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Where Wild Horses Still Roam

Aphros Wine
Phaunus Pet Nat 2021
Vinho Espumante Rosé
50% Vinhão, 50% Alvarelhão
Biodynamic
Minho, Portugal
Owner/general manager: Vasco Croft
Winemakers: Tiago Sampaio, Miguel Viseu
Biodynamic viticulture consultant: Dominique Massenot
Viticulture manager: Alberto Araújo

Pinky/salmon with fine white dancing bubbles with a little bit of unfiltered goodness like a little piece of broken hard candy about one a glass. Scents of strawberries, tart cherries, a hint of teeny white flowers breeze through and seltzer. Sipping ripe & also young strawberries, a few raspberries & blackberries, tart & mellow cherries, cranberry pomegranate cocktail, touch of a lemon twist, and a zingy zaggy crisp spark. Such a happy bubbly and perfect for Valentine’s Day. It’s coming up soon you know…tick tick tick. ⏰ As you know, flowers fade and die but this bottle is bursting with life and will make a beautiful memory.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: blerg NO

I knew these three natural winemakers names sounded familiar, but it’s the first time I’ve read of Vasco Croft’s past. His bio is a little mystical/magical with a youthful interest in astrology, then later a 3-D artistic leaning of various forms, a life journey of philosophies & spiritual, and evidently a pivotal moment of having a bottle of wine with a Buddhist monk. All of those experiences led Vasco’s life to the Aphros project, the team and their biodynamic way. Oh and when I say team, I’m not just including the people listed above, but also all the creatures joining them in the lands. Just the thought that there are still indigenous wild horses (yet endangered) roaming nearby & benefitting the area is truly exciting, along with sheep weaving their way through the vines and bees dancing from flower to flower. Their part of the world sounds like a peaceful piece of harmony. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #petnat #rosé #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #Minho #Portugal #Extremadura #Spain @aphros_wine @skurnikwines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Precisely Mature

Domaine Couly-Dutheil
Blanc de Franc 2020
100% Cabernet Franc
Sustainable farming
Chinon, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Winemaker: Arnaud Couly Dutheil (4th gen)

Shining gold with a tiny warm blush. Scents of strawberries, cream or an Oreo center, and later green strawberry garden grassiness with the little smidge of lemon hint. Drinking in lovely strawberries (red and the whole range to green), raspberries, lemon/lime squeeze, and a touch of that Oreo cream…but is definitely dry. Elegant, smooth and like a magical kiss from a woodland nymph.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: pretty good. I was expecting to channel my inner Bill the Cat pfffft

Franc Blanc…huh? What a beautiful surprise! I know you may think beautiful an overused term, but truly it best describes what I see when I taste this wine. It’s a painting of delicate colors of rounded shapes woven within intricate lace and moments flecks of gold & magenta. Domaine Couly-Dutheil, a long time star of Chinon and Loire, celebrates their Cabernet Franc (it takes up 98% of their 90 ha of vines). They are so focused on just the right maturity for harvest which gives them only a few Goldilocks days (4-5). This is part of what makes them stand apart from so many other Cab Francs. “For many decades, a catchphrase has highlighted the vegetal notes or the green pepper taste of Cabernet Franc… we consider these notes to be a reflection of a lack of maturity. This is why we are convinced of the importance of a good maturity of the grapes which gives the wines notes of ripe fruit, silky and supple tannins while keeping a great freshness.” See…beautiful.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #CabernetFranc #Loire #Chinon #France @coulydutheil_vin @cynthia_hurley_french_wines @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Sooie!

Famille Arbeau
Rince Cochon 2021
100% Negrette
VDF
Organic, less is more
Labastide-Saint-Pierre, Sud-Ouest, France
Anne and Géraud Arbeau (sister & brother)

Ruby/cherry haze. Chill it a little, let it breathe and you’ll start catching scents of cherry, blueberry, green peppers/tomato leaves, strawberries with the caps too, young raspberries, and digging in the dirt. Sip and it’s very bright tart cherries, bell peppers, blackberries, green bitey strawberries, springy green flowers, and it’s popping full of life and light…and needless to say it’s piggy perfect! Sooie! Yes, I do actually know how to call a hog…even though I’m a city gal now. You probably don’t want to hear it though, it’s pretty ear shattering.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s:  good but rather have a fried pork rind

