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Bad Bunnies

Bodegas Más Que Vinos
Los Conejos Malditos
Tempranillo Carbónico 2023
100% Cencibel (local clone of Tempranillo)
Working sustainably, farming organic, indigenous grapes, and 1 of the first wineries in Spain to receive “Wineries for Climate Protection” certification
Cabañas de Yepes, Toledo, Spain
Margarita Madrigal, Alexandra Schmedes and Gonzalo Rodriguez

Ruby/purple depth. Breathing in cherries, plums, raspberries, blackberries, a swirl of violets, and over time a tiny grind of white pepper. Hopping out of the glass and onto my tastebuds are cherries (fresh & dried), plums, light raspberry, blackberries, dates & a little dried dark fig, black olive pits, as it opens violets grow but don’t over creep, and oddly a drop of black tea & maybe even a little herbal.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: juicy

This isn’t a buddy movie but a winery. Starting back in 1999, three wine loving/making friends (Margarita, Alexandra & Gonzalo) launched Más Que Vinos (wine consulting business), ventured into winemaking, breathed new life into an old family winery, and built a new modern one. From all of this hard work these friends sound like they have the limitless energy of that certain drumming rabbit with sunglasses. Speaking of cotton tails, sounds like their local ones have a penchant for excellent grapes and can gobble up a lot prior to harvest, hence the name “The Damned Rabbits”. These little bandits may be adorable but I can see where their cuteness wanes and may drive a person to find solutions like on this label. 🍇🐰

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Spain #badbunnies #valkyrieselections #BodegasMasQueVinos #LosConejosMalditos #vinewinenyc

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Creature Of The Night

Quinta do Passadouro
Vinho Tinto 2019
55% Tinta Roriz, 25% Touriga Francesa, 10% Touriga Nacional, 10% Field Blend from old vines
Duoro DOC
Pinhão, Portugal

Inky maroon with purple pops. Sniff and a little oak dances through & mingles with wildflowers, blackberries, black currants, plums, and a pinch of warm spice & anise. Tasting and there’s dark cherries joining the blackberries, black currants & plums & a red currant or two with a not quite ripe tart raspberry, licorice, and the teeny tiniest of tomato leaf appears & then tells you you didn’t see them…or shhh they were never there it’s all an illusion. Everything smooths out into an elegant, graceful sip. You know…this wine pairs well with a lot, but honestly I want it all to my self solo.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: this is one of those moments of YES!

My first encounter with Passadouro was when I was browsing wine in Montreal and a little Oryctolagus cuniculus hopped in my way. Yes, I was pulled in by the label but not just because of the little Portuguese bunny, but also the artistic details from the drawing & the distinctive zipper-like cut in the design. The next one to flutter in my path was a native game bird, the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) on their Tinto 2012. Now this 2019 red may just be my favorite yet with the sleek, stealth, and agile creature of the night…the Genetta genetta. I wonder if they are part of the natural pest control for their vineyards since they are carnivores. Back to the vineyards/grapes, another reason why I have fallen for these vinhos is their consistent yet somewhat varied blends. They always start with the 3 same grapes: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesa, & Touriga Nacional but may not be the same percent depending on the harvest and sometimes (like this one) it’s rounded out with a field blend of old vines. Hands down this bottle is not only a work of art, but it’s also simply delicious. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #portugal #douro #FrederickWildman #QuintadoPassadouro #vinewinenyc

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“Wine, By The Grape”

Pormenor
Reserva Branco 2021
Douro DOC
Rabigato, Malvasia Fina
Hand harvested, indigenous yeasts, unfined, minimal intervention, natural
Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal
Pedro Coelho

Light gold that deepens over time. Breathing in pears, apples, lemon/lime & a touch of tangerine, cool salt/mineral breeze, as it opens a deeper part of depth grows. Sipping and there’s apple, pear, a toasty possible bit of smoke, lemon, lime, sorrel, a beeswax & honeysuckle exhale, and the tiniest bit of mellow oak.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: sooo good

