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Nothing Is Impossible

Aslina Wines
Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
Winemaker: Ntsiki Biyela

Twinkle twinkle little light yellow green star. Sniffing grapefruit, orange, lemon & lime, slice of pineapple, honey dew & other light melon, very ripe cucumbers, fresh rained on sidewalk with a cooling breeze, and pinch of salt. All of the scents are here in the taste along with a smidge of honey, a smooth operator feel of silk, satin or whatever might make you slide off the sheets, lemon & lime zest spark at the back, and a little fresh cut grass green good. This glass just keeps growing in personality and is definitely being added to my replay list.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: easy going good

Ntsiki saw an opportunity and ran with it. Post high school she was searching for a university scholarship and ended up receiving one in winemaking, but here’s the catch, at the time she really didn’t know anything about wine, but that wasn’t going to stop her. After graduating in 2003, she started working with Stellekaya Wines, became South Africa’s first black female winemaker, started accumulating awards & recognitions including “Woman Winemaker of the Year, 2009”, and following her desire to have her own business, she started creating her own wines. When it came to picking a name, “Aslina” is very fittingly named after her grandmother who raised her, was always there for her, is still a guiding force in her decision making (as in considering what would Aslina do in this situation), and gave her the inspiration that

“nothing is impossible”. There’s a great video/interview by Food For Mzansi that shows Ntsiki ’s reverence and joy talking about her grandmother, her expanding wine life, and a part that really hits @worldbyglass home with me about tasting wine. “When you pour this wine in a glass, where does it take you to, what do you imagine when you’re having that wine…it must create a memory, it must remind you of your life. It must remind you of certain things you grow up with…”. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #southafrica #organic #WesternCape #wineinacan #winetime #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @wine4theworld @aslina_wines @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Believing In & Building The Future

Bosman Family Vineyards
Generation 8 
47 Varietal Rosé 2022
(yes this special field blend from their “Vine vineyard” is truly 47, just check out the breakdown on their tech sheet)
Wellington, South Africa
Vine growers & wine producers: Bosman Family (8 Generations so far)
CEO Petrus Bosman

Rosy pinky orange sunrise. Scents of strawberries, cherry & cranberries, pink plums, a little Southern biscuit, and a touch of Yellowstone (my parents loved doing that roadtrip when I was a kid and those paint pots made a big impression) that will fade. Sipping and there’s strawberries (wild, homegrown and green to red), raspberries, cranberries, lemon zing, and pink, yellow & green plums (skin and all). Just fresh and easy drinking.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: smooth and brings out more berries

Whenever I end up with a bottle from Bosman, I think about how this bottle factors into so much social responsibility. The Bosmans have been an accredited Fairtrade producer since 2009, and back then their 260 employees received a 26% stake of the business. They really care about their workers, community and growing healthy vines that can be spread to other producers which can also be seen with their work with the Adama Trust. Each bottle sold gives back a percentage to the Adama foundation and the community can sort how to allot the funds, such as education, child care, housing, healthcare, a choir and so much more. As Petrus Bosman said, “We have lived together, worked together and cared for each other on this farm for centuries, passing on values and skills from one generation to another, over and over again. For us creating opportunities for advancement within our community is not simply a good idea, it is a way of life.”

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #southafrica #bosmanwines #Rosé #wine4theworld @cheezit @wine4theworld @bosmanwines @docwineshop @docwinebar

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Living The Dream

Valdonica
COCO 2020
IGT Toscana Rosato Frizzante
Sangiovese 90%, Ciliegiolo 10%
Organic, unlined, unfiltered, not irrigated, vegan friendly
Sassofortino, Tuscany, Italy
Owner: Dr. Martin Kerres

Slightly salmon pink or almost a light hazy sunrise with a few bouncing bubbles. Breathing in nutty brioche toast, ok I keep fighting writing this bc I think I’m nuts but there’s a porcini sniff going on here in a good way (I will never forget my first smell & taste of a real porcini in Cortona while a student. It was orgasmic), a backyard gardening greenness, young not fully ripe strawberries, gooseberries along with a small bit of red currants, fresh picked bunch of daisies & few other wild flowers, and a whiff of smoke later that is so distant. Sipping and it’s tart, crisp & lively, those young strawberries & gooseberries again joined by a few raspberries & tart cherry with a squeeze of lime, salt and a lick of mineral rock, and a little of my guilty pleasure…almond croissant. Very tingly, vibrant, yet juicy in an addictively good way which as I love to say it’s a total party in your mouth.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: nope

Well, I have to say Dr. Kerres is living the dream! Originally from Austria, he was only looking for a summer home, but as he says, “Valdonica happened to me, it was not planned.” There wasn’t even a vineyard there before he took on the task of planting them which he started off with them being totally natural. Now he not only wants to share his wine but the whole experience with all of us. You can stay over in the hotel or the guestrooms, dine in their restaurant or cellar, join their community with the purchase os one of their winery lofts, or pick up a job for a season or life. Just check out their site and I bet you’ll be as tempted as me and will be dreaming of a new existence in all that beautiful nature within a modern flair. ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #wineoclock #instawine #petnat #Frizzante #bubbly #sparklingwine #worldbyglass #Tuscany #Italy #organic #winetime #livingthedream #cheezit #pairswithcheezits @cheezit @valdonica @wine4theworld @docwineshop @docwinebar