As with many wineries, this family has farming roots (theirs from 1878), but as they say, “already, back then, it was the vine that led the dance.” Géraud had known for a long time he wanted to be continue in these wine steps, and aligned his studies for it. Anne ventured a different path at first, receiving a PhD in Fluid Mechanics before returning to the family business based in their lovely town Labastide-Saint-Pierre, which I ❤️ their description of “where cassoulet and rugby form part of our DNA”. Sounds like my type of place! Soul warming food, a fun scrum, and damn good wines. Cheers to that vine that keeps on leading, or to quote Bryan Ferry, “Don’t Stop the Dance”. 

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #redwine #BryanFerry #pork #bbq #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #organic #Negrette #France @annearbeau @zevrovineselections @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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A Memory Worming Its Way In

Weingut Georg Gustav Huff
Pinot Gris 2021
Organic, green fertilizer, grapevine moth pest control by sexual confusion
Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany
Wine family: Dieter & Helga Huff, their sons/winemakers: Stefan & Daniel Huff, daughters-in-law, & grandkids

Starlight with a little green shimmer. Scents of melons (of all types), grapefruit and tangerine enter the room (in a good way, not smack you over the head ultra IPA way) as it warms up, lemon zest, a little honeysuckle blooms joined by orange blossoms. Tasting Valencia oranges, followed by a citrus mix, a little really ripe English cucumber in the background that just flirts a little, lovely honeydew (like the ones we used to grow. More lovely on the inside than the natural sandy bottoms on the outside), mellow cantaloupe, golden delicious apple, an herby welcome bite, and Meyer lemons. It’s bright and mildly lip tingling.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: gives everything a ⚡️

Oh this is definitely a family affair, everyone pitches in with their own unique skills & specialties. These folks love and are devoted to their land, vines, and everything living in it…as any good vineyard parents would be. They make sure it’s healthy, organically well nourished and think about its future because to have the best outcome of their wine they have to prepare for whatever may come their way. One of these preps is getting ahead of the weather with green compost & straw since too much rain can spoil a good thing. Staving off some of the erosion can also help out our beneficial buggy & wormy friends that live below and are a major part of this winery’s circle of life. On a personal note, I have always been fascinated by earthworms since childhood. My great-grandfather used to have two garden beds of them that he’d cultivate & feed every day. These were his prime fishing friends…ok maybe they were more a dangling dinner for catfish. Oh those were the carefree days. Thanks to this Pinot Gris & the Huff’s for unearthing this moment with my my dear old Poppa. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #organic #pinotgris #Germany @weingutgghuff @baronfrancois.ws @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit

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Fossil Fueled Wine

Weingut Stephan Steinmetz
Elbling 2020
Sustainable, hand-harvested, and working in rhythm with nature
Mosel, Germany
Winemaker: Stephan Steinmetz

Shining shimmering starlight with a little hints of green interplanetary life. Breathing in a valley breeze of crisp apples and pears, a squeeze of peach, a little fresh melon, lemon wafts, smoke, and lovely salt. Fresh summer sipping much in line with the sniff. Crunchy apples and pears, and a good shake of salty mineral, light peach, lemon spritz, and a teeny tiny leaf of parsley. 

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Fresh and elegant

Ooh Elbling you are such a youthful ancient grape! I can just see the Romans partying with you. All your very fresh and salt goodness fed by Obermosel’s fossil/shell rich fields and the natural care of the Steinmetz family. They do as much as possible by hand, and dwarf sheep live and tend to the vineyard (not sure if they are in the entire vineyard or just the grapes for the “Unkultiviert”). Honestly they are so ruggedly wooly cute! BTW back in December 2020, they had a wine & wool pairing through their wine retailer Frau Hauptmann and Zwei Rechts wool shop. It may not be from the vineyard dwarves, but it is merino, and I can raise a glass to that.

#wine #wein #vin #vino #whitewine #葡萄酒 #ワイン #Elbling #sheep #winelife #Mosel #Germany #cheezit #worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #weingutstephansteinmetz #stephansteinmetz #sussexwinemerchants @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezits