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That’s No Drone…

Fento Wines
La Galaxia 2020
Vinho Rosado
Touriga Nacional 60%, Tinta Roriz 30%, Jaen 10%
Organic, hand harvested, unfined, unfiltered
Dão, Portugal (grown)
Wine team: Álvaro de Castro (Portugal); Rebecca & Eulogio Pomares (Spain)

Shimmering light salmon. Scents of strawberries, raspberries, light lemon breeze, and delicate apple tree blossoms that weave in and out…very clean and refreshing. Here’s those strawberries again on my tongue along with lemon/citrus squish, watermelon joy, a lick of granite, and a chew of parsley at the end. It’s so delicious, fun and freeing.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: eh well it’s ok but you’re better off without

This delightful wine is a mashup of two countries. The grapes are from Portugal and raised naturally by Quinta Da Pellada’s Álvaro de Castro (and possibly his daughter Maria) and the team’s Spanish other half are Fento Wines’ Rebecca & Eulogio Pomares & then there’s the label artist their eldest son “Gio”. At age 6, he told his dad he was going to design one and sure enough he did…he’s the one in the UFO pulling up by Álvaro’s vines. Rosés/Rosados always have me yearning for the bright summer sun, but this one has me dreaming of laying out in a field away from all the city lights and gazing up at the night sky…waiting for whatever celestial beings might fly by. Hey Gio, if it’s you, how about stop and say hi 👋🛸.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #rosé #rosado #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #iwanttobelieve #organic #UFO #Spain #Portugal #thatsnomoon #FentoWines @avantgardews @quinta_da_pellada @vinewinenyc @cheezit

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Because I’m Happy!

Bodega Txakoli Rezabal
Txakoli 2021
Getariako Txakolina D.O.
White wine
100% Hondarrabi Zuri
Sustainable, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Zarautz, Basque Country, Spain
Family owned winery: The Rezabals

Yellow starlight with green interplanetary play. Wow this is lush at very first pour with scents wafting out of peaches, pears, lilies, and as time goes by all starts to level out and then tangerine creeps out and waves a tiny hello with a little lime zest. Now everything blends and grooves with some rained on slate and salt…so fresh and lovely. Those peaches and pears are still there dancing on my tongue with a tingle of crisp lime/lemon/citrus zip with a rim of salt. Full of life and even a little flirty sassy fun, a whole lot of joy that can lead to being the life of the party. I think I know who is going to be my date. ❤️

Pairs with Cheez-It’s:brings more tarty to the party

The Rezabals are rooted in their passing of the wine/vine from generation to generation and holding on to traditions while utilizing today’s technology. It’s a beautiful harmony of the people, land, their micro-climate, and of course in the end the excellent grapes that convey their whole story. As they say, “Txakoli Rezabal is a living product, with its own personality”, which is “HAPPY!” Now that is a spot on description. No wonder this catchy tune that always brings me a smile and makes my heart bubble over with joy…no matter my mood was stuck in my head for days. So pour another glass and 🎶“Clap along if you feel…Can’t nothing, bring me down.” 🎶

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #basquecountry #Spain #Txakoli #hondarrabizuri #happy #PharrellWilliams @ripewineimports @docwineshop @docwinebar @rezabaltxakoli @cheezit

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Flying On A Flirty Red Breeze

Sentiviño Wines (side project involving Cume do Avia and Galgo Wines [Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos])
La Brisa Tinto (Castes Tintas) 2019
Mencia 40%, Garnacha Tintorera 40%, and the remaining 20% is made of Brancellao, Sousón and Caíño
Biodynamic, organic, hand harvested, unfined, unfiltered & vegan friendly
Galicia, Ribeiro, Spain
Winemakers: Diego y Álvaro Diéguez

Deep ruby with maroon highlights. Before I forget to mention, give this one a little chill, but not too much…kind of like the Goldilocks spot. Pull that cork and like a genie emerging from the bottle scent of a little bit of Walker’s Shortbread that goes all peppery (and that includes black pepper and fresh bell pepper), cherries, raspberries, and some forest vegetation and earth. Oooooh this is good! Sipping cherries, raspberries, blackberry from the roadside eaten in the sun with juices dripping down my chin. There’s also pomegranate, tart plums, pepper, and some earthy smoke. It’s just freaking fun and I want some good BBQ with it. Pull me some pork!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: just enhances it all

Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos is at it again with another beautiful project and this time teaming up with Diego y Álvaro Diéguez (1 of the 2 pairs of brothers of Cume do Avia). As I’ve said before, I truly think Sanchez-Mateos has the best job in the world, getting to travel, work with cool people, and live wine life to the fullest. This time these vines live in fragmented vineyards/individual plots with varying treasures to be found (Sabrego, schist, shale, quartz, etc). When you think about it, it’s like these artists are being given an amazing palette to blend and blur and drip and in the end create their liquid form of art and it’s beauty all flies in on this flirty red breeze. 🍷💋

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram  #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Spain #Ribeiro #Galicia #redwine #cumedoavia #galgowines #SentiviñoWines @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Full Of Personality

Bodegas Altolandon
Enblanco 2020
Manchuela D.O.
Amber Wine
Garnacha Blanca, Garnacha Gris
Organic, biodynamic, indigenous yeasts, unfined, unfiltered
Landete, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Wife & Husband winemaking team: Rosalia Molina & Manolo Garrote

Golden orange or amber without any little critters trapped in it. Scents flow out of orange blossoms, honeysuckle, orange zest, peaches, a bouquet of spring flowers, apricots, mango, and heady goodness. So this is one of those wines where you’re hit from all sides, but in a good way. Tasting honeysuckle nectar, wisteria, peaches, those reddish yellow plums from my grandmama’s trees, oranges and orange zest, peaches, apricots, papaya, mangoes, smidge of fennel, whiff of pine needles, salt, blade of grass, white pepper, and a tart citrus pop hangs out to make this even out with a good round way. This would be so good with unagi kabayaki.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it sharper but I like it better as a full open burst of flavors

Remember the old tale of “The Three Bears” where Goldilocks tastes the porridge and one was too hot, another too cold, and then finally hits the one that is “just right”. Was just listening to Rosalia speak on a video for Simply Spanish Wine, and I think she and her husband found that “just right” place to set up their organic shop at 1,100 meters above sea level (highest part). They have the advantage of cooler climes which is a good thing with climate change being very real, lots of wonderful sun exposure, and also later harvests. They even have a REAL ice wine (Dulce Enero) which I am dying to try. This magical setting also has varied soils, so all of this combined together is the perfect grape recipe for as they say, “wines with their own personality”.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #organic #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Spain #GarnachaBlanca #Garnacha #castillalamancha @skincontactwines @docwineshop @docwinebar @altolandonbodega @cheezit

 

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Our Friends In The Fields

Celler Credo
Miranius 2020
100% Xarel·lo
Penedès D.O.
Organic, biodynamic, dry farmed, hand harvested, indigenous yeast
Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Penedès (Barcelona), Catalonia, Spain
Xarel·list & winemaker: Ton Mata (Josep Mata Capellades’ grandson)

Golden starlight glass. Sniff and here come tart pears, apple blossoms, lemon zest. light tangerine fades in and out, and then there’s a roll in the green meadows that leads to grass stains on my jeans, and finally toasty brioche goodness mmmmmmmm. Tiny sip and it’s already lovely and slightly frisky. There’s pears blended with mellow golden delicious apples, lemon/lime spritz w a touch of cucumber juice, and that brioche toasty is is linger a bit in the back but will surely fade, along with a lick of salt and slate. It’s crisp, fresh, and makes up your mouth but not with a jolt…more of a nuzzle.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out the citrus pop

Damn I love Celler Credo’s wines (Recaredo’s still white wine label)! First encounter was at La Vinya Del Senyor with Credo’s ꓕⱯNƎꓒꓕⱯꓤ or ‘Ratpenat’ (or in other words: bat) was a lovely introduction. If you buy a case, it can transform into a bat shelter…how cool is that because they’re beneficial to not only the vineyards but the world. “The bat is the only flying mammal on Earth and can kill between 600 and 1,200 insects per hour.” From the labels alone, you can see Ton Mata & Cellar Credo love the creatures that roam the vineyards, fields & skies above; and respect, nurture, and coexist with them. As with the bats, this little ‘Miranius’ sleek and shifty fox can also help them with some pest control while munching on an evening bite. 🦊

