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Beauty on a High Hill

Buli
515 S.L.M. 2019
Toscano Bianco IGT
Trequanda, Siena, Italy
Chardonnay 70%, Trebbiano 30%
Organic, guyot, and hand harvested
Founder and owner: Robert Buly
Enologist: Diego Ciurletti
Agronomist: Alessandro Gemini
Cantina Chief: Stefano Censini

Pale shining gold. Scents pop out of cantaloupes, honeydew, a little smoky/peat but seriously delicate, Red Delicious apples and a faint whiff of their blossoms. Also smidge of salt and something mineral or the more I think of it if you have ever stripped a fresh apple branch, it’s that smell. Its green, clean, and grounding. First sip and there’s a small squeeze of lemon like one wedge hanging on the side of your glass, muskmelon, honeydew, peaches, Red and Golden delicious apples, and honey that tastes like it had a walnut aging in it for a while…Mmmm. A little oak warmth that turns to smoke with a lick of salt but nothing overpowering. I read someone mention harsh at the end, but there is nothing harsh unless you think a basic tiny lemon squeeze harsh. All I know is I want some west coast oysters with mignonette right now.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: a little more dark nightshade, some grass and a little more rich and round

Sea level means so much in cooking, baking, and farming. While 515 meters S.L.M. is not good for cooking grits (you seriously have to have the right sea level for southern certified grits), it is fabulous for these grapes. Robert Buly enlisted his cousin Giulio to help in the search for the perfect place for him to get back to his family’s “deep roots”, in 2006, Podere Collalto (farm on a high hill) came up for sale. What’s even better it was only 6 miles from his cousin’s place. It has it all…great sunlight. beautiful summer breeze, rugged good soil and plenty of room for a vineyard and olive trees. Check out the site for images from their enchanting little part of the world, it will brighten your day.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @buliwine @darkstarimports @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine #whitewine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #trequanda #toscano #tuscany #siena #italy #winestagram #instawine #Chardonnay #Trebbiano

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With a Little Help From His Friends

A la Vôtre!
Hou la la!! 2019
VDF Rouge
Loire, France
100% Pinot Noir
Practicing organic
Winemaker: Laurent Lebled

Dark red tapestry color. My nose is loving these plums, blueberries, deep cherries, vanilla wafers, dried rich fruit, and a tiny hint of celery seed. Delicious tastes of dark tart cherry, faint hay, strawberries and strawberry Pop Tart, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, a smidge of orange peel and some woodsy earth. Super juicy! It’s also an elegant wine that you could dress up for or casually lounge around sipping in a comfy sweatshirt while hiding in a Zoom meeting.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: I’m not sure if it changes much but makes it more rich and makes me want more. Putting them away before I drink the whole bottle.

This is not the usual, story of a winery passed down through the generations. It’s a second act. Laurent Lebled worked in wood, not wine for over 30 years and well, life changed. Lost his job at the worst time, the 2008 recession. Well, he was lucky enough to have two great friends (Sébastien Bobinet and Patrick Corbineau) that convinced him to change his life. Ok, so there is a tale of inheritance, Sébastien’s grandfather left him 2 hectares of vines, and he just knew this would be Laurent’s new destiny. Laurent learned from Sébastien through the 2009 vintage. 2010, Sébastien and Patrick helped and guided Laurent though the first “A la Vôtre!” Then it was time for the bird to leave the nest. Since then he has rented vines and cellars until 2019. He had the good fortune to buy 10 hectares of vines and a cellar. Funny how life works out. Just when everything seems dark, another door opens. You just have to trust and embrace it.

@vinewinenyc @alavotrevins  @louisdressnerselections @cheezits #cheezit #wine #winestagram #instawine #redwine #naturalwine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #pinotnoir #Loire #France

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Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!

