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Nothing Is Impossible

Aslina Wines
Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
Winemaker: Ntsiki Biyela

Twinkle twinkle little light yellow green star. Sniffing grapefruit, orange, lemon & lime, slice of pineapple, honey dew & other light melon, very ripe cucumbers, fresh rained on sidewalk with a cooling breeze, and pinch of salt. All of the scents are here in the taste along with a smidge of honey, a smooth operator feel of silk, satin or whatever might make you slide off the sheets, lemon & lime zest spark at the back, and a little fresh cut grass green good. This glass just keeps growing in personality and is definitely being added to my replay list.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: easy going good

Ntsiki saw an opportunity and ran with it. Post high school she was searching for a university scholarship and ended up receiving one in winemaking, but here’s the catch, at the time she really didn’t know anything about wine, but that wasn’t going to stop her. After graduating in 2003, she started working with Stellekaya Wines, became South Africa’s first black female winemaker, started accumulating awards & recognitions including “Woman Winemaker of the Year, 2009”, and following her desire to have her own business, she started creating her own wines. When it came to picking a name, “Aslina” is very fittingly named after her grandmother who raised her, was always there for her, is still a guiding force in her decision making (as in considering what would Aslina do in this situation), and gave her the inspiration that

“nothing is impossible”. There’s a great video/interview by Food For Mzansi that shows Ntsiki ’s reverence and joy talking about her grandmother, her expanding wine life, and a part that really hits @worldbyglass home with me about tasting wine. “When you pour this wine in a glass, where does it take you to, what do you imagine when you’re having that wine…it must create a memory, it must remind you of your life. It must remind you of certain things you grow up with…”. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #southafrica #organic #WesternCape #wineinacan #winetime #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @wine4theworld @aslina_wines @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Believing In & Building The Future

Bosman Family Vineyards
Generation 8 
47 Varietal Rosé 2022
(yes this special field blend from their “Vine vineyard” is truly 47, just check out the breakdown on their tech sheet)
Wellington, South Africa
Vine growers & wine producers: Bosman Family (8 Generations so far)
CEO Petrus Bosman

Rosy pinky orange sunrise. Scents of strawberries, cherry & cranberries, pink plums, a little Southern biscuit, and a touch of Yellowstone (my parents loved doing that roadtrip when I was a kid and those paint pots made a big impression) that will fade. Sipping and there’s strawberries (wild, homegrown and green to red), raspberries, cranberries, lemon zing, and pink, yellow & green plums (skin and all). Just fresh and easy drinking.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: smooth and brings out more berries

Whenever I end up with a bottle from Bosman, I think about how this bottle factors into so much social responsibility. The Bosmans have been an accredited Fairtrade producer since 2009, and back then their 260 employees received a 26% stake of the business. They really care about their workers, community and growing healthy vines that can be spread to other producers which can also be seen with their work with the Adama Trust. Each bottle sold gives back a percentage to the Adama foundation and the community can sort how to allot the funds, such as education, child care, housing, healthcare, a choir and so much more. As Petrus Bosman said, “We have lived together, worked together and cared for each other on this farm for centuries, passing on values and skills from one generation to another, over and over again. For us creating opportunities for advancement within our community is not simply a good idea, it is a way of life.”

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #southafrica #bosmanwines #Rosé #wine4theworld @cheezit @wine4theworld @bosmanwines @docwineshop @docwinebar

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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

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Wine Is A Window

Illimis Wines
Transparency
Sum of the Parts 2021
Cinsault 50%, Pinot Noir 31%, Pinotage 19%
Sustainable
South Africa
Founder & Winemker: Lucinda Heyns

Shining cherry ruby. Lovely scents of cherries (dried & fresh), dark plums, a raspberry cranberry cocktail, and spring flowers with a touch of vanilla frosting or kinda “Milk Bar” Confetti Cookies. Sipping and it’s a jumble of all the cherries & plums, cranberry tang, pomegranate squeeze, a mix of raspblueblackberry velvet, small shave of singed orange zest bite, and a poof of gentle smoke. A light & classy youngster that has their act together.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nah

As Lucinda Heyns says, “wine should be a window to where its vineyard is rooted” and her way of letting that happen is through minimal intervention and letting the grape tell you its own tale. With this “Sum of the Parts” the fruits blend beautifully together as a synergistic symphony. While becoming fascinated and learning about Heyns’ wines, I found out something to love them even more. She has a big heart. As it says on her site “Life is a gift, and it offers us the opportunity and responsibility to give something back” and she does to the non-profit Horizon House “which is a residential and sheltered-employment centre specialising in the holistic care of people with a primary intellectual disability.” It’s a safe space for them to live, learn skills, and socialize. You can even purchase some of their creations from their bakery and other goods, or if you also want to help, you can give back by donating too.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #SouthAfrica #organic #winetime #redwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #huishorison #illimiswines @illimiswines @wine4theworld @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Behind (Or Beside) Every Great Woman, Is Another Great Woman

