Back To The Origin

Mas del Serral de Pepe Raventós
Ancestral
Viñya del Mas 2018
100% Xarel·lo
Natural sparkling wine
No. Bottles 1863
No disgorging, no dosage, brut nature, organic/biodynamic, vineyard work all by hand or horse
Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain

Hazy yellow gold with a little sheen of green (kind of IPAish) with fine bubbles & deepens over time from the bottom up. Sniffing and it’s creamy at first like an Oreo center and later turns into a tiny drizzle of honey on top of sourdough, lovely pears (reminds me a bit of Poire Williams), white peaches, apple pie, and a light citrus blend (like Valencia oranges smooth & Mandarin). Tasting all of the scents are there…especially the pears with a twist of lemon & lime tingle/sizzle on my lips and tongue, there’s even a little Key lime pie, pinch of salt & mineral lick, and smidge of hay that fades fast. Very bright and full of life.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: just don’t

When you see Pepe’s last name you know he comes from a long line of winegrowers and the prestigious winery Raventós I Blanc (documented since 1497 & one of the oldest wine producers in the world). His grandfather Josep Maria championed the creation of DO Cava and passed the torch to Pepe’s father Manuel who was joined by Pepe who like his grandfather had a dream and withdrew from the DO Cava in favor of a being recognized for their Conca del Riu Anoia that would rise to a higher standard. To be included there would be a higher min. paid to growers, vineyards must be at least 10 yrs old, native & organic, smaller yields, and a longer time on the lees (18 month min). Pepe’s project Mas del Serral is a plot within the Raventós vineyard (Clos del Serral) where they return to the ancestral farming traditions. It brings together humans, vines, and animals living & working together in harmony to tell the story of their and their land’s origin. As he is quoted, “What I love is to taste a wine and that it takes us to the place where it was made”. ❤️🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #cava #sparklingwine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #naturalwine #biodynamic #Spain #raventos #masdeserral #vinewine #vinewinenyc

Sparkles Galore, But There’s No Lipstick On This Duck

Filipa Pato
3B Blanc de Blancs NV
Brut Nature
Bical (70%), Maria Gomes (23%) and Cercial (7%)
Biodynamic, unfiltered
Bairrada, Portugal
Winemakers: Filipa Pato & William Wouters (wife & husband)

Deep orangey gold with fine white bubbles. Breathing golden apples, poached pears with pie spice, touch of bakery toastiness, lemon, lime, a little thyme & a salty shake. Sipping and the start has a little hay that tumbles out the door, smidge of baguette on the back, lemon & lime and their zest, drop of kumquat, crisp slivers of hard pears & crabapples, lightest tiny bit of pineapple, salty seltzer, and a crisp mineral lick.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: bright, crisp and toasty

Filipa is part of one of my favorite flocks “The Pato” family, but she’s left her own imprint (or duck footprint) in wine history too. In 2020, she was elected winemaker of the year in Portugal (1st woman in 30 years) and recently included as one of the 4 from Portugal in Meininger 100 Finest list which is really cool. Not to forget her partner in all of this, her husband William (chef/head sommelier/restaurateur. His roots come from Belgium, so to no surprise he has a past in being a head chef to keep the Belgian soccer/football team happy. I also love which I have mentioned before on another post their motto: “Authentic Wines Without Make-up”. They stay true to indigenous grapes and let nature guide you through the final story that comes out of the bottle. Also if you check out their IG page, they have a perfectly cute piggy family in their vineyard/farm. Would love to know their names! 🐷 Now, I just await my next encounter with another of their wines to gracefully swim up.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #sparklingwine #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #portugal #naturalwine #docwinebar #docwineshop #Bairrada @skurnikwines @docwineshop @docwinebar @filipapato

Where Wild Horses Still Roam

Aphros Wine
Phaunus Pet Nat 2021
Vinho Espumante Rosé
50% Vinhão, 50% Alvarelhão
Biodynamic
Minho, Portugal
Owner/general manager: Vasco Croft
Winemakers: Tiago Sampaio, Miguel Viseu
Biodynamic viticulture consultant: Dominique Massenot
Viticulture manager: Alberto Araújo

Pinky/salmon with fine white dancing bubbles with a little bit of unfiltered goodness like a little piece of broken hard candy about one a glass. Scents of strawberries, tart cherries, a hint of teeny white flowers breeze through and seltzer. Sipping ripe & also young strawberries, a few raspberries & blackberries, tart & mellow cherries, cranberry pomegranate cocktail, touch of a lemon twist, and a zingy zaggy crisp spark. Such a happy bubbly and perfect for Valentine’s Day. It’s coming up soon you know…tick tick tick. As you know, flowers fade and die but this bottle is bursting with life and will make a beautiful memory.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: blerg NO

