Posted on

Allô, Wine Calling

Domaine Les Foulards Rouges
Octobre 2023
VDF
Syrah, Grenache
Organic, indigenous yeast, hand harvested, unfined & unfiltered
Montesquieu-les-Albères, Rousillion, France
Jean-François Nicq

Shining garnet stained glass. Breathing in a big bowl of mixed fruit like raspberry, cherry, blueberry, blackberry, smidge of figs, plums, and next up are irises, white pepper, a tiny puff of smoke/earth & tomato leaf. Taking a sip and wow! All of the aforementioned is there including tomato leaves, now joined with green tomato (fresh not fried) & tart young cherry tangy, a little sizzle on the back, and it’s light, bright, fresh and obviously young in a good way.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: more flowers emerge

When I first saw this label, my brain went straight to Pet Shop Boy’s “My October Symphony”, but it actually refers to the month it’s released each year. The Domaine’s name was a what I should have been paying more attention to…Jean-François Nicq and Bijan Mohamadi (childhood friends) originally bought the vineyard property back in 2001, and decided to dub it with the name of the Prix Maison de la Presse winning historical/thriller/adventure novel “Les Foulards Rouges” (The Red Scarves) by one of their favorite authors, Fréderic Fajardie (also known for his political leanings, works of noir, and screenplays). Let’s just say learning about him took me down a rabbit hole this past weekend. Then I stumbled into another one or should I say a whole prairie dog burrow, when I found out about the documentary “Wine Calling” that includes Les Foulards Rouges along with other like minded natural winemakers. Check it out, there’s a Bourdain soundtrack vibe, it’s free on Tubi, and also it’s “Un film produit sans sulfites.”

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #organic #naturalwine #winecalling #France #worldbyglass #winecalling #lesfoulardsrouges #docwinebar #docwineshop #LesFoulardsRouges @zevrovineselections @docwineshop @docwinebarny

Posted on

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

Posted on

Cheers To A Warmer New Year!

Dr. Lippold
Moselle Riesling Brut 2018
Organic, sustainable, hand harvested
Ürzig, Moselle, Germany
Owner & winemaker: Dr. Enno Lippold

Pale starlight with fine bubbles. Sniffing dainty lemony cream, pears, a little green grass, and toasty wheaty goodness. All those scents are there in the taste and the lemon grows and is joined by a little Lady Apple as it breathes. Clean, crisp and sparky.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: perfect!

I know we’ve all been complaining about this bone rattling cold weather…at least I have. Who would have thought that a well chilled sparkler would warm my spirits, but this delicate yet rambunctiously joyful celebration of riesling totally did the trick. Oh, and it would be really scrumptious with unagi nigiri on a cozy evening in or a festive celebration out. 🥂

Cheers to the New Year & to Dr. Lippold!

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #sparklingwine #brut #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Riesling  #Moselle #Germany #France #DrLippold @vinewinenyc @cheezit

Posted on

Waiting For The Rain

Domaine du Possible
En Attendant la Pluie
Tout Bu, or not Tout Bu
VDF Rouge 2021
Grenache 70%, Mourvèdre 30%
Organic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Lansac, Roussillon, France
Winemaker: Loïc Roure

Deep ruby/magenta with blue electric pops and rim. Sniffing cherry, strawberry starbursts, red Twizzlers, and blood oranges & zest that has been singed. Ooh this is yummy sipping…dark cherry, strawberries, those Twizzlers again & a cherry jolly rancher with a touch of licorice that leads to a welcome herbal bitter bite. This is so chuggable chilled or not.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: meh

I asked a friend to recommend something delicious, something with character, and boy is Loïc Roure a character. Just from his labels, you can already see he makes the best of what the world throws at him and has fun doing it. Right there in print is “En Attendant la Pluie” aka “Waiting for the Rain” which at times he’s had to do and source grapes from other vignerons/friends he respects and live up to his standards. From this blending of grapes and friends leads to “Tout Bu, or not Tout Bu” “Drank (drink) all, or not to be drunk” (from my poor translation which I’m sure is a mess) and I say double thumbs up to drinking it all. Then there’s the name “Domaine du Possible” and he’s one of those winemakers that has proven all is possible, because he wasn’t always following the vine but previously worked for Amnesty International before getting bit by the natural wine bug. And one more thing about him that makes me smile are the pics from his cellar that’s covered in rocking stencil art & marks of his love of music. He’s definitely très cool!

