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Don’t Stop The Dance

La Grange de l’Oncle Charles
La Danse des Corbeaux 2021
Riesling, Chasselas, Sylvaner, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer
Organic, biodynamic, no sulfur, horse & sheep powered
Alsace, France
Jérôme François & Morgane Stoquert

A golden ray of summer sun that deepens over time. Inhaling apples & pears (baked & fresh), honeycomb, pinch of allspice, clover & orange blossoms & their greenery, gentle lemons & key limes, May roses, and a cool sea breeze with a touch of spring house mineral. Sipping and all of the scents with a heightened citrus twang that now includes pink grapefruit & tangelo, dash of juniper berries, a little woodsy/smoky on the backside that joins in with the honeycomb/wax, that salty/mineral taste grows, and it all melds together into a zingy lively sip that is filled with an elevated elegance. I truly love this wine!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Oh no! Step away from the box.

La Danse des Corbeaux translates to “the dance of the crows”. The first time I saw a murder of crows flying in a formation like a murmuration (more often it would be starlings) we were driving in the countryside in France. It was like a beautiful well choreographed swirling and whirling dance that took over the sky. Then they started coming up closer and closer to the back of the car in a way that almost looked like they were chasing us which was a slightly unsettling feeling (especially for a person who was scared & mentally scarred as a child due to the famous Hitchcock flick). Not much later they passed us and flew off to the side and continued their modern aerial ballet that just took my breath away. 🐦‍⬛

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A Portable Pup

Hamlet Hound
Bourbon and Cola
Small batch NY whiskey, honey, molasses, cola nut, and more
15% ABV
Copake, NY

Golden almost amber pour and at first bubbles that disappear. Sniffing and there’s cola, honey, molasses, pinch of holiday spice, and a little citrus zest. All of the scents are there in the sip with a little lavender, a bubble tingle, and maybe a little coconut that fades. It’s smooth, relaxing, and perfect for kicking back & chilling.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: absolutely NO

As many of you know, I love a good cocktail I can just toss in my bag and have on the go or in this case sip at home while watching the world go by or lately 🔥. Anyway, I was delightfully surprised to discover this little yet powerful pup (15% ABV) was concocted by Christy Frank. You’ve probably read one of her articles on Seven Fifty Daily (or elsewhere). She also has decades of wine & spirits experience working for Moët Hennessy USA (7 years), owned Frankly Wines before selling in 2017, became a founder of Copake Wine Works, a DipWSET, on tasting boards, a Bâtonnage mentor (“stirring up the conversation on women in wine”), and a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier…in other words she’s a wine/vine/spirit whirlwind. Hamlet Hound is another feather in her cap, and one of my favorite parts about her cocktails there’s absolutely no corn syrup in anything. 🥃

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Where Time Stands Still

Bodegas Frontonio
Microcósmico
Garnacha 2024
Organic, biodynamic, native yeasts, horse plowed vineyards
Alpartir, Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain
Fernando Mora MW & winemaking partner Mario López

Bright shining ruby. Sniffing & there’s cherries, raspberries, cool fresh mineral smell from our old spring house, plums dark & light, pomegranate, whiff of gingerbread as time goes by a  moment of Oreo center/vanilla way in the back & before you know it…it’s gone, & strawberries.All the scents are there but w a bright light kick that’s so uplifting, boysenberry, & lick of a singed orange peel lip vibrating tingle. This is a wine you want to put on repeat.

Pairs w Cheez-Its: YES

This wine was recommended by a friend since it’s fabulous but also for what she had to say on meeting Fernando. She says from 1st hand experience he’s genuinely a nice guy who will pitch in to help someone he even just met. We need more people like him in the world. Anyway, Mora didn’t grow up in the wine world. His original studies & career were in engineering. Later he fell for wine, & his 1st foray into making it was in his bathtub (actually he had a micro-winery in a room in his apartment & the ferment temp was a bit high so he put the containers in a mix of water & ice to cool in the tub). His enthusiasm, handwork, passion & creativity led him to being one of the few MWs in Spain (he passed on his 1st try) & also kicking off their winery Frontonio in Alpartir. I love what he says on his blog about how living in this town changed everything. “It’s not just where I work, it’s how I live. Slow cooking, using local produce, getting to know the people & their stories, becoming part of a small community where everything has a history. Falling in love with a place without even realizing it. Here, time doesn’t flow, it stands still. And that, for someone as active as me, has been one of the greatest lessons of my life…That contrast between speed and slow time isn’t always easy, but I think that’s where the balance lies. Having time to take care of yourself, to enjoy, to observe. Because you have to know how to observe.” 🍷

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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Sun-kissed Glass of Joy

Maison Idiart
Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Sancerre AOP
Sancerre, France
Winemaker & founder: Nicolas Idiart

