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Gratitude

Bindi Sergardi
Tenuta I Colli
La Boncia 2023
Chianti DOCG
100% Sangiovese
Monteriggioni, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Nicolò Casini – Bindi Sergardi & daughters Alessandra & Maddalena

Rubilicious color. There’s scents of dark cherry, all sorts of plums, raspberries, a depth that almost goes baker’s chocolate (just opened), and as it opens more a citrus back twang of grapefruit & a few red currants. Sipping away and there’s cherries, a cranberry or two, red & black currants, raspberries, blackberries (fruit, seeds & all bite), white & black pepper, a hint of that baker’s chocolate again, and as it continues to breathe it becomes more juicy.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: deliciously opens everything

This is a family with a long history and also one that is filled with gratitude. Nicolò writes he’s grateful to God & his ancestors, the lands, and most importantly his family: “Today my children work with me and this mixture of blood and earth makes me feel eternal.” His daughter Alessandra is happy she was born into a farming family and is “grateful to be able to live in close contact with nature whose teachings, sometimes hard and difficult, have opened me to different perspectives and filled life with meaning.” Maddalena (daughter) had taken time to explore the world while picking up more work experiences, but returned to her home..as she says, “I celebrate with gratitude the land that has always called me back.” Their words are so refreshing to me since so many in this world as of late have put more emphasis on entitlement. Thank you for making such a beautiful wine and bringing a warmth back to my heart. As I was telling someone this past week, “be kind, be nice & be grateful”. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #italy #broadbentselections #bindisergardi #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Guess It Was Just Destiny

Giacomo Mori
Chianti DOCG 2021
95% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo & Colorino
Practicing organic
San Casciano dei Bagni (SI), Tuscany, Italy
The Mori Family

Deep ruby. Breathing in cherries (fresh & dried), something woodsy, dried Mission figs, and a blend of licorice/mint/alpine herbal. All of the sniffs are in the sip with the herbal popping up more along with dark plums, & after a time out there’s raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, Ligurian olive pit, Mediterranean Thyme, and as it continues to open there’s red plums too…yet it is nice & dry on the back.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: yes please

Giacomo Mori set about revamping & jumpstarting his family’s estate & winery in 90s. The estate had been the family for eons, and produced grapes & wine for a local co-op, but Giacomo wanted to take it to the next level. There was replanting, updating some equipment, keeping it natural, no pesticides or nasty chemicals in the vines, and beneficial plants are sown on every other row. Guess what plants they use…Vicia faba or known as broad beans or fava beans which draws it all back to the thing I was determined not to write about…Mr. Lecter because I swear if I had a dollar for every time I hear that quote when someone mentions anything about Chianti. Guess it was just destiny when this bottle found me. 🤣🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Tuscany #Italy #chianti #winetime #cannonau #worldbyglass #skurnikwines #GiacomoMori #docwinebar #docwineshop

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This Is Not My Grandfather’s Wine

Terra di Seta
480 slm 2018
Chianti Classico DOCG
Sangiovese 95%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5%
Organic, Kosher, sustainable agriculture
Castelnuovo Berardenga, Vagliagli, Tuscany, Italy
Daniele Della Seta (husband) & Maria Pellegrini (wife)

Ruby stained glass. Scents float up of plums, prunes, dried & fresh cherries, raisins, smooth & expressive violets, a classic bit of leather book binding with a dash of tobacco that morphs into crunchy raspberries & smoke, and a dash of cloves, fennel, warm spice/pepper blend. All of the scents are in the taste along with dried figs, pomegranate, red currants, dark olives, fennel, and a modern light gentle dry dance that echos classical footsteps.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: a good bitter dried fruit richness

Must be wonderful to work side by side with the one you love, and also love your work. Maria’s from a winemaking family while Daniele’s background is in biology and from what I’ve found they both have their hands in every aspect of their organic farm, winery & wine tourism farmhouse “Le Macie” that looks like a place you would never want to leave (there’s an infinity pool & some of the apts have AC!). They also are “the only winery in Italy whose entire wine production, from its grapes – since 2008 – is supervised by strict Kosher certification”. Long ago when I was a kid, the only Kosher wine that my grandfather used to pick up to have with the holiday fruitcake was let’s say a certain Concord grape concoction that I bet many of you had the same reaction to it as I did 🤮. I can happily say “Terra di Seta” is definitely not my grandparents wine…it’s heavenly.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #italy #Tuscany #viaswine #TerradiSeta #docwineshop #docwinebar

