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“Luckiest Girl On Earth”

Division Winemaking Company
Pinot Noir “Un,” 2022
Sustainable
Willamette Valley
Urban winery & tasting room in Portland, OR
Co-owners & co-winemakers: Kate Norris & Thomas Monroe

Plummy maroon. There’s scents of dancing cherries, pink & green strawberries, rhubarb but in pie form, red currants, a teeny lemon drop, cardamon & coriander, and faint tomato leaf but this is the first glass. Sipping away on a mix of dark & light plums & cherries, strawraspbosenberry blend, smidge of hoarhound candy, that rhubarb pie again with the spices & red currant, lick of fresh rained on conglomerate rock, blackberry (seeds & all), and a good twang…light on its feet with a growing sophisticated dance that is sure to keep on grooving.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Step away from the bag…why ruin a good thing

Norris & Monroe are both very passionate about wine, the process, knowing when to step back or step in, or as Thomas says, “Winemakers are an integral part of the process, but I equate it to a chef and food. If you over season something, it takes away the nature and beauty of the produce you sourced for your dish.”. You know, just like a good meal a good wine can bring people together in a moment of joy, conversation and sharing which is definitely what “Un” does, and as Kate mentions, she loves to see people truly enjoying their wines to the last drop. One last quote that I found during my deep dive on their site that brought a huge smile to my face is how Kate views her part of winemaking, “That challenge is thrilling, humbling, and rewarding. I’m always asking myself, did I translate what mother nature gave us well? I’m the luckiest girl on earth, getting to make wine.” ❤️🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #PinotNoir #oregon #portland #divisionwine #divisionwineco  #vinewinenyc

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The Things You Can Do In Your Parent’s Basement

LaRuraL
Parellada 2022
100% Parellada
Organic (CCPAE since 2015), indigenous yeasts & grapes, no additives
Santes Creus, Alt Camp, Tarragona, Catalunya, Spain
Xavi and Andreu Padró (brothers)

Bright orange gold. Breathing in oranges, orange blossoms, irises & roses, tangerines & zest, fresh pineapple, cantaloupe, and a touch of  musk melon. Taking a sip and ding ding ding it’s all of the scents with a bit of lime zest spring in its step, golden apples fresh & baked, round pears, apricots, candied pineapple like from mom’s fruitcake & also dried but not overly sweet, all of the flavors linger & swirl, and at the very back green apple peel.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: ok

The Padró family were growers but didn’t get into winemaking/selling until Xavi & Andreu decided it was time to show the world what their family’s grapes could do. When I think of two brothers hanging out in their parents’ basement, the image that comes to mind of boys/young men playing D&D or video games, but with these two…they were on their way to creating magical elixirs. Starting out they worked with an enologist but it wasn’t quite the right fit, and they followed their heart or should I say their tastebuds to inspirations of likeminded & knowledgable souls that helped guide their way. Their celebrated wines also carry eye catching labels by their friend & artist, Fran Rodríguez aka lacabezaenlasnubes. His imagery is surreal and filled with emotions or memories that seem frozen in time. Check him out and please do pick up one of LaRuraL’s wines because they are inside and out a portal to an enchanting world.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #organic #naturalwine  #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #lacabezaenlasnubes #josepastorselections #Spain #LaRuraL #vinewinenyc

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Why Rush? Just Breathe…

The Central Coast Group Project
Obscure Object of Desire 2014
Viognier
Santa Barbara, CA
Grapes locally sourced from organic/sustainable vineyards, unfined & unfiltered
Winemaker & owner: Scott Sampler

Shining electric orange amber. Let this baby breathe a while and then scents appear of tangerines, orange rinds, a sherry/calvados mashup, hazelnuts that morph into coconut,  teeny bit of pineapple, and a few little orange blossoms. Sipping all of the scents with a touch of honey & an alcohol burn, followed by pickled watermelon rind, and candied orange peel.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

