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Winemakers & Wordsmiths

Domaine des Sablonnettes
Ceci n’est pas un Rosé 2021
VDF
Chenin, Cabernet Sauvignon
Organic, biodynamic, unfiltered, hand harvested
Rablay-Sur-Layon, Loire Valley, France 
Winemakers/owners: Christine & Joël Ménard and their son Jeremy

Hazy rouge cherry cranberry cocktail. Give it and yourself a moment to chill (but don’t over chill or you’ll miss out ) and out pop scents of strawberries, raspberries, red currants (hmmm currants have been following me everywhere lately), white peaches, a smidge of butter cream frosting, that furrow smell when you’re seeding the garden in the spring, and eventually a little bit of Twizzlers. Sipping and there’s a fruity funk at first that slinks around later. Turns into a tarty party of green & pink strawberries, young blackberries, raspberries, splash of cherry, a grind of white pepper, and a little sizzle that mellows to a little lemon drop.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: oddly pretty good and I wasn’t expecting it to work

Not only do the Ménards have a way with wine (everywhere I look people are raving about them and for good reason), they also have a way with words. This label has the fun & delicious description, “Polisson gourmand, ce rose s’est régalé de tous les fruits rouges du jardin il en rougit encore de gourmandise!…” which translates to “Naughty foodie, this rose (rosé) feasted on all the red fruits from the garden, it is still blushing with gluttony”. Ooh what an image that paints in my mind! Also even though the name claims this is not a rosé, trust me they’re just pranking you because it’s a dark flavorful vibrant rosé.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #frenchwine #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Loire #France #DomainedesSablonnettes #LesSablonnettes @jennyfrancois @vinewinenyc @cheezit

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Beautiful, Romantic & Bubbly

Château Moncontour
Tete de Cuvée Brut
100% Chenin Blanc
Vouvray AOC
Méthode Traditionnelle
Vouvray, France
Owners: Feray family

Gold bullion warm with fine lively bubbles. Pop the cork in the kitchen and scents of vanilla and “hot & ready” old school Krispy Kreme doughnuts hit your nose first. Give it a little time, walk back to the bedroom to relax with your pour, and tasting bits of brioche that lead to apricots fresh & a little jam emerge with dried pineapple & golden raisins…mmm elegant & cozy. Sip and again apricots (dried & fresh), dried pineapple, a splash of young tart yellow plums, Nilla wafers, and a bright lime twist. Toasty and zippy delight.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: sharpens everything

Bubbly is so often seen as romantic…a thing of beauty…and so is this historic Château. King Charles VII of France gifted it to his very influential “Dame de beauté”, Agnès Sorel. (Have you seen the paintings of the lady and designs of the tops of her dresses to give you a peek at what may be waiting for you? Ooh la la, they are quite titillating!) Honoré de Balzac fell in love with the structure and so badly wanted to own it and share it with his wife & inspiration, Ewelina Hańska. Sadly buying it was out of the picture, so he memorialized it in “La Femme de trente ans”. Now the Feray family are caring for the domaine, cherishing its history, and creating their celebrated wines so we can all taste a bit of that romance. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #champagne #bubbly #sparklingwine #Balzac #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #cheninblanc #Vouvray #Loire #France @chateaumoncontour @baronfrancois.ws @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Always Remember, Support & Love

Castello Conti
Spanna 2019
100% Spanna (Nebbiolo)
Colline Novaresi DOC
Organic
Alto Piemonte, Italy
Winemakers & sisters: Elena, Anna & Paola Conti (2nd generation)

Lovely bright ruby. Let this bottle breathe and scents emerge of a mix of cherries, plums, mountain herbs with that touch of Ricola, some earthiness, and as it opens orchard blossoms with a toasty or oaky bit, and a whiff of petrol that turns into a dried fruit vibration. First swig and here come dark plums & cherries, herbal bitter bite that smoothes, raspberries & strawberries, and then goes deep and dark again yet isn’t heavy and cycles round & round.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: mmmm juicy and yum