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“We Don’t Like Sloppy Wines”

Vanempo
Tramonto 2019
Rosso Toscana IGT
Sangiovese 60%, Canaiolo 30%, Malvasia Nero 10%
Biodynamic, organic, hand harvested & vegan
Montemurlo, Italy
Michele Sacchetti & Laura Fabbri

Follow the instructions on the label, remember to decant for at least 30 minutes, and you’ll have a deep ruby pour. Inhaling cherries, dark plums, maybe a little cinnamon, blackberries, a scent that reminds me of my other much earlier life of binding books & printmaking, and as it grows a raspblueberry blend. First taste and there’s tart/dark cherries & plums fresh & dried, Kalamata olives, blackberries with seeds & all, again over time that raspblueberry blend again, red currants, and a tad of white & black pepper…so very awake and alive.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: so smooth and rich

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, the name “Vanempo” comes from a combo of two words, “Avanza and Tempo” which pretty much means “spare time”. Well, Michele & Laura originally started this wine adventure in their “extra time” as a passion project. As Michele says, “I’ve always believed in beautiful things, and beautiful things arise from a child’s dreams.” Those dreams sparked such a full fledged bio certified winery reality, filled with “hands off” wines that I’ve had the good fortune to encounter like their Maluna, Aura, and now Tramonto (Sunset). I think their mindset & devotion to their land & vines (instead of following certain rules that would clip their wings) help them soar in excellence because each one is so individually special & consistently delicious. As they’ve said, “We don’t like volatile acidity, we don’t like brett and we don’t like sloppy wines made just with the goal to catch some like on the social media. We like the terroir to speak for itself. We could have labeled our wines as Chianti but we have preferred to give up the DOCG as we don’t have any confidence in its moral integrity”.🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #biodynamic #organic #wineislove  #winetime #worldbyglass #Tuscany #Italy #steephillwine #vanempo #docwineshop #docwinebar

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A Dürerable Experience

La Spinetta
Il Rosé di Casanova
50% Sangiovese, 50% Prugnolo Gentile
Toscano IGT
Organic & sustainable
Terricciola (Pi), Tuscany, Italy
Rivetti family

Copper rose stained glass. First whiff and there’s grapefruit that turns into a tomato leaf blend, roses, cantaloupe, strawberry, and  young raspberry. Sipping and there’s strawberries & raspberries again, a tiny touch of blueberry, grapefruit twang in a good way…”so fresh, so good, so right ba ba ba” (sorry that song has been stuck in my head tonight), light lemon zest, and a mineral rock lick.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: In the famous words of Bill the Cat, “Ack ack ack thppt!”

Such a weighty creature on the label for such a gentle & refreshing wine. Y’all know the distinctive beast that graces many of La Spinetta’s wines. Giorgio Rivetti’s a big fan of Albrecht Dürer, so what better reason to emblazon his woodcut on their bottles. He also picked another work by the artist, “Il Leone di Dürer” to grace their Barolo Campè & Barolo Garretti since “The so-called king of the jungle is the best representation of the king of wines and said the wine of kings.” BTW every time I see that rhinoceros my heart has a longing feeling for not just their wines which are always fabulous but also for Albrecht’s handiwork. I’m a huge fan too and some of you may not know I have a MFA in printmaking and each glance takes me back to the feel of the tools, the smell of the ink in the printshop, and just getting thoroughly dirty but in the most satisfying way. After hours of work there would be nothing better than a long shower and a big glass of a Spinetta wine. Cheers! ❤️🦏❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #Italy #worldbyglass #AlbrechtDürer #skurnikwines #laspinetta #laspinettacasanova #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Living The Dream

Valdonica
COCO 2020
IGT Toscana Rosato Frizzante
Sangiovese 90%, Ciliegiolo 10%
Organic, unlined, unfiltered, not irrigated, vegan friendly
Sassofortino, Tuscany, Italy
Owner: Dr. Martin Kerres