Scott Sampler is definitely a Renaissance man…a lover of the arts, filmmaker, has great appreciation of food & wine (& wine coolers), and he melds all the fields together in CCGP (and his other wines “L’Age d’Or” & “Scotty Boy”). You know, I almost didn’t give this wine the time it needs to be appreciated and that would have been a great mistake. The world so often keeps everything running at full throttle and sometimes special events just get overlooked and rushed through. This is not one of those moments. “Obscure Object of Desire” as other CCGP wines have lengthy maceration/fermentation times and are made to age. So take some time to spend with this glass as you would with a dear old friend you have not seen in years…I guarantee you will be having a long & beautiful conversation.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #catsofinstagram #cats #wineoclock #organic #wineislove #winetime #naturalwine #worldbyglass #california #CCGP #vinewinenyc

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Following The Dream

Textura
Pretexto Tinto 2020
Dão DOC
Jaen, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro
Sustainable, organic
São Paio, Gouveia, Portugal
Marcelo Araujo & family
Winemaker: Luis Seabra

Ruby purple that’s so deep I can’t see my fingers on the other side of the glass. Sniff and there’s cherries, tart & a few dark plums &  touch of prunes, raspberries, tomato leaves, fresh pulled beets, and as it opens a floral moment of tiny roses. Sipping & again cherries, tart & dark plums, green tomatoes warm from the backyard, dried herbs (oregano, rosemary, pinch of sage), young strawberries, blackberries, boysenberries, and a lemon/lime zest moment. Smooth, fresh and easy to love.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: ack ack ack awful

So what do you do if you realize you love wine more than your old job in Brazil? If you’re like Marcelo Araujo you follow your passion, but you also follow a well thought out plan. He & his family found the right plots in Portugal, the right people (Mariana Salvador & Luis Seabra) to help guide the way, and utilize what is already there like the 100+ year old textile factory that they renovated into their winery, wine bar, and a space for “wine tourism” which celebrates the native grapes that make as they say their “wines of character”, local recipes, culture, and of course nature since they are nestled right near Serra da Estrela Natural Park where you can find Eurasian eagle-owls (wow are they huge!), Common genet (so freaking cute), wolves, boars, and so much more. Who wouldn’t want to follow a passion and end up in such an enchanting place that you can call home? They are definitely living the dream, or rather in their case the best wine life possible. 🍷❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #organic #wineislove #winetime #naturalwine #worldbyglass #jdselections #textura #texturawines #vinewinenyc

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Deers Gone Wild

P.A.N.K.
Sabotage 2022
Pét-Nat
100% Olaszrizling
Organic, hand harvested, spontaneous fermentation, skin contact, unfiltered, unfined, and undisgorged
Köveskál, Balatonfelvidék, Hungary
Winemaker: Attila Pálffy & Orsolya (his fiancée)

Orange with pink shimmers and teeny bubbles that disperse. Sniffing all sorts of oranges, orange blossoms, pears fresh & baked, tiny white spring flowers & other field flowers, touch of balsamic, honeysuckle, and a bit of a wild style. All the scents are in the swig with more pears, some apples & cider, along with pie spice, touch of smoke, lavender, a blend citrus zest, and Orangina.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: ack

7th gen winemaking family (Pálffy Pince), Attila Pálffy has his side project which shows his heritage’s knowledge and his rebellious side. P.A.N.K. is his creative outlet and experimental flare. From what I’m reading, he managed to tick off the Hungarian “wine police” with his haze & bio side which fits his love of punk and is very evident in his craft aesthetic. Once again, I am on the search for who the label artist is. It’s a bit of street art, fine art, and on this one & others a touch of the animals in Attila’s world. This bottle has a saucy deer giving you the one finger salute. Evidently a herd of these wild child marauders had one raucous party in the vines during one night of harvest. I guess even the animals in their neighborhood are punk rockers too. Btw if there’s a t-shirt of this artwork, please let me know where I can  click, buy & make it mine. 🦌

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #punk  #organic #wineislove #winetime #naturalwine #Hungary #worldbyglass #punksnotdead #organic #palinkerie #pank #vinewinenyc

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🎶Demain, Demain🎶

Bojo do Luar
Luiza
Pét-Nat Rosé
80% Espadeiro, 20% Loureiro
Organic, indigenous grapes, spontaneous ferment w ground chestnut flowers
Grapes sourced from Rui Paiva (Fernando Paiva’s nephew)
Vinho Verde, Portugal

