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Leaving An Imprint

Casa do Valle
Homenagem
Rosso 2016
Reserva
Vinho Regional Minho
Sousao, Touriga Nacional, Merlot, etc
Organic, hand harvested
Cabeceiras de Basto, Portugal
Sousa Botelho family: Luis Botelho Cameira

Inky deep purple with a maroon rim. Trust me don’t accidentally spill this on your shirt…don’t be me. After the clean up, breathing in plums, prunes, deep cherries (dried & fresh), a little creaminess like an Oreo center, nutmeg & allspice, tiny bit of black pepper, and as time goes by a mix of berries tumbling through, and a woodsy oak touch that is one I can go with because it’s like Goldilocks would say “just right”. Sip and all of the scents are here with a smooth operator feel, orange zest, and what I at first think is just a creaminess that for a bit is a little coconut. Berries pop out including raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cranberries, black currants, and probably others too; a touch of alpine herbal (Ricola), and a single pine needle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: delicious and brings out an orange sizzle

Each vintage of Homenagem, is a lovely way for this winemaking family to pay homage & honor their father & grandfather, who passionately paved the way for their winery’s growth, developed their expansion through exporting, and overall success. What a delicious way to be memorialized! Cheers to all the generations and raising a glass to your future! 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #redwine #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass # Portugal #docwinebar #docwineshop #casadovalle @massanois @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Just One More Sip

Azienda Crocizia
Balós 2020
Emilia IGT
100% Pinot Nero
Organic, as little intervention in the cellar as possible
Emilia, Italy
Marco Rizzardi

Squished raspberry & strawberry rosiness. Sniff and it all changes over time but starts out tart not quite ripe strawberries & raspberries, dried cherries & cranberries, bit of earthy depth & forest floor, and a pinch of salt. First taste it’s a cocktail of all the berries then leading to tart cherry, dark plum, that bit of earth again with a smidge of smoke, little lemon squeeze, a lick of a salty rock, a straw of hay way in the back that later turns into a bit of balsamic, and a little sizzle on the tongue.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out more berries and smooths it all out

Marco Rizzardi rescued a little farm from abandonment, rebuilt and nurtured it into the small organic-bio vineyard it is now with the greatest of respect and care. He also has a bit of fun with the names for his bottles, like “Balós” and it’s a fitting moniker. So I’m told it’s “by name and by nature, the trickster who deceives you”, or a “cunning scoundrel who will not leave you alone” & lures you into another sip, then another, and next thing you know the whole bottle is “poof” magically gone! ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #sparklingwine #petnat #wineislove #winetime #organic #Italy #docwinebar #docwineshop #crocizia #winemc2 @crocizia @winemc2 @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Perfect Pairing/Partnership

Caruso & Minini
Terre di Giumara
Zoli
Inzolia
Terre Siciliane IGP
Sustainable
Sicily, Italy
Wine team: Stefano Caruso & Mario Minini (co-founders), and Giovanna & Rosanna (Stefano’s daughters)

Light yet bright yellow green shimmer. Breathing in peaches & their blossoms, magnolias & lillies, touch of melon, round pears & apples, oddly a fresh picked Scuppernong smell I remember from my grandfather’s vines, and a smidge of grapefruit. Sip, swish and here comes white peaches, a little honeydew, pears, a splash of pineapple & mango along with that floral again, lick of a mineral rock & it goes dry, citrus starts to emerge (lemon, lime, tangelo), a teeny bit of oregano.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: perfect

The Caruso family had a history of cultivating grapes to sell, then later to bottle in the 90s, but it took the latest two generations (Stefano & his daughters) to step everything up. Also Stefano partnered up with Mario Minini (hence their winery’s name) & utilized his experience in sales & marketing to bring them to their current success. Now their wines reach more than 30 countries, and that’s pretty exciting since now we all have a chance to taste their bit of Sicily without having to board a flight. ✈️❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #Italy #Sicily #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #docwinebar #docwineshop @carusoeminini @massanois @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Frisky Mayhem

