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Clinging On As Summer Fades

La Lata
Vermujito
Wine Spritz
Organic, vegan, gluten free & no chemical additives
Spain
Created by Álvaro de la Viña & Ana González (Selections de la Viña)

Crack open and pour on the rocks or you can just drink it straight up from the can (an orange slice is suggested too but I’m fine as is). It’s warm gold with lovely active bouncing bubbles. Take a sniff and there’s mountain herbs, blossoms & other white flowers, that lovely dry vermouth smell joined with a pop of nose tickling citrus. Sipping and again that delicious vermouth taste and feel and again that mountain herby along with a touch of coriander/cloves, a drop of clover honey, and a red grapefruit juice splash.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: bleh

This is one fun cocktail to sip holding onto the last bits of summer while embracing the oncoming feel of fall. Álvaro & Ana selected the vermouth for this recipe from Bodegas Robles in Montilla-Moriles, who have been around since 1927, and organic since the 90s. There’s an extra gift that comes with their wines/vermouths…they have paired soundscapes which are  “not so much a prescription for the ‘right’ matching of wines and sounds as an invitation to open up to what your senses awaken in you.” So when you pop this can and let it roll around over your tongue, what do you feel?

wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #vermouth #vermut #cocktails #cannedcocktails #wineinacan #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #organic #vermujito #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #Spain #DameLaLata @cheezit @bodegasrobles @damelalata.co @selectionsdelavina @vinewinenyc

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Hallo

The End Of Nowhere
Spaceboy 2022
100% Pinot Gris
Organic, hand harvested, native yeasts, unfined & unfiltered
Grapes from Heringer Vineyard in Yolo County
Amador City, CA
Founder and winemaker: Chris Walsh

Burnt orange red stained glass. Sniffing and there’s cherry wit a teeny touch of balsamic, rhubarb, strawberries red & green, ripe bell pepper, and a dusting of white pepper. First sip and those strawberries & rhubarb are there again along with tart & smooth cherry, a cranberry & bell pepper cocktail, a grind of white pepper, and a lemon peel twist.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: deliciously vibrant

Drinking another glass and listening to “Hallo Spaceboy” remix on repeat. Will admit I am a fangirl of Bowie, Eno & PSB, so this bottle just said bring me home, and that led me to finding out who Chris Walsh is. Originally from Amador, his dreams took him to NYC. Eventually he ended up in the food & wine industry, became a sommelier, and then realized it was time to return back to his roots, home, wine studies, and work with great wineries & winemakers (two in particular I love: Donkey & Goat and Matthew Rorick). Now he has 2 lines of wines. “Little John Lane” made with grapes he grows on his 10 acres, and “The Edge of Nowhere” sourced from Sierra Foothills small organic growers he respects and trusts. As he says, “We are committed to practicing organic farming and treating the land with more than a little love. We live here, and will do whatever it takes to preserve our land for future generations… even if that pulling weeds by hand.”

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #california #organic #naturalwine #spaceboy #vinewinenyc #theendofnowhere @cheezit @vinewinenyc @end_of_nowhere

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A Creative & Delicious Solution

Les Filles des Fêtes
Afternoon Disco 2022
Chardonnay 66%, Viognier 34%
Natural wine, zero/zero
Greenport, NY
Leslie Merinoff

Warm gold just like a perfect ring on your finger. First sniff and there’s a natural seaside tide pool whiff that departs and then heads into a pinch of light pie spice, next up are spring flowers & fruit blossoms, apples, pears, and overall it’s just light, bright and uplifting. Sip & swish and apples & pears appear again with s little zing of lime & zesty tart bit of liveliness, lick of mineral rock that has a small shake of salt sea breeze, and smidge of mace on the exhale with a little sprig of hay. This glass is super chill and comfortable and perfect to ease into an afternoon DJ set.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: bleh. don’t bother

I’ve become quite a fan of Matchbook Distilling & Leslie Merinoff’s creations, and this wine makes me fall a bit harder for them, or maybe I should say it makes me want to get up and dance. Reading on how it all came about and turns out it is a creative solution for what could have been a big problem. Originally it was to be all about Viognier, but in order to keep the ferment process at just the right spot cool they needed more juice to fill their tank. Since Leslie sources & works with local farmers/growers, North Fork Long Island’s Macari Vineyards provided the beautiful Chardonnay to balance everything out. BTW, I’m really glad these two grapes had their chance to mingle because oh they do shine so well together kind of like bright daylight shimmering on a spinning 🪩.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #cocktails #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #cheezit #naturalwine #pairswithcheezits #greenport #NY #Longisland #discoball #disco #matchbookdistilling #vinewinenyc @cheezit @matchbookdistilling @vinewinenyc