Orange sunset rose with fluffy pinky-white head and fine bubbles. Scents float up of strawberry, raspberry, cherry, red currant, lemon squeeze, a light scent of Froot Loops that fades in & out, and as it opens more there’s blackberries & plums with a touch of bramble. First taste starts off with a zing, cherries, raspberries, SweeTARTS, red currants, a little gooseberry, and young strawberry. Just crisp, dry and joyful.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: absolutely perfect pairing of yum

Here’s another natural beauty from Savio Soares & team. As with all the past bottles I’ve tried, I’m always so glad years ago he met Fernando Paiva, who was already working bio (in fact 1st Portuguese winemaker to be fully biodynamic certified by Demeter) & adding in that special touch of chestnut flowers. This time around the indigenous grapes are sourced from Paiva’s nephew, Rui, who was also joined in the fields by his dad (80 yrs old) & his nephew for the harvest, so it was a family affair. This leads me to wonder, about the name “Luiza”. Who is this person that inspired the label? Is it a family member or a current or past love…or am I as usual overthinking something that I should just be enjoying? Ok that settles it, pour me another glass and  I’ll leave this a mystery for tomorrow (or as the song says “Demain demain”) unless someone wants to let me in on the secret today.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #biodynamic #organic #wineislove #winetime #naturalwine #worldbyglass #organic #portugal #luiza #saviosoaresselections #BojodoLuar #vinewinenyc

 

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True Characters

Château La Ferme Rouge
La Petite Ferme Rouge 2022
AOG Zaër
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carignan, 10% Marselan
Organic, hand picked
Zaër, Morocco
Winemaker: Jacques Poulain

Dark purple with a ruby rim. There’s scents of cherries, plums, orchard blossoms, black currants, raspberries, blackberries, a little lime zest, and touch of easy friendly oak (not that overpowering stuff I hate). Tasting all of those lovely scents along with black olive pits, strawberry, cranberry, a citrus tingle on the back as I exhale, and that touch of oak again with a little orange pekoe tea leaves.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: hmmm makes it lighter and juicier

When I think of Morocco, it’s when I went there in my very early teens on a day visit while traveling Europe on a school trip and had it not been for a kind, outspoken & flamboyant lady (she said to call her Auntie Mame) on the same tour I could have ended up lost and still be wandering the town’s streets. So when I was skimming the shelves and what do I see but a wine from Morocco…wait…what? Of course had to buy this red to see what I had been missing out on all this time. I’ve heard some & then went down a reading rabbit hole of their history of viticulture from Phoenician settlers, Romans, French colonists & winemakers that looked for another source of grapes due to phylloxera, and then came the country’s independence (1956) & EEC regulations (1967) which pulled the breaks on many of the vineyards. Then in the 90s King Hassan II (University of Bordeaux grad) gave a bump of encouragement to pull in more investors & winemakers, and speed began picking up again. Now there’s 7 wine regions and Château La Ferme Rouge (3rd to receive AOC) weathered it all from 1908 to now with a reboot in 2009 that has helped it continue to thrive and as they call it “A vineyard full of character” which this bottle has a scrumptious one. So happy to meet this wine because each sip leads my memories back to that witty & carefree Aunty Mame “character”, who I’ll never forget.❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #catsofinstagram #cats #winelover #winetime #morocco #wearenomadic #chateaulafermerouge #vinewinenyc

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“Can You Bottle An Idea?”

Fento Wines
Bico Do Cabo 2022
Albariño
Rias Baixas DO
Organic & biodynamic
Ribadumia, Galicia, Spain
Winemaker: Rebecca & Eulogio Pomares

Shining golden yellow. Breathing in lemons, tiny squeeze of grapefruit, pears, a cooling sea breeze, and ocean wave splashed on mineral rock. First taste and there’s lemons & lemon Pez, firm pears, Granny Smith apples, a little white peach, and a kiss of salt. It’s just fresh, crisp, zingy and has a lot more going on than a lot of other Albariños.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: surprisingly brings out a whole big basket of lemons so pucker up!

