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Racing Into A Glass Of Happy

Henri Champliau 
Petrone
Blanc de Blancs
Brut
Chardonnay (mainly), Colombard, Ugni Blanc
Mercurey, Burgundy, France
Founder & winemaker: Alexandre Graffard

Shining light yellow with bouncing bubbles. Lovely scents start popping out of pears, apples, a  green melonish vibe that turns into rising dough & then becomes or rather alongside a toasty brioche, and lemon/lime/Valencia orange spritz/zest. Such a crisp & elegant sip with lemon/lime, all sorts of pears & apples, and a smidge of sorrel. It’s just lively, bright and HAPPY. 🍾

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Delicious and rounds out everything…really surprising.

Alexandre Graffard caught the wine bug pretty early in life, or as he said, he was “initiated as a private sommelier as soon as I was 7 years old”. Following in his grandfather’s spirit, he also established his own vineyards and named the family winery after him (Henri Champliau) who sounds like quite an interesting man. He had a great love for Burgundy, fabulous food & wine, his vines, and horses. His first Thoroughbred filly, “Wild Miss” was quite the racer winning the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp-Paris, and was mother to the colt Petrone. This horse turned out to be a chip off the old racing block, and was sold to the actor Eddie Constantine. What better way to honor & remember this noble creature that was “one of the best horses of his generation in 1968 in France and the USA” than naming this fine Brut after him. 🏇

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #brut #sparklingwine #bubbly  #Burgundy #France #winebow #HenriChampliau #docwinebar #docwineshop

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A Conversation Sparkler

STEL+MAR
Sparkling Rosé
Barbera, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Syrah
Grapes sourced from sustainable vineyards, always made with 100% California grapes, and eco-friendly packaging
Lodi, California
Founders: Chris Noll & Justin Dumitrescu
Winemaker: Philip Zorn

Light pinky rose tinged gold bubbly. There’s scents of a tiny orchard blossom blend, small mix of fresh picked strawberries & raspberries, and a gentle touch of a cool mineral river rock. Sipping and it’s crisp, bright & light on its feet with again those fresh strawberries & raspberries, a little cherry blush, drop of citrus sparkle with a twinge of Sprite. This is one happy, friendly glass that is sure to spark a conversation.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: I just can’t

STEL+MAR’s wines are easy drinkers with a good heart. They’re meant to bring people together through what’s inside the bottle & outside like the label art by Stephanie Cheng. Check out her work, it’s pretty impressive and there’s a great IG video of her printing process. For those of you who have never worked with screens, there’s a lot to it depending on how many colors are in the piece. Takes me back to my grad school days so much I can almost smell the ink. Now back to the “good heart” part, each bottle of wine sold gives back part of its proceeds to the National Park Trust and in April donations are doubled. When I was a kid, summer vacations entailed the family packing up the station wagon and driving all over visiting as many parks as possible (man, those hot paint pots stink but are so beautiful). My parents wanted to instill in me awe, respect and a love to want to preserve them, and right now is a darn good time to show how much we need our protected lands and everything that grows, resides, or erupts in them. 🏞️🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #sparklingwine #worldbyglass #nationalparktrust #california #stelandmar #vinewinenyc

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Not Always “Good To Be The King”

Cantina Gallura
Canayli 2023
Vermentino di Gallura Superiore DOCG
Sustainable
Tempio Pausania, Gallura, Sardinia, Italy

Yellow-strawish that heads more to the golden side after time. Breathing in pears, honeydew with a sliver of cantaloupe, smidge of mango & pineapple that grows, musk melon, and a small sprig of hay. Sipping away and most of the scents are right there but ramped up with green apples (fresh & baked), honeysuckle, a little lychee, garden fresh over ripe cucumber, lime squeeze but not super forward,  bell pepper that in the back has a small heat, the way a fried green tomato tastes without the breading or oil…just the essence of it which might also give a bit of almond like bite at the very back. Just freaking delicious!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out a citrus burst