Slightly salmon pink or almost a light hazy sunrise with a few bouncing bubbles. Breathing in nutty brioche toast, ok I keep fighting writing this bc I think I’m nuts but there’s a porcini sniff going on here in a good way (I will never forget my first smell & taste of a real porcini in Cortona while a student. It was orgasmic), a backyard gardening greenness, young not fully ripe strawberries, gooseberries along with a small bit of red currants, fresh picked bunch of daisies & few other wild flowers, and a whiff of smoke later that is so distant. Sipping and it’s tart, crisp & lively, those young strawberries & gooseberries again joined by a few raspberries & tart cherry with a squeeze of lime, salt and a lick of mineral rock, and a little of my guilty pleasure…almond croissant. Very tingly, vibrant, yet juicy in an addictively good way which as I love to say it’s a total party in your mouth.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nope

Well, I have to say Dr. Kerres is living the dream! Originally from Austria, he was only looking for a summer home, but as he says, “Valdonica happened to me, it was not planned.” There wasn’t even a vineyard there before he took on the task of planting them which he started off with them being totally natural. Now he not only wants to share his wine but the whole experience with all of us. You can stay over in the hotel or the guestrooms, dine in their restaurant or cellar, join their community with the purchase os one of their winery lofts, or pick up a job for a season or life. Just check out their site and I bet you’ll be as tempted as me and will be dreaming of a new existence in all that beautiful nature within a modern flair. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #instawine #petnat #Frizzante #bubbly #sparklingwine #worldbyglass #Tuscany #Italy #organic #winetime #livingthedream #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @valdonica @wine4theworld @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Enchanted Reality

Fattoria Corzano e Paterno
Il Corzanello 2021
Toscana IGT Bianco
Chardonnay 26% Sauvignon Blanc 20% Trebbiano 20%, Petit Manseng 13%, Verdicchio 15%, Semillon 6%
Organic, hand harvested
San Casciano, Firenze, Italy
Founded by Wendel Gelpke; now run by the extended Gelpke & Goldschmidt families

The lightest yellow green pale starlight. At first breathing in a little good floral funk that morphs into a little headiness and then lightens up into mellow pears, apples, a light blend of orange, lemon, grapefruit…citrus mix, and lychee. Sipping and all the scents are right there with a mineral conglomerate lick, along with ripe Kirbys (skins and all) green, a touch of light honeydew, honeysuckle, and a shake of salt.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: sharpens everything

This is a story of friendship and families. The Niccolini family held the farm for generations but when it became time to sell… the Marchese wanted his friend Wendel to get first dibs. Now that is a good buddy in my books. Over time he & his sister (Katerina Goldschmidt)’s family took up house, brought in Sardinian sheep (fab for their vineyards & cheese), restored accommodations (perfect for an architect like Wendel), and most importantly began producing wine. Their original aim was to not bounce off in many differing venues but to create the best possible product & be self-sufficient. Look at them now with their acclaimed cheeses & award winning wines. Btw if you want to read a very detailed history of this land’s past-future, please read Susan Gepke-Doran’s tale of going from art historian to farmer’s wife. I love one of her early perceptions, “The estate seemed under an enchantment, a romantic ruin”. It’s a start to not a fairytale but the reality of a  beautiful life.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #Italy #organic #winetime #Firenze #Tuscany #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #fleetstreetwine @corzanoepaterno @docwineshop @docwinebar

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What Do You Do In Your Spare Time?

Poggio di Cicignano – Vanempo
Aura 2017
Bianco Toscana IGT
Trebbiano Toscano 45%, San Colombano 35%, Malvasia Bianca 20%
Biodynamic, organic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts, 5 days skin contact
Montemurlo, Italy
Michele Sacchetti & Laura Fabbri

Deep prehistoric amber sans the mosquito. Give it a bit of time to breathe, and out pour scents of a blend of apples & pears and a bit of their cider, citrus zest, a hint of candied orange peels, dried apricots, tangelos, and a bit of that smell when you roll down a grassy hill. Wheeee! Take a swig and ooh there’s oranges, lemon squeeze, all sorts of citrus zest, tart apple cider, dried apricots, what I first thought was a memory of circus peanuts but actually as it warmed, morphed into one of my favorites of childhood…the taste of Original Pop Rocks without the popping (oh I loved that feeling!), and at last a touch of oregano. Fun, lively and btw is really good with bacon.