“For me freedom is not doing what I want, it is knowing that I can. The starting point was: can you bottle an idea?” – Eulogio Pomares

Taking that first step toward bottling his ideas must have been so exciting while growing up in the Bodegas Zárate wine family (7th generation), and is now their winemaker, but he didn’t just stop there…he’s been called restless which I see as creatively driven. He &  Rebecca (his wife) also have side projects that include Parcelarios (their Albariño vineyard comes from a plot of old vines from Rebeca’s grandmother), and Fento Wines (fern in Galician) which has been around & keeping it natural since 2012, and includes grapes from both Rias Baixas & Portugal’s Dao region (Quinta da Pellada). Then there’s his passion of not only being a champion of Albariño, but also of local reds (Caiño Tinto, Loureiro Tinto & Espadeiro) that needed a bit of his know-how & help with recovery. Overall this man must be the “Energizer Bunny” of Galician wines and is known as one of their top winemakers…so my bet is he finds a very satisfying freedom in every glass of his wine that is poured. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #naturalwine #worldbyglass #organic #Galicia #Spain #avantgardews #fentowines #vinewinenyc

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Butterfly Kisses

Butterfly Kisses
Movia
Pét-Nat 2022
Chardonnay 50%, Rebula 50%
Organic, biodynamic, dry farmed, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Primorska, Slovenia
Aleš Kristančič (father & wine genius)
Lan Kristančič (following in his father & family’s footsteps & who came up with this collaboration with Ethica Wines)

Orangey gold amber with tiny fine bubbles and the color becomes more electric over time. Breathing in lovely brioche, gentle orange blossoms, orange creamsicle, lemon crispness, persimmons, and a mellow delicate blend of all sorts of oranges. Sipping and this is just elegant & delicious…all of the scents with a puff of smoke, bright and clean tingle that adds in more citrus like tangelos & lime, nectarine, apricot, tart yellow plums & yellow cherries, lick of salt, and as time goes a touch of fresh honey. It’s vibrant, crisp, delightful with a flutter of flirtation & a quick butterfly kiss.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Don’t ruin a good thing. Walk away from the box.

Movia dates back to 1820, and the Kristančič family do not see their estate & wine production as a job, it’s a calling or a way a life that intertwines them, their vineyards, and all of nature. Their lands stretch over 30 ha with 25 through the Slovenian-Goriška Brda region & Collio (Italy). Yes, Aleš was born into this wine family but he also studied winemaking at the University of Padua & apprenticed & gained experiences in Bordeaux & Burgundy. His dad though gifted him with some of the most important lessons. As Aleš says on Movia’s site, “Before my father passed the winery into my hands, he made me believe that we-people didn’t invent wine, we just discovered it. And everything starts from here.“ “We believe that wine is the 2nd most important drink that a person consumes…We are aware that the taste that nature itself can give to us is always better than the one with human interventions.” Just check out their Puro sparkling wines as a perfect example. They’re not disgorged, due to their yeasts can live forever, & honestly scare me a little because…well I’m a klutz. There are 2 special ways to open them and enjoy their bright life. Chill it upside down & check out the video to see if you can master it on the first try. I’m just glad this scrumptious pét-nat came with a crown cap. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover

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Wild Child

Galgo Wines
ÍB Sunset 2023
Garnacha & Jaén Blanca
Organic, unfined & unfiltered
Sierra de Gredos, Castilla-León, Spain
Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos & Daniel Ramos (producer)

Pomegrante-cherry haze with blue shimmers. Breathing in cherries & blossoms, roses, violets, and pickle juice that fades. First sip and there’s cherries tart & dark, deep fresh & dried strawberries, tingle tangle (it’s a bit of a wild child), red currants, pomegranate, a chew of sour grass, and a lick of pickle while chewing Choward’s scented gum (violet).

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  NOPE

It’s been a while since my last Galgo wine but they are always fun, fresh, and at times like this one frisky. Daniel, has a passion for Garnacha (& so do I!) in particular from Sierra de Gredos where he saved & resurrected a few hectares. From what I’m learning he also has a penchant for Jaén Blanca which he tends to add to his wines like IB Sunset. They’ve also created a 100% Jaén that I’m still on the hunt for and hoping one day to finally get a taste of its natural beauty. BTW did you catch the name of Sanchez-Mateos & Ramos’ Galgo collaboration line, “Ínsula Barataria”? Do you remember where that comes from? Here’s two hints, there’s a donkey on the label & you probably had this on a test long ago. See I knew you’d get it. 📖 🍷Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #naturalwine #worldbyglass #organic #Spain #steephillwine #ReservaYCata #galgowines #vinewinenyc