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

Peace, Harmony, and Panxu

Celler Tuets
Conscious Wine
Tot Rosé 2019
Parellada, Macabeo, Grenache Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Muscat of Alexandria, Tempranillo, and Syrah
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested
Tarragona, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain
Winemaker: Albert Domingo Navarro

Reddish orange dark rosé. At first, scents of forest floor natural funk that turns into woodland flowers and mossy earth, tangy cherry, oranges, plums, and a small grind of mace. Linger a while and a smidge of caramel comes out in the end. Sipping raspberries, blackberries, cherries and cherry jolly ranchers. Hmmm…Jolly ranchers. Why are they so good and memorable? Also blueberries, strawberries, that head into a dried cherry bite. Just the right amount of fruit sweet with the right balance of funk/hay…delicious.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Ugh NO

My first glance at Albert and I thought of guys I knew in Athens, GA back when I was in college. Shouldn’t judge by looks, and assume someone is super crunchy natural, but yeah, from what I’m reading he is and also at peace or in synch with nature and understands how it comes through in his wines. His creations are “Conscious Wines”, and they’re happy, joyous, and honest. Each grape of Tot Rosé lives in their own little individual home or “little piece of land” until that special singular day when they are all hand harvested so they can commingle in stainless. On their own each grape could tell the tale of their sweet plot, but together they bring you a tapestry-like novel that tells you the journey “from the vine to the bottle”. Side note: I am totally fascinated by Albert’s buddy, Panxu who is an enormous pig that looks like a gentle giant. There’s a great video of them taking a Sunday stroll on IG https://www.instagram.com/p/CAUnT2NpbJr/ Seriously adorable!

#wine #Rosé #rose #rosado #ConsciousWine #naturalwine #winelife #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #fruitofthevines #Spain #organic @docwineshop @docwinebar @celler.tuets @worldbyglass

Hop On and Let’s Ride!

Cellar Mas Foraster
LAMOTO 2019
Conca de Barberà DO
Trepat (mostly) and Garnatxa Peluda
Organic, hand harvested, and indigenous yeasts
Tarragona, Conca de Barberà, Catalunya, Spain
Winemakers: A family affair

Bright shiny light garnet. Ok, before we get any further here’s some instructions: chill it a little bit. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries first hit my nose, and then cherry, plums, salt and a little earth. First sip and this is more powerful than I was expecting. This is no shrinking flower. There’s earthy cherries and plums, strawberries, raspberries, black pepper, and a little tangy bounce of happiness. This is so easy to drink…way tooooo easy. I want to drink this all day while on an old fashioned tire swing going higher and higher and full of laughter, yeah this wine is that type of joy.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nice and smooth together…this could get dangerous because it’s already so easy to drink on its own

Since 1828, Finca Mas Foraster, has seen a lot. During the civil war (1939) they lost part of their land and regained most of it by 1960, and then they were selling their grapes to a co-op. It wasn’t until 1995, when Josep Foraster Civit, got the ball rolling with their first harvest for the cellar in 1999. Sadly, and when I read this it really brought tears to my eyes, he passed from a battle with cancer (damn cancer! I lost my mom in Nov.) in 1999. The whole time he had been working so hard for the Cellar, he had that to deal with too. Breaks my heart. His sister Julieta is keeping the dream alive along with her husband (Josep), her son (Ricard), and Josep’s son (Adrià). Julieta really focused on working with local grapes and that led to their deep, deep association with Trepat. As you can tell by what I wrote above, the blend of these grapes is a wonderful pair. Thank you for your wine, your hard work, dedication, and enotourism. Your gorgeous website took me on a virtual trip, and  this may just be what I need to lure my dude back to Catalunya. Oh, and one more thing I would be remiss not to add, Ricard says that LaMoto was his grandfather’s ride from 1955, and it is still alive and running. Vroom, vroom, let’s hit the roads!

@vinewinenyc @JosepForaster @ripewineimports @cheezits #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #sustainable #natural #wild #organic #ConcadeBarberà #Tarragona #Catalunya #Spain #trepat #GarnatxaPeluda #Garnatxa #enotourism

Yes, My Wine is Healthy

Carlania Celler
Soo!!! Free 2019
Pét Nat
Conca de Barberà D.O.
90% Parellada and 10% Trepat
Barberà de la Conca, Tarragona, Catalunya, Spain
Biodynamic, organic, dry farmed, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Winemaking family: Jordi Miró and Sònia Gomà-Camp

Golden gorgeous glass with lively bubbles. Scents start creeping out slowly, so give it time. Here come pears, apples, raspberries, wild flowers and antique roses. It’s like a fresh spring day in a meadow. Tasting those apples, pears, and raspberries again but mixed in with hay that fades during the first glass and turns into pastry dotted with marjoram. It’s fresh, crisp, bright, and wakes you up on a lazy afternoon. Right now I’m craving chorizo, oysters on the half, and garlic shrimp. Oh this is fabulous!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: doesn’t change the Pét Nat but makes me want a whole box of Cheez-It

Soo!!! Free makes me so happy because as the label hints at, it is sulfur free! After Jordi’s dad retired, he and Sònia came back and took over the farm. After working the land for years, building on biodynamic agriculture, selling some grapes to the local co-op, dabbling in home-made wine, they finally created their small winery in 2009. Keeping it natural they use horsetail, nettle puree, sherry, and more for their organic remedies for the health of the vines, and also follow the moon for guidance the old school way. As they say on their site, “They are living wines and each bottle is unique and different from the others. They are healthy wines!“ I like that…my wine is healthy. Will be telling that to my GP doc. Oh, and I have to add, if you want to get up and close with the donkey, sheep, and other parts of the farm, you can book a day at the winery. Drink, eat, hear some tales and relax with your new farm friends.

@vinewinenyc @carlaniaceller @cheezits #wine #PétNat #petnat #sparklingwine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits  #cheezit #organic #naturalwine #biodynamic #Parellada #Trepat #ConcadeBarbera #Tarragona #Catalunya #Spain

Now This Is What I Call A 6 Pack

Now This Is What I Call A 6 Pack
Flama Roja
Cava Brut Nature
Macabeo and Parellada

Hold it up to the light and it’s light straw with tiny little bubbles. This is my “go to easy drinker” any time of year. It pairs well with everything, but especially brightening up your evening after a rough day. It’s light and crisp, golden delicious apple with a tang of lemon. Takes my brain back to happier memories of sitting outside in Barcelona, eavesdropping on conversations, and watching parrots sail overhead.

#wine #worldbyglass #pandemic #covid19 #spain #cava #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits @vinewinenyc #cheezit @worldbyglass #workingfromhome #penedes #barcelona #Macabeo #Parellada #Tarragona @castelldorcava_vi #joanrabada