I knew these three natural winemakers names sounded familiar, but it’s the first time I’ve read of Vasco Croft’s past. His bio is a little mystical/magical with a youthful interest in astrology, then later a 3-D artistic leaning of various forms, a life journey of philosophies & spiritual, and evidently a pivotal moment of having a bottle of wine with a Buddhist monk. All of those experiences led Vasco’s life to the Aphros project, the team and their biodynamic way. Oh and when I say team, I’m not just including the people listed above, but also all the creatures joining them in the lands. Just the thought that there are still indigenous wild horses (yet endangered) roaming nearby & benefitting the area is truly exciting, along with sheep weaving their way through the vines and bees dancing from flower to flower. Their part of the world sounds like a peaceful piece of harmony. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #petnat #rosé #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #Minho #Portugal #Extremadura #Spain @aphros_wine @skurnikwines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

A Novel Surprise!

Marine Dubard (Famille Dubard)
Sauvignon Blanc
Coeur du Mont 2020
VDF
Sustainable, HEV
Saint-Méard-de-Gurçon, Dordogne, Sud-Ouest, France
Winemaker: Marine Dubard

Twinkling starlight and I made a wish & got it! My nose is wiggling in anticipation! Sniffing a splash of light grapefruit, lively lemon/lime, pineapple, pear/apple smash, and apple blossoms carried on a spring breeze. Sipping lime & zest, pears, apples, that grapefruit again with a dainty touch of musk, a smidge of fresh sliced ginger but not a kick in the pants…just enjoyable, pineapple, and a lick of a rock or should I say limestone.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: didn’t get a chance to try since I was out and about

Oh this is one glass caught in the wild that rocked my weekend. I have such a soft spot for anything Dordogne/Bergerac, sustainable, and to top it off a female winemaker; and did I mention it’s at my local Sugarburg. Seriously what a surprise, when I strolled in last Sunday and found out they had switched to a new blanc(this goes so well with their shrimp tacos) and it is so darn delicious! There’s more than one reason I have affection for Dordogne, but a special one is the writer Martin Walker (I love his books, fictional & non). His “Bruno Chief of Police” series transports me with every page to a region that you can smell, feel, taste and fully immerse yourself in and begin to feel a part of this world. If you love a good mystery, better food, and fabulous wine…please check these out. I didn’t discover them till his “Black Diamond” which isn’t the start of the tales but you can still plunge in headfirst*. Who would have known that the books I’ve been carrying to read while solo would meet their perfect pairing just steps from home. ❤️

*Side note in case you’re still following along this far: “Black Diamond” was a life preserver of a book for me when I was sorting out a diagnosis to why my faulty body was such a hot mess that I now know is Chiari Malformation & Ehlers-Danlos. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have Mr. Walker’s novels while I was dealing with my own physical mysteries. In a way they are part of my life that inspired @worldbyglass. Travel any way you can! 🇫🇷

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram  #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #SauvignonBlanc #France #Dordogne #bergerac #martinwalker #brunochiefofpolice #marinedubard @skurnikwines @vignoblesdubard @sugarburgbk

Fresh Breath Of Life

Weingut A.J. Adam
Riesling Trocken 2020
100% Riesling
Hand harvested, indigenous yeast
Neumagen-Dhron, Mosel, Germany
Brother and sister winemaking team: Andreas Adam & Barbara Gudelj

Springy pale yellow-green. Sniff and it’s a yeasty start…like a fresh baked croissant that goes all mellow or pie crust and skirts in and out, sliced pears, apple wedges, pie spice, blended mellow citrus pops, and a bit of grass. Sip and again mixed citrus tang, a little Orangina, tart apples & pears, honeysuckle, some peaches along with mango a bit of papaya, lick of slate, and a smidge of oregano. It’s just a fresh breath of life.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: it’s ok. Brings out a lot of citrus

This is a story of the young cherishing and returning to the land of their family. Andreas and Barbara each came back when the time was right to work and devote themselves to their grandparents’ small plot. They even expanded at an insanely low price per sq. meter. At that time, people were just more interested in heading to the city, but it’s an area filled with ancient winemaking history (well, it is called “Germany’s Oldest Winemaking Centre”). The Romans left their viticulture mark and would transport wine by rowing boats on the Mosel, and there’s a really cool sculptural depiction of one of these double dragon headed vessels (date 220AD), “Neumagener Weinschiff” which was part of a tomb/gravestone of a Roman wine merchant. If you want to experience just a touch of that old Roman boating tradition and take in the beautiful view of Neumagen-Dhron, a wooden replica has been built to let you cruise in style. Don’t forget to bring the wine!

