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A Natural Seduction

Finca Casa Balaguer
Picofino
Monastrell 2019
Red Wine
100% Monastrell
Organic and biodynamic, hand harvested
Villena, Alicante, Spain
Winemaker: Andrés Carull

Deep cherry with spots of blue. Pull out the cork and immediately its creamy scents with cherry, cola, and cinnamon butter cream frosting. Channeling my inner Cookie Monster. Let it be for a bit and it’s earthy along with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Now you’re ready to dive into that sip. There’s tart cherry tang that goes deep and later there’s that tang once again. Now here come the raspberries, some strawberry sweetness, earth, dark chocolate, and a dry woody bit like a pecan hull at the end that with each sip can turn around again to that fruit.Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Smooth and velvet

Finca Casa Balaguer is part of Andrés Carull and Marta Ribera’s small family winery Vinessens, and boy is it all natural. 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 they sum their passion beautifully on their site, “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.” I do have a question about this wine. Can someone please tell me is the bird with the cute hat on the label a kiwi or what is it? I have a little bet running with a friend, so would love to know.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @vinessens @zevrovineselections @zev_rovine @cheezits #wine #vin #vino #redwine #cheezit @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #Monastrell #Villena #Alicante #Spain

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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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Culinary Pampering

Štekar Wines
Sıvı Pinot 2019
100% Sivi Pinot (Pinot Gris)
Goriška Brda Z.G.P.
Kojsko, Littoral, Slovenia
Organic, biodynamic
Winemaker: Jure Štekar

Copper color like one of those beautiful old bowls Julia Child used to whisk away in. Wafts of orange, grapefruit, melon, and a little fresh grass. Lots of fruit dance on my tongue. There’s an orange melon of some sort, pear but crisp and almost not fully ripe, and as it opens peaches come forward with smoke, Also a bitter herb that I am having trouble pinpointing. This beautiful glass just feels creamy and mellow. Lovely.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: turns the bitter herb into rosemary

Štekar Wines is fairly young but they are one of the first wineries in Slovenia certified biodynamic. Along with the vineyard, they also have a farm, the main house with rooms to stay over and a whole agrotourism package. You can stay, view the beautiful countryside, taste their wines, join them in the kitchen to learn their recipes, and get as they call it, “Culinary Pampering”. The pics of their dishes look absolutely amazing and creative. Oh, please scroll down and look at those cakes! They look heavenly, and I feel pounds adding to my thighs just looking at them. Most of the ingredients from vegetables, fruits, and meat are from the farm, or if they don’t have it they reach out to organic producers. They sum up it all best, “Visit us and participate in the unforgettable experience of the wonderful Goriška Brda hills and the magic of our climate.” Oh, I so wish I could be there. We could all need a little magic right now!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @stekar_wines @hisastekar @bonvivantimports @cheezits #cheezit #wine #whitewine #orangewine #naturalwine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #organic #sustainable #biodynamic #SiviPinot  #PinotGris #goriskabrda #Kojsko #Littoral #Slovenia

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Tweet Tweet

Michel Nartz
Cui Cui
Crémant D’Alsace
Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Riesling, Pinot Gris
Alsace, Dambach-la-Ville, France
Sustainable
Winemaker: Laurence Nartz

Sparkling golden glass with tiny bubbles. Inhaling creamy vanilla, orange peel and tangerine but super light. There’s some natural funk, but I just opened this and it rapidly fades away. It’s clean, dry and a little nutty. Sipping apple that has a slight cider feel, also a citrus combo, then it goes all mellow, creamy and some toastiness with vanilla. This is crisp and regal and is making my day!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out the toast

The happy little birds on the bottle give this lovely sparkler its name “Cui Cui”, and from what I’m finding is the way they chirp in France. As for the contents of this bottle, Laurence Nartz is the fine winemaker responsible for this delightful bubbly. Her parents Gaby and Michel Nartz founded the winery, but have now left the winemaking part to her. They’re focused more on the vineyards and their 17th century home/bed and breakfast which is also listed as a historic monument. Oh would be so lovely to go for a tasting and stay for the evening learning more about their wines, land and the old town Dambach-la-Ville and their medieval walls.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny #MichelNartz @communalbrands @cheezits #cheezit #wine #cremantdalsace #sparklingwine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #LaurenceNartz #Pinot Blanc #Auxerrois #Riesling #Pinot Gris #Alsace #France

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A Tip of the Hat

Flat Brim Wines
Fortune Teller 2019
Red Wine Blend
Columbia Valley
Produced and bottled in Portland Oregon
Pinot Meunier 70%, Pinot Gris 30%
Grapes are sourced from sustainable vineyards
Winemaker Ian Atkins

Gave this one a slight chill. Poured a glass and it’s cloudy, ruby and intriguing.

Breathe in and there’s heady floral perhaps orange blossoms, tart cherry, salt and slate. Sip and there’s cherry cola, orange peel, and smoke. Are we heading toward a cocktail feel? Keeping on swishing, and there raspberries, and a tangy tingle. Oh this is fun, and for some reason a certain Blue Nile song has become an earwig for me. Miss that band and love the album.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Smoothes any tart out into velvet. No rough edges. Just smooth love like Paul Buchanan’s voice.

@flatbrimwines @vinewinenyc @coeurwineco #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #vinewinenyc @worldbyglass #PinotMeunier #PinotGris #ColumbiaValley #Portland #Oregon @thebluenileofficial

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A Basket of Kittens

Fossil & Fawn

Rosé 2019
Oregon
Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris

Deep plummy vibrant salmon color.

On the tip of my nose is salt, orange blossoms, orange peel, tangerine, and I do believe slate. Take a gentle swig and pow what an explosion. This isn’t a shy kitten. It wants to come out and play There’s apple, a touch of tart. There’s cranberries (not the band), strawberries, orange peel, tingle, salt, mineral/stone, and a touch of funk.

Day two makes me want to dress up to go to work in the home office. Ok, so it’s still jeans, but with a spring green silk top with fairywrens on it.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Makes it much sweeter, quite sweet…maybe a touch of honey.

#wine #worldbyglass #pandemic #covid19 #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits  #cheezit #rose #Rosé #pinotnoir #pinotgris #oregon @worldbyglass @SilvershotVineyards #SilvershotVineyards @fossilandfawn @vinewinenyc