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¡Es Rosa!

Bodega Txakoli Rezabal
Txakoli Rosé 2022
Getariako Txakolina D.O.
Hondarrabi Beltza 80%, Hondarrabi Zuri 20%
Sustainable, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Zarautz, Basque Country, Spain
Family owned winery: The Rezabals

Light salmon pinky splash with a little fizz. From the first inhale here come the strawberries, a little Oreo cream smooth, salty breeze, and a lemon squeeze with a light orange zest. Now there’s a jumble of strawberries from farm to wild and I do love the wild ones (pink to red) dancing on my tongue, next a raspberry bounces through with a creamy feel, some lemon curd with a brighter lime spark, seltzer salt, and a mineral rock lick. It’s joyful and very easy to drink so pick up a couple.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it too acidic so NO

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 Rosé is “Female – Musical – Captivating” “We call Txakoli Rezabal Rosé “musical” because there is a good harmony in its sensations.” As many of you know, when I explore a wine, music usually just pops in my head like the bottle’s own soundtrack, and since today is Barbie’s big day, well it’s PINK! As Lizzo says…Vamos Barbie…

🎶“In pink goes with everything (Oh, yeah)
Beautiful from head to toe
I’m read’ to go, you know, you know
It’s pink (Pretty pink)
Good enough to drink (Oh, yeah)”🎶

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winemaking #winetime #Rosé #rosewine #winelover #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #basquecountry #Spain #Txakoli #Lizzo #Barbie #Barbiemovie @cheezit @ripewineimports @docwineshop @docwinebar @rezabaltxakoli

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Enjoy The Ride

Celler Escoda-Sanahuja
Els Bassotets 2021
Garnacha Blanca 70%, Parellada 20%, Garnacha Gris 10%
Organic, biodynamic, native yeasts
Conca de Barberá, Catalunya, Spain
Joan Ramón Escoda & Mari Carme (husband & wife)

Hazy orange/warm deep gold. Nose tickling citrus blend of lemon, tangerine, kumquat, orange (all with zest) & more, lively wild tanginess with a straw of hay, puff of smoke, a toasty bit of homemade bread, and tart young green apples. Take a sip and there’s a cideresque bit at first, all that tangle of wild goodness hay & toast is there with all that sparky citrus jumble but more depth, a bit of rhubarb, tart pear & green apples, white pepper on the back, and I think a little fresh green bell pepper. Let this baby breathe and enjoy the ride as it grows and looking forward to where it takes me because that pepper is growing.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: surprisingly really good

Oh the description of Joan on his site is too good not to just quote, “He’s not just a winemaker, he’s a grassroots innovator, a radical winemaker, a sentimental husband, a stressed-out father, and an absolute anarchist … absolute rock and roll. If you’ve ever tasted their wines, you’ve got the proof … it’s never banal.” He definitely has a lot going on from keeping the winery very, very natural & sulfite free; then there’s also Tossal Gros (their seasonal, organic restaurant in the winery); oh and did I mention that he & his friend, Laureano Serres, founded PVN (Spain’s 1st natural wine association) & they have a yearly wine fair H2O Vegetal. I’m already winded just thinking of every exciting & inspiring move they’re making…just so naturally cool.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #whitewine #orangewine #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #organic #Spain #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #ElsBassotets #escodasanahuja @restaurant_tossal_gros @indiewineries @vinewinenyc @cheezit

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It’s All About Nothing

NADA
CR 2021
Macabeu 80%, Grenache Noir 20%
Biodynamic, organic
Calce, Côtes Catalanes, France
Winemakers: Raphael Baissas de Chastenet & Oscar Mancillas

Chilled maroon sunset with blue bits. Breathing in plums, cherries, blackberries & deep raspberries, a bit of funk followed by a touch of basil and next an orange & lemon zest, and a whiff of smoke. Sipping and all of the sniffer bits are right there with more smoke or even peat, Red Delicious apples, pear crunch, a mix of red & green strawberries (caps and all), and a shake of white pepper. Just dang delicious!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: juicy bouncy fun

What do you get when you put two guys in a natural wine bar and a few shared bottles of wine…NADA. Yes, it is about nothing…no sulfites, no pesticide, and nothing that might harm the environment and also us. It’s just a celebration of what Calce can produce, and how two winemakers from different parts of the world make their magic work. Ralph’s originally from Perpignan had a start in wine as a kid working with his grandfather but bounced a bit in city life (he has a thing for graffiti) & IT until the vines came calling again. Oscar’s roots come from Ensenada, Mexico & a classically trained background in wine so when these two became friends, it’s easy to see why they creatively clicked. And when you taste their wines, you can feel their exuberance, passion, sense of place, and honestly a lust for life. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Rosé #chilledredwine #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #organic #vandalwine #nada #France #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @vandal.wine.nada @super_glou @vinewinenyc

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A Festive All-Nighter

Bodegas Navarrsotillo
Gaupasa 2022
Navarra DO
Garnacha
Rosado
Organic, biodynamic
Beire, Navarra, Spain
Andrés & Ramón Serrano Arriezu (brothers)

Salmon with s touch of magenta gradation. Sniffing and there’s strawberries, raspberries, a moment of roses, cranberry/pom cocktail, and a watermelon Jolly Rancher. Sipping and tasting strawberry, raspberry, teeny bit of cranberry, boysenberry, splash of watermelon, a lemon squeeze spark and an orange zest crisp. This is a total summer easy drinker, so be prepared for the consequences.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NO

After pouring a glass, turn the bottle around and get the skinny on its name. “Gaupasa is a Basque word for staying out until daybreak, to maximize time with friends and family especially during a village’s yearly fiesta, wise alternating of excellent food and local wine is key. On the best nights you lose track of time, notice the bakeries have opened, and that it’s time for breakfast.” So anyone ready for a festive all-nighter under the stars with me? We can keep it going till the cows come home! ✨

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Rosé #Rose #rosado #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #organic #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Gaupasa #Basque #Spain @navarrsotillo @vinewinenyc @cheezit

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Pining For The Mountains

Vinos Malaparte
Montón de Piñas 2021
100% Tempranillo
Natural farming, no pesticides or herbicides, indigenous yeasts & spontaneous fermentation & skin contact, unlined/infiltered
Segovia, Castilla y León, Spain
Winemaking family: Mariano de Frutos, Elisa de Frutos, Ruben Salamanca

Plummy ruby with a wash of blue. Breathing in strawberries, raspberries, a little gentle creaminess, cherries, plums, a twist of black & white pepper, and a good fern touch. Tasting and this is as delicious as I anticipated…red & green strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, plums, a smidge of skittles, lemon bright squeeze, and a peppery dash that reminds me of the wild pepperweed. Perfect chilled drinking to kick back or kick up your heels.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: juicier mmmm

When I first saw the name, Montón de Piñas, I wondered what on earth is this about a mountain of pineapples? Is it named after a trek Ruben & Elisa might have had to Pineapple Mountain (Por Lo Shan) in Hong Kong? Does SpongeBob live here while on vacation? Nope, if I had just looked on their site first, I would’ve seen it is one of the 2 small areas (other is El Canalizo) that make up their vineyards that are “near the Virgen de El Henar Sanctuary, and surrounded by pine trees”, so it’s more of a mountain of pine cones. I always have to make things so difficult for myself 🤪. Anyway, this is another one of their smashing good bottles, and as I’ve said before I’m a Malaparte fangirl. They’ve never steered me wrong!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #rosado #Rosé #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #organic #Tempranillo #Spain @malapartewine @antosicurezza @steephillwine @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Ticket Booked

Finca Casa Balaguer
La Rambla del Peligres 2020
100% Garancha
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested
Villena, Alicante, Spain
Winemaker: Andrés Carull

Dark cherry with a little violet hues and blue pops. Breathing in and there’s raspberries, a light creamy moment, dark cherries & Twizzlers, tiny delicate roses & irises mixed with red plums, and some oomph earth dragged in with a pinch of white pepper, and something a little green. Rolling it around in my mouth it’s bursting with cherries, raspberries, very ripe & also green strawberries & the greenness of their caps & stem, a drop of pomegranate, blackberry,  boysenberry, violets & their leaves (day 2 a bit of hyssop appears), singed orange peel that has my lips tingling, and as it opens it is so lovely juicy and blueberries join in. Can you tell how much I LOVE this bottle?

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes everything more velvet

Finca Casa Balaguer is Andrés Carull & Marta Ribera’s small family winery, and boy is it all natural (my 2nd wine by them). 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 their own words sum their passion beautifully, “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.” They also say that wine has a way of “teleporting” you so you can “travel by glass” to visit their wonderful part of the world, which is hey, a statement as you can tell…I fully believe. Consider my ticket booked.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #redwine #cheezit #worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #Garancha #Alicante #Spain @casabalaguer @selectionsdelavina @cheezits @docwineshop @docwinebar

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698 Bottles Of Wine On The Wall

Cal Xurriu
Xanduné 2020
Chardonnay
Biodynamic, indigenous yeasts, unfined & unfiltered
Sant Sadurnì d’Anoia, Alt Penedès, Catalunya, Spain
Winemakers: Agustì Costa & Paula Sandoval

Orange coppery with rose tints drifting in sort of like a sunrise. Sniffing and there’s orange, a little grapefruit (not strong but gentle), lemon & zest with a lime nose tickle, salt breeze, a natural depth or a little good darkness like what you smell while crabbing on the east coast waterfront when I was a kid. (Have you ever been chased by fiddler crabs? Those little guys are feisty.) There’s also a light wave from a magnolia, rained on slate, something a little green like young acorns or raw green peanuts. Sip and tasting orange & back to that citrus mix with a lively natural tang vibe & a smidge of orange bitters, smoke, salt, a lick of limestone, crab apples, on the exhale green strawberries (stems, caps & all), and after time a splash of orange tea.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: ack berg no

When I saw the shelf talker state, “Chardonnay fermented on the skins producing a head turning wine that will have you questioning everything you know”, I knew this bottle was coming home with me, and yes it made my head spin in a good way. Agusti & Paula are bucking Penedès old time convention of growing large vineyards for bulk cava. Their plots of choice are small, very natural & sometimes hidden within other bits of growth. I can only imagine the excitement of hiking to check on the vines progress. They know this land is shared with native plants & animals: wild goats & boars, who can wreck havoc on any vineyard! Their choice is to hope and ask “please don’t come” because  “Life is about sharing”. From what I can find, this man truly loves being embraced by the whole of nature and has a deep gratitude to care for the parts he is gifted to farm. Good grief, this is bringing happy tears to my eyes. BTW there are only 700 bottles & I’m so happy for my 2.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @super_glou @calxurriu @vinewinenyc

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Cafe Culture

Escabeces
Vila Abellus
2020
DO Tarragona
100% Cartoixà Vermell (Xarel-lo Vermell)
Rosado
Catalunya, Spain
Winemaker: René Barbier

Orange freshly polished gleaming copper. Oh this does a delightful dance on your nose…there’s tangerine, orange & citrus blend, a little apricot in the mix too, bees wax with a tad bit of honey, funkalicious moment that airs out & orange blossoms float in, salt, green stripped twigs, and fresh rained on cobblestones or pavers. Sipping and all that citrus again ranging from Valencias to Mandarins back to a lemon zest & more, apricots, honeysuckle, very light white peach with a sliver of crab apple, salty mineral lick, a touch of greenery, and an exhale taste of spring flowers & blossoms w a little fun bitter bite on the back. Btw it’s really good with a mortadella wrapped hotdog (no mustard please).

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: mmmm smooth

When I saw the shelf tag of this wine mention “people hanging out in Barcelona cafes”, I just had to snag this bottle. Yeah, yeah you may think it’s overrun by tourists, but trust me there’s some divine little gems (some hidden & some not just like here in Brooklyn). It’s one of my happy places, and memories of it helped keep me sane during the lockdown. There’s nothing like wandering the streets in December, finding one of those cozy cafes with the heat lamps & blankets so you can enjoy a lovely glass of wine (or beer) outside, people watch, and sometimes like in all the times I’ve gone…you can find a new friend. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #Catalunya #Spain #rosado #Escabeces #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @skurnikwines @vinewinenyc

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Endless Summer

Kiki & Juan
Blanco 2021
90% Macabeo, 10% Sauvignon Blanc
Organic, dry farmed
Utiel Requena, Valencia, Spain
Wine team: John “Juan Casa” House & Kerin “Kiki” Auth Bembry

Palest yellow green translucent starlight. There’s scents of green apples, firm pears my granny used to grow to make relish, a little young honeydew (not don’t), mild lime, light figgy soda, and a salty breeze. Beware this is a waaaaay wasy drinker. Everything is light & lovely. Tasting again bits of apples, pears, & Adriatic figs, ripe kirby, a bit of that lime spark zest, shake of salt, and well it’s just a glass of carefree endless summer.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: smooth sailing take me away

This liter of chuggable joy is from the team behind La Luz Selections and their association with Coviñas who were named the world’s best wine co-op in 2022, and for good reason. Not only do they take great care with their grapes & lands, they also respect their growers or as they call them “Employees”. As they say on their site, “Our objective is to sustain and grow the local economy based on the cultivation of the 10,000 hectares of vineyards belonging to the 3,000 families that make up Coviñas and represent 40% of the wine produced under the Utiel-Requena appellation of origin.” Looking out for their neighbors is pretty darn cool!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #christophercross #worldbyglass #valencia #Spain #organic #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @laluzselections @vinewinenyc

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Making Friends

Aida i Luis
“Girò” Maboi 2020
100% Girò
Alicante DO
Organic, indigenous yeast, dry farmed, hand harvested
Grapes sourced from single vineyard in Sierra de Bernia Natural Park
Xalò, Alicante, Spain
Winemakers: Aida Cisnal Roig & Luis Serra Bernabeu

Stained glass crimson-ruby. Scents pop out of plums, dried cherries, a spritz of perfume that turns into a bouquet of violets, dainty roses, magnolia depth, and after time a roll on the forest floor with some old pine needles. On the tip of my tongue there’s tangy blood orange/lemon/mandarin/lime squeeze & zest, followed by cherries, strawberries, blueberry, a little blackberry, raspberries, and on the back there’s a tingly herby thing like a smidge of eucalyptus/mint and other forest goodness “digging in the dirt” dark depth, and that bit of floral returns on the exhale.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: juicy, tart and floral mmmm

When I first met this bottle, I was greatly intrigued by the costumed fete figures on the label and of course the name. Turns out “Maboi” from what I’m finding, is actually Maori for “come and see” or/and “my friend”. Well, you’ll definitely want to come and see this wine and the beautiful elevated area from where their Girò comes and thrives. Will you make a friend? My bet is yes. Just share a glass with someone and a conversation is bound to bloom. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #Alicante #spain #organic #winetime #redwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @aidailuis @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar