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Nature’s Symphony

Domaine Yves Duport
Céline
Vin de France
40% Chardonnay, 40% Gamay, 20% Mondeuse
Biodynamic, organic, spontaneous fermentation, indigenous yeasts
Bugey, France
Winemaker: Yves Duport

Pressed strawberry cherry juice on the darker side yet you can still through it. Is it a rosé or a red you can chill? Either way it is a perfect summer wine. Smooth scents of strawberries, raspberries, sweet cherries, and a little southern forest flair. Sipping strawberries, raspberries, pluots, dark cherries, a rock from the creek down the street, smoke, and touch of toasted rosemary.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: the salt makes it more bright, but I preferred the depth it had, so it’s up to you to decide.

Yves Duport has a perfect quote on his site: “Only in the plant kingdom, the vine makes us understand what the true flavor of the Earth is.” – Colette – Prisons et Paradis 1936. Within four generations of work, the domaine is now up to 12 hectares and has been organic and biodynamic since 2007. Yves lets nature (the terroir) be the composer of the songs of his wines while as I’m reading he is the conductor in the vines. Céline is their beautiful symphony birthed from the trio blend of grapes and varied Bugey soils. As I keep on sipping this song, I feel like I’m sitting on a hillside of wildflowers with butterflies fluttering around me, and breathing in that clean mountain air. Oh, a girl can dream, at least until I can soon make it reality.

@vinewinenyc @saviosselections #MaisonYvesDuport @cheezits #wine #Rosé #rose #redwine #vindefrance #vin @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #cheezit #vinewinenyc #organic #biodynamic # #winestagram #instawine #nativeyeasts #naturalwine #Bugey #France #Chardonnay #Gamay #Mondeuse #Colette

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Under the Pink Moon

Bojo do Luar
Luar Rosa 2020
Vinho Rosa
60% Tinta Cão, 30% Vinhão, 10% Loureiro
Marco de Canavese, Vinho Verde Region, Portugal
Organic, indigenous grapes, spontaneous fermentation with ground chestnut flowers
Project between Savio Soares and winemaker Antonio Sousa

Uncork and pour and it looks like refreshing watermelon juice. Scents of cherry, ripe watermelon, spring flowers, lemon, some zestiness, a little squeeze of grapefruit with a lick of salt, wet granite, and smoke. Ooooh this is refreshing to sip. There’s cherry and watermelon jolly ranchers, plummy delight, key lime-aid, and then blueberries and strawberries emerge. It’s a bright and light glass that goes back and forth from fruity to pucker up tart. Why don’t we just set up a kissing booth under this romantic moon?

Pairs with Cheez-It’s:NOPE, it’s a total party pooper. All smooching has ended.

Here’s another beauty from Savio Soares and Antonio Sousa. Their collaboration keeps getting better and better each one I try. Am so glad years ago they met through Fernando Paiva, who was already working biodynamic and adding in that special ingredient of chestnut flowers. If it wasn’t for him introducing them, they may have never started this project. Luar Rosa gets it’s light watermelon color from the Tinta Cão & Vinhão. They stick to a short maceration/skin contact because Vinhão brings out a punch of color. The Loureiro (gives that zesty, key-lime aid kick) comes in later in the concrete and stainless steel containers along with the ground chestnut flowers. It’s also a how low can you go minimal intervention throughout the whole process. I just love, love, love their lively, clean creations, and am looking forward to more. I’m also really curious about the name Bojo do Luar (Moonlight Bulge), is it about the pull of the earth’s gravity on the moon that causes the bulge, and does the moon’s cycle work into their harvest? Things like this fascinate me. Oh, and if anyone wants to see the Pink Moon this year, it’s on April 26th. So get a blanket, find a quiet spot, and share a glass with the ones you love.