HER
Pinotage 2021
100% Pinotage
Sustainable
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

Shining ruby. Starts off with scents of tomato leaves (oh I love tomato leaves!), plums, prunes, cherries (fresh & dried), a touch of Pepsi, and a dried fruit bundle of raisins, figs & apricots. Tasting all the same fruit along with strawberry, blackberries, boysenberry, some garden fresh red bell peppers, lemon twist, a pinch of anise & forest herbs, and a bite of an olive pit. It’s young, lively, and a perfect wine for grilling season. Bring on the steaks!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: actually smooooooth and adds blueberries

You may wonder why I mentioned the names of the whole HER team. Every single one of these women 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. 🍷

Oh and this has sparked an old Eurythmics (ft Aretha Franklin) song to get stuck in my head.

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

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A Responsible Way Of Life

Bosman Family Vineyards
Generation 8 Chenin Blanc 2021
Chenin Blanc (mostly),and a little bit of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Vermentino
Wellington, South Africa
Vine growers & wine producers: Bosman Family (8 Generations so far)
CEO Petrus Bosman

Pale greenish gold. Hovering over the glass and gentle blips of pear & peach emerge along with a little tangerine that mellows out and then here comes  spring blossoms. Ok let’s find out how this baby tastes. Again there’s pears & peaches, mellow apples, a fresh citrusy zing in the back, a little salt, and it all circles back to the beginning again.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: oh yeah, it’s even more full fruit

I had no idea how this bottle factors into so much social responsibility. The Bosmans have been an accredited Fairtrade producer since 2009, and back then their 260 employees received a 26% stake of the business. They really care about their workers, community and growing healthy vines that can be spread to other producers which can also be seen with their work with the Adama Trust. Each bottle sold gives back a percentage to the Adama foundation and the community can sort how to allot the funds, such as education, child care, housing, healthcare, a choir and so much more. As Petrus Bosman said, “We have lived together, worked together and cared for each other on this farm for centuries, passing on values and skills from one generation to another, over and over again. For us creating opportunities for advancement within our community is not simply a good idea, it is a way of life.”

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #SouthAfrica #cheninblanc @docwineshop @docwinebar @bosmanwines @cheezit

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Wine Ambition

Kumusha
Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Wine of Origin Western Cape
Breedekloof Valley, South Africa
Minimal intervention, natural fermentation, vegan
Winemaker/blender, greatly lauded sommelier, and “wine whisperer”: Tinashe Nyamudoka

Shining light gold. Scents of limes, tangerines, kumquats, orange blossoms and light lily. Some of the citrus reminds me of a really good IPA but it doesn’t smack you in the face as a beer would. Its a nice small bouquet with grace, not a pub crawl. Damn this is good! Sipping and it’s a luscious blend of melons, peaches, Valencia orange, mango, light honeysuckle, and small sweet green pepper. Exhale and there is super faint smoke in the back of your mouth.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Nah, why ruin a good thing

This is a very joyful wine. Like a celebration in a glass, or a toast that needs no words. This is my 2nd Kumusha, and Tinashe Nyamudoka again has impressed. Of course like I posted before he has a huge list of sommelier awards, certifications, panel memberships, and wine judging positions. None of this came easy though. Just read his story on Jancis Robinson’s site and it’s not a story of wineries passed down through family generations, but back in 2008, he worked his way from the very ground up in the restaurant industry, where he got his first wine exposure. There were ups and downs and also battles with discrimination, but as you can see he has triumphed. I am so looking forward to seeing him in the documentary “Blind Ambition” that follows four Zimbabweans who leave home for better jobs and land in South Africa and in the end are encourage to form the first Zimbabwe team to compete in The World Wine Blind Tasting Championships which is like the wine Olympics. Their Tribeca Film Festival premiere in June can’t come soon enough for me!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @KumushaWines @baobabwines @cheezits #wine #vin #vino #cheezit @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #SauvignonBlanc #BreedekloofValley #SouthAfrica #WesternCape #sustainable #biodynamic #sommelier #TinasheNyamudoka #tribecafilmfestival #blindambition

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A Young, Bright “Heavenly Sky”

Mother Rock Wines
Force Celéste
Cinsault 2019
W.O. Swartland
Swartland, South Africa
Organic, dry-farmed, native yeasts, unfined and unfiltered
Winemaker: Johan Meyer, AKA “Stompie”

Beautiful stained glass window ruby color. Fragrant roses, magnolias, cherry, and lots of spice still sorting and part of it is cinnamon. Also funk and hay and someone has turned on the wood smoker. Wonder what’s in there cooking. Now onto the taste…tart cherry, fuuuunky natural hay, hay, hay. Orange peel, young plums, skittles – taste the rainbow, black and white pepper, and tingle brightness with dry finish.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: kills the hay