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram  #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Riesling #Mosel #Germany @skurnikwines @docwineshop @docwinebar @weingut_a.j.adam @cheezit

A Creative Solution

Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Etna Bianco DOC
2020
60% Carricante, 25% Catarratto, 10% Grecanico, 5% Minnella
Organic, sustainable, and vineyards are located on the northern slopes of the Etna volcano, 600-900 meters a.s.l.
Randazzo (CT), Sicily, Italy
Owner: Marc de Grazia

Light gold starlight. Scents grow while sitting for a little of peaches, pears, winesap apples, blossoms/lilac, and a fresh salty seaside bit. Beautiful! Now sipping yellow plums, apricots, ripe soft pears, oddly a little oregano on the edges (it’s good trust me), granite-volcanic fed/mineral, and salt. Now I’m craving unagi and west coast oysters and a mortadella (or if you can’t find it substitute bologna & salami) grilled cheese. Yeah, there’s nothing like a good grilled cheese.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: absolutely delicious

Marc de Grazia is a man with his hands on two sides of the wine industry. He started out as a wine importer and from what I’m reading it was spurred from not being able to find the wines he loved while studying in the US. Now that’s a creative solution! After working with all of these wonderful winemakers, he then became one of the early “pioneers” revitalizing winemaking in Etna with buying the land and creating “Tenuta delle Terre Nere” aka “Estate of the Black Earth”. From eruptions and destruction came this beautiful opportunity to work with unique soils which they continue to research. They’re thinking about what is coming next, and how to adapt since climate change is very real.

#wine #winelover #whitewine #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #Sicily #Italy #etna #mtetna #mountetna #naturalwine #pairswithcheezits #winetasting #winestagram @tenutaterrenere @skurnikwines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

Listening to the Vine

Domaine Les Hautes Noëlles
hého le Rouge 2019
Val de Loire IGP (PGI)
45% Cabernet Franc, 45% Grolleau Noir, 10% Gamay
Organic, hand-harvested, indigenous yeast
Saint-Léger-les-Vignes, Loire, France
Owner & winemaker: Jean-Gabriel Tridon and his wife Juliane

Ruby pool with garnet rim. Delightful strawberries and raspberries greeting my nose, and as it warms citrus zest, black pepper & a warm spice like a bit of nutmeg (which I found the hard way, I am allergic to… It’s not pretty. It sucks because I love that holiday flavor), and a puff of vanilla. Those strawberries and raspberries are back in the sip and they’ve brought along cherries, and something a little dark rugged edgy, then a vanilla droplet appears, orange rind shave liveliness with a grind of pepper. Try it chilled, or try it slightly chilled. Either way pick up two because you’ll not want them to end.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: smoooooth yeeeesssss

Juliane & Jean-Gabriel Tridon embarked on what looks like a second act or new adventure in life with Domaine Les Hautes Noëlles. I love the fact they committed themselves fully to wine and Jean-Gabriel went back to the books and hands on experience and education (especially on working and growing organic). I’m just going to let their words from their site speak for them because there is no way I could do it better. “In a world where Man seems to want absolute control of everything, the vine gives those who dedicate themselves to it a wonderful lesson in humility. There is what we understand about Nature. There is what we know about it without being able to explain it. And then there is the great unfathomable unknown. The vine demands constant attention. In particular, it requires us to think ahead and even to prepare, today, for the generations of tomorrow. As for the wine quietly and slowly developing in the silence of a vat, it takes its time. It takes the time it needs. This is now our lives, our daily lives within this unspoilt setting; this is what we wish to share with you.” 🍷❤️

#wine #winetasting #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #hého #heho #CabernetFranc #GrolleauNoir #Gamay #Loire #France #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram @vinewinenyc @skurnikwines @domaineleshautesnoelles @cheezits

The Roaring 20s, Storks and Strawberry Lips

Weingut Heidi Schröck & Söhne
{Nostalgie Naturelle} Pinot Pét Nat 2019  Vol. 2
Rüst, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Austria
100% Pinot Blanc
Organic, indigenous yeasts
Winemaker: Heidi Schröck 