@vinewinenyc #BojodoLuar #AntonioSousa @saviosselections @cheezits #wine #VinhoRosa #Rosé #rose @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #cheezit #vinewinenyc #organic #VinhoVerde #Minho #MarcodeCanavese #Portugal #AntonioSousa #winestagram #instawine #Biodynamic #nativeyeasts #naturalwine #TintaCão #Vinhão, #Loureiro

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Follow that Golden Brick Road

Ovum Wines
Old Love 2019
Organic, sustainable farming, biodynamic, and indigenous yeasts
Mostly riesling, but there’s others too from 5 vineyards (Willamette, Eola-Amity, Columbia Gorge, Southern OR)
Newborn, Oregon
Owners and winemakers: Ksenija and John House

Light golden with almost green hints and looks so refreshing. First whiff is salt, orange and orange blossoms, honeysuckle, a little cardamon and warm sugar cookies. Such pretty scents! So here comes the sip. There’s pears, mango, pineapple, yellow cherries, honeysuckles, and that wonderful saltiness. It’s decadent, rich, and delicate at the same time, and so damn delicious!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: perfectly yummy!

Ksenija and John House are truly giving a lot of love to “Old Love”. Working in the vein of Austrian monks from the 1800s, in today’s world shows you’re wanting the fruit and the land to be the stars. It’s a heck of a lot of work too. Pick the best from the 5 vineyards, soak on skins, press in stainless tank, let the natural fermentation begin! We’re not anywhere near done because then you take 35% into an amphora, Austrian cask, cement egg and neutral barrel. Now this has my head spinning a bit (and I’m getting this info from what they have written), because after following the moon cycle they blend everything back together again in the tank and then they do it 2 MORE TIMES! Well, their touch/magic is pretty impressive. As they say, “Drinking an OVUM wine should be like listening to AM Radio, in Stereo.” To me it’s more amplified than that. It makes me feel like I’ve been living in “The Wizard of Oz” when everything changes from B&W to color, and my whole world has a brighter outlook, and I’m booking it down that yellow brick road.

@vinewinenyc @ovumwines @cheezits #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #sustainable #natural #wild #organic #riesling #Newborn #Oregon #Willamette #Eola-Amity #ColumbiaGorge #Southern #ovumwines #wizardofoz

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Hop On and Let’s Ride!

Cellar Mas Foraster
LAMOTO 2019
Conca de Barberà DO
Trepat (mostly) and Garnatxa Peluda
Organic, hand harvested, and indigenous yeasts
Tarragona, Conca de Barberà, Catalunya, Spain
Winemakers: A family affair

Bright shiny light garnet. Ok, before we get any further here’s some instructions: chill it a little bit. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries first hit my nose, and then cherry, plums, salt and a little earth. First sip and this is more powerful than I was expecting. This is no shrinking flower. There’s earthy cherries and plums, strawberries, raspberries, black pepper, and a little tangy bounce of happiness. This is so easy to drink…way tooooo easy. I want to drink this all day while on an old fashioned tire swing going higher and higher and full of laughter, yeah this wine is that type of joy.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nice and smooth together…this could get dangerous because it’s already so easy to drink on its own

Since 1828, Finca Mas Foraster, has seen a lot. During the civil war (1939) they lost part of their land and regained most of it by 1960, and then they were selling their grapes to a co-op. It wasn’t until 1995, when Josep Foraster Civit, got the ball rolling with their first harvest for the cellar in 1999. Sadly, and when I read this it really brought tears to my eyes, he passed from a battle with cancer (damn cancer! I lost my mom in Nov.) in 1999. The whole time he had been working so hard for the Cellar, he had that to deal with too. Breaks my heart. His sister Julieta is keeping the dream alive along with her husband (Josep), her son (Ricard), and Josep’s son (Adrià). Julieta really focused on working with local grapes and that led to their deep, deep association with Trepat. As you can tell by what I wrote above, the blend of these grapes is a wonderful pair. Thank you for your wine, your hard work, dedication, and enotourism. Your gorgeous website took me on a virtual trip, and  this may just be what I need to lure my dude back to Catalunya. Oh, and one more thing I would be remiss not to add, Ricard says that LaMoto was his grandfather’s ride from 1955, and it is still alive and running. Vroom, vroom, let’s hit the roads!