Domaine la Grangette 
CocoriKo 2018
Côtes de Thau IGP
100% Piquepoul Noir
Sustainable/Lutte raisonnée agriculture and heading organic
Castelnau-de-Guers, Languedoc, France
Winemakers: Christelle & Mathieu Caron

Dark cherry with blue-purple highlights (takes me back to my Manic Panic days). Fragrant cherries, roses, strawberries but it reminds me of the smell of the ones they put on a sundae. Also salt and faint licorice. Sipping and it’s smooth baby… with tastes of cherry, cocoa, strawberries, blueberries, singed sage, and a little salty whisper.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: more rich and dark

Have had many blanc bottles enjoyed in the summertime warmth of the sun, but this is my first 100% Piquepoul Noir which is one of the 13 grapes permitted in Châteauneuf du Pape. Wow, what a happy, fresh, juicy, and fun wine. And such a plump little chickie/rooster on the label whose call “Cocoriko” is this bottle’s namesake. Domaine la Grangette was passed down by Christelle’s parents in 2013, and they are doing something pretty special. They are the only Piquepoul vineyard working with all three colors, and I’m wishing I had the white and rosé to try side by side. The Domaine has forests, trails, and wonderful soil as it was used for farming (grains and alfalfa) since the French Revolution, and even before that their had been ancient lakes and and sea coverage creating the terroir. Now with their use of lutte raisonnée agriculture, they replenish the land post harvest with plowing the cuttings and such back under and giving back to the earth. Kind of their version of the circle of life…yes, you can now thank me for having that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Cheers!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @domainelagrangette @fieldblendselections @cheezits #cheezit #organic #sustainable #wine #winestagram #instawine #redwine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #CocoriKo #PiquepoulNoir #Piquepoul #Languedoc #France

 

 

 

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Pass the Beignets, Please

18th Ward Brewing
Decatur Street
Imperial Pastry Stout (New Orleans Style)
Brewed with German, English, and American ingredients
As per label too with beignets, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla & chicory coffee
10% ABV
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Owner: Jordan Beldner
Head Brewer: Will Arnaiz

Dark coffee cola with a short caramel head. Smelling delicious coffee, chocolate, cola, powdered sugar, beignets, vanilla and the label pretty much hands you all this. Oh this tastes like a brownie covered in vanilla powdered sugar with bits of chocolate and that chicory coffee thrown in. Please save me the corner pieces…mmm. Feels like a love song to New Orleans and the French Quarter. Let’s go take a leisurely stroll down Rue Bourbon and then wander Decatur.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: oh man does this make it all about the sugar. Nope, not doing that again

Jordan Beldner opened 18th Ward in 2019, across from Brooklyn Steel, which at the time was a great idea. He could get spillover from their concerts, before and after. I am going to admit, I am ashamed, that I never got a chance to visit. Who thought we’d be in this situation. Would have loved to not only try the beer on tap but also their Pork Belly Po’ Boy. When Brooklyn Steel had to close, they lost a lot of their business. Thank goodness they have a 50 ft outside space and are open noon to 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays. You can pick up or stick around  and sip outside. Back to how they had to adapt. They had to sort out canning because which is the best way to reach the masses that aren’t venturing out. Jordan also brought on Head Brewer Will Arnaiz to help reorganize and sort all of this out. When you can, you also need to come up with some pretty cool and catchy labels, and they lucked out with Abbey Bull. Check out her work @foggyfeelin. Wishing them the best and when they do get to open back up inside, I am definitely walking over.

@18thwardbrewing @BeerBoutiqueInc @indiebeer_ @foggyfeelin @cheezits #beer #ImperialPastryStout #ImperialStout #stout #wine #winestagram #instawine #cheezit @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #craftbeer #beerstagram #beersofinstagram  #williamsburg #brooklyn #NY #DecaturStreet

 

 

 

 

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Be a Rebel

Weingut Loacker
Santa Maddalena Classico Morit
Alto Adige DOC 2017
Vernatsch 87%, Lagrein 10%, Pinot Noir 3%
Bolzano, Italy
Organic, biodynamic, vegan, and native yeasts
Founded by Rainer Loacker and is now in the hands of his sons Franz Josef, Hayo, and Hannes

Bright cheery cherry ruby color. After pouring my nose is getting some butter at first but let that glass sit a little while and then don’t think of it again. Then comes the cherries, plums, pinch of pepper, sweet spring flowers, rosemary, and some creaminess with a faint sugar cookie with sprinkles. Wow, that was a lot and I’m wondering if the taste is heading the same way, and I’m not disappointed. There’s tart cherry brightness, bring on the funk that plum funk, strawberries, wild blueberries, black pepper, smoke, and as it rolls it’s velvet with a small orange zest kick One more thing to add, do not be an idiot like me. I was preoccupied and didn’t notice there is a glass stopper and wondered why my opener wasn’t going in. Feel free to laugh at me all you want.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: smooth dark cherry mmmm

Rainer Loacker is yes, that Loacker from the wafer world. You remember those addictive little cookies? In 1979, Rainer saw himself as a rebel in the region, since he knew his winery had to be sustainable. The vines even get homeopathic treatment. Rainer’s vision, which at the time was very much not the norm, and as he says in the video (please click and hear his own words) people told him “Organic wine doesn’t interest us.” He was even called out of his mind. Well, look how much times have changed, and how right his decision was. From this bottle alone, I can attest his diligence has created this delicious, delightful wine. Also according to their site, Santa Maddalena Classico Morit 2017, is not only sustainable, but also organic and vegan. By the way, there are two more vineyards in their hands, and they all hold to the same standards. Do it natural, respect those beautiful lands and you have a recipe for success!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @LoackerWineEstates @APWineImports @cheezits #cheezit #organic #biodynamic #vegan #nativeyeasts #wine #winestagram #instawine #redwine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #altoadige #Bolzano #Italy #Vernatsch #Lagrein #PinotNoir #loacker

 

 

 

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Hand Picked, Made by Heart

Tikveš
Rkaciteli Special Selection 2017
Tikves Region
100% Rkaciteli
Tikves, Macedonia
Sustainable farming, double guyot, and hand harvested
Winemaker/Chief Wine Consultant: Philippe Cambie
Head Winemaker: Marko Stojakovic

Starlight super pale purity gold/yellow. Breathing in fresh peaches, musky mango, and pineapple. It’s a funky fruit cup. Take a sip and there’s again sweet pineapple, peaches, smoky mangos, and just a little speck of rock licking granite on the back of it all. I would love a big tray of sushi with this glass.

Pairs w Cheez-It’s: fruit, fruit, fruit, sweeeeeet

Tikveš, founded in 1885, is a winery that’s lived through a lot of history…wars, independence, and an end to communism. No matter what was thrown their way, wine continued on. In 2003, M6 Co. bought the massive winery and got down to business of only making quality wine no matter high or low price. They brought in experts (like Philippe Cambie), assessed, and took on transforming to sustainable farming, pairing the soils with just the right grapes, etc. All of this hard work has led to a long list of awards, including some for previous vintages of Rkaciteli Special Selection (which 2017 totally deserves one). As mentioned before this winery is a big undertaking, in fact it is the largest in South-Eastern Europe, which makes me appreciate Svetozar Janevski’s (Pres. of the Management Board) sentiment, “From that moment to the present, I have been devoted to the idea that the colours of this country, its people, its landscape, music and aromas, should all be reflected and communicated in our Macedonian product. All that our painters and musicians have strived to capture in their art, we at Tikveš have attempted to capture in our wines.” He and their whole team have achieved this goal, and I look forward to traveling and tasting the essence of their lands in future bottles.