Light straw yellow with a touch of gold. There’s nose tickling grapefruit, Valencia orange, lemon, & a citrus blend with zest & all, orange blossoms, light spring flowers, and fresh cut grass with just cut & stripped apple branches. All of the scents are in the sip with a bigger spark of everything, parsley, smidge of fresh picked oregano, tangelo, good lick of lime, gooseberries, and a shake of salt.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

This is now my 3rd bottle by Maison Idiart. 1st was the Pinot Noir 2022, which was quite a delight and a wonderful introduction to Nicolas’ achievements, his “modern day wine company” that works with select natural growers whose grapes sing from where they are born, and passion for reducing carbon footprints with their “keg wines”. Albeit this is not a wine on tap, but it’s a bottled burst of Spring sliding into Summer that is a sun-kissed splash of joy that I need right now. While sipping a glass, I can almost hear a dawn chorus of migrating birds twittering & warbling away! 🪺

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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The Brotherhood Of Vines

Domaine des Frères
Les Moulins de Beau Puy 2020
Chinon AOC
Cabernet Franc
Organic, biodynamic, hand harvested at night, indigenous yeasts
Beaumont-en-Véron, Loire,  France
Valentin & Marie Bruneau (husband & wife)

Ruby stained glass. Sniffing and there’s cherries, forest floor that fades over time, lavender, violets, spring flowers, deep plums, blueberries, and a tad of boysenberry. All of the scents are in the sip joined with dried cherries with a touch of earth that add a rustic moment, and a small bouquet garni of thyme, juniper, horehound, marjoram and other herbs. It’s just elegant with a timeless depth that lingers long after the last sip. On day two it’s even better.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: DON’T

Valentin wasn’t always a winemaker. His first career path was in engineering, but his heart really belonged outdoors. He went back to school for a degree (BTS in Viticulture and Oenology), interned with Yvon and Jules Métra, and continued learning from other winemakers. The whole time his wife Marie was supportively by his side and also for the search for their own vineyard. In 2018, they found exactly what they were looking for in Beaumont-en-Véron (11 ha) and the mission was now on. They got help from friends and family with the financing, Valentin’s brother (Henri) came on board in 2019, and they continued with turning the lands organic. Now here’s the part that makes me scratch my head, his brother left for another venture in Oct. 2022. Being my usual curious self, I wondered what happened and found differing comments online but my guess it was amicable since Valentin did keep the name, “Domaine des Frères”. As he says on his site, “I chose to keep the original name of the estate unchanged because I don’t want to erase the past. He was fully in the development and construction of this project. Today the word ‘Frères’ with a capital F incorporates all of those who support us and are the estate’s lifeblood.” Wine can all bring us into a brotherhood, & cheers to celebrating all those that helped shape their vines & wines in the past, today, and the future! 🍷❤️🍇🇫🇷

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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Damm Good Wine

Adega Damm Amandi
Rocoso Vinas Viejas 2020
80% Mencia, 20% Palomino
Organic
Amandi, Ribera Sacra, Spain
Martin Damm

Dark rubilicious purple. Breathing in plums, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, cola, whiff of an Oreo center, an earthiness that grounds it, dried figs, and dark chocolate. All of the scents are in the taste along with blueberries, a sprinkle of spice (cinnamon), pinch of white pepper, smidge of Alpine herb, and singed orange/lemon zest. So smooth, delicious, and bright like a far off twinkling star born from “Rocky Old Vineyards”.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: oh yeah

I love hearing the stories of who people fell into their wine life. Turns out Martin was originally from Denmark and in his youth was already fascinated with learning and absorbing all he could on different countries & regions and how the lands influenced the grapes. Not exactly sure how this next step developed but he ended up being a therapist (curious as to what type) that became a wine importer and later decided to buy his own plots in Ribeira Sacra. His lands are beautiful, majestic…steep hillsides filled with beautiful green leaves. Just check out his IG account because the views are swoon worthy & my favorite is of a young girl atop one of the hills on a swing that looks like she could glide over the vineyards below. Oh who wouldn’t want to live here! Martin also has a great appreciation & knowledge of Burgundy and sees the same vision in Spain. As he says on Grand Cru Selections site, “What is special about it is that each vineyard has its own personality, just like in Burgundy. I like that diversity in the different plots. Each one is different from the other. I know that there is still much to be done and I am sure that there are extraordinary vineyards yet to be discovered. I am convinced that here each vineyard can give you a wine with its own personality. The future that awaits the Ribeira Sacra and therefore its wines is great. I think it is the area with the most potential in Spain and almost in Europe….” 🍷❤️

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #instawine

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When In France…

When In France…
Wandering Barman
White Negroni
Gin, house made blanco vermouth, blanco amaro liqueur, juniper, & water
23% ABV
Brooklyn, NY

Super pale yellow haze. Breathing in pine needles (gin), golden pears & apples, starfruit, cinnamon (holiday vibe) & alpine herbs, fresh mineral water from a spring, white pepper and a pinch of salt. All of the scents are in the sip with that good amaro bite, and a little bit of pine wood.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

