Calabria #italy #omniwines #VignetiVumbaca #docwinebar #docwineshop