@vinewinenyc @TikvesWinery @EuropeanCellars @cheezits #cheezit #wine #winestagram #instawine #whitewine #naturalwine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #Tikves #Rkaciteli #Macedonia #ericsolomonselections

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Deep Roots

Buli
Le Fonde 2019
Toscano Rosato IGT
Trequanda, Siena, Italy
100% Sangiovese
Organic and guyot training
Founder and owner: Robert Buly
Enologist: Diego Ciurletti
Agronomist: Alessandro Gemini
Cantina Chief: Stefano Censini

Radiant salmon color. First scents of very light orange cream with a tad lemon zest. Keep letting it breathe just little bit longer, trust me. You’ll be greeted by cranberries, dried apricots, touch of magnolias but not heady, and then there’s also strawberries and raspberries. Lift that glass, sip and enjoy lemon, pink grapefruit, and zingy orange which leads to apricot and a whole pile of fruits like watermelon, strawberries, and raspberries. Now there’s salt, smoke, and a lick of slate. Ok, you’re going to think I’m a weirdo, but something about this reminds me of an Orange Julius that isn’t super sweet. Maybe it’s just bringing back a memory which good wine and food always should do. For all you old mall rats and I was one of them before I got my job at the record shop, you will get this flavor (yes, this is a good thing with this wine). Some would call this a summer wine, but I think it is perfect for year round. I’m doing my third tasting on New Year’s Eve and it’s a welcome breath of fresh to 2021.

Pairs w Cheez-It’s: Delicious, it just brings out the fruit even more. Smooth.

My first Buli was their Estate 44 (2015) which was a big beautiful blend. La Fonde (2019), is a wonderful introduction for me to their varied styles. As you can tell from above, I love it. But there’s more to this tale. As in my first review, all of their wines are born from a film worthy WWII romance between a US soldier, an enchanting Italian lady, and a bottle of red wine. Robert Buly grew up in Pennsylvania, but his mother (the daughter of the mentioned couple) and brothers held on to their Italian heritage by speaking Italian at home and when they could travel back to Italy. All of their mother’s relatives were still back there, so what a better opportunity to fall for the food, wines and that way of life. Come on, who wouldn’t dream of such a great opportunity. This family is gifted to have these deep roots or in other words “Le Fonde”.

@docwineshop @docwinebar @buliwine @darkstarimports @cheezits #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #wine #whitewine #rosé #rose @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #trequanda #toscano #tuscany #siena #italy #winestagram #instawine #rosato #sangiovese

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Take Me Home, Country Roads

Occhipinti
SP68 Bianco 2019
Terre Siciliane IGT
Zibibbo (aka Muscat of Alexandria) 60%, Albanello 40%
Vittoria, Sicily, Italy
Organic, biodynamic, dry farming, guyot, hand-harvested, 2 weeks skin contact, and native yeasts
Owner and Winemaker: Arianna Occhipinti

Deep golden color with orange tint. Orange, tangerine, and other beautiful citrus waft in along with a hedge of honeysuckles (I can just see honey bees darting from flower to flower and shaking their little bee butts), wild flowers, and a little fresh grass. Tasting again that orange but blended with some smoke. There’s also honey, peaches, apricot, and, a little bit of a French spice blend like the Bouquet Garni from Penzeys. It’s clean and has a fresh zing on the back of the tongue.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Don’t even think about trying that

I’ll start with a quote by Saint-Exupery, that Arianna Occhipinti has on her site, “We do not inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow It from our children”. What she did inherit was her love for Sicily and the wines from her Uncle Giusto Occhipinti (of COS Winery fame) while helping out in his cellar starting at the age of 16. She also picked up her natural, organic, biodynamic, and reverence for the land from him, even if she did go to oenology school (at 18) for the practical bits. While there she continued to question, made friends with “natural winemakers”, and knew that was to be her path post graduation. As she also says on her site, “Respect the wine as if it was a person. A person who takes with him/her, a world, a history, an atmosphere. And it tastes like the land where it was born from.” This is evident in her SP68 Bianco which is named after the road that winds near her vineyards…a road of deep history that part can be traced back to a 3000 year old stone path which eventually became the oldest wine route documented. When you have a glass of this, just remember a part of this history lives in you.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @ariannaocchipinti @louisdressnerselections @cheezits #cheezit #wine #winestagram #instawine #whitewine #orangewine #whitewine #naturalwine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #organic #sustainable #biodynamic #Zibibbo #MuscatofAlexandria #Albanello #Muscat #Vittoria #Sicily #Italy #penzeysspices

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Cheers to Billie!

