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26 Hours

Grace Wine
Koshu 2023
Fermented and matured in stainless steel, hand picked, grapes grown above 400m
Yamanashi, Japan
Ayana Misawa (5th gen) & the Misawa Family

Very pale starlight yellow green. First sniff and there’s a light smash up of apple with Mandarins, Valencia oranges & other citrus (very small tangelo), which leads to round pears, touch of fresh honey & honeysuckle blossoms, and over time a pinch of nutmeg. Sipping and wow! All of the scents are there with a touch of smoke that fades and on day 2 lighter & joined with that smidge of nutmeg, all sorts of apples & pears, a lick of fresh sugarcane (but not overly sweet just a memory) that morphs into honeysuckle nectar, ripe fresh picked cucumber, winter melon, and an end welcome bitter bite that normally I’d single out almond or an herb or two like parsley without the greenery taste but this one is harder to define. Maybe it’s more like a fruit pit without the fruitiness or a lemon seed. Either way the best way to describe this bottle is it’s a gentle wine…well balanced…graceful (no pun intended)…elegant…and a happy surprise.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT

Ooooh when my friend pointed out this bottle, let’s just say I was giddy. Wanted to try a Japanese wine for so long, and quite happy that it turns out Grace Wine will be my first. They’ve been around for just over a century and now in their 5th generation, there’s a woman in charge of making the wine. Ayana Misawa followed in her father’s footsteps (he’s a winemaker with an organic chemistry education) but also branched out by studying in Bordeaux & Stellenbosch, and working abroad in Australia, Argentina, Chile & New Zealand. In 2014, she brought home a Gold Medal from the Decanter World Wine Awards (1st for Japanese wine) and the heralds & honors keep coming while thriving in what is still an old boys club. She and Grace keep shining with her knowledge, viticulture gift, and her hard work since her workdays last 26 hours.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #japan #koshu #GraceWine #vinewinenyc

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Hanging Onto The Last Strands Of Summer

Domaine de l’Abbaye
Grand Beylesse
Rosé 2023
Syrah, Cinsault, & Grenache
Côtes De Provence AOP
HVE3, hand harvested at night
Chinon, France
Owner: Franc Petit

Pale pinky salmon that deepens over time. Breathing in strawberries, raspberries, a bit of cantaloupe, honeydew & a mix of other melons, cool free flowing river rock mineral, touch of grapefruit but not overly funky, and a smidge of lemon crispiness. Completely all of the scents in the sip along with a light bit of cranberry, a little pomegranate, pinch of salt, & it’s a fresh smile, wink and smooch in a bottle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: pretty good

At first I wondered why this bottle was blue. Turns out Mr. Petit takes great pride in this rosé, and cares about extending the freshness as long possible and hence is why he chose this UV protectant cobalt blue bottle. Each glass reminds me of a feeling I’ve been having…the pleasure of hanging onto the last strands of summer, and stretching that warm glow for as long as possible. Maybe I need to squirrel a few more away to brighten the cooler days of fall and winter ahead. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #Rosé #Rose #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #France #wineemporium  #domaineabbaye #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Full Of Charm

Viña Casalibre
Siete Perros 2022
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Organic, native yeasts, single vineyard, low intervention, no oak
Vineyard: Los Guindos
Maipo Valley, Chile
Founder: Fred Skwara

Deep dark cherry maroon that still shimmers & shines. Inhale and there’s cherry, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry, red currants, and a “light breeze of cherry bubblegum that turns into an earthy goodness that grounds all. Sip and there’s all of the scents along with a green tomato spark & a bit more of the red currant that blends together into a little sizzle, touch butterfly lilac exhale on the back of my tongue that flutters in and out, overtime it’s a bit more dried plums, raisins, cherries & mission figs, and those raspberries are still here and oh so bright. This is one friendly smooth operator that’s also a bit comfy rustic.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: perfectly mouth watering

Mr. Skwara had an eye opening experience on a family trip outside of Chile. While dining out he decided to try a wine not from his homeland only to be questioned by his brother “why?”. This is the part that shocked me, the waiter piped up and “told the whole table that I wanted to choose a wine with more charm than the Chilean ones, which had little personality. We all stared, open-mouthed, especially my mom.” Man, either that dude had some massive “cojones” or was an idiot with no tact. It did start a drive in Fred to let the world know that Chile is special, full of surprises, and can make wine that is full of expression which is very much seen in their “Siete Perros” project since they use “no oak”. These grapes sing & shine baby, and believe me this little bulldog (Humphrey) is full of charm. Would love to see that opinionated/biased waiter try this wine and have to humbly eat his words. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #Chile #SkinContactWines #casalibrewines #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Patience Is A Virtue

Roxanich
Mara 4/6 2011
100% Borgonja Istriana
Organic & biodynamic, long aged
Motovun, Istria, Croatia
Mladen Rožanić & family

Dark rose-orange amber. At first right after opening there’s a scent of toasted rice bit that turns to baguette, a blend of red plums & young cherry, rasp/blackberry, red currants, and a cranberry pomegranate cocktail along with a mineral bit of a fresh rained on rock. Everything I’m sniffing are there but the toast dissipates and evolves into watermelon rind, squeeze of lemon/lime & balsamic, dark rose cotton candy (I don’t know how else to describe it), and on the back end a smidge of caperberry…but not overly. It just balances all.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NOPE! DO NOT RUIN THIS EXPERIENCE

Roxanich produces three different collections of wine: Philosophy (aged Istrian reds), First Roses (entry level wines), and lastly the Sorelle line (6 wines dedicated to Mladen’s 6 daughters) which is their “natural, orange, long macerated whites and reds”. Honestly I’ve ever had a wine like this Mara 4/6…a rosé this aged and complex yet still fresh and so full of life took me by surprise. The magic ingredient to this bottle is time or as Mladen says on their site, “Patience is a fantastic cellar technique…Because wines need time to find each other.” In this fast paced, rushed, insane world; it’s such a delight to take a moment to savor, to rest, and to reflect. I say slow down, enjoy the wait, anticipate what is to come, and of course take time to linger & smell the rosés.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #worldbyglass #croatia #livingwine #Roxanich #vinewinenyc

 

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A Wild Tumble With A Jump Of Grace

Two Shepherds
Wiley 2024
Carbonic Carignan
Organic
Sonoma, CA
William Allen (owner/winemaker) & Karen Daenen (owner/Chief Shepherdess)

Stained glass ruby-magenta. Sniffing and there’s red currants, raspberries, strawberries, young plums, and a bit of a smash of fresh picked blackberries. Sipping all of the scents with gooseberries, wild sour grass I used to chew in the outfield, a little Virginia pepperweed too, white pepper, and a small chew of clover. There’s a little wild tumble that turns into a jumping arch of grace just like its namesake.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: nah

Back in 2010, Two Shepherds started out as a one man (William) micro/garagiste wine venture until Karen officially joined in 2015. Their backgrounds & personal expertise blended into a fabulous partnership in many ways. There’s also other members of their farm family, but they’re of the hooved, feathered, and furry kind ranging from donkeys, goats, pigs, chickens, dogs, and of course my favorite noble beasts…cats. If one of their wine creations has a personality that’s like one of these “kids”, they get their name on the label. That’s what led me to picking up this Wiley. He’s as they called him, a “unicorn cat” being that he’s a male calico with from what I’m reading had quite the independent rascally personality, a voice that matched, and a great little hunter. My heart leapt when I saw a pic of him as a kitten on their IG, and then I read the sad news posted on 12/1/24…Wiley was no longer of this world. My belated condolences to William & Karen. He must have been such a warm force of nature in your life. Here’s to hoping you continue making this carbonic carignan in his honor & memory because there’s nothing like the honest love of a cat.❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #catsofinstagram #cats #worldbyglass #california #twoshepherds #twoshepherdswine #vinewinenyc

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Keep The Bees Happy

Fourth Wave Wine
Bumblebee
Chardonnay 2023
Organic grapes, vegan friendly
New South Wales, Australia
Created by Con-Greg Grigoriou & Corey Ryan

Pale yellow with a touch of green. Breathing in a mellow grapefruit/lemon/lime & other citrus blend, a toasty bit that lingers, and followed by nectarines. Sipping away (it’s so easy to) and all of the citrus is there with more twang, pears, white peaches, yellow tart plums, nectarines, and a mineral lick with a shake of salt. It’s fun & fruitilicious with a clean dry snap.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: I’m on the fence

Fourth Wave is a family run business with a wide reach, and they work with producers/winemakers from 6 countries. The brand Bumblebee’s Chardonnay hails from South Australia and celebrates the humble bee & all the good works these buzzers do for the world. As I’ve mentioned many times in the past, my great-grandfather was a beekeeper (honeybees) so I feel like loving these creatures is in my DNA…well except for the part that I’m allergic 🤣. I even carried some drones to grade school for show & tell because even back then I knew they deserved to be celebrated. Bumblebee’s site states the hard truth we should all know by now, “the decrease in their population poses a serious threat to human livelihood”, so we all need to do our best to keep them alive & pollinating since “Healthy crops mean happy bees… and happy bees mean flourishing fruit and delicious wine.” 🐝

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #winelover #winetasting #Australia #Chardonnay #fourthwavewine #bumblebeewine #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Don’t Miss Out On The Summer Breeze

Galgo Wines
La Brisa Blanco 2023
Field blend of 85% Treixadura, and 15% Godello, Albariño & Loureira
Biodynamic & organic
Galicia, Ribeiro, Spain
Project between Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos & consultancy of Sentiviño Wines (Diego y Álvaro Diéguez)

