Posted on

WINE MEMORIES 12.13.18

Vinyes Singulars
Minipuça 2016
Xarel.lo 100%
Penedès, Spain
Ancestral Method
Organic, biodynamic, native yeasts, vegan friendly, and from what I read…aged in a Spanish Civil War air raid shelter
Winemaker Ignasi Segui

A glass of pale lemony gold. Let it breathe a short bit and then inhale. There’s salt, a touch of smoke, then lemon, apples, pears, and slate. First sip is vibrant with lots of tiny bubbles, at first some hay, lemon, and apple. It’s crisp with a smidge of spice which may be cinnamon. As time passes it melts into grassy light sweetness.

@despananyc @despanavinos @vinyes_singulars @indiewineries #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #xarello #spain #Penedès #penedes #Catalunya #biodynamic #organic #AncestralMethod #petnat @worldbyglass 

Posted on

Surprise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Le Pianate
Un Paio 2016
Rosso
Umbria Italy
Sagrantino 50%, Sangiovese 30%, Merlot 20%
Winemaker Andrea Trulli
Biodynamic and organic

Pour and it’s a shining ruby star. Inhale and there’s cherries, plums, apple blossoms (just like the ones from the orchard I grew up in), orange, and some earth/smoke. Take a sip and here’s the tart cherries, raspberries, strawberries, a touch of orange, some white pepper and a mix of earth, spice, and butter. Fits like a glove and makes me want more. I have to watch myself because I could totally drink this whole bottle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: smooth sweetness with a touch of orange peel and flowers

Full disclosure: I stuck to my usual rules, and did not google the winery before the tasting post was finished because I want to write with no outside influence. Afterward, I always like to find out who the winemaker is, what the area looks like, etc. Oh man, was I surprised. I have known Andrea for years. He always mentioned his grapes, but never ever told me the name of his wine. What a kind, sweet, unassuming, and extremely talented guy. Andrea keep up the good work!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @lepianate #lepianate #AndreaTrulli @indiewineries @cheezits #cheezit #wine #naturalwine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #biodynamic #organic #umbria #Sagrantino #Sangiovese #Merlot

Posted on

Tangled Tingle of Fun

Tenuta Belvedere
WAI 2018
Sparkling Rosé
Oltrepò Pavese in Provincia di Pavia Lombardy Italy
Pinot Nero 100%
Organic, biodynamic, ancestral method
Winemakers Federica and Gianluca Cabrini

Pretty, pretty orange pink glass named after a respectful and auspicious Thai greeting. Sniff and there’s a salty breeze, strawberries, orange blossoms, and raspberries. The first taste is a tangled tingle of young strawberries, raspberries and an orange peel dash, a little hay, some mineral/granite and seltzer. Nothing sugary about this glass. It’s clean, elegant, and fresh fun summer love.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: raspberry and strawberry presents but still not sugary. Everything is fresh

Tenuta Belvedere’s wine history dates back to the 19th century, and now it is helmed by the latest generation. Federica Sarchi joined her life with Gianluca Cabrini, he felt the call of the vines, and now they hold the reigns of the winery. From all I find, they are firm believers in the old natural ways and are organic and biodynamic. I really wish I could learn more about them from their website but it is currently under construction, so I will rely on Facebook and Instagram for a little more insight. What I’m finding is a beautiful vineyard with bird nests and ladybugs, a happy family, darn good people, hard work, and a lot of other wines I’m dying to try.

Oltrepò Pavese is the largest wine producing area of Lombardy and they seem to be really into Pinot Nero. This comune is a foodie’s dream. Not only are there amazing wines of diverse native grapes, but there’s also their much loved and revered salame di Varzi. Oh what I wouldn’t do for a slice right now. Another find from the area is their truffles! They range from white to black and are oh so wonderful. Take a tour with a dog and maybe you’ll win the lottery. You can also rent a Vespa (and score a picnic basket), cruise along city streets or roll through the countryside in style.

Venturing outside of Oltrepò, yet not really that far is the Castello di Montesegale (still in Pavia). The site may have had a foothold of a tower as far back as the 11th century, but the Castello was officially built in the 14th century and over the years destroyed and rebuilt to it’s regal medieval status. Now the ancient architecture houses a museum of contemporary art that was launched back in 1975, and has exhibited the likes of Ernesto Treccani (who founded Corrente) and Julian Schnabel.

On to one more thing outside of Oltrepò, but still in Pavia. This I truly stumbled upon and had no idea this was possible, but you can test drive a Ferrari on a real race track for an hour or two. You can let that baby just go and go and go. Does it make me a little scared to think of trying it, YES! Would I do it if I could…hell YES!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @TenutaBelvedereVini @belvederewine @steephillwine #steephillwine @cheezits #cheezit #wine #naturalwine #petnat @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #Oltrepo #Pavia #Lombardy #pinotnero #vespa #ferrari #biodynamic #organic

Posted on

Basking in the Sun

Cascina degli Ulivi
Semplicemente
Bellotti Bianco, 2019
Cortese 100%
Piedmont Italy
Biodynamic and organic

A glass of spun gold…breath in and embrace the orange, lemons, and maybe a touch of rosemary. Sip and there’s apples, peaches, lemon, some tangerine tart tingle, and a bit of mineral. It’s a fun friendly wine that asks you to take it out on a boat and bask in the sun.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out the lemon and adds some smoke. Very smooth.

Side note: This weekend, I’ll have to revisit Jonathan Nossiter’s Natural Resistance to reflect back on Stefano Belloti’s life and how while he was here on this earth, broke the rules and championed the natural ways. Louis Dressner Selections has a lovely post honoring him and an interview with Belloti from 2011.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @cascina.degliulivi @cascinadegliulivi @louisdressnerselections @nossiterJonathan @cheezits #cheezit #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #Stefano Belloti #JonathanNossiter #cortese #piedmont #biodynamic #organic

Posted on

Honeysuckle Love

Cantina Su’entu
Su’aro 2018
Bianco blend of native grapes
Marmilla IGT
Sardegna Italy

A bright bold glass of gold. At first whiff there’s citrus, like tangerine and lemon with a splash of grapefruit. As it goes on, out comes hibiscus, honeysuckle,  rich melon, apricot, a dash of salt, and just deep beautiful flowers…whew that’s a lot and we haven’t even had a first sip. Here we go! Luscious melon and honey and all sorts flowers, a little orange peel tang, and a nice touch of salt.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: makes the honeysuckle and melon go wild. Where’s the prosciutto?

Here’s another bit of smooth sweetness with Sarah Vaughan, Honeysuckle Rose

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @cantinasuentu @WineTwistImport #winetwistimport @cheezits #cheezit #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #marmilla #sardegna #sardinia #sarahvaughan #honeysuckle

Posted on

More to Love

Cacique Maravilla
Pipeno Pais 2019
100% Pais
Bio Bio
Yumbel Chile
Organic, biodynamic and vegan friendly
Winemaker Manuel Moraga Gutiérrez

First thing you should do with this red, is slightly chill it. Yes, you heard me, cool it a little. Pour and there’s a deep dark ruby that you can’t see through. First sniff and I’ll let this breathe a little more, so I’ll play with the cats while I wait. Earthiness lingers and opens to plums, blueberries, cherries, and some little salt/mineral. Here goes the first sip, and it’s tart, cherry, and out comes some orange, and wait for it…dark plums appear. It’s lush, delicious, and then there’s a hint of cinnamon, a little pepper, and I do believe a little smoke. I’m in love, and there’s more to love with this bottle. It’s a whole liter.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: mellow goodness cherry plummy

Cacique Maravilla, located in Yumbel, Chile, is helmed by Manuel Moraga Gutiérrez and his amazing mustache. Seriously, it’s a work of art. Back to the winery, from what I find online, the Gutiérrez family has had long ties to Yumbel which stretches back seven generations when Francisco Gutiérrez decided to settled down. Also his nickname is the winery’s namesake, which means Magnificent Chief. The vineyard is dry farmed, and is gifted with rich trumao/volcanic ash soil. There is no intervention and minimal pruning. As for the winemaking, it’s all natural too. It’s made with natural yeasts from the grapes and no filtration. What a beautiful and wild land. There’s a wonderful gallery on their website showing snapshots of the vineyard. There’s sheep wandering in the vines, glistening bunches of grapes and then them being crushed, and what looks like a delicious celebratory barbecue. Oh this is making me hungry, and wishing I had another liter for today.

On to the Bio Bio region…outside of Los Ángeles is the Laguna del Laja National Park where you can find the Antuco Volcano and Laguna del Laja. From what I’m reading the Laguna is a beautiful emerald green and has debris from past eruptions throughout the shoreline. Evidently, you can also go salmon fishing here. The park is also great for birding. Some of the multitude of feathered friends include Bandurria, Condors, and the Rufous-bellied seedsnipe. Other wildlife include pumas, foxes, and my personal favorite the Vizcacha.  The snow capped volcano looming in the background is technically still active but no major eruptions for eons. Back in April 2013, a pilot logged that he saw ash emissions, but after further investigation the VAAC attributed it to a wildfire.