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #redwine #frenchwine #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Roussillon #France #DomaineduPossible #LoïcRoure #LoicRoure @louisdressnerselections @vinewinenyc @cheezit

Posted on

Loving the Flip Side

Face B
Pif Paf
Brut Nature NV
Blanquette de Limoux AOP
Mauzac  & Chenin Blanc
Organic, hand harvested, Méthode Champenoise, bottle aged for 18 months
Calce, Roussillon, France
Winemaker: Séverin Barioz 

Pale pretty yellow. Ooh breathing in sweet wisteria, magnolias, honeysuckle, apples, and creamy mellow pears. Those apples and pears reappear in taste and also a creamy feel. Next comes some honey but not overly sweet because there’s fresh crisp citrus bits with a little hazelnut, and grass.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: it’s an ideal pairing

From what I’m seeing the name Face B comes from the B-side of a single. You remember those…right? Well, can you believe the Smith’s “How Soon is Now” was a B-side? Seriously, it was on the back of “William, It Was Really Nothing” in 1984. See just because it’s the flip side, doesn’t mean it’s 2nd tier. Just like this bottle of bubbly give it a chance and you’ll find that your “B” is really an “A”.

#wine #naturalwine #winelife #perfectpairing #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Mauzac #CheninBlanc #Calce #Roussillon #France @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #thesmiths #methodechampenoise #facebcalce @vinewinenyc @cheezit

Posted on

Picpoul Party Perfection

Domaine Julie Benau
Chichois à la Baraquette 2019
VDF
100% Picpoul
Organic, sustainable, skin contact
Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Winemaker: Julie Benau
Painting “Julie” by Brandon McQueen

Orange tinted gold that changes from top to bottom of the pour like a blended paint roller. Breathing in orange rind, tangerine, lemon, very very ripe Kirby cucumber, salt, and grass. Taking a swish of crisp pears, honeysuckle nectar, light peach/melon mix, and at first hay that runs away, a little of those first cuttings of grass from the weed wacker, a squish of lime & lemon, a shake of salt and even a spice like hmmm, oh yeah, mace. So luscious yet fresh and vibrant! There’s layers that surprise me like how an artist builds up an oil painting. I don’t want oysters or anything, I just want this solo.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Well who would have thought…I like it. Everything just ramps up more

Julie Benau, champion of Picpoul, and evidently a lot of fun if Brandon McQueen’s depiction of her is accurate. “Chichois à La Baraquette” kind of says it all, as it sort of translates into “wild stuff that went down at the party”. With all seriousness though, everything I’m finding about her makes her one really cool, creative and inspiringly dedicated person. Her family used to sell their grapes to a co-op, but in 1999, she changed all that by returning home and taking on bottling her own wine. This little wild party child is only one of her creations. Another is her “Robot Cochon” (also a cool label) Tempranillo, and then there’s one I bet I will never get to ever try but greatly intrigues me…“Libéro”. This Picpoul didn’t only benefit from the oyster shell fed terroir, it also got to age for 6 months in barrels while hanging out in an oyster bed “under the sea”. Oh lord, now I have Sebastian stuck in my head singing that tune.

#wine #winetasting #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Picpouldepinet #Picpoul #Languedoc #languedocroussillon #France #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #juliebenau @vinewinenyc @winemc2 @jbcreyssels @cheezit

Posted on

Float Like a Butterfly

Domaine le Roc des Anges
L’effet Papillon
Cueillette 2019
IGP Côtes Catalanes
Roussillon, France
Biodynamic, sustainable, organic
90% Grenache Blanc, 10% Macabeu
Winemaker Couple: Marjorie and Stéphane Gallet

Light refreshing straw yellow. Post opening tangerine and lemon pop out followed by pear, some salt and ginger. The pears and still here in the first sip along with tangerine, cantaloupe, and light ginger. It’s just silky smooth and fits like an elegant glove that goes all the way up your arm and has those tiny buttons that are just asking to be taken out to the ball.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it all sooooo sweet

Marjorie and Stéphane started from different places yet both in the countryside and a love for outdoors. When they both ended up at agronomy school in Montpellier, a mutual love for horses brought them together. What better way to fall in love, but on horseback. Seriously romantic! Wine love also was thrown into the mix and it grew and after years of learning through teachers, process, curiosity, and from each other, they are now thriving at Domaine le Roc des Anges. It’s rugged northern Roussillon farming, but since they are biodynamic, it brings the best out of the grape. Isn’t it often the case that the more difficult path often produces the best in the end. It also doesn’t hurt that they gently hand harvest when it’s nice and cool. Probably about as gentle as gliding on butterfly wings.

@vinewinenyc #lerocdesanges #domainelerocdesanges #petitpoiscorp #sussexwinemerchants @cheezits #cheezit #wine #whitewine @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #naturalwine #GrenacheBlanc #Macabeu #Roussillon #France #igpcotescatalanes #thebutterflyeffect