Cantina Gallura’s co-op was founded in 1956, and has over 100 winegrowers that deeply respect their land, their native grapes, traditions & history. Note the rooster on their bottles representing their regions’ namesake (Gallura is derived from Gallus = cock {get your head out of the gutter, you know it’s the fowl). “Canayli” led me to read more on their town Tempio Pausania aka “City of Stone”. Known for their granite, cork (they have a cork machinery museum too), and wine; but what caught my eye was their Carnival “Carrasciali Tempiesu” which is happening now through March 4. It’s a colorful celebration with floats, costumes, masks, dancing, music, and a good ol’ party down time. There’s also the tale of King Giorgio. At first he’s revered & celebrated, marries a commoner (Mannena), and this good cheer continues until Mardi Gras where he is judged for everything that has gone wrong/evil in the town, and his effigy is burned in the town square. Guess it’s not always “Good To Be The King”. 👑

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Italy #sardinia #vermentino #MelBrooks #metropoliswinemerchants #CantinaGallura #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Wine Worthy Of A Dust-up

Domaine Rimbert
Cousin Oscar
“on se l’arrache”
Cinsault, Pinot Noir
VDF
Organic, indigenous yeasts, vegan friendly
Berlou, Saint Chinian, France
Owner & winemaker: Jean-Marie Rimbert

Bright ruby red. Chill it just a little bit and your nose will be treated to raspberries, cherries, a mellow creaminess, black & blueberry blend, red currants, and a happy scent reminder of a warm dry handmade paper from my printmaking days. The sip is delicious but also has more to it than I thought. It’s fresh & juicy with raspblueblackboysenberry, cherry, violets, touch of hoarhound, black & red currants, orange zest, and smidge of cardamom & black pepper. Easy peasy drinking and oh so friendly. Oscar please bring on Spring weather so I can enjoy you outside.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: YES! Brings out more juicy fruit

I love Rimbert’s wines and that he’s so down to earth, by calling himself a “paysan” or in other words, a peasant…a humble farmer who finds joy in the simple natural things in life and his surroundings. Well, he’s also an artist. Just look at the collage art created from 1950s magazines on the label. Evidently the grinning chap is named after his girlfriend’s cousin, “Oscar”. Sounds like he was all the rage with the ladies, and there may have been some dust-ups over who got to claim him as their’s hence the “on se l’arrache!” that translates to “we’re fighting over him”. Those words fit this wine so well because once you and your friends try it, you’ll be tussling over the last glass.🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #Cinsault #PinotNoir #jennyfrancois #domainerimbert #docwinebar #docwineshop

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“Bring Me a Shrubbery!”

Quinta do Passadouro
Vinho Branco 2019
40% Rabigato, 35% Códega do Larinho, 25% Viosinho
Duoro DOC
Pinhão, Portugal

Yellow/light golden (deepens over time) with a green shimmer. Inhale and there’s gentle scents of pears & apple, gooseberries, lychee, spring flowers, touch of apple blossoms, and a tiny bit of nose tickling citrus zest. Sip and there’s a blend of crisp pears & apples, white peaches, gooseberries, lychee, honeydew, touch of honeysuckle, a little tangerine spritz & zest, and a cool mineral lick & a pinch if salt. It’s fresh & light yet luscious at the same time.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Nah

Doesn’t everyone need a bit of blue shrubbery (especially “Knights Who Say ‘Ni!’” in their life or at least Anagallis Monelli aka Shrubby Pimpernel. These deciduous perennials don’t need a lot of water and can flourish even in a hot dry summer. My bet is that they reside in or around Passadouro’s vineyards, since their other labels (Vinho Tinto) have displayed critters from their locale. Also the flowers’ name “Anagallis” is also derived from Greek “ἀνα” & ἀγάλλειν which translate into “to delight again” because these pretty blossoms close in the evening only to reopen to for the sun so we can enjoy them over & over just like this Branco.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #portugal #douro #FrederickWildman #QuintadoPassadouro #vinewinenyc

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Bad Bunnies

Bodegas Más Que Vinos
Los Conejos Malditos
Tempranillo Carbónico 2023
100% Cencibel (local clone of Tempranillo)
Working sustainably, farming organic, indigenous grapes, and 1 of the first wineries in Spain to receive “Wineries for Climate Protection” certification
Cabañas de Yepes, Toledo, Spain
Margarita Madrigal, Alexandra Schmedes and Gonzalo Rodriguez

Ruby/purple depth. Breathing in cherries, plums, raspberries, blackberries, a swirl of violets, and over time a tiny grind of white pepper. Hopping out of the glass and onto my tastebuds are cherries (fresh & dried), plums, light raspberry, blackberries, dates & a little dried dark fig, black olive pits, as it opens violets grow but don’t over creep, and oddly a drop of black tea & maybe even a little herbal.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: juicy

This isn’t a buddy movie but a winery. Starting back in 1999, three wine loving/making friends (Margarita, Alexandra & Gonzalo) launched Más Que Vinos (wine consulting business), ventured into winemaking, breathed new life into an old family winery, and built a new modern one. From all of this hard work these friends sound like they have the limitless energy of that certain drumming rabbit with sunglasses. Speaking of cotton tails, sounds like their local ones have a penchant for excellent grapes and can gobble up a lot prior to harvest, hence the name “The Damned Rabbits”. These little bandits may be adorable but I can see where their cuteness wanes and may drive a person to find solutions like on this label. 🍇🐰

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Spain #badbunnies #valkyrieselections #BodegasMasQueVinos #LosConejosMalditos #vinewinenyc

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Creature Of The Night

Quinta do Passadouro
Vinho Tinto 2019
55% Tinta Roriz, 25% Touriga Francesa, 10% Touriga Nacional, 10% Field Blend from old vines
Duoro DOC
Pinhão, Portugal

Inky maroon with purple pops. Sniff and a little oak dances through & mingles with wildflowers, blackberries, black currants, plums, and a pinch of warm spice & anise. Tasting and there’s dark cherries joining the blackberries, black currants & plums & a red currant or two with a not quite ripe tart raspberry, licorice, and the teeny tiniest of tomato leaf appears & then tells you you didn’t see them…or shhh they were never there it’s all an illusion. Everything smooths out into an elegant, graceful sip. You know…this wine pairs well with a lot, but honestly I want it all to my self solo.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: this is one of those moments of YES!

My first encounter with Passadouro was when I was browsing wine in Montreal and a little Oryctolagus cuniculus hopped in my way. Yes, I was pulled in by the label but not just because of the little Portuguese bunny, but also the artistic details from the drawing & the distinctive zipper-like cut in the design. The next one to flutter in my path was a native game bird, the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) on their Tinto 2012. Now this 2019 red may just be my favorite yet with the sleek, stealth, and agile creature of the night…the Genetta genetta. I wonder if they are part of the natural pest control for their vineyards since they are carnivores. Back to the vineyards/grapes, another reason why I have fallen for these vinhos is their consistent yet somewhat varied blends. They always start with the 3 same grapes: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesa, & Touriga Nacional but may not be the same percent depending on the harvest and sometimes (like this one) it’s rounded out with a field blend of old vines. Hands down this bottle is not only a work of art, but it’s also simply delicious. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #portugal #douro #FrederickWildman #QuintadoPassadouro #vinewinenyc

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“Wine, By The Grape”

Pormenor
Reserva Branco 2021
Douro DOC
Rabigato, Malvasia Fina
Hand harvested, indigenous yeasts, unfined, minimal intervention, natural
Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal
Pedro Coelho

Light gold that deepens over time. Breathing in pears, apples, lemon/lime & a touch of tangerine, cool salt/mineral breeze, as it opens a deeper part of depth grows. Sipping and there’s apple, pear, a toasty possible bit of smoke, lemon, lime, sorrel, a beeswax & honeysuckle exhale, and the tiniest bit of mellow oak.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: sooo good