This cocktail got my curiosity up, so I decided to take myself down a very short rabbit hole. “Punch” had the best summation of this drink’s history. Turns out it was created out of a craving for an “ice cold Negroni”. Nick Blacknell & Wayne Collins were in France for a wine & spirits exhibition along with a cocktail competition. While readying themselves for the next day’s event, the warm weather had them bar hopping looking for the elusive Negroni. After failing on their quest, they decided to make them and headed to the local market only to find not all of the ingredients were available. This sparked the lightbulb moment of while in France why not use their counterparts. Lillet Blanc replaced the usual sweet vermouth and Suze in lieu of Campari. They already had gin and to give it all one more treat they added a wedge of pink grapefruit to the mix. Now after all these years of mixology, Wandering Barman’s portable Brooklyn spin on this drink has me totally crushing on this delicious cocktail.

#wine #cocktails #cocktailsofinstagram #spirits #negroni

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Soundtrack Of The Vineyard

Celler de les Aus
Aus
Pét Nat Rosé 2023
Mataró (Monastrell)
Ancestral method, organic
Catalunya, Spain
Mireia Pujol-Busquets

Light bubblegum pink with a flash of magenta and active bubbles. Breathing in strawberries with their caps, leaves & all, slight bit of cream, raspberries, cherries, a little good funk that deepens in a good way & later fades, and a light lemon/tangerine tingle. Everything that has my nose twitching is here minus the funk but with a tad more of a citrus twist/brightness that’s tongue & lip zinging, and a teeny splash of red currant/gooseberry blend. It’s crisp, dry & full of life with an elegant depth, and it’s bringing a brightness to this grey day & heralding in spring filled with joyful birdsongs. 

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Eh I say no

“Celler de les Aus” is a branch of Josep Maria Pujol-Baquests’ “Alta Alella” that is now helmed by his daughter Mireia. She & her family have made as they say, “A pact with nature. Commitment to the product.” They are deeply committed to being organic, sustainable, low intervention, and no sulfites added. The labels ( beautifully depicted by artist Paul Fassen) also celebrate the birds “who sing their melodies to create a soundtrack of the vineyard” and are named after the feathered friends that reside in Serralada de Marina’s Natural Park. Maybe after a few glasses of this pét nat rosé your spirits will lift and you’ll gradually hear them too. 🦜🪺🐦‍⬛

#wine #vino #vin #winestagram #CellerdelesAus #instawine #vinewinenyc

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An Ancient Grape For Modern Times

Tenimenti Leone
Tera de Leone 2021
100% Cesanese
IGP Lazio Rosso
Organic
Lanuvio. Lazio, Italy

Dark ruby shine. Breathing in raspberries & strawberries with a touch of cream, deep plums, cherries, smidge of cherry Twizzlers, dried figs, and a whiff of cola. All of the scents are in the swig along with singed orange & lime peel, a lick of iron & espresso and the volcanic soil where it grew.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: smooth operator but it’s even better with dark chocolate hand dipped dried figs

While reading up on Cesanese’s history that is linked back through the ancient Romans and more lately to break out winemakers focusing on natural, organic, and letting the land speak through the grape; my friend reminded me of a female winemaker that gave this grape a touch of star shine. Natalie Oliveros learned in northern NY how to make wine from her father due to their Calabrese heritage on her Nonna’s side…albeit basement wine. I’m sure it tasted a lot better than my dad’s 🤣. Anyway, you might also know her from her stage name, Savanna Samson which she picked up while dancing in NYC & in her award winning career as a porn star. That name carried over into her first wine line (with winemaker Roberto Cipresso) that included her well known “Sogno Uno” (70% Cesanese, 20% Sangiovese & 10% Montepulciano) that Robert Parker scored 91, and after meeting her…he also added that she has a “‘good palate’”. So as many women winemakers that have had to do the good fight and not get classified by their gender, she’s proven herself & her wines to not just the critics but also the world, and now she fully owns her own winery “La Fiorita” since 2014. Cheers & thank you to my friend who sent me down this wine rabbit hole and this wonderful grape🍷!

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What Can Warm The Coldest Heart?

Azienda Ai Galli
Prosecco Rosè 2024
Brut Millesimato DOC
Glera 90%, Pinot Nero 10%
Pramaggiore, Veneto, Italy
Galli Family

Light flash of salmon belly pinkish blush with active bubbles. Sniffing and there’s strawberries (reminds me of the wild Canadian ones we used to get on the roadside), white peaches, green pears & apples, lychee, light mandarin & lemon, and a smidge of kumquat. All of the scents are in the sip that is crisp, bright and lively. It’s one of those lip vibrating bubblies that’s like a first kiss.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: YES

What makes a snowy night better…this rosè prosecco! The once enchanting snowflakes have become annoying and by morning it will be a grey slushy mess. A glass will bring you a blast of life or a touch of spring on the horizon. It’s also a glass of romance that can warm the coldest heart. Cheers to no more snow and to the hope of warmer & sunnier days! 🥂