Karim Vionnet
Grabuge!
Gamay
Méthode Aromatique Demi-Sec
Sustainable, hard harvested, native yeasts
Villié-Morgon, Beaujolais, France

Magenta orange tinged sunrise with very fine & active bubbles tracing Rorschach tests on the surface. Scents float up of cherries, blueberries, raspberries, a sprig of hay that heads out the door, slams it hard & will not be heard of again, light touch of cream, and as it opens a small spritz of lemon/lime. Sipping and oh this is delicious! There’s full on raspberry, blueberries & ripe strawberries, a cherry or two, honeysuckle that grows as it opens, and a little light lemon tang on the back.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out even more berries

With a name that means mayhem and chaos, I had no idea what I was getting into but hey I just had to give it a go, and if it explodes on me, I have the steam mop ready. Then I read Karim is an AC/DC fan, known to use some colorful language, and has “a weakness for beer”, so wondered if this was going to be like a framboise lambic. As much as I love a good framboise…this is so much better & no frothing fountains to clean up! So all you beer lovers (yes, Joe I’m thinking of you & Rhea) out there, give this gamay bubbly a try, and if your S.O. is a wine lover…it might even spark a perfect frisky date night because this is one exuberant bottle of delight. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #bubbly #sparklingwine #winestagram #instawine #winelover #redwine #winetasting #redwine #winetime #organic #naturalwine #beer #framboise #datenight #Beaujolais #France #karimvionnet #regalwineimports #vinewine #vinewinenyc @cheezit @regal_wine @vinewinenyc @domaine_karimvionnet

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Cartwheel Worthy

Domaine Jacky Marteau
Lulu
Crémant de Loire
Touraine Val de Loire
Chenin Blanc 1/3, Cabernet France 1/3, Chardonnay 1/3
Sustainable
Pouillé, France
Ludivine (Lulu) Marteau

Light golden pale starlight twinkling with fine active bubbles. First sniff and it’s creamy with a touch of bakery goodness, pears (baked and fresh), round apples, a touch of pineapple, some Easter flowers along with fresh rained on slate, over time a squish of tangelo & lemon, and a fresh salt breeze. Sipping away and that cream appears again with a tart bit of fun, pears & apples are joined with a little welcome honeysuckle (is that an incoming bee I hear?), teeniest bit of pineapple, lemon/lime spark & a little zest, and a nice lick of a mineral river rock.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: absolutely delicious

Domaine Jacky Marteau is a lovely 4th generation family business & their namesake comes from Ludivine’s father who took over in 1977, and brought them from bulk sales to bottles & eventually exports. Lulu & her brother Rodolphe came on board in the 2000s post vine studies & some life/work experiences, and eventually began running the winery in 2010. Now, Lulu is in charge of this show & if her personality is anything like this sparkler…she must be bubbly, fun, brings a smile to everyone in the room, a bit of a romantic & a flirt at the same time, and pure innocent (well maybe not always so innocent) exuberant joy! 💋 Can you tell how much I love this glass? Makes me want to do cartwheels. 🤸🏻‍♀️Wheeeee!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #sparklingwine #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #Loire #docwinebar #docwineshop #DomaineJackyMarteau @cheezit @communalbrands @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Science As Art

Tessier Winery
Soul Love 2022
65% Riesling, 22% Mourtaou, 11% Négrette, 2% Merlot
Sustainable, certified vegan, sourced thoughtfully, native yeasts, low intervention
Heraldsburg, CA
Founder & winemaker: Kristie Tacey

Electric magenta with a splash of orange sunset. Btw chill this baby. Ok there’s a Hawaiian punch memory from long ago. BTW I really loved that stuff as a kid and ran up quite a bill at Sea World eons ago. I don’t think my parents realized there were no free refills. Sniffing cherry, plum, raspberry, guava, juicy fun. Now onto the taste and there’s flying free deliciousness…cherries, plums, a bowl of berries with some guava again, splash of kiwi & a little light lemon/lime spritz that oddly has a little Boo Berry waving in the distance, and a bit of springhouse mineral to even it out. This is flat out scrumptious, glou glou, and a bring more than 2 bottles worthy.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out the tart

