Posted on

“Listen & Feel”

Anima Mundi
Gres 2023
100% Xarel-lo
Biodynamic, organic
Sant Sebastià dels Gorgs, Penedès, Catalonia, Spain
Agustí Torello Roca

Light gold starlight. Breathing in scents that are all delicate bits of pears, lemon pie, mango, pineapple, and Golden delicious apples. Sip and there’s all of the scents with lime sizzle, a dry salty mineral rock lick, sliver of green tomato, and on the back a dry bitter bite combo kind of like parsley, oregano & citrus zest.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Delicious & lively

I knew something looked familiar about this bottle and then it hit me, Agustí’s also the winemaker for his family’s winery AT Roca (I love their sparklers). He started Anima Mundi back in 2015 as a side project, and his view is in order to make “vibrant wines” you have to “listen & feel…to connect with nature in order to understand the life cycles that link us to it” and to nurture the soils as a living being with keeping check of its biodiversity. It’s also all about respect for his environment & minimal intervention during the winemaking aspect. To me that’s a beautiful way of living & working, and he truly lets the grapes sing and express their little place in the world. I think Mr. Roca & this Gres may have made me fall even more in love with Spain. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Spain #josepastorselections #atrocawines  #animamundi_celler #animamundi  #vinewinenyc

Posted on

Connecting History, Future & ❤️

Quinta da Raza
Raza Curtimenta
Branco 2023
100% Avesso
Vinho Regional Minho
Natural, foot tread, native yeasts, vegan friendly
Veade, Portugal
Diogo Teixeira Coelho & family (5th gen)

Warm gold with an orange blush. Breathing in and there are oranges/tangerines/kumquats (fruit & zest), whiff of honeysuckle, fresh cut grass, light evergreen, and fresh rained on granite/gravel. Tasting those oranges & tangerines again with at first a little zing & zest that brings a welcome touch of bitter, along with a tiny bit of honeysuckle nectar. It’s dry & fresh, and not a wine to overthink but just enjoy.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NOPE

“Have you ever pondered how different life would be if you were born elsewhere? What about your character? Temperament?” I just love this quote from Quinta da Raza’s site because it’s so true. You really can taste their land, place, and history; and they also have their eyes on the future. They’re the ‘first producer operating exclusively in the Vinho Verde Region to be certified with ViniPortugal’s National Sustainability Benchmark for the Wine Sector”. They focus on renewable energy (photovoltaic panels, etc), water efficiency, reducing their carbon footprint, adapting & growing as climate change continues; and considering, respecting & working with others which includes their local community & those that work for and with them. I think that last part is what really makes me smile because they care about the well being & happiness of others. Just think this one bottle of wine connects you with not only the Teixeira Coelho family & their heritage but also with the region & people surrounding them. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #orangewine #naturalwine #portugal #regalwineimports #quintadaraza #vinewinenyc

Posted on

Blast From My Past

les FRÈRES Bastards
GSM Rosé 2023
50% Grenache, 30%Syrah, 20% Merlot
VDF
Vineyards: Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Thierry Boudinaud & Guy Anderson

Warm sunset blush…pinky with a watercolor splash of orange. Sniff and uh oh. There’s burnt rubber with a touch of diesel, and masked behind that wall is a faint bit of cherry, strawberries, raspberry, and incinerated baguette. Dare I take a sip? Well, I guess I have to & there’s all of the scents along with a citrus squirt that does no favors.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Not wasting them on this glass

I usually stay away from bothering with writing about wines that well…that I just don’t like, but I have a history with Fat Bastard. Goes all the way back to my days of gallery openings. If you were ever a starving artist/student, you know there’s a lot of free wine to be found on opening night festivities. Let’s just say, the one I had all those years ago was plain awful. Thought maybe it’s just the one bottle, so gave it a couple more tries and still ack! I wasn’t the only one tossing it out and that gallery had leftover cases & it took MANY openings to get rid of them. If the kids pass on it, you know. Anyway, since it had been many years & this was a completely different blend with a slight name change, gave it one more good old college try but ended up once again disappointed. Sadly this cute hippo label can’t change the blasted contents of this bottle.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #France #Rosé #Rose

Posted on

Wines For Fines

Samuel Párraga
Coche Discoteca NV
Sparkling Rosé 
Moscatel, Pedro Ximinez, Rome
Organic
Málaga, Andalucía, Spain

Deep rose/orange sunset with a few bubbles. There’s scents of strawberries, raspberry, toasty hay, lemon/lime jelly bellies, light cherry pop, and a little sea breeze. Sipping away and am greeted by those strawberries & raspberries, juicy light cherry, bit of sweet apple, that toast/hay moment again, in the background there’s other bouncing berries from blue to boysen, smidge red currants, lime sizzle, and a tiny lick of salt. This is one FUN party pop.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: walk away from the bag

Samuel discovered his enthusiasm for wine from his dad who brought him up doing it right in the natural & artisanal way. He’s continued in that same vein with no chemicals in the field & winery, and believes that the vines “are stronger and a HARMONY can be achieved between the plants and the rest of the beings that inhabit and/or are related to the crop. I also believe that the grapes from these plants are fruits with greater VITALITY, which gives us the opportunity to make a good PURE wine.” He also loves to share his vino, and after a night of music (María Arnal & Marcel Bagés) he & friends kept the party going in the parking lot by the car with some of his vino and a “rather large speaker in the trunk”. Needless to say cops pulled up to the bumper & a ticket (it inspired the label) was written for “Coche Discoteca” aka “Disco Car”. I want to read the full rule of law against discoing. 🤣 At least they came up with a small batch (31 bottles) to pay it off, and hoping that they keep them coming. 🪩

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #sparklingwine #Spain #worldbyglass #goatboyselections #cochediscoteca #samuelparraga #vinewinenyc

Posted on

Pairs With Piggy

Joostenberg Wines
Myburgh Bros.
Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2024
W.O. Paarl
100% Chenin Blanc
Organic, dry farmed
Paarl, South Africa
Tyrrel and Philip Myburgh (5th gen)

Light starlight twinkle twinkle yellow with a green gleam. Breathing in ripe & round apples & pears, peaches of all sorts, lemon/lime/tangelo squeeze, maybe a hint of peat/earth…hmmm, and a mineral/slate scent that turns into a bit of chalk. All of the scents are there in the taste but the fruits grow (especially loving the peaches), tiny lick of mango that makes me want bbq eel, and also that chalk/mineral vibe. Actually this lovely glass has me craving Southern bbq piggy.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: just don’t

Joostenberg has been in the Myburgh family since 1879, and has always been into mixed farming along with winemaking but for some reason in 1947, they decided to pull back from the making but kept up with the growing and selling their grapes to a local co-op. Thankfully in 1999, Tyrrel & Philip (brothers) decided to dive back in and they didn’t just stop there. As in their family tradition they still kept farming and continued to branch out with their deli providing free range & organic products from their farm or locally sourced. They also have a specialized butchery (started in 1997), beautiful seasonal flowers for any occasion, fresh vegetables & herbs, a bistro, their courtyard restaurant Kraal, a kids & family welcome Picnic Style Eatery, and at last their beautiful event venue that can handle 10 to 300 people. Wow, you would think it would be more than enough to keep a family busy, but turns out they also created a wine project (MAN Family Wines) with José Conde of Stark-Condé Wines which is named after their wives’ initials: Marie, Anette and Nicky. With all of these plates spinning at once, I’m impressed & exhausted on their behalf. Raising my glass to this busy bee family. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #southafrica #skurnikwines #JoostenbergWines #MyburghBros #docwinebar #docwineshop

Posted on

A Small Delicacy

Domaine des Aubuisières
Vouvray AOC
Brut
100% Chenin Blanc
HVE3 certification, organic
Loire, France
Charles and Menehould Lesaffre

Warm gold with active little bubbles tracing images on the surface. Inhaling an elegant mix of pears (fresh & baked), Fuji & Red Delicious apples, nectarines, white peaches, a gentle reminder of my mom’s lemon squares that were properly cooked & not eggy like other overcooked ones I’ve had, and light honeysuckle blooms. First sip wakes up my mouth with a zing. All of the scents are there in the taste with a tiny drop of citrus tingle. Just crisp, fresh and very addictive.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

I’m a bit of a magpie when it comes to labels, or at least I love to pay attention to details like this little long beaked bird flying in from the side. I became familiar with this feathered friend, the Bécasse aka Eurasian woodcock, from one of my favorite authors, Martin Walker & his series “Bruno Chief of Police” set in Dordogne, France. Bruno not only solves mysteries/crimes, but he is also an amazing chef. He dearly loves to hunt (along with his Basset Hound) Bécasse and share them with his friends. In “The Dark Vineyard”, during one of his dinner parties, he explains that when the birds are flushed out of the brush & take flight their stomach completely evacuates so this fat tube is a delicacy. Cooked it softens, turns creamy and is supposed to be delicious spread on a baguette. Bruno also grills the birds split down the middle with the head & beak still attached, and some find the “charred head” to be their fave to eat whole…just don’t munch on the beak. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #sparklingwine #brut #France #worldbyglass #brunochiefofpolice #weygandtselections #peterweygandt #domainedesaubuisieres #vinewinenyc

Posted on

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

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