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My Summer Crush

Weingut Leon Gold
Neon Gold 2023
Trollinger
Organic, biodynamic
Weinstadt, Württemberg, Germany
Collaboration with Super Glou
Owner & winemaker: Leon Gold

Shining garnet stained glass. Breathing in raspberries, strawberries, touch of blueberries, a childhood memory of Froot Loops, orange/lemon/lime rind, tiniest whiff of peat, and a dried herby alpine mix that’s so mellow. Sipping and hello raspberries again with cherries, a mix of ripe and green strawberries (some wild too), that citrus rind again but more gentle yet still very alive, a weird reminder of Hawaiian Punch’s Fruit Juicy Red that I had as a kid on a very hot summer day at Sea World, cranberry, red currants & that savory herb sprinkle again but as before M-E-L-L-O-W with a teeny tiny sliver of white horehound (horehound candy), and a chew of sour grass from the outfield. Chill it a little or a lot. Either way it’s so bright and so darn easy to glou glou.

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  brings out all the tarty party

So childhood dreams can be fulfilled. Leon Gold was first enchanted with the wine ideal very young and followed it through with education, dedication, learning to listen to the sun, moon, & all nature has to whisper, and patience. He lets the grapes have their space and time in the cellar. I can just imagine the pressed fruit calmly chanting “om” and being one with space & time until it transcends and travels into the bottle. It’s not all inner peace & slow pace for Gold. Leon is one of the 3 chosen winemakers for a cool event coming up on 8/28 (tonight) at the restaurant Bachofer’s Terrace in Waiblingen. It’s Wine Speed Dating & I’m not sure if you’re meeting people or just “dating” the wines to find one you may fall for and goes well with their BBQ tapas. I know which one is my summer crush. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #speeddating #organic #Germany #bachofer #superglou #leongold #vinewine #vinewinenyc

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Making Perishable Permanent

Fontanavecchia
Fiano 2022
100% Fiano
Sannio DOP
Torrecuso (BN), Campania, Italy
The Rillo family: Managed by Libero with extra help & guidance from his father Orazio & brother Giuseppe

Color straw with green pops and flecks. Sniff and there’s nose tickling lime followed by lemon & a citrus blend & their orchard blossoms, apples, pears, honeydew, honeysuckle, fresh rained on slate, and a shake of salt. Dancing on my tongue are all of those lovely scents with a savory smidge smoke/peat accent that is waaaaaaay in the back and just gives a little depth & backbone stability much appreciated.

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  perfect pairing

The Rillo family though the years has kept their goals of cultivating & protecting their vines, grapes & lands; learning from history but not forgetting it or leaving traditions behind even as they & their lives continue to grow & intertwine. As often is said about wine families that span generations that they carry a “passion”, “it’s in their veins”, etc., and with them it’s not just an echo of those words or following through the motions…they truly do. A select quote on their site by John Arnott (journalist, cricket afficionado, wine lover, and poetic wordsmith) really struck me. “Wine is a successful effort to translate the perishable into the permanent”. It’s such a simple sentiment yet so encompassing that you can recognize in Fontanavecchia’s wines whether it be their youngsters or reserves. These lovely bottles capture, cement and imprint their solid place in history one drop at a time. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #Sannio #Campania #Italy #worldbyglass #wineemporium #fontanavecchia #docwinebar #docwineshop

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A Sparkling Future

Langmann
Pet Nat 2017
Gelber Muskateller
“Sustainable Austria” seal by the Austrian Winegrowers’ Association
Steiermark, Austria
The Langmann Family: Stefan & Anna (husband & wife), Günther & Stefan junior (sons), and Daniela (Stefan Jr’s wife)

Orange gold with an impressive head like an IPA. As I walked back from the kitchen after pouring scents of pineapple, pine needles, mango, a little IPAish vibe, tangerine, mandarins,  whiff of magnolia, hyacinth /jasmine, and almonds. Sipping and that head is still lingering. All of the scents are in the taste with a bit more orange/mandarin, papaya, teenist smidge of coconut, sprig of hay that waves bye, puff of peat/smoke that fades, pinch of nutmeg & a slight little warm spice burn on the very back, and once again that IPA vibe. It’s crisp, dry and so much fun!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: it’s ok

The Langmann family have been working the vines since 1746, and are still devoted with 3 current generations living and working on their land. I love it when I hear about people that truly respect the earth and take on the mantle of what their footprint will leave behind. As mentioned before they received recognition for sustainability for over a decade which means, “the rows of vines are planted with a variety of grasses and flowers, the vineyards are free of herbicides and insecticides, the winery relies on 100% green electricity and offers fair working conditions for all employees.” That is how you strive toward a better & sparkling future for all. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #sparklingwine #petnat #PétNat  #winelover #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #organic #sustainable #austria  #MonikaCahaSelections #weingutlangmann #Langmann #vinewine #vinewinenyc

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A Permanent Home In My Heart

Morgante
Rosso 2020
100% Nero d’Avola
Sicilia DOC
Grotte (Agrigento) Italy
The Morgante Family: Antonio (father), Carmelo & Giovanni (sons)
Winemaker: Riccardo Cotarell

Deep ruby. Breathing in plums, cherries, raspberry, blackberry, a creamy frosting bit lightly floats by joined by a raisin, and a little blend of pine, eucalyptus & thyme. From the first sip it’s a very alive jumble of all the scents with a bigger bunch of blackberry, strawberry,  cranberry, black tea, a dark blueberry or maybe dried strawberry, and wild fennel. This is delicious but it has me craving a Thanksgiving sandwich. Yum!

Pairs with Cheez-Its:  it’s complicated

When I started really learning about wine, Nero d’Avola enchanted me and has a permanent home in my heart. I love that it can be dressed up and on the town with a good rare steak with balsamic reduction, lamb chops, and a good cheese board (drunken goat, pecorino, etc); or you can chill and have it on the front stoop munching on a gyro & sausages from the cart down the street. This wine isn’t a snob but it sure is a star, and it’s just another reason to book a trip to Sicily & find out more about the Morgante Family’s passion & dedication to this lovely grape. ✨✈️🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #Sicily #Italy #worldbyglass #nerodavola #winebow #morgantevini #docwinebar #docwineshop

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“And When The Music Starts, I Never Wanna Stop”

Azienda Agricola Muzic
Ribolla Gialla 2021
100% Ribolla Gialla
Collio DOC
San Floriano del Collio (Go), Italy
The Muzic Family (Ivan, Orieta, Elija, and Fabijan)

Shining straw yellow. There’s scents of round yellow pears, salty river rock breeze, yellow plums & their blossoms, crisp apples (including my fave golden delicious), touch of lemon, a mix of spring flowers, and a brioche toast crumb. Leisurely sipping on this hot evening and those yellow plums & pears again greet me again with a good sprinkling of salt, golden delicious apples, smidge of honeysuckle, and a lemon lime mild sizzle blend with other citrus thrown in like kumquat, tangelo, etc but overall really light. All of the tastes blend easily and if you aren’t over thinking it like me you’d just say what a nice fresh wine that is begging for langoustines and oysters. I think I need to order a dozen 🦪.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: smoooooth

Back in the day, the Muzic family had pretty much been tenant farmers until they gained a chance to purchase the house/farm where they were residing & 5 ha they had also been tending. Four generations on and their vineyards have spread, their wines are racking up awards & acclaim, and they’re part of the Collio Consortium (2024 is their 60th anniversary) that promotes & protects the authenticity & identity of the Collio wines, their historical traditions and native grapes…as they say, “The Collio is a territory in which harmony with nature is found and time is rediscovered on a human scale, marked by ancient rural rhythms.“ Oh and you can tell Muzic is in the “Collio DOC Club” since all the members’ bottles carry the same distinct shape that some call a rocket. 🚀

Here we are at the end of my week of songs, so of course this winery deserves a matching one, and I’m betting you can already guess where this post is headed. 🪩🪩

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #madonna #winetime #Collio #Italy #worldbyglass #wineemporium #muzic #muzicwine #docwinebar #docwineshop

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“Work It! I need a glass of…”

Nuria Renom
Can Barceló
Les Cantarelles
Adda 2022
100% Parellada
Vino Espumoso
Organic with biodynamic treatments
Sant Martí del Sarroca, Alt Penedès, Spain
Nuria Renom and Arola Tous-Galí

Cloudy almost sea monkey yellow with VERY active bubbles. Open it over a sink. Don’t be me… Sniff and recommend y’all give it a little time out since it’s pretty natural (think forest floor/Yellowstone paint pots with a bit of hay). It does back off and is joined with a squeeze of lemon oven roasted pears & apples, pie spice, I think a little pastry, salt, and yellow plums. Rolling around on my tongue and it’s so refreshing & lively, all of the lovely lemon & bit of a tart, crisp yellow & green pears, same goes for apples, very young yellow plums but skinless, smidge of nectarine and Lemonhead candy. All in all it’s very bright with a delightful bit of excitement.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: like cheddar on apple pie

Think about doing a shift as a sommelier at a hip bustling bar in Barcelona (Bar Brutal) then after hopping the train back home to vines that need tending & wine that needs making and then put the cycle on repeat. That was Nuria’s life while working with her natural thinking friends’ grapes. Now she & Arola (her partner) have their own farm, Can Barceló, where they have grown their project Les Cantarelles. I believe that all those long hours, traveling back & forth (that must have been so exhausting), and passion have truly paid off…just try this joyful bubbling sparkler and it will exuberantly let you know they worked it, yes they definitely made it, and the glass sizzles with Missy Elliott’s lyrics, “this the kinda beat that go ra-ta-ta-ra-ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta-ta-ta”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #sparklingwine #petnat #PétNat  #winelover #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #organic #Spain #josepastorselections #LesCantarelles #NuriaRenom #vinewine #vinewinenyc

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Drop That Olive And Salut!

Casa Mariol
Vermut Blanc
Macabeu & local herbs
Organic & vegan
Batea, Terra Alta, Spain
Josep Maria & Marta Vaquer Llop (current generation and brother & sister)

Shining yellow with a bit of green blip. Hovering over the glass and scents start off with a cream ’nila feel that leads to Sprite with an herbal swirl of mints (chocolate, wintergreen, spearmint), basil, sage, thyme, a drop of Riccola, touch of an ocean breeze, and a hint of icing (not buttercream). Sipping (btw I haven’t added the olives in yet) and all of the scents explode in the taste with a welcome bitter bite, orange and other citrus zest, and then it all goes mellow and beckons me to relax, kick back and drop that olive in.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Due to the olive incident, I have not had a chance to try. You’ll see later.

This reminds me of my first vermut encounter provided by my friends in Belgium that was ages ago…actually years…and a whole other lifetime.  My young American mouth was not familiar with any sort of vermouth. All of my tastebuds rose to attention and went on high alert. With time and advice from friends, I realized what I had been missing in my youth was adding an olive or two since they bring out more herbs and a dryness, and are so delightful to munch on. Well, they were until last Saturday night. I swear if it’s not one thing it’s another lately. 🤣 Let’s just say I am going to the dentist in a few days to have my hillbilly front tooth repaired. I will say this Vermut Blanc is worth a visit to Dr. 🦷🦷, and again Casa Mariol, I can’t wait to get a chance to visit y’all in person to try the rest of your wines with a new smile. Salut!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #vermut #vermouth #winelover #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #organic #Spain #vinoslibres #CasaMariol #vinewine #vinewinenyc

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“You Don’t Have To Be A Millionaire”

4Kilos
Motor América 2021
Callet
Organic, vegan
Felanitx, Islas Baleares, Mallorca, Spain
Francesc Grimalt & Sergio Caballero

Shining cranberry plum glass. Sniffing and there’s an earthy/iron start that starts to blend and fade, next up is cherry followed by strawraspcranberry, a touch of a mint/herbal blend, grind of pepper but not heavy, then roses with a touch of magnolia, and pipsissewa. Sip and there’s a tangy start of all the previous berries that becomes more luscious over time, on the back a smidge of an eucalyptus beneficial herby mix, puff of smoke on the waters, an oil cured black olive pit, and a touch of forest floor funk.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: bright

