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Wine = Magical Destiny

Franchere Wine Company
Split Infinitves
Pét-Nat
N/V (2022)
Grüner Veltliner 74%, Chardonnay 26%
Sourced from sustainably farmed & organic trusted vineyards, definitely unfiltered and very natural
Woodburn, Oregon
Owner & winemaker: Mike Hinds

Hazy orange slightly pinky that reminds me of the smoke we’ve been seeing here drifting from Canada. Just opened and sniffing a bit of dragged through the forest floor funk that will head out and a touch of smoke (not from the aforementioned fires), citrusy zest mix, a bit of fresh rain that clears the air and cools things off, apricots, peaches, mellow pears, and a hint of cinnamon. First sip and there’s a delightful natural sizzle, next up are pears along with an exhale of that bit of peat/smoke that fades, lemon & lime kissed, crisp apples, bright peach, apricots, kumquats, and a touch seltzer salty. All of this together blends into a magical mixture of a tangy homemade orchard blend pie that reminds me of my mom’s pastry concoctions.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: eh nah

As I’m learning more about Mike Hinds, I get where he’s coming from with his inspirational moment. Just the right wine encounter can awaken all sorts of emotions. For Mike it was a Vouvray as he says on his site, “’What is this? Why is this so magical with my food? How did this wine come to be like this?’ It launched an obsession.” This led to his path in wine education from working in shops, taking classes, working as a “cellar rat”, and eventually to his own company. Honestly I don’t know if I would have the courage to follow his path, but he  has proved it’s his destiny. Even when I picked this bottle up (it had just been unpacked with no shelf talker) I was told how excited they were about his new pét-nat. Ok, you know I have to mention the label. First off the artwork is gorgeous and I would love to know who is the artist. Secondly, something about this cat really grabbed my heart. Not yet but at some point I may need to add to our 🐈‍⬛ family, so casting that out into the universe.

wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #PétNat #petnat #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #cat #catsofinstagram #oregon #worldbyglass #organic #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @francherewine @vinewinenyc

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Between Two Seas

Chateau Turcaud
Blanc 2021
50% Sauvignon 45% sémillon, 5% muscadelle
Entre Deux Mers Blanc AOC
La Sauve, France
Purchased by Maurice & Simone Robert (1973) and now passed to their daughter & son-in-law Isabelle & Stéphane Le May

Yellow with green shimmers. First scent speeding out of the gate is grapefruit followed by tangelo, lemon/lime (just a lively citrus mix), a whiff of pine needles, mango, hmmm lychee, and crushed pineapple. Whee it’s a whole cocktail, where’s the little paper umbrella? Sipping and all of the scents are right there in the flavor yet pulled back & leaves me craving coconut, a little almond on the back, and the taste when you walked into our old spring house with all the cool fresh mineral driven water bubbling. I really miss that delicious so naturally clean water source that I totally took for granted as a kid and into my teens. There was truly nothing like it.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: ooh delicious

Chateau Turcaud purchased only 50 years ago is progressing & growing with the passion of the 2nd generation. Residing in Entre Deux Mers (between two seas) they have a nearby neighbor in the historic La Sauve Majeure Abbey which is now a part of an UNESCO World Heritage site. Through centuries it suffered damage from war, storms & earthquake but in 1960, France’s govt. took over in order to keep what was left stable. Now you can visit the beauty that is left and also this Saturday (June 10, 10am-10pm) for 8€ you can join in a wine tasting celebrating 38 local growers, check out games & other wine activities, and get your groove on with a DJ under the stars. ✨

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #cheezit #worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #entredeuxmers  #sustainable #France @abbayelasauvemajeure @chateauturcaud @fleetstreetwine @cheezits @docwineshop @docwinebar

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A Chilled Happy Dance Of Life

Les Conques
Nonette 2021
Mourvèdre
Organic
Villemolaque (cellar), Roussillon (vineyards), France
Owner & winemaker: François Douville and family

Strawbluecranberry cocktail color with tiny bubbles. Lovely scents of natural slightly fizzy sizzle depth at first along with smoke & little earth, smidge of balsamic vinegar, and it all grows into a blend of strawberries, raspberries, bright cherry and lemon squeeze. Sipping along and there’s raspberries, strawberries, a whiff of smoke & spritz of seltzer, cranberry, a kick of cherry and a little lemon lick. It’s a zippy & tongue tingling chilled happy dance of life.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nope