Coelho didn’t inherit a winery, but he did have connections to some of the essentials. His dad was a cork producer, his grandfather’s a cooper (barrel maker), and he ended up working in wine finance/marketing until the moment came when he decided it was time to give it a go at making wine. He works with old vines, but doesn’t’ adhere to the past usual ways of vinification…his are fresh & can be drunk young yet can also age. They also don’t hit you over the head with high alcohol content which in my book is a very good thing. There’s a quote on his site, “Wine, by the grape” that kept rolling around in my thoughts. He wants Pormenor wines to tell the stories of his Douro…through his vineyards & grapes, and as long as he keeps making these bottles, I’ll keep listening to their whispers & songs of a place & history that holds a special spot in my heart.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #naturalwine #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #portugal #jdselections #grandcruselections #pormenorvinhos #pormenor #vinewinenyc

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You Can Do Good

Renegade Wines
Riverine Red
Syrah 85%, Grenache 15%
Certified biodynamic, dry farmed
West Riebeek, Swartland, South Africa
Owners: Francois Haasbroek and Jaap Pijl
Winemaker: Francois Haasbroek

Deep dark goth ruby velvet. Breathing in cherries, raspberries, strawberries, plums that grow over time, pinch of allspice, and a faint smidge of coffee. All of the scents are there in the taste along with black currants, darker, deeper cherries & plums, a grind of black & white pepper, tad bit of earth, and bit of a greenery herb blend like rosemary, sage, oregano.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: juicilicious

Francois (traditional winemaker) & Jaap (accountant) kicked off Renegade Wines (1st canned wines in South Africa) in 2018 with their first wine “CANCAN” in 2019. Riverine is their latest line with a Chenin Blanc, a Grenache Rosé, and this red blend. Honestly, if someone brought me a glass and didn’t show me the can, I would have assumed it was from a bottle. As I’ve said many times before, canned wines just keep getting better & better, and there’s less waste, saves space, and easy to recycle. There’s another reason to try this line too…bunnies. Notice the cute one on the label? From what I’m learning, the Riverine rabbit is one of the most endangered mammals in the world (maybe 1,500 left), and with every sale of these cans part of the proceeds is donated to the Endangered Wildlife Trust. So hop out to your local store, pick up a few cans & save some rare hares. 🍷❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #wineinacan #cannedwine #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #naturalwine #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #rabbits #bunny #southafrica #redwine #vsiwine #renegadewinessa #riverinewine #vinewinenyc

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Clink Clink

Domaine de L’Oubliée
Le Bruit Des Glaçons 2023
VDF
Chenin Blanc
Organic, indigenous yeasts, hand harvested
Saint-Patrice, Loire, France
Winemaker: Xavier Courant

Shining light gold/yellow with a delicate splash of green. Just poured and there’s a toasty scent that morphs into bees wax with honey, golden delicious apples, firm pears, dry lemon & lime twist, and a bit of greenery. Sip and there’s lemon & lime squeeze joined with zest, another taste and out comes crisp apples & pears, quince, a lfew fresh clover leaves & blossoms, an echo of that honeycomb wax along with a mineral taste like from our old spring house (our natural water source back home as a kid. It was cool year round and the same fresh smell & taste). Such lovely fruit but so deliciously dry, and it’s meant to drink very cold in the morning, in the afternoon, or in my opinion anytime at all.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Amps all of the fruit

My first encounter with Domaine de L’Oubliée’s wines was their Les Valseuses 2018 (back in 2020) where I found out about Xavier Courant’s love for the work of Bertrand Blier. Each of his wines are named for Blier’s films or books that speak to the grapes. This bottle Le Bruit Des Glaçons “The Sound of the Ice Cubes” is named for Blier’s 2010 film (English title “The Clink of Ice”). Charles an alcoholic & depressed writer gets a surprise visitor at his gate early one morning. The stranger greets him through the security monitor with “Hello, I am your cancer. I thought it might be nice to get to know each other a little bit…”. Oh why is it so hard to find Blier’s movies in USA/online?  I am dying (pun intended) to find a copy of this dark comedy streaming somewhere so I can see how they get on with each other, Charles’ beloved bottles (hence the clink clink), and how these “buddies” end up. If anyone knows of such a place PLEASE send me the link, and I’ll share a bottle (or 2) of this dry Chenin Blanc with you while we watch. I promise you it rocks!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #organic #naturalwine  #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #catsofinstagram #cheninblanc #louisdressnerselections #DomainedeLOubliee #xaviercourant  #vinewinenyc

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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