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A Big Smooch To The Future

Staffelter Hof
Jan Matthias Klein
Kiss Kiss Maddie’s Lips
Rosé Pét-Nat
100% Fruhburgunder (early-ripening variant of Pinot Noir)
Organic
Kröv, Mosel, Germany

Rose plum orange with bubbling activity and natural haze. Oh, also open over a sink with a towel near because they’re might be a chance of a pink bubbling fountain. Wafting up from those bubbles are scents of plums with some creaminess, tree blossoms & roses, and citrus zest blended with a touch of a running down that hill grass stain. Sipping and here comes tart bright plums & that touch of cream again, a swish of pomegranate-blackberry juice, smidge of cedar in the back, touch of kumquat, green wild strawberries, and a kick of wild sour grass that fades in and out…dry, fresh and fun!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: delicious and brings out more fruit, who would have thought?

Staffelter Hof just may very well be one of the oldest wineries or companies documented in the world (that is still in business), with a mention of it in legal paperwork back in 862 A.D. It went from an abbey to a winery/farm with the size varying over the years, and adapting with the times by modernizing the buildings (including central heating!). As of the latest generation Jan Matthias Klein (eldest son of Gundi and Gerd) they’re organic (2023 is their 10th year), and expanding into natural wines with also very cool new label art…just like this delicious pet-nat which carries on the family heritage image of a wolf from their coat of arms (albeit frolicking, imbibing & carefree). Oh and look here, Jan & team are adding fungus resistant PiWi grapes to their vineyards. That’s a good move for keeping this historic winery moving forward into their delicious, sustainable & organic future, and for that they do deserve a big smooch! 💋

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #piwi #organic #mosel #Germany #cheezit #PétNat #petnat #naturalwine #vinewinenyc #bowlerwine #StaffelterHof @cheezit @bowlerwine @vinewinenyc @staffelterhof862

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Pairs with Fosse

Weingut Wurzinger 
Früg Orange 2022
Grüner Veltliner 70%, Roter Traminer 30%
Organic
Tadten, Burgenland, Austria
Owners & winemakers: Josef & Pia Wurzinger

Shining rose gold just like my great-great-great grandmother’s ring I still have. Breathing in tangelo, lemon & lime, a salty breeze with a little aromatic white pepper, crisp apples, roses and a touch of good old wisteria, peaches, and fresh rained on slate. Sipping away and all the scents are in the taste with more peach, orange rind, lovely pears & apples, and in the back a little fresh cut grass with puff of smoke & mineral lick. This is delicious and very easy to drink so call a friend or two to join in because it’s a whole liter.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: so perfectly smooth

Ok maybe I’m just not that cool, but I had never heard of the 60’s dance called the Frug. Massive thank you to Weingut Wurzinger and Jenny & Francois for leading me down a YouTube rabbit hole. It’s a hip shaking stylish groove that if done right can make you look pretty suave & mod (in my case probably looks more like Elaine from Seinfeld dancing). When I first saw Fosse’s, “The Rich Man’s Frug”,  I have to admit the first thing that popped into my head was the courtship maneuvers of the Hooded Grebe 🤣. Please check out these two videos and definitely grab a liter to start your dance party right. 🪩💃🕺

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #organic #naturalwine #worldbyglass #winelover #austria #winetime #orangewine #letsdance #fosse #Früg #frug @weingutwurzinger @JennyandFrancois @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Stained Happy Feet

Bodega de Forlong
Blanco 2021
100% Palomino
Organic, biodynamic
El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, Andalucia, Spain
Alejandro Naváerez & Rocío Áspera

Yellow starlight with blinking green bits. Breathing in blossoms floating out, banana & some of it toasted, apples, light lime, fresh crusty plain bagel, gentle hazelnut, a pinch of dried fennel, and a dash of salt. All the scents are there in the taste along with smoke, apple & pear blend, crisp lemon/lime splash, more of that very welcome sea salt breeze, puff of smoke, mineral lick of rock, mild hazelnut, and ends in the back with a tiny piece of green pecan from my Granny’s backyard.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: gentle and smooth