Mother Rock Wines is Johan Meyer’s (Stompie) collaboration with UK importer Ben Henshaw of IndigoWines, and after doing a long search on him, he’s as about as natural as they come…resembling some of the “dudes” I went to college with back in Athens. He now has gotten his hands on his own farm and planting his own vines (hoping for fruit for the 2023 vintage), but this Cinsault came from other reliable organic sources. He also has a penchant for whole bunch pressing or fermenting and native yeasts which explains all that super natural hay. It must be truly exciting for him to now full out own his own land, to work it, and to introduce the first vines to this clean fresh land. Looking forward to following his new venture/adventure and taste his little part of Swartland.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @VineStImports @jhmeyerwines @indigowine_uk @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #cheezit  #redwine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #naturalwine #winestagram #instawine #Cinsault #MotherRockWines #ForceCeléste #Swartland #SouthAfrica

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A Thorny Situation

Thistle & Weed
Duwweltjie 2018
100% Chenin Blanc
W.O. Paarl
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Organic and unfiltered
Viticulturist: Etienne Terblance
Winemaker: Stephanie Wild

Shimmy shimmy shiny gold. My nose is filled with an early hint of vanilla, then citrus scents of lemon. persimmon, blood orange, and light grapefruit (ie IPA). There’s also super ripe cucumber, pine, and some salty (not sexy, wiggle that moustache) thyme. Kicking back apricot, melon, pears, honeysuckle, citrus tang of lemon and mandarin orange, white pepper, and a little wax yet no wane.

Pairs w Cheez-It’s: more smooth less tang

Etienne Terblance and Stephanie Wild both come from wine in their life. Young Etienne helped out in his parents’ seaside restaurant and then took off for school and received a Masters degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Montpellier SupAgro and a PhD in Viticulture from Stellenbosch University. Stephanie’s history is little different. Her grandfather was the well known Niel Joubert, founder of the Stellenbosch Wine Route. She also holds a Masters from Stellenbosch University in Viticulture and Oenology, and everywhere I google, I see her on lists for top South African women winemakers, and top winemakers in general. Often I write about power teams like this and they are married couples but in this case, they’re friends. Their combined knowledge, experience and expertise has led them to pick the perfect spots for their vineyards, like the one for this Chenin Blanc. Duwweltjie vineyard named (fondly or maybe not so fondly) after the plant that translates to Devil’s thorns, that can puncture anything from shoes to rubber tires, etc and generally be a real pain in the ass. Just check out the label. Well, that annoyance is worth it to get to these 65 or so year old vines. I’d gladly be willing to take a wander through these plants just to get a case of these beauts.

Sidenote: as I mentioned before they are not a couple but it warms my heart to see on the site that they give shout outs to their families. Etienne is a father to Elmie (human), Ben (canine) and husband to Lizanda. Stephanie is wife to Kannas, and mother to Frances (human) and Khalessi & Khumba (canines). Reading this put a smile on my face.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @thistleandweed.co.za @vsiwine @vsilocal @StellWineRoute @cheezits #cheezit #organic #unfiltered #wine  #winestagram #instawine #whitewine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Duwweltjie #CheninBlanc #Paarl #Stellenbosch #SouthAfrica

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Your Home, Roots, and Origins

Kumusha
Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Wine of Origin Western Cape
Breedekloof Valley, South Africa
Sustainable, biodynamic, minimal intervention and natural fermentation
Winemaker/blender, greatly lauded sommelier, and “wine whisperer”: Tinashe Nyamudoka

Bright beautiful ruby. Wafts of cherry, plum, strawberries, and  pine needles. Drinking bright cherries, juicy strawberries and raspberries, rosemary, singed orange peel, and coffee laced chocolate. This is one darn easy drinking luscious wine.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: just makes the wine deeper

Tinashe Nyamudoka has one heck of a list of sommelier awards, certifications, panel memberships, wine judging positions; and then to read him modestly not calling himself a winemaker but a blender (master blender though), just wow. He may be part of the collaborative work of his brand, but either way, these wines would not exist if it were not for his experience, expertise and the true heart he puts into each one. Tinashe is originally from Zimbabwe and this is where the name Kumusha is derived. In Zimbabwean Shona it means “your home”, “your roots” or “your origins”. Well he is definitely staying true to the land and grapes roots with his creations. Tinashe, in case you happen to read this, I think I’m on my way to becoming a total fan girl of your work.

@vinewinenyc @KumushaWines @baobabwines @cheezits #cheezit #wine #redwine @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #CabernetSauvignon #BreedekloofValley #SouthAfrica #WesternCape #sustainable #biodynamic #sommelier #TinasheNyamudoka