Fat Orange Cat
Collaboration with Twelve Percent Project
All The Kool Kats On The Back Of The Bus
New England Style India Pale Ale
8.4% ABV
Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic and Nugget Hops
North Haven, CT

Hazy golden orange with a big frothy head. Inhaling all that NEIPA citrus goodness: grapefruit, tangerine, clementines, orange zest, and pine needles. Tasting all the same citrus fruit goodness again added with pineapple and apricots. Then bitter, pine, herbal (like singed sage) and something a little toasty and dark. A very smooth easy drinker that gives you that delightful tingly feeling on your tongue and lips.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Makes it more herbal and floral…hmmm

I head over to Fat Orange Cat’s site to see how they’re doing and am greeted by a post that says their open air drive-thru is closed till April 2021, but you can still pick up their beers at your local purveyors and also Twelve Percent Project, who works with them on their large batch beers. Their small batches are made back at their brewery East Hampton, CT with great care to their land, their ingredients, local agriculture, and recycling as much as possible. This is a socially conscious brewery that was once overseen by their “brewmaster” and fat orange cat, Billie who is sadly no longer. There are pics of him on their site in case any of you other cat crazy people, like me, would like to see how cute he was. Join me in a little dance for him with G Love & Special Sauce – Back of the Bus.

@fatorangecatbrewco @BeerBoutiqueInc @twelvepercentbeerproject @cheezits #beer #wine #winestagram #instawine #cheezit @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits  #neipa #ipa #craftbeer #beerstagram #beersofinstagram #Simcoe #Citra #Nugget #hops

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A Thorny Situation

Thistle & Weed
Duwweltjie 2018
100% Chenin Blanc
W.O. Paarl
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Organic and unfiltered
Viticulturist: Etienne Terblance
Winemaker: Stephanie Wild

Shimmy shimmy shiny gold. My nose is filled with an early hint of vanilla, then citrus scents of lemon. persimmon, blood orange, and light grapefruit (ie IPA). There’s also super ripe cucumber, pine, and some salty (not sexy, wiggle that moustache) thyme. Kicking back apricot, melon, pears, honeysuckle, citrus tang of lemon and mandarin orange, white pepper, and a little wax yet no wane.

Pairs w Cheez-It’s: more smooth less tang

Etienne Terblance and Stephanie Wild both come from wine in their life. Young Etienne helped out in his parents’ seaside restaurant and then took off for school and received a Masters degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Montpellier SupAgro and a PhD in Viticulture from Stellenbosch University. Stephanie’s history is little different. Her grandfather was the well known Niel Joubert, founder of the Stellenbosch Wine Route. She also holds a Masters from Stellenbosch University in Viticulture and Oenology, and everywhere I google, I see her on lists for top South African women winemakers, and top winemakers in general. Often I write about power teams like this and they are married couples but in this case, they’re friends. Their combined knowledge, experience and expertise has led them to pick the perfect spots for their vineyards, like the one for this Chenin Blanc. Duwweltjie vineyard named (fondly or maybe not so fondly) after the plant that translates to Devil’s thorns, that can puncture anything from shoes to rubber tires, etc and generally be a real pain in the ass. Just check out the label. Well, that annoyance is worth it to get to these 65 or so year old vines. I’d gladly be willing to take a wander through these plants just to get a case of these beauts.

Sidenote: as I mentioned before they are not a couple but it warms my heart to see on the site that they give shout outs to their families. Etienne is a father to Elmie (human), Ben (canine) and husband to Lizanda. Stephanie is wife to Kannas, and mother to Frances (human) and Khalessi & Khumba (canines). Reading this put a smile on my face.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @thistleandweed.co.za @vsiwine @vsilocal @StellWineRoute @cheezits #cheezit #organic #unfiltered #wine  #winestagram #instawine #whitewine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Duwweltjie #CheninBlanc #Paarl #Stellenbosch #SouthAfrica