This is one of those lovely tales of two friends (both with wine degrees) that end up falling in love, rescuing an abandoned farm, and nurturing it back to certified organic life. Sounds like a perfect dream life to me (I’m not jealous…well maybe a little…maybe a little more than a little), but I’m sure it’s also a ton of hard work. Through their own words, you can see how rewarding it all is. “We make wines with love, always with feet stained with Albariza and with a heart that pumps the fruit of their work.” Now, onto addressing Victoria Cerezo Doello’s label art of a serious looking business-fish decked out in a pinstripe suit, pocket square, and briefcase. He’s letting you know that you can pair this bottle with any fancy-schmancy sea loving gastro creation to fish & chips takeaway, or even just a Krabby Patty (just don’t forget the secret ingredient a pinch of King Neptune’s Poseidon Powder). 🐟🐠🦀🦪🦑🦞🍤🦐🌊

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #Cadiz #Andalucia #Spain #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #naturalwine #vinewinenyc @cheezit @forlongwine @laluzselections @vinewinenyc

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Bubbling Romance

Château de Minière
Bulles de Minière
100% Cabernet Franc
Sparkling Red Wine
Organic Agriculture Ecocert, HVE
Bourgueil, Loire Valley, France
Kathleen Van den Berghe & Sigurd Mareels

Deep maroon purple with pretty in pink bubbles. At first sniff there’a a bit of creaminess (kind of Oreo center) followed quickly by raspberries, fresh picked pink & red strawberries, boysenberries, spring house mineral fresh, cherries, tiny tarty plum, and after a bit a bouquet of spring flowers pop up. Sipping raspberries, blackberries & seeds, blueberries, strawberries, dried cherry & cranberry, a touch of lemon spark in the back and a crisp end. This bubbly is pure romance, so go ahead and shoot that arrow…through my heart!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out a bigger depth of berries

Well, this is truly a bottle of romance…after honeymooning Kathleen & Sigurd (originally from Belgium) began searching for a vineyard to call their own. Once they saw Château de Minière, well just take a look at the site for yourself, the home and grounds are just gorgeous (it’s like living in a fairytale setting), and has centuries of history with women at the helm of the manor. Kathleen has joined that line, not only with rejuvenating the castle while keeping it true to its historic roots, but also tending to the environment and all that resides in it. Even with the organic & biodynamic you would expect for the vines, there’s also a LPO bird sanctuary, bee hives, rainwater recovery, and more. Oh and not to be forgotten, “Careful thought has been given to the bottling of the wine, for instance: lightweight bottles, unbleached cardboard, strict traceability of corks, nothing is left to chance.” What started out in my mind as a bottle of romance, I now see as a beautiful passionate labor of love. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #organic #naturalwine #worldbyglass #winelover #winetime #sparklingwine #bubbly #loirevalleywines #loirevalley #France @cheezit  @chateaudeminiere @communalbrands @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Like Father, Like Daughter

Ca N’Estruc BI
Xarel·lo Ancestral 2021
Pét-Nat
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts, unfined & unfiltered
Esparreguera, Catalunya, Spain
Winemaking family: Anna Martí Pitart (daughter), Francisco Martí Badia (father)

Light gold with dainty bubbles. Breathing in pears, a dusting of fresh baked baguettes & a teeny bit of pie spice. Everything is light & gentle as it opens to include white peach, apple, mild honeysuckle, a scattering of spring flowers, and a pinch of dried apricot that blossoms into a citrus blend. Sipping along and there’s a refreshing jumble of the scents along with an exhale of a sprig of hay. The apples & pears mingle beautifully like fresh bites in the orchard with a lime zest zing, and it’s so delightfully crisp that it leaves me with a big ol’ smile.

Pairs with @cheezit: brings out more apples

BI is Anna’s line of small production wines (this one has only 1,222 bottles so grab 1 before it’s gone) from her family’s estate, Ca N’Estruc which has usually passed to the sons through the generations & dates back to 1574. This is also a project & collaboration with her father (which I find absolutely endearing & cool to get to work with your dad). Growing up surrounded by vines, wine & people that respect nature, how could she not end up following in his footsteps while finding her own natural wine path. Her father Francisco is the man that changed the trajectory of Ca N’Estruc by telling his father, that they needed to make better wine. Thank goodness he listened! Oh, and one more thing about Francisco, I had absolutely no idea that he & Quim Vila joined forces around 30 years ago, to open the larger Vila Viniteca (wine store & distribution) on Carrer dels Agullers. That is a must stop every time I go to Barcelona because for a wine lover like me it is exciting & overwhelming in a good way. There’s shelves and shelves reaching the ceiling of bottles from all over. So Anna & Francisco, I may have never met you, but both of you have brought two great gifts into my life…your amazing wines & one of the happiest places (stores) on earth.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #vinnaturel #PétNat #petnat #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #Spain #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #vilaviniteca #canestruc #josepastorselections #vinewinenyc

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Bubbling…Morning, Noon & Night

Bernard Vallette
Pét Matin
Sparkling Wine
100% Chardonnay
Biodynamic, Demeter certified, hand harvested, native yeasts
Lachassagne, Beaujolais, France
Agnès Clamens & Bernard Vallette

Warm gold with very active fine bubbles. Breathing in pears, brioche or a memory of mom’s homemade pie crust, sprig of hay, Golden Delicious apples, a lively lemon squeeze that after a bit lime joins in, as time goes by some orchard blossoms & a little magnolia, and a touch of honey dew. Take a sip and again there’s pears & green apples, touch of Nilla wafer, a lemon splash and green smidge of lime zest. It’s crisp, delightful, delicious, and a little seltzer sparky. Makes you just want the bottle to never run out.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: a bright and elegant dance

I love not only this wine, but oh this label! Great retro movie poster style and colors, which has me wondering is there a flick this is referencing? Anyone know? Now as for the type/words, I and Google Translate may be butchering this translation, “When there’s no room in the cellar in the morning, we have to drink”. Yes, just give me an excuse to have a small bit of bubbles with breakfast. I’ll welcome making space in the cave. Also look a bit further down in the small print. Now I really have to chuckle, “There is no explicit mouse in this wine. However, there are scents of wildness that may be considered shocking. No one under 21 will be admitted.” Thank goodness NO MICE! I’m fine with a little wild tumble, but please let’s keep this Mickey free.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #vinnaturel #PétNat #petnat #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #France #Beaujolais #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #naturalwine #BernardVallette #mfwwineco #vinewinenyc

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A Wild Frisky Bounce

Clos Kixhaya
“Pet by Nat” 2021
Vin mousseux de France
Méthode ancestrale
Brut nature
100% Cabernet Franc
Natural, biodynamic, sustainable
Chinon, Loire Valley, France
Winemakers: Béatriz Papamija & Étienne Le Blanc

Amber salmon streaked sunset with fine bubbles tracing designs on the surface. Breathing in young strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate, a squeeze of lemon, a sprig of hay, little apple cider tart tingle in a good way & natural forest floor that fades, and a pinch of shortbread cookie. Sipping and there’s a jumble of all the berries including goose, pomegranate, little lemon, a mellow scone moment, and as it opens a bit of Georgia peach with a mineral lick of a rock & a wild frisky bounce. Just delightful!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: step away from the bag, this is a full on NO

Béatriz & Étienne are a very well rounded couple with backgrounds in everything from economics to architecture and now wine. Sure looks like these two can do just about anything when they make a decision, listen to their intuition, and make sure they end up exactly where they feel they should be. Turns out their home base in the wine world is in Chinon and includes not only the 4.5 ha of old 50-90 year old vines (only Cabernet Franc) but also a house & cellar which is perfect for raising a family & a farm (that also benefits the vines). If you want to see some beautiful images of their labor of natural love, pop over to their IG page. I love the pinned video of Béatriz spraying the vines with “valerian flower extract dynamised in water”. I had no idea that what helps us with stress also works for plants. As said, “We love the idea of healing plants with other plants!” 🍇🐇

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #vinnaturel #PétNat #petnat #kixhaya #closkixhaya #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #worldbyglass #organic #France #Loire #Chinon #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #vinnature #naturalwine #loirevalley #loirevalleywines @cheezit  @vinewinenyc @clos_kixhaya @terrestrialwine