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True Characters

Château La Ferme Rouge
La Petite Ferme Rouge 2022
AOG Zaër
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carignan, 10% Marselan
Organic, hand picked
Zaër, Morocco
Winemaker: Jacques Poulain

Dark purple with a ruby rim. There’s scents of cherries, plums, orchard blossoms, black currants, raspberries, blackberries, a little lime zest, and touch of easy friendly oak (not that overpowering stuff I hate). Tasting all of those lovely scents along with black olive pits, strawberry, cranberry, a citrus tingle on the back as I exhale, and that touch of oak again with a little orange pekoe tea leaves.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: hmmm makes it lighter and juicier

When I think of Morocco, it’s when I went there in my very early teens on a day visit while traveling Europe on a school trip and had it not been for a kind, outspoken & flamboyant lady (she said to call her Auntie Mame) on the same tour I could have ended up lost and still be wandering the town’s streets. So when I was skimming the shelves and what do I see but a wine from Morocco…wait…what? Of course had to buy this red to see what I had been missing out on all this time. I’ve heard some & then went down a reading rabbit hole of their history of viticulture from Phoenician settlers, Romans, French colonists & winemakers that looked for another source of grapes due to phylloxera, and then came the country’s independence (1956) & EEC regulations (1967) which pulled the breaks on many of the vineyards. Then in the 90s King Hassan II (University of Bordeaux grad) gave a bump of encouragement to pull in more investors & winemakers, and speed began picking up again. Now there’s 7 wine regions and Château La Ferme Rouge (3rd to receive AOC) weathered it all from 1908 to now with a reboot in 2009 that has helped it continue to thrive and as they call it “A vineyard full of character” which this bottle has a scrumptious one. So happy to meet this wine because each sip leads my memories back to that witty & carefree Aunty Mame “character”, who I’ll never forget.❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #catsofinstagram #cats #winelover #winetime #morocco #wearenomadic #chateaulafermerouge #vinewinenyc

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Absolutely No Brooding Here

Bodegas y Vinedos Ponce
La Xara 2022
100% Garnacha
Manchuela DO
Organic, vegan, biodynamic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Villanueva de la Jara, Cuenca, Spain
Winemaker: Juan Antonio Ponce

Ruby with some purple blue flashes. Breathing in light violets, cherries, plums both fresh & dried, touch of fresh tobacco, ccaramelized goodness (hence the tobacco), raspberries, and tomato leaves. What I’ve sniffed is in the taste with a grind of peppercorns, a tart tangle of singed citrus zest, blackberries (fresh picked on the side of the road while warm, juice dribbling & all), fresh dandelion & oregano, and an enjoyable lick of iron. This is not a brooding red, but bright, fresh, and a dry tingle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Smooth and juicy

At 14 Juan was already studying wine, applying his knowledge out in the world, and by 23 he started his own venture & from what I read it was with “11 barrels and a loan”…well and some land already being farmed by his father too. Now he’s known as one of Spain’s top “experts in biodynamic and natural winemaking”. He has a deep affinity for Bobal (he’s been called the Bobal whisperer), but he also has that “Gredos” touch with this lively, elegant, and as said before fresh Garnacha. Each glass just seems to shine more and if you listen closely it will start to whisper its tale since Juan “believes that every bottle tells a story”. This one is filled with love, care, respect and the passion behind his family’s life of wine. Wait…glass is there something else you’re trying to say? Is this really you whispering or is it the “wine” talking? You want me to get up off my butt & take a spin around the room to what…Sofi Tukker? Really? Well then I think it’s time to “Throw Some…” 💃🍷 Happy weekend & shake your tail feather, y’all!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #organic #sofitukker #Garnacha #Spain #tedwardwines #bodegasponce #docwinebar #docwineshop

 

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“Can You Bottle An Idea?”

Fento Wines
Bico Do Cabo 2022
Albariño
Rias Baixas DO
Organic & biodynamic
Ribadumia, Galicia, Spain
Winemaker: Rebecca & Eulogio Pomares

Shining golden yellow. Breathing in lemons, tiny squeeze of grapefruit, pears, a cooling sea breeze, and ocean wave splashed on mineral rock. First taste and there’s lemons & lemon Pez, firm pears, Granny Smith apples, a little white peach, and a kiss of salt. It’s just fresh, crisp, zingy and has a lot more going on than a lot of other Albariños.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: surprisingly brings out a whole big basket of lemons so pucker up!