Coelho didn’t inherit a winery, but he did have connections to some of the essentials. His dad was a cork producer, his grandfather’s a cooper (barrel maker), and he ended up working in wine finance/marketing until the moment came when he decided it was time to give it a go at making wine. He works with old vines, but doesn’t’ adhere to the past usual ways of vinification…his are fresh & can be drunk young yet can also age. They also don’t hit you over the head with high alcohol content which in my book is a very good thing. There’s a quote on his site, “Wine, by the grape” that kept rolling around in my thoughts. He wants Pormenor wines to tell the stories of his Douro…through his vineyards & grapes, and as long as he keeps making these bottles, I’ll keep listening to their whispers & songs of a place & history that holds a special spot in my heart.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #naturalwine #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #portugal #jdselections #grandcruselections #pormenorvinhos #pormenor #vinewinenyc

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You Can Do Good

Renegade Wines
Riverine Red
Syrah 85%, Grenache 15%
Certified biodynamic, dry farmed
West Riebeek, Swartland, South Africa
Owners: Francois Haasbroek and Jaap Pijl
Winemaker: Francois Haasbroek

Deep dark goth ruby velvet. Breathing in cherries, raspberries, strawberries, plums that grow over time, pinch of allspice, and a faint smidge of coffee. All of the scents are there in the taste along with black currants, darker, deeper cherries & plums, a grind of black & white pepper, tad bit of earth, and bit of a greenery herb blend like rosemary, sage, oregano.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: juicilicious

Francois (traditional winemaker) & Jaap (accountant) kicked off Renegade Wines (1st canned wines in South Africa) in 2018 with their first wine “CANCAN” in 2019. Riverine is their latest line with a Chenin Blanc, a Grenache Rosé, and this red blend. Honestly, if someone brought me a glass and didn’t show me the can, I would have assumed it was from a bottle. As I’ve said many times before, canned wines just keep getting better & better, and there’s less waste, saves space, and easy to recycle. There’s another reason to try this line too…bunnies. Notice the cute one on the label? From what I’m learning, the Riverine rabbit is one of the most endangered mammals in the world (maybe 1,500 left), and with every sale of these cans part of the proceeds is donated to the Endangered Wildlife Trust. So hop out to your local store, pick up a few cans & save some rare hares. 🍷❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #wineinacan #cannedwine #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #naturalwine #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #rabbits #bunny #southafrica #redwine #vsiwine #renegadewinessa #riverinewine #vinewinenyc

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Clink Clink

Domaine de L’Oubliée
Le Bruit Des Glaçons 2023
VDF
Chenin Blanc
Organic, indigenous yeasts, hand harvested
Saint-Patrice, Loire, France
Winemaker: Xavier Courant

Shining light gold/yellow with a delicate splash of green. Just poured and there’s a toasty scent that morphs into bees wax with honey, golden delicious apples, firm pears, dry lemon & lime twist, and a bit of greenery. Sip and there’s lemon & lime squeeze joined with zest, another taste and out comes crisp apples & pears, quince, a lfew fresh clover leaves & blossoms, an echo of that honeycomb wax along with a mineral taste like from our old spring house (our natural water source back home as a kid. It was cool year round and the same fresh smell & taste). Such lovely fruit but so deliciously dry, and it’s meant to drink very cold in the morning, in the afternoon, or in my opinion anytime at all.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Amps all of the fruit

My first encounter with Domaine de L’Oubliée’s wines was their Les Valseuses 2018 (back in 2020) where I found out about Xavier Courant’s love for the work of Bertrand Blier. Each of his wines are named for Blier’s films or books that speak to the grapes. This bottle Le Bruit Des Glaçons “The Sound of the Ice Cubes” is named for Blier’s 2010 film (English title “The Clink of Ice”). Charles an alcoholic & depressed writer gets a surprise visitor at his gate early one morning. The stranger greets him through the security monitor with “Hello, I am your cancer. I thought it might be nice to get to know each other a little bit…”. Oh why is it so hard to find Blier’s movies in USA/online?  I am dying (pun intended) to find a copy of this dark comedy streaming somewhere so I can see how they get on with each other, Charles’ beloved bottles (hence the clink clink), and how these “buddies” end up. If anyone knows of such a place PLEASE send me the link, and I’ll share a bottle (or 2) of this dry Chenin Blanc with you while we watch. I promise you it rocks!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #organic #naturalwine  #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #catsofinstagram #cheninblanc #louisdressnerselections #DomainedeLOubliee #xaviercourant  #vinewinenyc