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A Howling Story of the Land

Ca’ Lojera
Lugana DOC 2019
100% Turbiana
Organic (just not certified) and hand harvested
Rovizza di Sirmione, Brescia, Italy
Owners and winemakers: Ambra and Franco Tiraboschi

Bright yellow with some green shimmer. Reminds me of the colors of my childhood bedroom. For those of you who know me, no, I did not have a goth bedroom. Beautiful scents of pears mixed with yellow apples, white peaches, honeysuckle, honeydew, a salty breeze, and wet granite. Sipping crisp and sweet pears, golden delicious apples, light peach paired with honeydew, and a small squeeze of lemon, maybe even just a wedge on the side of your glass. There’s also that salty bit again, a lick of that clean wet granite, and in the end there’s an oomph of dried sage, thyme and smoke that waves in and out

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Boom this becomes more exotic

Now this is a house with a heritage and local tales. Back in the 13th century, it was a summertime home for the Bishop of Verona, but the more interesting story is told by the locals. Once upon a time, it was a smugglers’ hangout that was guarded by wolves. Can you imagine the intrigue? So when Ambra and Franco decided to purchase the place, Ca’ Lojera (House of the Wolf) was the perfect name. From what I’m finding, they lucked out with these 30 to 40 year old vines and then fell into winemaking when they couldn’t find a buyer for the grapes. Well, seems like a perfect happy accident to me. They certainly have honed their craft over the years, and as they say on their site, “Every day we work to differentiate ourselves, be unique and innovative in our project of producing only wines that tell the story of our land.” Let that wolf keep on creating and belting out that new beautiful part of history for years to come!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @calojera @soilairselection @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #cheezit #whitewine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #winestagram #instawine #Lugana #Turbiana #Brescia #Italy #houseofthewolf #CaLojera

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Happy Cows Make Happy Wines

Meinklang
Roter Mulatschak
Österreich Red 2019
Zweigelt,  St. Laurent
Biodynamic (Demeter), organic, hand-harvested, and spontaneous fermentation
Burgenland, Austria
Winemaking and Farming Family: The Michlits

Before we even get started…chill this baby which looks like a cranberry plum cocktail. Scents of fresh raspberries, cranberries, cherry but also cherry twizzler, and forest floor funky goodness. This is going to be good. There’s the cranberry again with a zing tingle, cherrylicious, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, a twinge of orange, and some earth depth and pepper. It’s dry yet lively with tiny fireworks of fruit bouncing around.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Oddly not what I was expecting, it doesn’t change it at all. Pair it up y’all!

This is my second bottle of happiness from Meinklang. Last was Prosa 2019 which you can see in my post “A Little Slice of Heaven” which sums up where they live and grow their vines (located inside the gorgeous WHS of Neusiedlersee). As a farming family, their 3 sons grew up working the land and each one found their calling (from wine to tractors to animals/plants), and decided not to roam far from home. In fact, they expanded the farm so all the families have space and live in harmony together and with nature. And they have a lot of nature. There’s a whole pile of animals (cows, horses, pigs, sheep, a few chickens) and they are what fuels this whole operation. Yep, their poop is the fertilizer for the whole farm, hence the proud cow prancing on the label. And as it says on the back, “Cows are dancing, bulls are jumping, the lush pastures inhaling life. That’s <<Mulatschak>>, cheerful celebrations, joyful being.” I say raise a glass, and join in on the roaming or “moooving” party!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @meinklang_farm @zevrovineselections @cheezits #wine #vin #vino #redwine #cheezit @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Österreich #Burgenland #Austria #sustainable #biodynamic #happycows

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A Grape Resurrection

Can Majoral
Capgiro
Giró Blanc 2018
Pla i Llevant DO
Organic, native grape, hand harvested
Algaida, Mallorca, Spain

Owner/founder/creator: Andreu Majoral (dad); Winemakers: Mireia (daughter) & Andreu Jr. (nephew)

Deep gold with orange hues. Inhaling a mix of citrus, mangos, pineapple, melon with a little muskiness, a real French croissant or maybe one I had in Switzerland but definitely not a cronut, a whole big ol’ tied bunch of garden herbs, and a smidge of white pepper. Oh this is nice… flavors of peaches, honey (as it opens), mangos, pineapple, raspberry, lemon, Rainer cherry, a lick of slate, and cilantro. As lush and alive as the painting on the bottle by Maria Carbonero.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: smoothes everything out but honestly I like it better on its own

Andreu Majoral (and now his family too) set about in 1979, to create Can Majoral where they have two purely organic locations of vineyards. They love to work with native grapes especially like the Giró Blanc that was almost wiped out but thank goodness was rescued. I feel kind of special to be drinking an almost ghost grape. Over time there were people that thought that it was related to Grenache or the Giró from Sardinia, but NOPE, it’s all unique and Mallorcan.