“For me freedom is not doing what I want, it is knowing that I can. The starting point was: can you bottle an idea?” – Eulogio Pomares

Taking that first step toward bottling his ideas must have been so exciting while growing up in the Bodegas Zárate wine family (7th generation), and is now their winemaker, but he didn’t just stop there…he’s been called restless which I see as creatively driven. He &  Rebecca (his wife) also have side projects that include Parcelarios (their Albariño vineyard comes from a plot of old vines from Rebeca’s grandmother), and Fento Wines (fern in Galician) which has been around & keeping it natural since 2012, and includes grapes from both Rias Baixas & Portugal’s Dao region (Quinta da Pellada). Then there’s his passion of not only being a champion of Albariño, but also of local reds (Caiño Tinto, Loureiro Tinto & Espadeiro) that needed a bit of his know-how & help with recovery. Overall this man must be the “Energizer Bunny” of Galician wines and is known as one of their top winemakers…so my bet is he finds a very satisfying freedom in every glass of his wine that is poured. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #naturalwine #worldbyglass #organic #Galicia #Spain #avantgardews #fentowines #vinewinenyc

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Butterfly Kisses

Butterfly Kisses
Movia
Pét-Nat 2022
Chardonnay 50%, Rebula 50%
Organic, biodynamic, dry farmed, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Primorska, Slovenia
Aleš Kristančič (father & wine genius)
Lan Kristančič (following in his father & family’s footsteps & who came up with this collaboration with Ethica Wines)

Orangey gold amber with tiny fine bubbles and the color becomes more electric over time. Breathing in lovely brioche, gentle orange blossoms, orange creamsicle, lemon crispness, persimmons, and a mellow delicate blend of all sorts of oranges. Sipping and this is just elegant & delicious…all of the scents with a puff of smoke, bright and clean tingle that adds in more citrus like tangelos & lime, nectarine, apricot, tart yellow plums & yellow cherries, lick of salt, and as time goes a touch of fresh honey. It’s vibrant, crisp, delightful with a flutter of flirtation & a quick butterfly kiss.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Don’t ruin a good thing. Walk away from the box.

Movia dates back to 1820, and the Kristančič family do not see their estate & wine production as a job, it’s a calling or a way a life that intertwines them, their vineyards, and all of nature. Their lands stretch over 30 ha with 25 through the Slovenian-Goriška Brda region & Collio (Italy). Yes, Aleš was born into this wine family but he also studied winemaking at the University of Padua & apprenticed & gained experiences in Bordeaux & Burgundy. His dad though gifted him with some of the most important lessons. As Aleš says on Movia’s site, “Before my father passed the winery into my hands, he made me believe that we-people didn’t invent wine, we just discovered it. And everything starts from here.“ “We believe that wine is the 2nd most important drink that a person consumes…We are aware that the taste that nature itself can give to us is always better than the one with human interventions.” Just check out their Puro sparkling wines as a perfect example. They’re not disgorged, due to their yeasts can live forever, & honestly scare me a little because…well I’m a klutz. There are 2 special ways to open them and enjoy their bright life. Chill it upside down & check out the video to see if you can master it on the first try. I’m just glad this scrumptious pét-nat came with a crown cap. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover

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Wild Child

Galgo Wines
ÍB Sunset 2023
Garnacha & Jaén Blanca
Organic, unfined & unfiltered
Sierra de Gredos, Castilla-León, Spain
Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos & Daniel Ramos (producer)

Pomegrante-cherry haze with blue shimmers. Breathing in cherries & blossoms, roses, violets, and pickle juice that fades. First sip and there’s cherries tart & dark, deep fresh & dried strawberries, tingle tangle (it’s a bit of a wild child), red currants, pomegranate, a chew of sour grass, and a lick of pickle while chewing Choward’s scented gum (violet).

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  NOPE

It’s been a while since my last Galgo wine but they are always fun, fresh, and at times like this one frisky. Daniel, has a passion for Garnacha (& so do I!) in particular from Sierra de Gredos where he saved & resurrected a few hectares. From what I’m learning he also has a penchant for Jaén Blanca which he tends to add to his wines like IB Sunset. They’ve also created a 100% Jaén that I’m still on the hunt for and hoping one day to finally get a taste of its natural beauty. BTW did you catch the name of Sanchez-Mateos & Ramos’ Galgo collaboration line, “Ínsula Barataria”? Do you remember where that comes from? Here’s two hints, there’s a donkey on the label & you probably had this on a test long ago. See I knew you’d get it. 📖 🍷Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #naturalwine #worldbyglass #organic #Spain #steephillwine #ReservaYCata #galgowines #vinewinenyc

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Dancing Tastebuds

Vignobles Gueissard
Les Papilles 2023
Côtes de Provence DOC
Dry Rosé
Mourvèdre 30%, Grenache 30%, Syrah 30%, Cinsault 10%
HVE (working on certification), going through organic conversion, weeding done by sheep & horse, & sustainable
Le Beausset, France
Clément Minne, Pauline Giraud, their son Marcel & their team

Pretty in pink with a swish of salmon. Inhale and here comes a cool blend of honeydew & delightful pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, peaches, pears, apples, very ripe cucumbers, salt, wet limestone, and a lemon flies by. Sip and all of the scents along with all sorts of light cherries (pink, red, white, yellow, etc), not fully ripe blackberries, blood orange, and pink watermelon including the fresh green rind…so lively, vibrant and delicious.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Smooooooth

Pauline & Clément have over time collected plots in Bandol and Côtes de Provence, kind of like pieces of a quilt that when they are banded together create a beautiful array of wines. Each piece as they say is diverse with “very different in terms of soil type, exposure and maritime influences” and are also dearly cared for and protected. They’re going through the routes of organic certification, and maybe it’s the sentimental part of my childhood heart that loves seeing all sorts of beneficial trees planted. There’s ones that are magnets for birds & bees, others that give back to the earth & help deal with erosion, and on a personal note I hope there’s a few for climbing too because…well as a kid you could often find me in the orchard perched on a branch. BTW if you’re in their neighborhood on Sept. 26, you might get a chance to raise a glass to the end of summer if you can manage to snag a ticket to their tasting of 5 wines and snack on local delights. Maybe you might even encounter their “Les Papilles” which will keep your tastebuds dancing.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #organic #France #provence #artisanwineselections #vignoblesgueissard #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Two Creative Gifts

Bodegas Barbadillo
Sábalo 2021
100% Palomino Fino
Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz
Organic
Cádiz, Andalucia, Spain
Winemaker: Montserrat Molina
Barbadillo Family

Warm gold. Inhaling sold crisp apples & pears that grow over time into baked, a mix of fresh spring rained on slate & lick of limestone, lemon lime squish, Lemonheads, and teeny squeeze of Valencia orange. Drinking in apples, pears, singed orange zest, grate of hazelnut & marcona almond, limestone, light handed honey, and young watermelon & rind sprinkled with salt. Delicate, polished, a touch romantic, and very easy to drink.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: bleh

I’m sure most of you have had a wine, sherry, manzanilla, and/or a vermouth by Barbadillo. They’ve been around over 2 centuries, have 16 cellars & 250 ha of vines (they’re 1 of the largest in Jerez), and are still family run after all these years. Their bodega “ is a seafaring winery, always between the sea and the land. Hence, the first wine in this organic range bears the name of the Sábalo, a sea-faring fish, but which defies the river currents on its way to the spawning ground. It is a great metaphor that represents the entrepreneurial and adventurous spirit of Barbadillo.” It’s also a tribute to Manuel Barbadillo (grandfather of the current president, who was not only a winemaker but also a poet so he was bestowed with two creative gifts). You’ll find part of his lovely verses that weave romantic imagery on the label alongside the watercolor of a Sábalo aka Shad.

“¡Ay Sanlúcar, si yo fuera

Si yo fuera marinero

De Sábalos y de lunas

Mi barca sería tu cuna

Y yo tu patrón remero

Y si fuera cantaor

Sanlúcar del Alma mía,

Que copla te cantaría

Junto a cualquier mostrador…”

Oh Sanlúcar, if I were

If I were a sailor

Of shads and moons

My boat would be your cradle

And I am your rowing boss

And if I were a singer

Sanlúcar of my soul,

What song would I sing to you?

Next to any counter…”

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #organic #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #organic #Spain #skurnikwines #bodegasbarbadillo #vinewine #vinewinenyc

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“A New Adventure Each Time”

Domaine la Roche Buissière
Le Rosé 2022
VDF
Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre
Organic, hand harvested, unfiltered & unfined
Rhône Valley, France
Antoine & Laurence Joly

Warm sunset rose orange. This enchanting blend speeds up to my nose where it’s faster than thinking the words as a rapid fire collage of pics. There’s tangelo, strawberries, all the berries, pomegranate, a little red currant, peach, fresh rain on concrete, a teeny herby thing that I’m trying to place…the pics went by too fast….and also light hazelnut. All of the scents are on the tip of my tongue with a touch more manzanilla lick at times (it goes in and out), gooseberries, watermelon cubes, and a little chew of bright sourgrass. There’s a full out fun but also a refinement & class. You can take this bottle anywhere from a backyard grilling party to a swanky night dining under the stars.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