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #Xarello #fox #bat #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Penedès #Penedes #catalunya #catalonia #Spain #organic @vinyadelsenyor @vinewinenyc @cellercredo @cheezit

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Fine Wine & Good Deeds

Forlorn Hope
Zincenzo! 2020
Carbonic Zinfandel
100% Zinfandel
Rorick Heritage Vineyard
Murphys, Calaveras County, CA
Organic, hand-harvested, carbonic maceration, unfiltered & unfined
Winemaker: Matthew Rorick

Sunset ruby orange streaked sky. Breathing a little earthy musk and schistiness at first that blossoms into cherries, strawberries, and raspberries. I am so glad I chilled this (chilling is said to be optional). Sipping delicious juicy blend of cranberry, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, salt & smoke with a little olive pit, and a bit of earthy forest darkness or as said before it’s the schist. This is one bottle that will get me in trouble because it is so frisky, friendly, and has a depth that I don’t know if I can leave it alone.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Delightful and even more addictive

This bottle was a total surprise for me. I love Forlorn Hope wines! The surprise part was I didn’t know I was receiving it. This was one of the bottles in Vine Wine’s “6 Bottles for Ukraine” box. You’ll get 3-4 bottles of red and the rest could be white, rose, or bubbles for $100 ((LINK IN BIO)). “All of the revenue from these six packs will be donated directly to World Central Kitchen, chef Jose Andres humanitarian organization. Currently he is working in Lviv cooking meals for displaced people and refugees, as well as partnering with restaurants in Ukraine to pay them to make meals locally. This is a cause close to our heart, feeding people and supporting local business. If you would like to donate directly you can head over to https://wck.org/ to learn more.” I don’t know how long they will be doing the boxes, but if you can get one, you’ll be doing a good deed while enjoying some fine wine! 🇺🇦

#ukraine #standwithukraine #Україна #🇺🇦 #kyiv #stopwar #зупинитивійну #supportukraine #ятебелюблю #wine #вино #love #Zinfandel @wckitchen @vinewinenyc @forlornhopewines

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Golden Goodness

Isastegi
Sagardo Naturala
Dry Natural Cider
Blend of over a dozen Basque apples
Basque Country
Euskal Sagardoa PDO
6% ABV
Organic, no added sulfites
Tolosa, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Cidermaker: Migel Mari Lasa

Warm gold with tiny bubbles. Breathing in a multitude of apples bright and tart, stripped apple branches, yeasty, and a bit of dark funk and spice. Wow, this tastes really delightful! Again bright and tart apples joined with green tree buds, cinnamon & funk, and a touch of white pepper. Now that’s a fab mix.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: good like ol’ apple pie

While sniffing around online about the origins of txotx, I found a tale of Adam and Eve. They had already been booted from the garden and wandered upon an apple tree which immediately pissed Adam off. His boiling anger had him giving the tree a full shakedown and the apples rolled into a well, where he then kept on venting by throwing in large stones to smash the fruit. Days later the pair were in serious need of a drink, and of course it’s Eve that realizes, “hey, check out that golden goodness left in the well” and there you have the first cider. Back to txotx, it simply means a small stick used to plug the cider barrels (nowadays you may find a spigot in its place) and when the time is right (Isastegi’s txotx runs from Jan-April), gather your friends to celebrate, pull that plug, and here comes the cider; and you better have your glass ready before it all ends up on your shoes. Cheers!

#cider #wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #apples #spain #organic @dmselections @vinewinenyc @Isastegi @cheezit

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The 3 A’s

Bodegas Antonio Montero
Colleita 2020
Ribeiro DO
Palomino 60%, Treixadura 40%
Sustainable, hand harvested, minimal intervention, native yeasts
Ourense, Spain
Family Winery/Winemakers

Pale yellow-green straw. Breathing in delightful pear and apple blossoms, honeysuckle, pears, mild apples, and you should see the smile on my face as I write this..there is a brief hint of pie with a smidge oregano that turns into fresh rained slate. Mmmmm…I’m betting this is going to be good! Sipping pears, again mild apple with a splash of lemon brightness, apricots, oregano, a little grass, and that good old slate is back.