This bottle ended up into my hands last year by chance or maybe providence, through a “UKRAINE 6 PACK” put together by @vinewinenyc and all revenue was donated directly to Jose Andrés’ World Central Kitchen (for me, he is one of the most inspiring people we have in the world today and his energy and giving kindness is never ending). Who would think that it’s almost a year since the war in Ukraine escalated last February into the beast it has become. Some of you know that I have deep feelings about this tragic & devastating war. As we all get bombarded with 24 hour news/entertainment/sports cycles it’s easy to let the magnitude of this war slide out of our minds since it is so far away. My hope is that we all remember those giving their lives for their country, the innocents losing their homes, the brutality inflicted on the citizens tortured & murdered on their native soil, families huddled underground in train stations, and also the resilience of the Ukrainian people. They still need our support whether it be through @wckitchen or https://arthubonline.com/t/gifts-supporting-ukraine or any of the many deserving legit organizations out there. 🇺🇦 Slava Ukraini!

#standwithukraine #Україна #🇺🇦 #славаукраїні #kyiv #stopwar #зупинитивійну #supportukraine #ятебелюблю #castelloconti #wine #вино #love

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Something To Smile About

Domaine des Trouillères
Annolium Blanc 2021
VDF
Chardonnay 80%, Gamay d’Auvergne 20%
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested
Les Martres-de-Veyre, Auvergne, France
Winemakers: Mikaël and Camille Hyvert

Gold with a slightest touch of green. There’s scents of pears, melon with a bit of musk & light smoke that fades in and out, then dandelion flowers, light hyacinth, and a pinch of pie spice. Sipping those pears now joined with green apples, a slice of honeydew and that touch of musk/smoke again that gives some oomph, smidge of gooseberry, lime & zest tingle, and as it opens longer and longer a little green/light pink strawberry that finishes with a mineral/stainless lick.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: delicious!

Is that what I think I spy on the shelf? Yes, I’ll admit it, the label with what looks like a cave painting of a deer sucked me in (I have a thing for all things ancient). Then I asked and was told by a very reliable source that this was a wine for me, and boy was she right. Reading Mikaël and Camille’s history brings a smile that I so need right now. Blending his wine studies & experience with her being an archeologist is a perfect pairing for their winery. Also didn’t hurt they had the opportunity to meet and befriend Jean-Pierre Pradier who was ready to put his Domaine into another’s caring hands. The lands were already organic since 2009 (now certified), and had the perfect “location, location, location” of Auvergne’s ancient volcanic soils. Now all of that is fueling their natural wines. See it’s something to smile about.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #frenchwine #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Auvergne #France #domainedestrouilleres @terrestrialwine @vinewinenyc @cheezit

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Light Of My Life, Fire Of My…

Domaine Moutard-Diligent
Qu’est-ce que c’est Aligoté
Bourgone Aligoté 2021
AOC Bourgone
Sustainable, as hands off as possible, unfiltered,
Molosmes, Burgundy, France
Winemaker: François Moutard & family

Light hazy gold. Breathing in tangerine rind & a light citrus flair, then honeysuckle & orange blossoms waft through with pears, slate and a shake of salt. The taste is same as the scents but with a touch more citrus(maybe tangelo). It’s clean, fresh and happy easy drinking. Oh and check out the quote from the back of the bottle. “Aligoté, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Ah-lee-go-tay…” Sound familiar 😏

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: funky but good

Domaine Moutard-Diligent is built of not only passing from parent to child through the generations. The current generations are also working together with their cousins and each member has a gift from their experiences, educations, and passions. Some contribute their wine/farming knowledge, others have organization & business skills, having a head for numbers, promotion, marketing, branding, and the open mind to travel, learn and spread their brand to the world. As François says on their site, “We play off each other and the advantage of being a family, that is what makes us trust each other, each person in their own skilled role”. What a wonderful family to be a part of where everyone works together to form a smooth running machine filled with creativity, love, and distinguished wine, champagne & spirits. Oh yes, they make an assortment from whisky, marc, gin, etc. and the one that I want to get my hands on is their 100% Champenoise Vodka. So if any of you can point me where I might find one, please, please let me know! 🍸

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #champagne #Burgundy #France #Aligote #vodka #spirits @famillemoutard @communalbrands @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

 

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Cheers To A Warmer New Year!

Dr. Lippold
Moselle Riesling Brut 2018
Organic, sustainable, hand harvested
Ürzig, Moselle, Germany
Owner & winemaker: Dr. Enno Lippold

Pale starlight with fine bubbles. Sniffing dainty lemony cream, pears, a little green grass, and toasty wheaty goodness. All those scents are there in the taste and the lemon grows and is joined by a little Lady Apple as it breathes. Clean, crisp and sparky.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: perfect!

I know we’ve all been complaining about this bone rattling cold weather…at least I have. Who would have thought that a well chilled sparkler would warm my spirits, but this delicate yet rambunctiously joyful celebration of riesling totally did the trick. Oh, and it would be really scrumptious with unagi nigiri on a cozy evening in or a festive celebration out. 🥂

Cheers to the New Year & to Dr. Lippold!

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #sparklingwine #brut #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Riesling  #Moselle #Germany #France #DrLippold @vinewinenyc @cheezit

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Waiting For The Rain

Domaine du Possible
En Attendant la Pluie
Tout Bu, or not Tout Bu
VDF Rouge 2021
Grenache 70%, Mourvèdre 30%
Organic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Lansac, Roussillon, France
Winemaker: Loïc Roure

Deep ruby/magenta with blue electric pops and rim. Sniffing cherry, strawberry starbursts, red Twizzlers, and blood oranges & zest that has been singed. Ooh this is yummy sipping…dark cherry, strawberries, those Twizzlers again & a cherry jolly rancher with a touch of licorice that leads to a welcome herbal bitter bite. This is so chuggable chilled or not.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: meh

I asked a friend to recommend something delicious, something with character, and boy is Loïc Roure a character. Just from his labels, you can already see he makes the best of what the world throws at him and has fun doing it. Right there in print is “En Attendant la Pluie” aka “Waiting for the Rain” which at times he’s had to do and source grapes from other vignerons/friends he respects and live up to his standards. From this blending of grapes and friends leads to “Tout Bu, or not Tout Bu” “Drank (drink) all, or not to be drunk” (from my poor translation which I’m sure is a mess) and I say double thumbs up to drinking it all. Then there’s the name “Domaine du Possible” and he’s one of those winemakers that has proven all is possible, because he wasn’t always following the vine but previously worked for Amnesty International before getting bit by the natural wine bug. And one more thing about him that makes me smile are the pics from his cellar that’s covered in rocking stencil art & marks of his love of music. He’s definitely très cool!

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #redwine #frenchwine #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Roussillon #France #DomaineduPossible #LoïcRoure #LoicRoure @louisdressnerselections @vinewinenyc @cheezit

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A Natural Find In The Park

Sagmeister
Furmint 2017
100% Furmint
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested, spontaneous fermentation
Fruška Gora, Srem (Syrmia), Serbia
Owner & winemaker: Ernő Sagmeister

Yellow with a touch of springy green. Breathing in and so light at first. There’s pear, green apple a little bit of the leaves too, mango, faint lemon, and a touch of cream. First sip and whoa this is no shrinking violet. Pineapple, guava. Light Coconut round pears, mature apples, lemon & zest & even Lemonhead candy, a sliver of oak, and a salty shake. Definitely has oomph to go along with the dry so it checks all the boxes