@vinewinenyc @JosepForaster @ripewineimports @cheezits #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #sustainable #natural #wild #organic #ConcadeBarberà #Tarragona #Catalunya #Spain #trepat #GarnatxaPeluda #Garnatxa #enotourism

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Enchanted Forgotten Orchard

New York Cider Company
FIREFLY #2
NY State foraged wild and heirloom apples: Rhode Island Greening, Newtown Pippin, Golden Delicious, Liberty, Cortland
Finger Lakes, Ithaca, NY
Wild fermentation, sustainable farming methods , traditional cider-making techniques, and bottle conditioned
7.7% ABV
Cider Makers: Joseph Steuer and Steve Daughhetee

Hazy yellow/light gold with teeny tiny pretty bubbles. Aromas of apples from sweet to tart, apple blossoms, fresh stripped young, tiny apple branches; and a little natural funk but not overly powerful since it kind of hides in the back. Transports me to childhood when I’d climb the trees, whittle the tiny branches, and pretend I was riding a dragon from one of Anne McCaffrey’s books. Delicious dry, tangy wake up call. Yeah, I’m tasting this on a Saturday morning to make sure I get the full experience. Crisp fresh apples, lemony tart, a drop of that funk and hay, and as it opens a sweet middle (but not overly). This is so wonderfully natural. I’ve had a lot ciders homemade and store bought, and have often found the homemade ones stand out. I have no idea why except for love, care, and nature. FIREFLY #2 is a winner for me. If I didn’t know better, I would think it was made by a friend, the good ol’ fashioned way.

Pairs with Cheez-it’s: Cheese, salt and apples…what a perfect pairing. Delicious! Please don’t tell me you haven’t tried a piece of sharp cheddar cheese on a slice of hot apple pie?

New York Cider Company started from Steuer and Daughhetee meeting while apple picking. With a mutual love of making cider it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and partnership. Moving from a home-brew to a whole full on cidery in 2017, was quite an accomplishment. They had rough patches from health issues to an oops moment of their cider being the wrong abv which also meant labels needed to be remade; but there were also blessings such as Steuer being featured on Humans of New York. Now that’s a huge! They also have been fortunate with their 125 year old apple trees and the forgotten foraged abandoned ones, and both are as super natural as you can come. This is again a place where less is more. Just let nature take its course. Speaking of nature, this past year they say was a great one for fireflies at their farm. As a child, one of my favorite things when the evening was warm and we could sit by the pond, listen to the frogs, and watch the fireflies appear in the orchard doing their magical dance. Oh, how I miss the simple things like such an evening.

@vinewinenyc @nyciderco @cheezits #cider #apples #applecider #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #sustainable #FingerLakes #Ithaca #NY #natural #firefly #fireflies

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No Duck or Baga Left Behind

João aka Duckman
Duckray
Pet Nat
Bairrada, Portugal
100% Baga
Sustainable, unfiltered, unfined, natural, spontaneous fermentation, and hand-harvested
Winemaker: Maria Pato

Pale rose gold/pinky color with dainty bubbles and a little sediment. Sniffing apples, back home in the orchard apple blossoms that are swirling around me and getting stuck in my hair in the spring breeze, faint pale roses, a super teensy bit of cinnamon, and seltzer. Now this is a whole new word post smell. The scents where more restrained and this is a flavor explosion (the label art says it all) of lemon, Lemon Drops (candy), pink grapefruit, and crisp green apples. It’s clean, bright, and vibrant! At last there’s just the slightest kiss of cinnamon.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Just brings out more fruit

I’ve lost count of how many of these feisty ducks I’ve bagged, and each one is so unique yet so perfect, and a bouquet of happiness. These Baga grapes are from their Quinta do Ribeirinho vineyard. As I’ve written before, this winemaking flock dates back to the 18th century, and includes Maria, her father Luis, sister Filipa, and in Duckray, Maria’s grandmother got in on it. I’m reading she painted 6 of these bottles, and if you get one you receive a special prize. They are missing the white duck label, and instead of the spaced out paint flecks of red, yellow, and green; they are more more densely sprayed in blue, green and yellow splats around the shape of that invisible quacker. Well, I may not have been fortunate to find Maria’s grandmother’s artwork, but this bottle is a fresh wonderful prize all in itself. Once again, I am so grateful for this family of winemakers. Some of your wines bring happy tears to my eyes, others make my heart soar, and this one just makes me want to dance.

@vinewinenyc @joao_pato_aka_duckman @saviosoaresselections #wine #winestagram #instawine  #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #portugal #bairrada #baga #QuintadoRibeirinho #sustainable #natural #wild #duckman #petnat #pétnat #duckman #duckray

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Yes, My Wine is Healthy

Carlania Celler
Soo!!! Free 2019
Pét Nat
Conca de Barberà D.O.
90% Parellada and 10% Trepat
Barberà de la Conca, Tarragona, Catalunya, Spain
Biodynamic, organic, dry farmed, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Winemaking family: Jordi Miró and Sònia Gomà-Camp

Golden gorgeous glass with lively bubbles. Scents start creeping out slowly, so give it time. Here come pears, apples, raspberries, wild flowers and antique roses. It’s like a fresh spring day in a meadow. Tasting those apples, pears, and raspberries again but mixed in with hay that fades during the first glass and turns into pastry dotted with marjoram. It’s fresh, crisp, bright, and wakes you up on a lazy afternoon. Right now I’m craving chorizo, oysters on the half, and garlic shrimp. Oh this is fabulous!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: doesn’t change the Pét Nat but makes me want a whole box of Cheez-It

Soo!!! Free makes me so happy because as the label hints at, it is sulfur free! After Jordi’s dad retired, he and Sònia came back and took over the farm. After working the land for years, building on biodynamic agriculture, selling some grapes to the local co-op, dabbling in home-made wine, they finally created their small winery in 2009. Keeping it natural they use horsetail, nettle puree, sherry, and more for their organic remedies for the health of the vines, and also follow the moon for guidance the old school way. As they say on their site, “They are living wines and each bottle is unique and different from the others. They are healthy wines!“ I like that…my wine is healthy. Will be telling that to my GP doc. Oh, and I have to add, if you want to get up and close with the donkey, sheep, and other parts of the farm, you can book a day at the winery. Drink, eat, hear some tales and relax with your new farm friends.

@vinewinenyc @carlaniaceller @cheezits #wine #PétNat #petnat #sparklingwine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits  #cheezit #organic #naturalwine #biodynamic #Parellada #Trepat #ConcadeBarbera #Tarragona #Catalunya #Spain

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Going to California

Monte Rio Cellars
Skull 2019
50% Petite Sirah, 30% Mission, 20% Zinfandel
Sebasropol, CA
Organic, indigenous yeast, hands off, and NO sulfur
Winemakers: Patrick Cappiello and Pax Mahle

Deep dense purple with a ruby tint on rim. Sniffing spices, first cinnamon barkiness, next mace, and then comes cherries, plums, cola, and I want to just say vanilla but it’s more sugar cookies with butter cream. Rolling around in my mouth are tart cherries, smoked plums, Mom’s strawberry preserves which were like a savory/sweet treat and a warm hug, lemon, citrus zest, and white and black peppercorns. It’s juicy, lovely and super shining vibrant. Where’s my shades?

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Really doesn’t change it yet more juicy. Just easy drinking with a teeny tiny burn

Emblazoned on the front of their website is, “Handcrafted wines in the spirit of old California.” Well, that is what Patrick Cappiello and Pax Mahle are definitely doing. The sommelier and the renowned winemaker are a perfect pairing. Working with family owned organic vineyards, they have the ability to select exactly what they see as best, and recreate that old California. Often they are working with a single grape but “Skull” is a beautiful blend that has a bring me a black and blue steak cry. Oh, and add a side of shoestring fries and mayo please, and this is what a sommelier would want for a wine. I also have a confession, I have watched every episode of Mr. Cappiello’s “Tasting Notes.” I already knew about him but stumbled upon those while I was home recovering from a procedure and searching wine on Amazon (BTW Pax’s Griffin’s Lair Syrah is on Season 1 Ep 10). Next thing I knew, it was like eating potato chips, you can’t just stop at one. Started coveting his t-shirt collection, and was so excited when I saw shirts were for sale on Monte Rio’s site. It’s a cool shirt, and it is SOLD OUT! Please guys, please get some new ones ready to ship out. Led-Zinfandel needs to be added to my wardrobe.

Led Zeppelin – Going To California

@vinewinenyc @monteriocellars @patrickwine @paxmahle @bowlerwine @paxwines @cheezits #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #redwine #cheezit #organic #natural #PatrickCappiello #PaxMahle #PetiteSirah #Mission #Zinfandel #Sebasropol #California #ledzeppelin

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Glass of Happiness on a Rainy Day

Hana Makgeolli
Makgeolli
Takju 16
16% ABV
Unfiltered rice wine made with organic rice, naturally fermented, and filtered NY water
Brooklyn, NY
Makers: Alice Jun and John Limb

It’s a fresh hazy natural milky color ever so slightly beige and leaves sediment all over the glass. Hovering over it still looking and scents start appearing of melons, over ripe cucumber, light spring flowers and fresh cut grass. Also tangy fermentation and rice right out of the steamer. Taking my first nervous sip and it’s bright, more zingy than expected, and tiny bubbles. Mellow flavors start coming out of the tang and there’s cucumber, melon and fruity creamy rice goodness yet dry.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nope, Nope, NOPE

I had been looking at this in the fridge and was intimidated by it. I am not a milk drinker (except in hot chocolate) and that is exactly what it looked like, staring back at me every single time I opened the door. Was so excited when I first saw it because I had just picked up a can of Màkku (which will be opened later). Wow, what an idiot I was for hesitating. This is fun, delicious, and exactly what I needed on this rainy day, and from what I’m reading, it is often drunk after a hike in the mountains when it rains. Guess it was sheer luck for me today. Hana Makgeolli is the first craft makgeolli in the US and fortunately for me, is in Brooklyn. Alice learned from her dad’s home-brew experiments, and I hope your dad is proud of you because your creation is great! Really enjoying learning about this concoction’s wild starter nuruk which in a way makes me relate it to a sourdough starter. Maybe this is why I feel a little healthy after drinking a glass, or that could also be the tipsy talking. Such a long history in Korean culture dating back to 3rd century CE when families made their own and some still do, but as with many things now you can get it commercially made. Either way, I’m so glad I took the plunge with Takju 16, and I think this may make it’s way into a cocktail in my near future.

@vinewinenyc @hanamakgeolli @cheezits #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #ricewine #cheezit #organic #natural #nuruk #Makgeolli #Takju #korean #craftbrew #artisnal #막걸리

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Sometimes It Was Always Meant To Be

Pray Tell
Red Blend 2018
Willamette Valley, McMinnville, Oregon
Pinot Noir 60%, Gamay 40%
Organic and biodynamic
Winemakers: Tom Caruso and Jess Arnold

Shiny ruby glass with purple pops. Breathing in wondrous roses and spring meadow flowers. singed orange peel, cherries and full on ripe plums. First sip and smooth baby smooth. There’s plums, dried mission fig, tart and sweet cherries, something creamy….maybe a smidge of vanilla, cherry cola, and earthy goodness to give that oomph. I am so glad I waited till now to open. It’s such a special treat. As a child I would dream of a dark chocolate fudge, but now this is a much better prize than that.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: richer…deeper…delicious

Sometimes life has its path already drawn out. Loving the story of Tom and Jess and how it all fell into place. According to their site, Tom was plunked into it as a kid due to his Philly winemaking Grandpa. So endearing that he still has their old equipment (small hand crank destemmer and basket press). He tried to leave it behind by book editing in NYC, but as it seems he got called back in and went to wine school and met the woman that would end up by his side today, Jess Arnold. She already had a lot of wine knowledge from CA and NY, and with both of their backgrounds and passing their exams, it was inevitable that they would head out to find their wine future. From what I’m reading they ended up back in CA and finally settling in Willamette Valley, where they now have Pray Tell, married life, and a pug. Sounds like a pretty sweet story of living the dream to me, and I wish them the best on their future vintages.

@vinewinenyc @praytellwines @cheezits #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #redwine #cheezit #organic #natural #biodynamic #gamay #McMinnville #Portland #Oregon