Next we stop off in Concepción to visit the Casa del Arte José Clemente Orozco, located at the University of Concepción. My particular interest is in the mural by Jorge González Camarena. In 1960, Chile had the massive and devestating Valdivia earthquake which was on a scale of 9.4 to 9.6. Mexico reached out to assist the Chilean government on rebuilding (which included rebuilding Casa del Arte) and this is how the Mexican artist, González Camarena, became inspired to become involved. From 1964-1965, he worked on the mural “La Presencia de América Latina” which depicts the history of Latin America with all it’s triumphs, trials, beauty and at times death. Above the mural is a quote by Pablo Neruda, “Y no hay belleza como esta belleza de América extendida en sus infiernos / en sus cerros de piedra y poderío, en sus ríos atávicos y eternos” translation: “There is no beauty like the beauty of America spread out in its hells / in its mountains of rock and power, in its atavistic and eternal rivers”. From just seeing the stills and video, I can feel the intensity and overwhelming emotion of this mural. I can just imagine how powerful it would be to stand before it.

Back to Yumbel and their deep tradition of the Feast of San Sebastian which is celebrated on both January 20th and March 20th. Thousands gather from near and far to visit the San Sebastián Sanctuary, participate in the procession (some on their feet and others on their knees), and light candles. This March’s was cancelled due to covid, but from what I’m seeing in 2016 there were 500,000 that made the pilgrimage. Now that’s passion.

@vinos_naturales #CaciqueMaravilla @docwineshop @docwinebarny @selectionsdelavina @zevrovineselections @cheezits #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #chile #Pais #BioBio #Yumbel #Chile #lagunadellaja #casadelarte #mural #art #SanSebastian #JorgeGonzálezCamarena #PabloNeruda

Posted on

A Little Friulano Slang

Borgo Savaian di Bastiani Stefano
Aransat 2019
Friuli Orange Wine
Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc
Cormons Italy

Color is gold like a bar from Fort Knox. Let it breathe a little before the whiff. There’s dark tangerine or grapefruit peels (that have been flamed), orange blossoms, and wet concrete after a cleansing rain, and wait…a hint of pine needles. Swish and swirl and take the first sip. Again there’s orange blossoms and now flamed orange peel. It’s heady, and then takes my memories back to an orange jolly candy from my childhood. I think there’s also a bit of kumquat, definitely salt, and some granite. This is a beautiful clean wine. Oh and the more you know: Aransat is Friuli slang for orange.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it oh so sweet gold. Brings out the orange oil. Burn that peel!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @aransatwine @communalbrands @cheezits #aransat #wine #StefanoBastiani #BorgoSavaian #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #cormons #friuli #pinotgrigio #sauvignonblanc #orangewine

Posted on

Follow the Duck

Joao Pato aka Duckman
BaaagaDuck 2018
Vinho Tinto
Portugal
Baga 85%, Touriga Nacional 15%
Winemaker Maria Pato

Beautiful dark ruby color. Starts off with a whiff of butter and then herbal cola (like ricola), salt, dried cherries, plum, a touch of white peppercorn, and at last wild flowers. Shall I sip or take a long swig? I will admit, this is not my first duck, and I am a big fan! Here comes the deep dark cherry, flowers, some smoke, and dried fruit and a bit of spice that I’m trying to figure out.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Mellows it out. Rich and concentrated. 

Baby this is smooth like Barry White. I feel like snuggling up in front of a fireplace with a glass and letting this wine and his voice wrap me like a warm embrace. 

So who is this mysterious Duckman? Maria Pato helms this project, and she comes from quite a prestigious wine family. The vines are in her genes. Her family has been in wine since at least the 18th century. Maria, along with her father Luis Pato, (and well known Baga champion) and her sister Filipa (who I have written about previously) all focus on Bairrada’s native grapes. Maria though leaves off the region on her labels and lets the grapes to speak for themselves. Ok, this is a family I wish would adopt me. I’m more than willing to learn Portuguese, and help out with any vineyard/winery tasks needed. How amazing to have such a long heritage in wine, and to steadfastly stick with it and each other.

On to Bairrada…The Buçaco Forest, encircled by a protective wall, is an enchanting fairyland filled with lush and diverse trees, shrubs, plants and animals from the region. In the 1600s Carmelite monks, by Papal decree, sent to tend to the forest,  began introducing “exotics” including cedar from Mexico. Oh, and during that time, women were forbidden from the forest, so the monks would not be distracted (seriously?!), and not long after that a threat of excommunication was posted if anyone did harm to any of the trees. There’s paths and staircases to lead you through, and hopefully help you from getting lost in this wonderland. You can still see what is left of the convent and the Via Crucis, which are now on the grounds of the Buçaco Palace. The Convento de Santa Cruz do Buçaco also contains the famed Nossa Senhora do Leite (Our Lady of the Milk) by Josefa de Óbidos (from what I’m reading she is potentially Portugal’s first female painter and her works were very well received). Visitors leave behind wax breasts, in hope that Mary will find them some divine intervention. For a view into the architecture and the forest, here’s a calming video by Michael Levit, that I found on youtube. On to the next stop. I keep seeing posts and info that the spas in Luso are a must see. The water from the area is supposed to be some of the best in the world, and there’s a fountain in town where people can fill up their own bottles. The thermal baths were founded in the 1800s, and used for various curative reasons, but now you can find modern spas such as Termas de Luso, where you can either just relax or work on your health in a beautiful setting. One last thing, I truly wish I could experience in person, is to visit the Pato winery in Amoreira da Gândara. It is by appointment only, but they have an option for a regional lunch paired with their wines, and Bairrada’s roast suckling pig. Now that would be a perfect day.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @SaviosSelections @Duckman @luispato.wines @FilipaPato.net @TermasdeLuso #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #baga #TourigaNacional #portugal #bairrada #barrywhite @pageofficiellelianefoly #josefadeobidos @saviosoaresselections @joao_pato_aka_duckman @luispatowines @filipapato

Posted on

Deep Velvet

Cantina Tondini
Taroni 2016
Isola dei Nuraghi IGT 
Calangianus Sassari Sardegna Italy
Cagnulari 20%, Cannonau 20%, Carignano 20%, Nebbiolo 20%, Sangiovese 20%

Holding up my glass next to the window, and the color is deep shining ruby. Swirl and sniff…pine and cedar syrup, then smoke, cherries, prunes, cola, and old book leather. You all still remember books, right? Reading digital books just doesn’t have the joy of holding a real physical book that has a gentle on the eyes font. Now for the taste, and there’s cherries, blueberries, plummy, spice and some smoke. This is soooo smooth, and deep dark richness. As much as I hate using this term, but I can’t think of anything better, this is one sexy wine.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: This is deep velvet underground.

@docwineshop @docwinebar @CantinaTondini #CantinaTondini @WineTwistImport #winetwistimport @cheezits #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #Calangianus #Sassari #Sardegna #Italy #Cagnulari #Cannonau #Carignano #Nebbiolo #Sangiovese #thevelvetundeground

Posted on

True Friendship

Les Tètes
Tète Blanche
Le Pressoir, Touraine Azay-le-Rideau, Loire, France
Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Roussanne
Biodynamic and native yeasts

A drop of golden sunshine. A fresh breeze of citrus, grapefruit, white floral, slate and a bit of toasted vanilla. You know, like those cookies you had when you were a kid. Drink in the citrus, apple, pineapple, a lick of granite, and those beloved toasted vanilla cookie again. Lovely, smooth and a beautiful wine to accompany the new Martin Walker novel, “The Shooting at Château Rock”. Absolutely love his “Bruno Chief of Police Series”. His books always take my brain to France, the wonderful people, the beautiful food, and of course the lovely wine. I highly recommend escaping with one of them.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Makes it more juicy and fruity and tart. Brings out the sharp tart apple

Les Tète Blanche is a wine project created by four friends: Nicolas, Philippe, Baptiste, and Vivien and they say, “Les Tétes is about friendship, and wines you drink with friends.” Which leads me to another group of four friends of a different feather, the infamous “Golden Girls”: Rose, Dorothy, Sophia, and the colorful and amorous Blanche Devereaux. Do any of you remember Blanche’s tropical bedroom? Well, it turns out it has quite a following. I hadn’t even finished typing her full name in Google, and the hallowed bedroom popped up. Turns out the set design team had to keep the bedspread under lock and key while they were not filming. Read more about it here, and raise a glass to friendship!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @docwinebar @zevrovineselections @cheezits #wine #worldbyglass #lestetes #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #france #loire #sauvignonblanc #cheninblanc #chardonnay #roussanne #goldengirls #blanchedevereaux