Antoine & Laurence may be the 2nd generation making wine on their land, but Antoine’s father Pierre had been growing vines for quite a while. The grapes were generally sold to a co-op, but he is also one of the early organic growers in Rhône with certification in the 80s (was already working organic since mid 70s). With so much knowledge to share, it must have been exciting to have Antoine and his wife Laurence join in, and to take the vineyards a step farther into the natural winemaking world. And as each new wine will be a potential surprise, I love this quote from their site, “Winemaking does not follow a predefined recipe: each vintage is different, we accompany the fruit towards its purest expression, it is a new adventure each time!” A great way of life to keep you on your toes & raising a celebratory glass when the time is just right. 🍇

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #Rosé #France #worldbyglass #zevrovine #larochebuissiere #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Bottled Emotions

Weingut Claus Preisinger
Puszta Blanca! 2023
60% Grüner Veltliner, 35% Weissburgunder, 5% Muscat Ottonel
Organic, biodynamic, unfined/filtered, spontaneous fermentation
Gols, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee, Austria
Winemaker: Claus Preisinger

Shining yellow brick road with a touch of haze. Oh there are so many scents flying out. There’s cool ripe cucumber, melon, lemon, mango, and of all things dill which makes me laugh because I’m caught off guard, but it’s fun! Next up are limes, fresh raw peanuts like the ones I remember from my granny’s garden. Can’t tell you how much I used to look forward to digging those plants up & shaking the dirt. All of this is followed by green & golden delicious apples, camellia, and dainty roses. There are so many childhood memories floating here. Sipping and all of the scents are right there with the dill & a smidge of mustard seed being more of a pickle brine flavor, limeade, and a salt shake. Oh this is seriously delicious & zingy!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: So mellow

Preisinger’s wines bring out such bubbling emotions for me. Some make my tastebuds happily buzz around like a bee in an apple orchard, others steal a little piece of my heart, and this one makes me giggle like a giddy child from the dancing flavors bouncing all over the place. They’re like him…full of vibrant life. As I’ve mentioned in a past post he’s a surfer/kitesurfer (pic from 510w ago), in tune/connected with nature, has a “less is more” ethic from the soil, vines, & in the cellar. His winery & vineyards are settled near Lake Neusiedl in Gols (where the kite surfing pic is from), and also the area where his band of other like minded winemakers founded their association Pannobile (2024 is their 30th anniversary). Each winegrower creates a red & maybe a white cuvée from their local/indigenous grapes picked at that Goldilocks just right ripeness. It’s still bottled in their name but under the Pannobile label/umbrella, and for those that want to try 1 from each  of the 9, you can buy a case boxed in a true wooden artistic treasure.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #austria #worldbyglass #volkerwineco #clauspreisinger #docwinebar #docwineshop

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My Summer Crush

Weingut Leon Gold
Neon Gold 2023
Trollinger
Organic, biodynamic
Weinstadt, Württemberg, Germany
Collaboration with Super Glou
Owner & winemaker: Leon Gold

Shining garnet stained glass. Breathing in raspberries, strawberries, touch of blueberries, a childhood memory of Froot Loops, orange/lemon/lime rind, tiniest whiff of peat, and a dried herby alpine mix that’s so mellow. Sipping and hello raspberries again with cherries, a mix of ripe and green strawberries (some wild too), that citrus rind again but more gentle yet still very alive, a weird reminder of Hawaiian Punch’s Fruit Juicy Red that I had as a kid on a very hot summer day at Sea World, cranberry, red currants & that savory herb sprinkle again but as before M-E-L-L-O-W with a teeny tiny sliver of white horehound (horehound candy), and a chew of sour grass from the outfield. Chill it a little or a lot. Either way it’s so bright and so darn easy to glou glou.

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  brings out all the tarty party

So childhood dreams can be fulfilled. Leon Gold was first enchanted with the wine ideal very young and followed it through with education, dedication, learning to listen to the sun, moon, & all nature has to whisper, and patience. He lets the grapes have their space and time in the cellar. I can just imagine the pressed fruit calmly chanting “om” and being one with space & time until it transcends and travels into the bottle. It’s not all inner peace & slow pace for Gold. Leon is one of the 3 chosen winemakers for a cool event coming up on 8/28 (tonight) at the restaurant Bachofer’s Terrace in Waiblingen. It’s Wine Speed Dating & I’m not sure if you’re meeting people or just “dating” the wines to find one you may fall for and goes well with their BBQ tapas. I know which one is my summer crush. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #speeddating #organic #Germany #bachofer #superglou #leongold #vinewine #vinewinenyc