Bring together the mix of Francesc (winemaker & native grape champion [especially Callet]) & Sergio (musician & founding partner & co-director of the Sonar Music Festival) and what you get is 4Kilos (named after what the two invested to launch this project: 4 million pesetas [€24,000]). As Mr. Caballero said, “There’s no need to be a millionaire to make wine; all that’s needed is passion and hard work.” Now to see their passion, hard work, having fun, artwork of all sorts, collaborations, and songs about wine…just check out their site: http://4kilos.com. I got lost clicking through the videos and finding out about their label (12Volts) that features an illustration from Gary Baseman who I have ❤️ forever, and their working collab with Esment (org “that helps people with intellectual disabilities and their families enjoy and improve their quality of life and have the same opportunities as all citizens”) to create their Gallinas & Focas wines. Turns out the name came from a fun brainstorming session with the participants and means “Chicken & Seals”. Why that name…well, “chickens are funny and seals applaud” and then they were able to let their artistic vibes fly to draw what would later grace bottles. 4Kilos are a winery that not just make me smile due to their wines but also to the way they live life to the fullest with joy and a sense of humor. Oh and before I forget…check out the video of the running nun.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #organic #Spain #mallorca #4kilosvinicola #vinewine #vinewinenyc

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How Did I Miss Out?

Casa Mariol
Garnatxa Blanca 2022
100% White Grenache
Organic & vegan
Batea, Terra Alta, Spain
Josep Maria & Marta Vaquer Llop (current generation and brother & sister)

Light yellow that grows as it breathes…kind of like the label. Breathing in gentle orange wrapped in a bit of lime zest & lemon squeeze, pears, green apples, lime blossoms, and a fresh free flowing spring water coolness. Zip…zap and all of the citrus is there in the taste with a bit more zest and as time goes more of that lemon/lime-ade blend, green apples & pears, light honeysuckle, a fun tingle, with a little herby bit of say oregano, flat parsley, and maybe dried basil on the back side with a salt shake.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO NO NO please NO

Casa Mariol describes themselves as “one big family” including relatives and their whole team. Not only does this “family” make fab single varietal wines like this Garnatxa Blanca (all of the bottles are dressed in their finest eye catching designs by Mirko Borsche)…they also produce distinctive vermuts (blanc & negre), and have a wine bar in Barcelona. Now here’s the one thing I can’t believe, I have never been to their bar. I’m pretty sure I even walked right by and didn’t realize what a delicious experience I was missing out on according to all the rave reviews. Feeling the wine walk of shame right now and definitely going to have to wander my way there on my next trip. In fact, in order to temporarily absolve myself before I get there, I’m going to track down the rest of their rainbow of bottles. 🌈🍷

Update: I picked up their Vermut Blanc…excited!

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

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Women Powered Wine

Friã Friõ
Vinho Verde D.O.C.
2022
Loureiro, Trajadura and Arinto
Sustainably grown
Sousa, Portugal
Founders: Jocelyn Brent and Lisa Rankin
Winemaker: Joana Santiago

Bright & lively shining yellow-greenish. Taking a breath and there’s green apple, a clean fresh springhouse scent, light grapefruit & even more light tangerines & kumquat, and a dash of wild flowers with a smidge of fresh cut greenery. Sipping green apples and a few others thrown in, lemon/lime squeeze with other citrus blends, orange blossoms, ripe pears, a tiny sizzle/sparkle, and a little bit of that mineral springhouse again. It’s fresh, bright & easy to drink and love.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: whoa even more bright, tart and zingy

Some people call Vinho Verde wines feminine, well with this one they are right, but not for what they might assume. Friã Friõ was founded by women, has an amazing and established woman winemaker, and then there’s “Rose” (mentioned on their site but no last name given) handpicking the grapes & working in the vines. This is girl power or should I say woman power in its best form. Their creations are as they put it, are “made for your blue sky day”…light, refreshing, and full of their love. Just pick up a bottle, sip it, and know you’ve found your summer go to wine. Oh, and it’s even better when shared with friends, so pass me another glass. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #sustainable  #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #winetime #wineislove #portugal #vinhoverde #vinhoverdewines #drinkwildman #friafrio #vinewine #vinewinenyc