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

This is a tale of 3 A’s…grandfather, father, and son; and each one carries the family name, Antonio Montero. Ok, so y’all are going to laugh at me, but as the name  “Antonio Montero” kept bouncing around in my head, a quote from “The Princess Bride” kept popping up (it is the 35th anniversary). “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die”. Yeah, I’m ridiculous but this is how my “box of squirrels” brain works, so back to the Antonios. Each generation imparted their touch. Grandfather: Antonio Montero Álvarez took the wine from “just for the family” to selling it to local bars and later outside of their own province. Father: A.M. Sobrino dubbed the winery Bodegas Antonio Montero and the indigenous varieties started winning awards. Finally the latest, Son: A.M. Pozo came on board and they made “Honor Roll of the best White Wines of Spain” and are now taking on the world. I just have one question for them, what happens if a following generation happens to be a girl…Antonia?

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #theprincessbride #Palomino #Treixadura #Galicia #Ribeiro #Spain #naturalwine @soilairselection @docwineshop @docwinebar @VinosAntonioMontero @cheezit

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One Sleek Intriguing Fox

Bodega Bravo Escós
Pas Dels Caus 2019
Priorat DOQ
Garnacha Tinta 85%, Cariñena 5%, Syrah 5% , Merlot 5%
Sustainable practices and being converted to organic
Torroja del Priorat, Catalonia, Spain
Founder: Luis Bravo
Winemaker: Pep Aguilar

Deep beautiful ruby. Breathing strawberries, raspberries, cherries, tiny wild flowers, and with time there’s something a but figgy with a little soft landing of creaminess. Sliding into sipping dark and light cherries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and of course strawberries and their green caps. Also finding granite, a little herbal touch and pepper at the very back. Spend a good bit of time hovering around your glass and it becomes so silky and the term I kinda hate to use…sexy. Maybe I should just say this is one sleek fox!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Nope!

Many of you are thinking that I just picked this bottle for the fox on the label…well that part comes after. It actually was more for the Priorat DOQ I spied on the back which has rarely steered me wrong and it definitely didn’t with this bottle. As for the fox, well, there was something familiar like an artist’s hand that I couldn’t quite place while I was shopping. Squirrelled it away in the wine fridge to revisit in a bit, but it kept popping back in my mind like the fox had burrowed holes and was playing whack-a-mole with my memories. Finally it hit me, the eyes! No not on our furry friend but check out the fig leaves. The figs are staring back and the leaves have their ears alert to hear any secrets. This has to be the work of Annita Rivera (Plástica)! Her work is enchanting, magical and can cast quite a spell. If you want to see another of her lovely labels check out my post from July 2020.

#wine #Priorat #redwine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #fox #Catalonia #Spain #organic  #cynthiahurleyfrenchwines @aka_plastica @bodegabravoescospriorat @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Zing, Pow, Pop!

Amós Bañeres
Hey! 2019
DO Penedès
60% Macabeu, 40% Xarel·lo
Biodynamic, hand harvested, native yeasts
Penedès, Spain
Winemaker: Amós Bañeres

Warm dark golden that shifts to orange skin-contact. Whiffs of apples, pears, and something herbal like fresh cuttings of Italian parsley…or as it opens more like an apple twig freshly stripped of its bark. Keep going and there’s lime zest and wet granite blended with light spring plum blossoms. First sip is a zing, pow pop! Crisp sharp apples and pears (green Anjou) rush in with lime and a little of Christmas kumquat coming from my days as a little kid anxiously awaiting to see what would be in my stocking the next morning. Also fresh from the garden cut/shaved Kirby cukes. Man, is this fresh and tart and just making me crave crispy thin southern bacon and mortadella (but when am I not).
 
Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NO YUCK!

Whenever I read that someone has a chance to make a jump to a second act, it makes me smile. Amós got that opportunity to leave behind his life as a pharmacist in Barcelona to return home and pick up where his grandfather left off in the vines. Must feel so good to reconnect with nature and have bottles that capture that “moment in time”…that you can share with your friends, family and even he world.

#wine #naturalwine #winelover #spanishwine #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Penedès #Penedes #Spain #cheezit #organic #biodynamic #Macabeu #Xarello @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram @amosbaneresvinyero @soilairselection @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit