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

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

🎶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

 

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

“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

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

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

Dancing Tastebuds

Vignobles Gueissard
Les Papilles 2023
Côtes de Provence DOC
Dry Rosé
Mourvèdre 30%, Grenache 30%, Syrah 30%, Cinsault 10%
HVE (working on certification), going through organic conversion, weeding done by sheep & horse, & sustainable
Le Beausset, France
Clément Minne, Pauline Giraud, their son Marcel & their team

Pretty in pink with a swish of salmon. Inhale and here comes a cool blend of honeydew & delightful pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, peaches, pears, apples, very ripe cucumbers, salt, wet limestone, and a lemon flies by. Sip and all of the scents along with all sorts of light cherries (pink, red, white, yellow, etc), not fully ripe blackberries, blood orange, and pink watermelon including the fresh green rind…so lively, vibrant and delicious.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Smooooooth

Pauline & Clément have over time collected plots in Bandol and Côtes de Provence, kind of like pieces of a quilt that when they are banded together create a beautiful array of wines. Each piece as they say is diverse with “very different in terms of soil type, exposure and maritime influences” and are also dearly cared for and protected. They’re going through the routes of organic certification, and maybe it’s the sentimental part of my childhood heart that loves seeing all sorts of beneficial trees planted. There’s ones that are magnets for birds & bees, others that give back to the earth & help deal with erosion, and on a personal note I hope there’s a few for climbing too because…well as a kid you could often find me in the orchard perched on a branch. BTW if you’re in their neighborhood on Sept. 26, you might get a chance to raise a glass to the end of summer if you can manage to snag a ticket to their tasting of 5 wines and snack on local delights. Maybe you might even encounter their “Les Papilles” which will keep your tastebuds dancing.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #organic #France #provence #artisanwineselections #vignoblesgueissard #docwinebar #docwineshop

My Dorothy Moment

Celler Jan Vidal
Vita Vivet Brut
Xarel-lo 50%, Macabeu 30%, Parellada 20%
Penedès, DO Cava
Organic
Bellvei, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain

Twinkling starlight yellow with a green sheen and lovely little bubbles. Scents pop up of toasted rice (think Bibimbap) mixed with day 2 baguette edges, a lemon/lime spritzed apple & pear blend, and tiny roses & a few wild flowers. Taking a sip and there’s crunchy apples & pears, lemon/lime again that has a little tingly vibration, salt, smidge of dried pineapple, with a toasty melba vibe that’s in the back. Just dry, crisp, and very alive.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: So vibrantly delicious

A good cava is one of my favorite things in the world. It always lifts my spirits and can turn a bad day into a joyous celebration. I remember my first encounter in high school art class. My teacher would often set up a still life, and one of the more interesting parts was the iconic black bubbly bottle (you know the one) & the detail that had to be rendered to depict it properly. No I did not kick it back 🤣, I was way too young so by the time I finally did try it, I honestly was not that impressed & kind of disappointed. When I did finally find a proper glass…oh it was like that moment in “The Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy steps into a Technicolor world. Now, every time I have one it transports me back to Catalunya, and if I close my eyes & allow myself to dream, I can just smell the tapas & remember the taste of good squishy cheese, feel the cool evening breeze, hear the clip of high heels on cobblestone, and feel all stress fade away. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #cava #sparklingwine #bubbly #worldbyglass #organic #Spain #barcelona #Catalunya #selectionsdelavina #cellerjanvidal #docwinebar #docwineshop

Two Creative Gifts

Bodegas Barbadillo
Sábalo 2021
100% Palomino Fino
Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz
Organic
Cádiz, Andalucia, Spain
Winemaker: Montserrat Molina
Barbadillo Family

Warm gold. Inhaling sold crisp apples & pears that grow over time into baked, a mix of fresh spring rained on slate & lick of limestone, lemon lime squish, Lemonheads, and teeny squeeze of Valencia orange. Drinking in apples, pears, singed orange zest, grate of hazelnut & marcona almond, limestone, light handed honey, and young watermelon & rind sprinkled with salt. Delicate, polished, a touch romantic, and very easy to drink.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: bleh

I’m sure most of you have had a wine, sherry, manzanilla, and/or a vermouth by Barbadillo. They’ve been around over 2 centuries, have 16 cellars & 250 ha of vines (they’re 1 of the largest in Jerez), and are still family run after all these years. Their bodega “ is a seafaring winery, always between the sea and the land. Hence, the first wine in this organic range bears the name of the Sábalo, a sea-faring fish, but which defies the river currents on its way to the spawning ground. It is a great metaphor that represents the entrepreneurial and adventurous spirit of Barbadillo.” It’s also a tribute to Manuel Barbadillo (grandfather of the current president, who was not only a winemaker but also a poet so he was bestowed with two creative gifts). You’ll find part of his lovely verses that weave romantic imagery on the label alongside the watercolor of a Sábalo aka Shad.

“¡Ay Sanlúcar, si yo fuera

Si yo fuera marinero

De Sábalos y de lunas

Mi barca sería tu cuna

Y yo tu patrón remero

Y si fuera cantaor

Sanlúcar del Alma mía,

Que copla te cantaría

Junto a cualquier mostrador…”

Oh Sanlúcar, if I were

If I were a sailor

Of shads and moons

My boat would be your cradle

And I am your rowing boss

And if I were a singer

Sanlúcar of my soul,

What song would I sing to you?

Next to any counter…”

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #organic #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #organic #Spain #skurnikwines #bodegasbarbadillo #vinewine #vinewinenyc