Golden haze of super active bubbles. Scents of fine lemon, light flowers, pears, honeysuckle and honey, and a shake of salt. Drinking those lemons again, tangerine peels, and mandarin oranges (been hooked on these lately). There’s also pears and maybe even poached pears with a smidge of cloves and tingly ginger, fresh honey including some comb that you can chew on, and something green, light, fresh and sweet like raw snow pea shoots. Damn bright, fresh and delightful…it’s like drinking a glass of joy and happiness!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: mmmm yummy

Everywhere I look, people are praising Heidi Schröck and her wines. She’s an innovator, brought the “sexy back” to old time grapes, keeping the classics alive, and received the “Falstaff Vintner of the Year” award in 2003. She took over the family winery in 1983, and her vineyards now spread out over 10 hectares through Rust’s hillside. Now it’s Heidi together with her twin sons recreating her great-grandfather’s “natural sparkling wine” from the “Roaring 20s”. This delicious Pét Nat is a perfect present coming wrapped already in an old map of Rust. BTW did you know that not only is Rust well known for their wine but also storks. The city and the Lake Neusiedl are just enchanting looking…almost fairytale with the stork nests on rooftops or old chimneys. There’s even an “Association for the Protection of the White Stork”. Rust and Weingut Heidi Schröck & Söhne are another to my growing list to visit in the future. When I do, I want the “I am so wild about your strawberry lips” tasting package too. You not only get wines and food, but also stories which is what I’m looking forward to the most.

Oh one more thing to add before I go, Pinot Pét Nat 2019 Vol. 2 is a pet that comes with instructions on the label, so always remember to read everything on the bottle and serve at 10° C and in a wide-bellied glass.

@vinewinenyc @schrockheidi @skurnikwines #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #organic #natural #PétNat #petnat #pinotblanc #Rüst #Neusiedlersee-Hügelland #Austria #weingutschroeck

Familiar Feeling

Quinta da Lixa
Escudo Real
Vinho Verde 2019
Minho, Portugal
35% Loureiro, 35% Arinto, and 30% Trajadura
Sustainable wine with an under $10 price tag
Winemaker: Carlos Teixeira
Note from winemaker: Drink Very Chilled

Very pale delicate gold with tiny little bubbles. The first breath is a bouquet of flowers, apple cider, and something creamy like vanilla, and finally honeysuckle. Here comes the taste of tangerine, lemon, orange (do I get my daily allotment of Vitamin C from this?), tangy herbal and a pinch of spice. There’s that verde bubble sizzle. It’s crisp, fresh and has a beautiful body. Let’s head down to the river with a few in the cooler and strap it in the middle inner tube. Let’s go a floating.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it creamy and have even more body with a hint of lemon

It gives you that familiar feeling of summer that a Vinho Verde should but with more oomph, complexity and just something special. This is now my favorite ever Vinho Verde!

Let’s hit the dance floor with another Familiar Feeling: Moloko. Also for the first time dedicating a post to my S.O. who absolutely loves Vinho Verdes. This wine and song is for you!

@vinewinenyc @quintadalixa @skurnikwines @harmon.skurnik.wines @cheezits #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits  #cheezit #vinewinenyc @worldbyglass #vinhoverde #minho #portugal #Loureiro #Arinto #Trajadura #moloko #roisinmurphy

 

 

 

We’ve Struck Gold!

Bodegas Barbadillo
Solear en Rama
Manzanilla
Saca de Verano 2018
Palomino 100%
D.O. Manzanilla, Andalucia, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain

Yes, we’ve struck pure gold in a glass. Breathe in and I’m finding toasted almond, pecan, caramel candy. I smell pralines!  Rich apples are next and a touch of smoky salt. Swish and sip the pecans, caramels, and as stated before…pralines, but with a small burn! Mmmm. Again rich apples and some fresh cut grass.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Does not pair well with Cheez-It’s. Let me repeat myself…IN NO CASE SHOULD YOU PAIR THIS WITH CHEEZ-IT’S!

Not going to lie, I love the label. I’ve found out that Bodegas Barbadillo, for each season, they bottle a small amount of their eight year unfiltered (En Rama) Manzanilla, they also depict one of the wildlife that can be found in the Coto de Doñana. The summer 2018 watercolor (by the artist, Mari Angeles Aris) is the Black-eared Wheatear. This lovely small bird hangs out in the national park from April to August when it continues the trek to Africa.

@vinewinenyc @bodegas.barbadillo @bodegasbarbadillo @skurnikwines @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #manzanilla #sherry #worldbyglass #needmorewine #cheezit #vinewinenyc #andalucia #spain #blackearedwheatear