Well, it’s spelled out right on the label, “Science As Art”. Kristie Tacey wasn’t born into the vine life, but ended up there after becoming a published scientist. My S.O. is one too but he went into visual arts which enhance his research & imaging abilities, so I can totally see where this would work so well with Tacey’s vision for her wines. She can look at the full life cycle from the land to the the harvest and which grapes to select…through to the bottle and view it from different angles from logic, sustainability, creative blending, and intuition. The other cool thing about her is she pairs her wines with music (as you can see with this bottle of Bowie’s “Soul Love”) and she has fab taste! Check out her playlist here.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #davidbowie #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #california #docwinebar #docwineshop #tessierwinery @tessierwinery @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Always Read The Fine Print

Oenogenesis
Mataroa Red 2020
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
PGI Drama
Sustainable
Macedonia, Greece
Winemaker: Bakis Tsalkos

Dark ruby/plummy glass. Breathing in a creaminess at first pour, next up are cherries & plums fresh & dried chewiness, a bag of mixed blueberries, raspberries, strawberries & a mini reduction of them all along with an herb bundle including rosemary, thyme and a few more. Sipping and it’s bright and light. There’s that bit of cream again that lightens over time, all of the above cherries, plums & berries bouncing around on my tongue along with boysenberry, a smidge of orange zest & a teeny lemon spark, and after having a time out there’s a little clove/pepper bit on the back. Just joyously light and lively.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: weirdly very delicious

I had already finished a playful post about this red being a perfect seasonal transition, and then I read the tiny print on the label…this bottle represents so much more. Will fully admit to not knowing much on the history of Greece’s civil war in the 40s, and I had never heard of the RMS Mataroa that gave an escape route (Dec. 1945) for around 150 intellectuals, artists, scientists, philosophers, writers, and other creatives from the unrest & persecution. They were gifted a chance of a new life in Paris and to also spread their knowledge, research & artistic passion through Europe that continues today. Check out Mataroa La Mémoire trouée “the precious cargo” for a snapshot into their past.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #organic #biodynamic  #naturalwine #Greece #greekwine @oenogenesis_winery @eklektikon @docwinebar @docwineshop

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A Can Of Many Colors

Prisma
Sauvignon Blanc 2022
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Belén & El Principal vineyards
Sustainable, hand harvested, unoaked
Lo Ovalle, Casablanca Valley, Chile
Winemaker: Ricardo Baettig

Crack the can and pour…very light yellow-green shimmer. Scents come running out immediately of a passionfruit/grapefruit/mango cocktail quickly followed by a citrus party blend, tomato leaf, some green pepper & a little pinch of cayenne, and a light river rock in the back, Sipping and so smooth and easy. All of the scents are in the tastes and the green pepper is a little bit amped with cayenne in a good way, now this may sound odd but it’s really good…it tastes like a green tomato plant/leaf smells, some honeysuckle, green pears, Golden Delicious apples, lemon & lime zest, and that musky mineral goodness keeps it all level.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NO

Prisma’s vibrant can art kind of spells out all the delight you find inside, and it’s also very portable & easily recyclable which is a huge plus for me. It all comes from a collaboration between Brazos Imports & Grupo Belén, which leads me to search for info on the vineyards. Turns out they have to be from Viña Morandé (one of the most awarded wineries in South America-Decanter 2023), established by Pablo Morandé who is also part of the same Grupo. Ricardo Baettig is also Morandé’s winemaker. So this all comes full circle and I can quit chasing my tail trying to see how all this fits together. Now, that is out of my system, going to just enjoy popping another can & kick back with the perfect music & video pairing for this wine of PRISMA’s “Andy”. If you like the Raveonettes, Vivian Girls, Strawberry Switchblade, PSB & Dave Gahan, etc…then you will love these two Danish sisters. Oh, and one more thing, don’t forget to recycle that can and leave the world a greener place.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #CasablancaValley #Chile #sustainable #goodvibes #prismawines #wineinacan #cannedwine @prisma.theband @cheezit @brazoswine @docwinebar @docwineshop

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A Gentle Caress Of Peace & Love

Anne Pichon Wines
“Sauvage”
Gris Montagne 2022
Ventoux AOP
Grenache 50%, Cinsault 30%, Syrah 10%, Carignan 10%
Organic, biodynamic, sustainable, indigenous yeast
Ventoux, Rhône, France
Winemakers & nature lovers: Anne Pichon & Véronique

Very light orange pinky rose. Nothing is overpowering in the scents. It’s fresh yet a little creamy with cherries, plums, some mellow melon, and sea breeze & wet stones. Sip and it’s delicate yet vibrant at the same time, plums (red & yellow with the fruit, skins & all), cherries, pomegranate, that touch of cream feel, a strawberry/raspberry blend with salt & lick of rock, and a lemon zing slides in toward the end.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: absolutely delicious

Every bottle of Anne Pichon’s wines that I’ve had fill me with different emotions. Some have been passion, others pure joy, and this one a gentle caress of peace, love & and a dreamy slow moving time in the countryside. Now back to how this wine came about. Anne & Marc (her husband, who sadly passed away) Pichon found a perfect place to make wine in an already organic yet left behind domaine that came with quite a romantic name in my bee & bug loving book, “Mur-Mur-Ium” (the buzzing song of bees). Aptly named since they even have a beekeeper that’s placed his hives in the vines, which is a sheer delight for me. As I’ve babbled about before, my great-grandfather was a beekeeper & these beneficial creatures fascinate me. There’s a video “The T Edward Morning Show with Véronique of Anne Pichon” & her description of her brother Marc as a nature lover full of passion & a free spirit was so beautiful; how they as a family decided to continue with the winery even after his death is so touching. After listening to Véronique’s words, their “Sauvage” wines seem to me to be like a love letter to nature, it’s complexity, strength & beauty. ❤️🐝

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Rhone #France #organic #sustainable #annepichon  #annepichonsauvage @tedward_ws @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Get The Party Started

Catch & Release Wines
Block Party 2022
Pinot Gris 50%, Riesling 30%, Gewürztraminer 20%
Organic, native yeasts
McFadden Farm
Mendocino, CA
Beno Stewart & Monica Varriale

Rose tinted orange sunset with unfiltered goodness. Scents of a papaya/mango/orange-citrus cocktail blend with a little Creamsicle, some heady blossoms, a bit of musky IPA tangerine, and a salty slate breeze with a teeny bit of natural good funk in the way back. All of the scents are there in the taste and also a bit more natural sweet like honeysuckle, touches of fresh squeezed Valencia oranges, cantaloupe, a lime pop, and a smidge more of that salty slate. So delightful and easy to enjoy so don’t overthink this smile in a bottle, just grin and wink right back at it.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NOPE

Catch and release used to be what I did at my grandparents’ pond except the day I was using my kid’s reel and a giant catfish swallowed my plastic toy hook. Let’s just say my great-grandmother “Nana” had to come over and make some of the best batter fried catfish I ever had. Actually this wine would have been great with it but at the time was paired with Pepsi. Now let’s get back to the present and this wine. Beno & Monica sum up their objectives best, “We make wines we like to drink, in partnership with growers who lead from the front of regenerative farming. We champion simplicity, prioritize delicacy, and crave acidity at every turn.” What better reason than to make yourself, others and the earth happy. I say raise another glass to them, and “Get The Party Started”!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Mendocino #california #organic #sustainable #goodvibes #getthepartystarted #shirleybassey @catchandreleasewines @docwinebar @docwineshop