@vinewinenyc @vinscanmajoral @ripewineimports @cheezits #wine #vinho #vino #vin @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #cheezit #vinewinenyc #organic #winestagram #instawine #naturalwine #Mallorca #Spain #Algaida #GiróBlanc #giroblanc #canmajoral #MariaCarbonero

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Magical Blending

Swick Wines
Only Zuul
American Red Wine 2020
Bring It.
50% Pinot Gris, 50% Gewurztraminer
Columbia Valley, AVA Willamette Valley AVA
Oregon/Washington blend
Organic & practicing organic, unfined, unfiltered, the two vineyards are hand harvested same day, fermented separately
Bottled & produced Newborn, OR
Winemaker: Joe Swick

A hazy watermelon juice mixed with blood orange color. First out of the gates and into my nose is blood orange and then the rest start flying…salt, smoke, watermelon, smooth cherries along with cherry twizzlers. There’s also a drop of lemon, honeysuckles, a whole flower basket and a little white pepper. Whew that was a lot, and now for the taste. It’s all of the scents with a larger squeeze of lemon and lime and some dried apricots. The smoke and salt are sooooo good, and a little herbal in the smoke. Maybe sage. Maybe sumac? Maybe both? And a teeny pinch of earth.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Oof it’s Orangina which I like, but I prefer Swick solo.

Oh Joe, your wines are just divine! How do you keep coming up with more and more ways for me to love your bottles even more. Here’s another “Bring It.” mix. Fab, fab, fab! I feel like I’m spinning a globe trying to sort all the places these tastes come from but when it comes down to it, it is that Oregon/Washington feel, or should I say that Joe Swick thumbprint. Keep weaving your magic!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @swickwines @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #cheezit #redwine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #winestagram #instawine #oregon #washington #FBIB #PinotGris #Gewurztraminer #joeswick

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A Wine of Legacy and a Camel Named George

Folded Hills
Estate Lilly Rosé 2020
100% Grenache
Santa Ynez Valley
Biodynamic, organic, sustainable, native yeasts, and sheep in the vineyards
Santa Ynez, CA
Owners: Kim & Andrew Busch; Winemaker: Michael Brughelli; Vineyard Manager: Ruben Solorzano

Shimmering very light rose gold like my great, great, great (I lost count) grandmother’s ring passed down to me. Uncork and out flies grapefruit, yellow/red sweet plums, lemon, salty breeze, peach, yellow watermelons, and granite. Oh what a mouthful! My tastebuds are darting all over. There’s peaches, honeydew, yellow plums, lychee, pineapple, a squish of lemon to liven it up, salt, and chervil.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out cantaloupe. Just delightful

Andrew and Kim have a lot of pride and integrity in their small family owned, organic winery and farm. Always remembering Andrew’s dad’s words “making friends is our business”. As you can see on their site, there’s a kind and welcoming nature of this family with a long and famous Busch legacy. Their “Lilly” is a family name and honors not only the original Lilly Anheuser (who married Adolphus Busch) but also their 1st granddaughter. They also have an extended “farmily” which includes their Farmstead where you can pick up organic produce and local foods while checking out the roaming Kunekune pigs, goats, miniature donkeys, llamas, sheep, a rescue mini jersey cow named Peaches, a cute camel named George, Zazu the zebra, and Gus & Dolph their Budweiser Clydesdales. Seriously how cool is it that, they have a camel! Who wouldn’t want to stop here and become their friend.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @foldedhills @cheezits #wine #vin #vino #cheezit @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #Grenache #SantaYnez #California #Busch #Rosé #rose #camel #Budweiser #Anheuser #Lilly #Clydesdales

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Devotion to Pure Tradition

Illahe Vineyards
Estate Grüner Veltliner 2019
Willamette Valley
Sustainable, hand harvested, mature plants are dry farmed, family owned, certified salmon safe, and horse-powered vineyards
Dallas, OR
Owners, growers and pioneers: Lowell and Pauline Ford; Winemaker, owner and president: Brad Ford

Shimmering light gold. Super inviting scents of honey, crisp apple, a smidge of light allspice (light but pie worthy), firm pears, slate, and a whiff of cedar. Flavors like a pear apple pie with a honey graham crackers crust, some gooseberries, a smidge of a fresh green garden shoot, and pinch of white pepper. It’s a light and dancing and just darn good.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: well, it just stays refreshing and delicious

This truly is a full on family affair that started with an immigration from Russia to Canada and then finally Oregon. They strive to make handcrafted wines with great respect to the land, the water (and salmon) and tradition. Some of the wines don’t even have any electricity used during their creation. The majestic Percheron horses, Doc and Bea (now in retirement), deliver the grapes from the vineyard and mow between the vines. In the case of their 1899 Pinot Noir project, there’s even more. Brad had visited France and wanted to embrace the traditional ways, so he got the horses, made the harvest and winemaking all by hand and foot, including the bottling process. Yes even putting the wine in the casks and bottling, by sorting out a bicycle powered pump. Please watch the video. Then when it comes time for it to go to the distributor, it gets loaded on a mule driven stagecoach, then into canoes on the Independence River (3 day trek) and then the last 11 miles are on bicycle. That’s romantic devotion to pure tradition.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @illahevineyards @cheezits #wine #vin #vino #cheezit @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #GrünerVeltliner #GrunerVeltliner #pinotnoir #sustainable #biodynamic #WillametteValley #Oregon #Percheron

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Uncondemned History or No One Expects the Bunny Inquisition

Collaboration between Andre Gomes-Pereira & Portuguese Story
Não Condenado 2019
Vinho Tinto
Fernao Pires & Trincadeira
Organic, low intervention, hand harvested, and vegan
Encostas d’Aire, Lisboa, Portugal
Winemaking team: Andre Gomes-Pereira (Quinta do Montalto) & Portuguese Story

Stained glass ruby window. Breathing in dark cherry, plums/prunes, tobacco, allspice, and a little earth. First taste I don’t even want to dissect it. It’s a light juicy smooth sweet that grows into so much more. Here we go! Again cherries but not sure how dark, plummy tartness, tobacco tingly, and earth that turns into dark baking chocolate. It just keeps flying all over the place with each sip. I love thinking I’m drinking from vines 120 to 150 years old, and being touched by their history.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out more sweet from the fruit.

Years ago, families often had backyard vines that they cultivated for themselves and family, just like your normal home garden. Nowadays, often these plots get forgotten or left behind when the kids moved on. As it says on the back of the bottle, “The vineyard has been tended by someone who is currently 89yo.” Here’s where Andre Gomes-Pereira & Portuguese Story come in. They decided to save some of these ancient twisted vines with deep roots that would have been condemned, hence the name Não Condenado (Uncondemned). They have also embraced the traditional Portuguese method, “palhete”, fermenting red and white grapes together. This really old way of winemaking kind of got left behind for a while, but is seeing a resurgence, to which I say WooHoo! What is the saying, what is old becomes new again or back in style again. I’m not saying we need to bring out our 80s acid washed jeans. No, no, no! Do you want those medieval rabbits from the label unleashed on you? This is an embrace to the natural ways of the generations past.

@vinewinenyc @portuguesestorywine @mfwwineco @quintadomontalto @cheezits #wine #vinho #vino #vin #redwine @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #cheezit #vinewinenyc #organic #vegan #winestagram #instawine #naturalwine #Lisboa #Lisbon #Portugal #FernaoPires #Trincadeira #medievalrabbits

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Returning to the Start and Beginning Again

Buli
Estate 44 2016
Toscano Rosso IGT
Siena Italy
Sangiovese 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Merlot 10% and Syrah 10%
Organic, hand harvested, and 70% Unilateral Cordon-spur trained (cane pruned) and 30% Guyot
Founder and owner: Robert Buly
Enologist: Diego Ciurletti
Agronomist: Alessandro Gemini
Cantina Chief: Stefano Censini

A shining garnet/ruby glass. Greeted by scents of dark cherries, deep plum, cola, and vanilla that daintily lingers and then hides and then pops back out to surprise you. There’s also earth, pine trees and needles. I feel like I’m walking through an enchanted forest. All sorts of flavors hit at first sip, so give it a little and enjoy cherries, plums, blackberries, raspberries, earth and cherry pit dark goodness, along with a shake of white pepper. This is a light bright velvety juicy red that as time goes by starts heading toward medium and can stand up and stand by to a fabulous plate of D.O.C. Wine Bar’s, Chef Stefano Baldantoni’s Lamb Chops.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out a velvet oak dancing with the cherries and plums

This is my second dance with Estate 44. Almost a year ago, I met Buli’s 2015, and have worked my way through their whole collection, and they are consistently fabulous and fascinating. They capture Podere Collalto’s (Farm on a High Hill) essence and romance. Estate 44 is especially dedicated to the Allied soldiers that liberated Tuscany, and those that did not make it back. Thank goodness, Robert’s father made it back to the States, and brought along with him a beautiful Italian wife after an adventure that included a search for wine and a strong love at first sight that even involved reenlisting in order to get permission for the marriage. For more on that check out Ruby Velvet Romance. I’m so grateful to have been able to see Italy through Robert’s eyes and writings, and taste the wonders that can come from his 5 hectares of the world. And I will add once more, someone needs to make a movie of how this family’s whole story and Robert’s wines have played out. This bottle was like a return home for me. Cheers to them all and to what the future brings!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @buliwine @darkstarimports @cheezits @stefanobaldantoni #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine #redwine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #trequanda #toscano #tuscany #siena #italy #winestagram #instawine #Sangiovese #Merlot #Syrah

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Nature’s Symphony

Domaine Yves Duport
Céline
Vin de France
40% Chardonnay, 40% Gamay, 20% Mondeuse
Biodynamic, organic, spontaneous fermentation, indigenous yeasts
Bugey, France
Winemaker: Yves Duport

Pressed strawberry cherry juice on the darker side yet you can still through it. Is it a rosé or a red you can chill? Either way it is a perfect summer wine. Smooth scents of strawberries, raspberries, sweet cherries, and a little southern forest flair. Sipping strawberries, raspberries, pluots, dark cherries, a rock from the creek down the street, smoke, and touch of toasted rosemary.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: the salt makes it more bright, but I preferred the depth it had, so it’s up to you to decide.

Yves Duport has a perfect quote on his site: “Only in the plant kingdom, the vine makes us understand what the true flavor of the Earth is.” – Colette – Prisons et Paradis 1936. Within four generations of work, the domaine is now up to 12 hectares and has been organic and biodynamic since 2007. Yves lets nature (the terroir) be the composer of the songs of his wines while as I’m reading he is the conductor in the vines. Céline is their beautiful symphony birthed from the trio blend of grapes and varied Bugey soils. As I keep on sipping this song, I feel like I’m sitting on a hillside of wildflowers with butterflies fluttering around me, and breathing in that clean mountain air. Oh, a girl can dream, at least until I can soon make it reality.

@vinewinenyc @saviosselections #MaisonYvesDuport @cheezits #wine #Rosé #rose #redwine #vindefrance #vin @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #cheezit #vinewinenyc #organic #biodynamic # #winestagram #instawine #nativeyeasts #naturalwine #Bugey #France #Chardonnay #Gamay #Mondeuse #Colette

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Wine with a View

Les Crêtes
Pinot Nero 2019
Valle d’Aosta D.O.P.
100% Pinot Nero
Guyot trained, hand harvested, ladybugs, and only stainless steel
Aymavilles, Valle d’Aosta, Italy
Winemaking Family: Charrère family (Costantino, Imelda, and their daughters Elena and Eleonora)

Shiny ruby ring pop color. Oh this smells delicious…caramel buttery, raspberries, plums, earth, dark cherry, cola, magnolias (how I miss climbing my great aunt’s massive tree), and maybe vanilla or sugar cookies. Dancing on my tongue are plums with some earthiness, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and a tiny bed of herbs like singed sage. It’s a juicy dry wine.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: adds smoke and plummy floral goodness

The Charrère family was originally from France but packed up in the 1700s for Valle d’Aosta. Starting off as a farm and mill, the generations carried on with planting vineyards, making flour and cider, and when Constantino’s father Antoine came along he eventually turned to redeveloping and enlarging the vineyards. Constantino is now carrying on his parents work (even though he had the fun job of gym and ski instructor) along with his wife and kids, and they have made Les Crêtes into the estate it is now. All of their hard work, passion and nurturing rare indigenous grapes has brought them critical acclaim and awards. One thing on their site really makes me smile. Their daughters would go out to catch ladybugs to police the vineyard from other pests. Oh and I would be remiss not to mention their beautiful “Il Rifugio del Vino” designed by Domenico Mazza. Created as a modern mountain hut, it houses a library on wine, an area for tasting and just a beautiful place to chill and take in the breathtaking view.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @lescretes @toutonselection @cheezits #wine #vino #cheezit #winestagram #instawine #pinotnero #pinotnoir #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Italy #Aymavilles #ValledAosta #DomenicoMazza #ladybug