Sunshine shining yellow. Breathing in pears, green apples, something a tad nutty/woodsy, yellow nectarines, over time grapefruit grows but not at all overpowering, and a small mix of celery & wild fennel. All of the sniffs are in the taste with a good splash more of grapefruit & a pinch of salt, the pears/apples are fresh yet luscious at the same time, and a small bitter bite like a citrus seed with a squeeze of oranges. It’s mouth awakening and so begging to be dropped into your cooler for a day at the beach. I love this wine so much!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Yes please bring the whole box & also grab the Bugles

As I’ve said before, I truly think Sanchez-Mateos has the best job in the world. Galgo Wines gives him the chance to meet with interesting people from small producers, other distributors, local (and not so local) enthusiasts, writers, etc (who doesn’t love conversation with kindred spirits), and utilize his financial background education into the mix. Oh and he also gets to travel far and near all while living his wine life to the fullest. He and his cohorts in vine (Sentiviño Wines) also care about what goes into the ground, the plants, and in us. They don’t use any pest or herbicide in their 20 year old vineyards (Avia Valley) and are keeping the whole process as natural as possible or as they say “least intrusive”, and these bottles are vegan friendly. BTW if you find one scoop it up ASAP to add to your drink list because you don’t want to miss out on this cool & refreshing Spanish summer breeze.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #winelover #winetasting #Spain #Ribeiro #Galicia #steephillwine #SentivinoWines #galgowines #docwinebar #docwineshop

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On The Road Again

Domaine Désiré Petit
Tribu’lles NV
Pétillant Naturel
Savagnin & Chardonnay
Organic, sustainable, hand harvested
Pupillin, Jura, France
The Petit Family

Shining yellow with very active white bubbles. Lovely scents of apples, pears, a sparkle of lime, hazelnuts, fresh pecans picked from my granny’s trees (used to throw sticks up in the high branches to make them shower down), dried pineapple, and golden raisins. Sip and all those sniffs are there with a bit more lime/lemon sizzle, now it’s almond instead of hazelnut, and a mineral/salt shake. It’s fresh, crisp with a touch of lush, and I’d love to drink this in my old home backyard watching the evening fade & the lightening bugs come out to dance.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: ooh yes

Désiré Petit started his domaine in 1932, and the family are now in their 3rd generation of winemaking. Over the years they have grown, held themselves to goals (going organic, expanding their plots, etc) and all the while letting their passion flow. They also say that to truly get to know who they, their land and their wines are would be best to let them guide you…”our greatest pleasure would be to show you around the cellars and share with you, glass in hand, an unforgettable tasting.” A good way to meet them upclose and personal is to camp out. They’re members of “France Passion” (friendly and gourmet stopovers). All you need is a self contained motorhome, a membership in the group, use one of the 5 spots on their beautiful land, and follow the “Golden Rules” which shouldn’t be hard for those that appreciate the experience. First of all be nice, say hi & enjoy their knowledge of their wine, territory, food, and the neighborhood; be respectful & don’t leave trash behind, and of course let them know when you’re ready to hit the road again (cue Willie Nelson music). 🚐

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #petnat #France #peterweygandt #domainedesirepetit #vinewinenyc

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Women Can Save The World

Al Feu
Insolia 2022
Terre Siciliane IGP
Organic, indigenous yeasts, unlined/unfiltered
Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Michele Castiglione

Golden amber pour. Sniff and it starts off with a crumb of toasted baguette that fades in & out, citrus blend with their zest, pears, sliver of Winesap apples, touch of honeysuckle & spring flowers, and a fresh running river mineral rock. First sip and WOW! All the sniffs are here but dancing in a smooth & more refined way, the rock gets a shake of salt too, and a little peat on the back. While tasting it’s almost more of an emotion…it’s serene yet quietly powerful…a moment of natural reflective peace & sense of place…am I nuts?

Pairs w Cheez-Its: don’t ruin the moment

Michele Rizzo (Michele’s grandfather) had a good sized estate but none of the children in the family were interested in taking it over. Well, fortunately Michele’s mom (Giuseppa Silvana) stepped up to the plate. Once it was time for Castiglione to hop on board he decided it was time for him to present a new brand called “Al Feu”…8 ha of vines & 2 more divided between pomegranate, olives, and other lovely things to harvest. Not going to lie, as most of you know I’m a magpie for really good art & especially pieces created for bottles. Al Feu’s labels celebrate nature & women, but I should let Michele’s words from Steep Hill’s site explain their artistic choice:

“Nature is our greatest inspiration guiding our daily choices with her innate elegance” “The common theme you will find in our label is a pensive, thoughtful woman. Men has urbanized the cities, paved the streets, destroying the mountains by taking away the marble, polluting the oceans & burning the forests/animals living there. We took possess of the land without caring of the consequences. We pretend to love animals & we use them in labs for experiments or we run them down under our tires”. “According to Michele only women & their awareness can save the world. ‘We need women to think what’s best for the mankind’.”

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #italy #steephillwine #AlFeu #docwineshop #docwinebar

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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