I had been wondering where the name “Vanempo” came from (btw it’s a well designed logo), and turns out it comes from a combo of two words, “Avanza and Tempo” which pretty much means “spare time”. Well, Michele & Laura originally started this wine adventure in their “extra time” as a passion project. As Michele says, “I’ve always believed in beautiful things, and beautiful things arise from a child’s dreams.” They launched those youthful dreams, and turned them into a full fledged bio certified winery reality, filled with “hands off” celebrated wines. Now, that’s so much more then a side gig. Been working my way through their line up, and all the ones I’ve tried so far have been pure natural magic. ✨

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #orangewine #worldbyglass #organic #Toscana #Italy @steephillwines @antosicurezza @vanempo @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Ancient Ways & New History

Pietro Beconcini Agricola
Antiche Vie 2020
Chianti DOCG
Sangiovese 80%, Malvasia 10%, and Trebbiano 10%
Organic
Grown in San Miniato, Tuscany, Italy
Wine Couple: Pietro Beconcini and Eva Bellagamba

Shining ruby that should be decanted for about an hour. I tried a couple different time frames and it seems to be the sweet spot. At first there’s a mellow morphing caramel scent, dark cherries, irises, forest earthiness, black pepper, and as it opens it’s more perfume. Tasting delicious cherries and dried cherries, plums, raspberry, boysenberry, blackberry, orange peel, white and black pepper, and digging in the dirt (earth)…yeah I have that Peter Gabriel song stuck in my head again. There’s also a small bite of rosemary and sage. All of this is joyfully light (that grows as it opens into medium) and lively with a seductive backbone, and this wine makes me smile and I feel like it’s winking back at me. 😘

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: deeper, darker and more sultry

Antiche Vie has ties all the way back to Pietro’s grandfather who back in the 50s bought their farmland, which is really important because it broke the cycle of being a sharecropper. Pietro’s Chianti celebrates the ways of old, the region’s indigenous grapes, and also his father who was a “pioneer in the cultivation of the vine in this area.” He also has written a new history with his San Miniato fed Sangiovese which was his 1st project and the grapes he is working with today in his “Wines of the Tradition”.  “Wines of Innovation” is the other route he has taken. They are the only ones growing Tempranillo in Italy, and their IXE will knock your socks off. As I keep repeating, it’s like Spain and Italy had a beautiful baby, and just like Antiche Vie it will be love at first taste.

#wine #winelover #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Chianti #Tuscany #Italy #SanMiniato #Sangiovese #Malvasia #Trebbiano #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #pietrobeconcini @pietrobeconciniwines @soilairselection @cheezits

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Giving Your All, and Getting It Back

Ampeleia
Bianco di Ampeleia 2019
Toscana Bianco IGT
Trebbiano, Ansonica, and Malvasia Bianca
Biodynamic, organic
Roccatederighi, Maremma, Toscana, Italy
Original founders: Elisabetta Foradori, and her friends Giovanni Podini and Thomas Widmann
Winemaker and company manager: Marco Tait
And there’s a different sort of family behind the scenes

Warm orange golden “morning is breaking” sunlight. Easy breezy scents of oranges and orange blossoms, apples, and a little toasted brioche with a pinch of ginger. Once it touches your lips, here comes orange/lemony/tangerine zest, apples and crabapples, pears, a hint of allspice and a lick of limestone. Very vibrant and alive and a joyful moment frozen in time…or should I say I wish I was frozen. Seriously this summer heat is killing me.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: just makes it a little more tart, so I could go either way

It’s a field blend party where Trebbiano, Ansonica, and Malvasia Bianca get to hang out and in the vineyard together and then be co-harvested and co-fermented. It’s a new blended family, much like Ampeleia, only the grapes didn’t get to chose their new kin. Marco Tait already had his birth family before being invited to Ampeleia by Elisabetta Foradori to join a new type that he got to pick. For around the past 20 years, Marco and his now chosen wine family have all grown together and added new people, animals, farming choices, and experiences. Having Roccatederighi as home must be such a beautiful feeling. I’ll end with a quote from Marco, “I am giving my all to Ampeleia, but she is giving me back even more.”

#italianwine #organicwine #skincontact #tuscany #Italy #ampeleia #winelife #wine #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #wineinfluencer #winestagram #Trebbiano #Ansonica #Malvasia #Roccatederighi #Maremma #Toscana @docwineshop @docwinebar @ampeleia @bowlerwine @cheezits