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Don’t even

I find it so fascinating that Sagmeister’s has vineyards growing in midst of the oldest national park in Serbia, “National Park Fruška Gora”.  Ernő’s devotion and enthusiasm for the old traditions & organic ways, along with the vines being in this “untamed area where nature rules and wild animals are often seen” (side note to my feathered friend lovers, it’s a great place for birding!) can’t help but bring him successful and unique wines. Oh, and if you’re lucky to get your hands on one of these wines, you have Steep Hill & Fearless Finds working together to thank. 💋

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #serbianwine #Serbia #fruskagora @steephillwine @antosicurezza @fearless_finds @sagmeisterwine @vinewinenyc @sagmeisterwine @cheezit

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Creative Perfect Pairing

Podere Sottoilnoce
Valtiberia 2020
Vino Bianco Frizzante
70% Trebbiano Modenese, 30% Trebbiano Di Spagna
Biodynamic, organic, indigenous yeast, minimal intervention
Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Owner & winemaker: Max Brondolo

Warm golden sunshine with tiny bubbles. Breathing in a gentle creamy vanilla start that morphs, next up are pears, green apples, a smidge of berry, and musky touch that fades on day 1 and leads to light melon, and a smidge of anise. On the tip of my tongue it’s dry, with crisp pear & apple, lemon/lime squeeze, a bit of berry, that spice/anise is still there but joyously light & fresh, and a bit of almond on the back

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: oh this is gooood

As I said in my previous post, Max Brondolo is a Renaissance man. Earlier in life, he had an successful and cool career in advertising/communications/digital media. I wonder how it felt to start his new life in wine which seems to be an old love. Must be exciting, freeing and satisfying to start a 2nd act by working & growing in many ways with nature…to channel and pour a new creativity into these bottled moments in time that you share with family, friends, and the world. Have to also write about the artist whose paintings grace his labels. Something about these birds just pulled me in and I went down the google rabbit hole. Denis Riva is brilliant. It has been a while that I’ve found a “new to me” artist that pulled up such emotions that I can’t even put into words what I’m feeling. Please take a look at his website. I don’t know what brought these two creatives (Max & Denis) together but they are a perfect pairing.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Trebbiano #emiliaromagna #Italy #italianwine #terrellwines @derivadr @vinewinenyc @poderesottoilnoce @cheezit

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Meet Me Under The Walnut Tree

Podere Sottoilnoce
Franzes 2019
90% Lambrusco Grasparossa, 10% Lambrusco Sorbara
Biodynamic, organic, indigenous yeast, minimal intervention
Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Owner & winemaker: Max Brondolo

Maroon/ruby with bluish purple rims. I gave this wine 2 tries, once at 58F and next chilled. First go round and breathing in dark cherries, blackberries, earth that grows into tiny yet fragrant blossoms, and a pinch of bell pepper. Sipping cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and a bit of blueberry, a mix of bell pepper, balsamic, white pepper, olive pit that weaves back and forth in the fruit and hides at points and flirts with earth. Just light and elegant. Now chilled and starts out with very floral of blossoms, magnolia, and all scents the same as before but even more alluring. Again same with the taste…just a bit more sleek and a welcome fine tart spark. I like it better chilled…so chill it good!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out lavender and more juicy

Max Brondolo is quite the Renaissance man which I will get to in my 2nd post about another wine of his, “Valtiberia”. For now I’m just falling for his beautiful land (6 ha) that are filled with old (some abandoned) and new vines, buzzing bees, various plants & animals (including deer & pheasants) that share the neighborhood, and a stately walnut tree that gives the place its namesake. I can just imagine lying beneath and staring up through the branches, smelling a mix of the soil & greenery,  feeling a cool breeze on my face, and hearing an old very familiar Keane song stuck in my head.

“Underneath the walnut tree
Where you said you’d wait for me
And I waited a long, long time…”

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #naturalwine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #organic #Lambrusco #emiliaromagna #Italy #keanemusic #italianwine #terrellwines @vinewinenyc @poderesottoilnoce @cheezit