I swear, lately I’ll grab a bottle and not even look at the back label before bringing it home and once I get ready to open and turn it around, lo and behold there’s Super Glou’s logo. They really know how to pick winners. Les Conques totally knocked my socks off if you can’t tell from my description above. Somehow they bottled the essence or interpretation of their enchanted land. Just check out their IG page and you’ll see for yourself (oh and pour a glass of Nonette too for full effect). You’ll find images of truly natural happiness including their Jack Russell, horses, all sorts of beneficial insects & other wildlife, family and the surrounding watchful trees such as cork oaks & something I have never heard of before “arborescent heather” which is my namesake that is usually a shrubbery but evidently has grown to higher aspirations. Enough of my flights of fancy babbling, take a good long well chilled sip and experience it for yourself. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Rosé #Rose #chilledredwine #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #organic #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @super_glou @domainelesconques @vinewinenyc

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“I Just Wanna Be Part Of Your Symphony”

Ja’na:re
Falanghina del Sannio DOP
2021
Sustainable
Campania, Italy

Springy gold with a touch of green. Breathing in white peaches, ripe sun kissed cucumber, mango, lychee, and a bundle of white flowers, a light touch of grapefruit, and wet limestone after a cool & cleansing rain. All of the before scents are in the taste along with firm pears, lemon/lime squeeze & zest, a bit of yellow watermelon added to the mix, trace of honeysuckle stamen dragged across my tongue, and a mineral bit on the back.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: heightens everything

This is one of those wines that pulled me down the rabbit hole of information. Tales of the Samnites…witches, warriors & the written word. Ja’na:re is part of the co-op La Guardiense that has been around since 1960. They started out with only 33 members but are now around 1,000 and all very proud of their history which leads back to Ja’na:re or rather janare who were the local women/witches, “who weave the secrets of the earth with silvery moonbeams and dance in the shade of a walnut tree” and carry on tradition & natural knowledge to this day. Then there are Sannio’s men once fierce warriors are now strong & noble farmers driven with the same passion of their heritage. Finally there’s this bottle that comes from their “Alfabeto line” which their designs are Inspired by the Oscan-Samnite language/alphabet (btw it’s read from right to left and words are separated by dots). Grapes for this collection are selected from the best of their vineyards/terroirs and are brought together as they say “Just like conducting an orchestra where each component must give its best, guaranteeing absolute harmony to the whole”. Love that their gift to the world is this beautiful bottled symphony.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #cheezit #worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #cleanbandit #sustainable  #Campania #Italy @vinijanare @vini_la_guardiense @toutonselection @cheezits @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Ticket Booked

Finca Casa Balaguer
La Rambla del Peligres 2020
100% Garancha
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested
Villena, Alicante, Spain
Winemaker: Andrés Carull

Dark cherry with a little violet hues and blue pops. Breathing in and there’s raspberries, a light creamy moment, dark cherries & Twizzlers, tiny delicate roses & irises mixed with red plums, and some oomph earth dragged in with a pinch of white pepper, and something a little green. Rolling it around in my mouth it’s bursting with cherries, raspberries, very ripe & also green strawberries & the greenness of their caps & stem, a drop of pomegranate, blackberry,  boysenberry, violets & their leaves (day 2 a bit of hyssop appears), singed orange peel that has my lips tingling, and as it opens it is so lovely juicy and blueberries join in. Can you tell how much I LOVE this bottle?

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes everything more velvet

Finca Casa Balaguer is Andrés Carull & Marta Ribera’s small family winery, and boy is it all natural (my 2nd wine by them). After a surprising encounter with a natural wine during a trip to France in 2008, they were hooked or as they say seduced by its magical power. They only work with local varieties to enhance the true feel and taste of their lands, and keep it biodynamic and organic. And their own words sum their passion beautifully, “Immerse yourself in a world, from which you have no escape. When you enter the world of natural wines, wines made with nothing but fermented grape juice, no additives and no makeup, you won’t want to escape. There is no way back. We can tell you from experience. The lasting memory of these wines is not stored in the mind, but in the heart.” They also say that wine has a way of “teleporting” you so you can “travel by glass” to visit their wonderful part of the world, which is hey, a statement as you can tell…I fully believe. Consider my ticket booked.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #redwine #cheezit #worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #Garancha #Alicante #Spain @casabalaguer @selectionsdelavina @cheezits @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Fabulous Night & Beautiful Day

Day Wines
Lemonade Rosé 2022
94% Pinot Noir, 6% Grenache
Grapes sourced from organic & biodynamic vineyards
Dundee, Oregon
Owner & winemaker: Brianne Day

Pinky with a flash of salmon. Scents pop up of raspberries & strawberries, mellow bit of lemon curd, a light bounce of cherries, and later a bit of lime & zest floating in on a fresh cool breeze. Sipping and this is just refreshing! There’s raspberries, strawberries, Rainier cherries, smidge of grapefruit squish with a small salty lick, and lovely fresh zesty homemade lemonade stand blend kiss. 💋

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: gives it a deeper dashing flair

So many parents make such a fuss about their kid getting a tattoo. How many times did I hear that if I got one no one would hire me. Well, things certainly didn’t end up that way for Brianne Day. In fact, her grapevine/grapes tattoo attracted the right attention and brought on a  conversation with a couple who ended up investing in her winemaking career (which she had already been passionately working on) and helped move it forward. Now I’m rethinking my folks outdated advice and maybe…just maybe will finally make that artistic inked commitment and who knows what new adventures might come my way.

BTW if you’re still reading, I just noticed on IG that @daywines has a very cool event coming up. “Mark your calendars, grab your dollars, and dust off your most extra fits because DRAG EXTRAVAGANZA IS BACK AT DAY! Friday (evening), June 16th. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜💖” Ooh that sounds like a fun and fabulous night! @winecountrypride 

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Rosé #Rose #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #organic #WineCountryPride #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @daywines @vinewinenyc

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More Than Just “Nice”

Weingut Schlossmühlenhof
Das ist Schön
50% Scheurebe, 40% Müller Thurgau 10% Gelber Muskateller
Organic, indigenous yeast, unfiltered
Rheinhessen, Germany
Owners & winemakers: Gabriele & Walter Michel, Nicolas (their son & 6th generation, who has been at the helm since 2015) & his girlfriend Janine

Translucent pale yellow-green. Sniffing bright lime, grapefruit & citrus mix-a-rita, along with firm pears and a little fresh cut grass. Tingling on my tongue is even more lime & zest with the rest of the citrus cocktail trailing along, all the pears and a little apple rolled in with honeysuckle, white peaches, a smidge of an herby bite balancing blend including thyme & a little rosemary (just not BBC’s old gardener sleuths series), and fragrant blossom on the exhale.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: blossom breeze

As the label says, “das ist schön” and yes that (or this bottle) is nice…ok it’s better than nice and is bound to make you smile on these recent hot nights. You know what else is nice…the way the the members of the 5th & 6th generations work together or in Walter & Gabriele’s case, at times kick back & let the younger ones carry on. You’ll also find on their site two more important members that round out their family. They may not be winemakers, but Emil & Cuno (a pair of 4 pawed woofers of varying sizes) contribute to the estate by being two bundles of doggo joy. 🐾

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #instawine #worldbyglass #Germany #organic #winetime  #dasistschön #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @schlossmuehlenhof @saviosoaresselections @docwineshop @docwinebar

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There’s No Fungus Among Us

Cantina Pizzolato
HOOPA
PIWI Collection
Pét-Nat
Veneto IGT
100% Johanniter
Organic, indigenous yeasts, vegan friendly, unfiltered
Villorba, Italy
Pizzolato Family: Settimo (father & owner) along with his wife Sabrina and children Federico & Stefania

Shining yellow green stained-glass with itty bitty bubbles. Sniffing and there’s pineapple, mango (that little bit of creaminess too), lemon/lime spritz, a drop of fresh squeezed orange, tangelo, citrus zest & and shake of salt, and a little southern in the heat of the night musky magnolia breeze that turns into wisteria or a little sultry romance. Wooo! Sipping and this is very easy drinking, so be careful. All that citrus is rolled into one shaken cocktail & the lime sings in it. Here comes pineapple & a little mango again with a light tingle, a small celery (cel-ray) crunch, sliver of very ripe just picked from the garden cucumber, and seltzer saltiness…just delicious & crisp.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it even brighter

As far as this PIWI Collection is concerned, there’s no fungus among us. PIWI grapes are from a continuing international project/collaboration on breeding fungus disease resistant vines (this isn’t in a lab but in the vineyards & no genetic engineering) which is wonderful for keeping everything sustainable & organic. The Pizzolatos chose to let the labels tell the story of these wines, not just through the beautiful artwork/mandala labels that also peel back to reveal it also in words. As they say on their site, “For us, each of these wines represents the stage of a journey into a yet unexplored world that we are experiencing day by day. The names chosen for the PIWI wines bring back the imagery of exploration, travel and discovery: “Huakai” represents the journey; “Kontiki” the means used to land at the final destination “Hoopa” and “Hurrah” the moment of rejoicing with the group for having reached the destination.” I highly recommend picking up one of these beauties and joining them on this innovative & delicious natural journey. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #instawine #petnat #Frizzante #bubbly #sparklingwine #worldbyglass #Tuscany #Italy #organic #winetime #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @piwiinternational @cheezit @cantinapizzolato @naturalmerchants  @docwineshop @docwinebar

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698 Bottles Of Wine On The Wall

Cal Xurriu
Xanduné 2020
Chardonnay
Biodynamic, indigenous yeasts, unfined & unfiltered
Sant Sadurnì d’Anoia, Alt Penedès, Catalunya, Spain
Winemakers: Agustì Costa & Paula Sandoval

Orange coppery with rose tints drifting in sort of like a sunrise. Sniffing and there’s orange, a little grapefruit (not strong but gentle), lemon & zest with a lime nose tickle, salt breeze, a natural depth or a little good darkness like what you smell while crabbing on the east coast waterfront when I was a kid. (Have you ever been chased by fiddler crabs? Those little guys are feisty.) There’s also a light wave from a magnolia, rained on slate, something a little green like young acorns or raw green peanuts. Sip and tasting orange & back to that citrus mix with a lively natural tang vibe & a smidge of orange bitters, smoke, salt, a lick of limestone, crab apples, on the exhale green strawberries (stems, caps & all), and after time a splash of orange tea.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: ack berg no

When I saw the shelf talker state, “Chardonnay fermented on the skins producing a head turning wine that will have you questioning everything you know”, I knew this bottle was coming home with me, and yes it made my head spin in a good way. Agusti & Paula are bucking Penedès old time convention of growing large vineyards for bulk cava. Their plots of choice are small, very natural & sometimes hidden within other bits of growth. I can only imagine the excitement of hiking to check on the vines progress. They know this land is shared with native plants & animals: wild goats & boars, who can wreck havoc on any vineyard! Their choice is to hope and ask “please don’t come” because  “Life is about sharing”. From what I can find, this man truly loves being embraced by the whole of nature and has a deep gratitude to care for the parts he is gifted to farm. Good grief, this is bringing happy tears to my eyes. BTW there are only 700 bottles & I’m so happy for my 2.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @super_glou @calxurriu @vinewinenyc

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Giving Back For The Future

HER
Chenin Blanc 2022
Sustainable, grapes sourced from single vineyard site of Worcester
Western Cape, South Africa
General Manager & Winemaker: Praisy Diamini
Consultant Winemaker: Natasha Williams
Viticulturist: Ruth Faro
Logistics: Jody-Ann Appollis
Accountant: Janine Goosen
Production Clerk: Nichole van Wyk
Quality Manager: Verna Ross

Dance that yellow brick road gold. Breathing in pears, peaches, pineapple, a few slices of overripe cucumbers, apricots, and a blend of citrus. Taking a sip and it’s all of the above, along with nectarines, grapefruit squish, lychee, Golden Delicious & a bit of Granny Smith apples, and a few blades of grass.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: so smooth

This is my 2nd bottle by HER, & I want to make sure everyone knows about these incredible women so I’m going to repeat myself. Every single one of them are important to the whole entity. As they say on their site,  “Each of us brings our skills, our heritage, our energy and our expertise. The HER Wines Team is comprised of a group of black women who, by grabbing at opportunity, working hard and relying on each other, have stepped into the world of business, previously unattainable to our families, particularly the women.” They also know the importance of giving back, and are setting aside 2% of their profits toward a scholarship for the driven, talented & passionate children from families that work with the vineyards where HER sources their grapes. Who knows, some of these young ones may be the next big winemakers that we’re all chasing for their next bottle in the future. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #westerncape #southafrica @herwinecollection @wine4theworld @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit