A Welcome Kiss Of Spring

Argillae
Orvieto
DOC Superiore 2021
Grechetto, Procanico, Malvasia, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
Orvieto (just NW), Italy
The Bonollo Family
Latest generation: Giulia di Cosimo

Shining straw yellow with a green shimmer. During the pour scents start emerging and growing of mango, pineapple, guava, jasmine & freesia, grapefruit, splash of tangerine, limes, a salty breeze, and fresh rained on slate. Now onto the taste. There’s a lemon/lime spark, pineapple, mango, crabapples, drop of grapefruit sizzle, salt and that lick of slate again. It’s dry, fresh, zingy, and feels like a welcome kiss of Spring.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: blerg

“Our terroir is our soul and our main source of inspiration. It discloses all our potential and draws all our limits.”

Terroir was so important in Giuseppe Bonollo’s decision to buy land in Umbria. Their soil is comprised of clay, sand, limestone, rocks and something else very special…fossils. These creatures that rambled or swam back in the Pliocene period now bring the magic to Argillae’s wine. The estate’s name even is a nod to their earth, since Argillae = clay in Latin. The Bonollo family and their team also look out for their whole surroundings with their “project” of sustainability that spreads from farming, the cellar’s 1st floor is underground so they don’t waste energy on temperature control and when they have to turn up the heat it’s powered by green energy, and then there’s the bottles made of 80% recycled glass & are lighter to transport so less CO2. They are making choices that not only benefit their environ and wines, but also the world. I can raise a glass to that!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #Umbria  #Italy #worldbyglass #viaswine #Argillae #docwinebar #docwineshop @viaswine @argillae @docwinebar @docwineshop

An Artistic Blend

Frequency Wine Company
Artist Series 2021
Grenache 35%, Syrah 35%, Graciano 30%
Santa Barbara County
Los Alamos, CA
Winemaker: Zac Wasserman
Producer: Almond Wasserman
Intuit: Maria Wasserman
Muse: Nicole Wasserman
(As you can see this is a family thing)

Deep maroon with garnet rim. Breathing in a familiar cola scent along with cherries, plums, raspberry jam, blueberries, shave of cedar, pinch of wintergreen /mint, and toasted coriander. Sip and there’s cherries again, cranberries, plums, blueraspblackbosenberry jumble, red currants, grind of black pepper, a teeny sprig of spearmint that vibrates a little, and over time out comes a mellow moment of RC Cola.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: it’s ok

A friend of mine told me I’d love this wine since she did, and she was spot on. The Wassermans sum up their venture best on their site, “Frequency Wines was born in the belief that positive energy can be created, bottled, and shared throughout the world to be sown and harvested for a vast influence.” They also have an “Artist Series” (which is near and dear to my heart) where they work with an artist they appreciate for the label. In 2014, they collaborated with Toro Y Moi’s Chaz Bundick, and he not only created the label art but also a playlist to enjoy while sipping the wine which in my book is very cool, but I can’t find the music anywhere, so if anyone has a link please send it my way. The work gracing this 2021 is by Aria Dean. She’s a writer, critic, curator, and above all amazing artist. Her visual art varies through multiple medias such as 3D printed sculptures, digitally rendered/manipulated drawings, theatrical pieces/videos, and combinations of all set into incredible installations. Her “Abattoir, U.S.A.!,” (2023) is built with Unreal Engine and has a feel of a first-person video game set in an empty slaughterhouse with a haunting soundtrack, and political, historical & cultural meanings. Currently it’s on view (along with her conceptual sculptural work/installation, “Vitrine”) in her UK solo show “Abattoir” through May 5th at London’s ICA. Check out ICA Short Docs | Aria Dean ‘Abattoir’ for a glimpse into her vision behind the show. She and Frequency are quite the pairing and just brilliant.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #winemusic #wineart #art #AriaDean #SantaBarbara #CA #FrequencyWines #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vinewinenyc @frequencywines @lol_prosciutto

Location, Location, Location & ❤️

Mae Son
Orange 2021
Müller Thurgau
Organic, biodynamic, hand-harvested
Povo, Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Owner & winemaker: Matteo Furlani
Project is a collaboration with Matteo Furlani’s other label Cantina Furlani, Claudio Coronato, and Jenny & Francois Selections

Warm shining orange-gold amber. Give it a little space, let it breathe, and scents start growing of orange blossoms, honeysuckle, oranges, limes & light grapefruit, fresh picked apples and their blossoms, river rock mineral and a shake of salt. Sipping and there’s oranges, limes & their zest, mild grapefruit, apples, and the mineral & salt combo again. So delicious and chuggable.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Nope, nope, nope

Whenever I see a wine that’s picked by Jenny & Francois Selections, it’s an instant buy for me. They always find fabulous winemakers to work or collaborate with on projects…like Matteo. He originally grew up in a wine family so it’s in his DNA, and he followed that up with studies in oenology & agriculture. When time came for him to take on the family’s vineyards in the Dolomites, he established Cantina Furlani that in total has 14 ha, but 6 of them were used for grapes to sell, but Mae Son changed that course starting in 2022 with their wines that sing “location, location, location”. They’re also wines with heart as depicted in the very well thought out label by John Shirk (J & F sales rep) that echos the same locale sentiment with a road sign similar to what can be found in their mountains, and is also “a tribute to the importance of family and family work, as well as the careful craftsmanship of their wines. The name is a playful nod to the beginning of each family member’s name: M for Matteo, A for his wife, Annalisa, and their daughter, Alessia, and E for their son Edoardo. The pronunciation further sheds light on the intimate story behind the label: in English, it’s pronounced ‘my son,’ while in French, it can be read as ‘maison,’ meaning ‘my home.’” See full of ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #organic #Italy #worldbyglass #jennyandfrancois #MaeSon #docwinebar #docwineshop @cantinafurlani @jennyfrancois @claudio.coronato @picturehandz @docwinebar @docwineshop

Living Stress Free

Domaine Tatsis
Limnio 2020
Limnio 100%
P.G.I. Macedonia
Organic, biodynamic, native yeasts
Goumenissa, Macedonia, Greece
Winemaking brothers: Periklis & Stergios Tatsis

Ruby stained glass. There’s scents of cherries, raspberries, strawberries, plums, a little vanilla frosting, hyssop, juniper, and a pepper blend. Everything I’m sniffing is there in the taste along with an orange & mixed bag of citrus twang, young pink strawberries with their green caps, white pepper, and an exhale of peat that wanders off. It’s light on its feet with a smooth elegance.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: even bigger berries

This quote greets you on Tatsis’ website, “Companionship with the vine is a lifelong relationship, it is family. Together we grow, vines and people, in good times and bad.” Periklis & Stergios grew up in a wine family (they’re 3rd generation) and that doesn’t only include their human relatives but also their vines, land, and everything else related to their wines. In fact, they love them so much that once their father handed over the reigns, they set about going organic/biodynamic and getting certified. Two things that jumped out to me about Tatsis are this is the best Greek wine I’ve ever had, and their sentiment: “Since 2002 we have been striving to achieve stress-free vines with healthy fruit. In essence, we are fellow travelers in our vineyards with open eyes and ears and help them where there is a real need.” Wow, they really do love their vines if they want to keep them “stress-free”. Oh, if they could only do that for all of us. What I wouldn’t give for a day with no stress. 🤣 If that’s the reason this wine is so wonderful, maybe I should pack up, head to Goumenissa and set up a tent in their vineyard. Cheers! 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #redwine #worldbyglass #organic #winetime #Greece #organic #biodynamic #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #tatsiswinery #DomaineTatsis #docwineshop #docwinebar @dnswines @tatsis_winery @docwineshop

“Music as an Emotional Tasting Note”

Weingut Weninger
Rózsa Petsovits 2022
Syrah, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch
Grapes are from Austria & Hungary (Syrah)
Biodynamic, hand harvested (take a look at the t-shirts)
Vineyards across the border Hungary/Austria
Horitschon, Austria
Franz & Petra Weninger

Deep shining rose with salmon glints. Breathing in watermelon, strawberry, raspberry, whiff of hay that fades but reappears here and there, plums, cherries, apples, red currants, and a bit of orange zest (there’s a lot in this little glass). Sip and all of the scents are there in the taste, with a squeeze of lime & a shave more of deep citrus zest, and a sweetness that reminds me of the rock candy made from cane sugar my parents bought me as a child on special occasions. It’s bright, light, fresh and joyful.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Zingy

At first I thought I’d be writing about Franz’s grandmother Rózsa Petsovits since this bottle of deep rosé is named after her, but then I found out about “Sound of Terroir” their music project. Franz gathered musician friends with a proposal or challenge to “visualize the different taste of Blaufränkisch grown on 3 different grounds” (Sopron [Steiner], Mattelburgenland [Dürrau], & Südburgenland [Saybritz])  and express what they tasted & how it made them feel. Oh and they also had to come up with instruments made from the vineyard or cellar materials. With trial and error they sorted out using bottles, barrels (designed a barrel-zither), and even a hose-trumpet. Not sure how much wine was consumed, but from that tasting they began to sort songs that paired with each bottle and then adapt them to work with these new musical instruments. Next up they had to find a performance space since the cellar didn’t work for pretty obvious reasons, so they ended up at the Liszt House which is pretty appropriate and cool. All of this played out pretty fast over a few days too, so pretty amazing wrangling a whole orchestra with homemade instruments and filming the performances. They pulled it off, and you can check out the videos on their site. Franz and friends had achieved as quoted, “Music as an Emotional Tasting Note”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #biodynamic #austria #Hungary #winemusic #Liszt #dnswines #WeingutWeninger #Weninger #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vinewinenyc @franz_weninger @dnswines

🎶There’s A Firefly Loose Tonight🎶

Andrea Marchetti
Lucciola Bianco 2021
La Corte dei Miracoli
Trebbiano Romagnolo 70%,  Albana 30%
Organic (practicing), indigenous yeasts, unfiltered & unfined
Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Orange amber with a few pops of rose. Sniffing and there’s scents of a citrus blend of orange, tangerine, mild grapefruit & more, as time goes a good funk grows that will surely pass on by, and flowers bloom like wisteria, butterfly lilacs, hyacinth, irises, and magnolia thrown in. Sipping and there’s the citrus blend along with zest, a good splash of lemon, green bell pepper, crabapples, the green of a whittled apple tree branch, small ember of smoke, and shake of white pepper. It’s crisp, fun, and has a depth but not brooding.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out a little heat sizzle

Each Marchetti wine never fails to grab my attention and fill me with delight. He’s one creative busy bee as you can see in my previous posts. This man has boundless energy with his collaborations with other natural winemakers, his own wine, launching wine fairs, and more. Take Andrea’s “La Corte dei Miracoli” line is another such project where he farms 2.5 ha near Brisighella. The wines are created and bottled in Filippo Manetti’s (Vigne San Lorenzo) cellar, and I love his viticulture guidelines which align very much with Marchetti, “the first rule is to use LITTLE TECHNOLOGY, the second rule is to DO NOT DO, that is, not to do anything that is really necessary, both in the vineyard and in the cellar”. Back to Lucciola, take note, there are only so many bottles (2,500) so feel yourself gifted to catch one of these fireflies. It brought a smile to my face and that old childhood joy like when I was set free on summer evenings in a simpler, slower time watching the sun go down and running through the orchard following the tiny flashing flying lamps. Treat yourself to a glass and maybe you too will get a chance to see “a firefly loose tonight”.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #Italy #organic #winetime #orangewine #worldbyglass #edsheeran #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #firefly #lucciola #steephillwine #AndreaMarchetti #docwineshop #docwinebar @andrea_marchetti @steephillwine @antosicurezza @docwineshop @docwinebar

It’s All Art

Christoph Heiss
Malinga
Hotrot 2022
50% St Laurent, 40% Rotburger (Zweigelt), 10% Muller Thurgau
Organic, hand harvested
Kamptal, Austria

Shining like stained-glass garnet with light purple pops. This bottle loves a good chill. Right after the cork is pulled there’s a touch of wild scents that starts to fade, cherries, earth, raspberries, blackberries, orange/lemon zest, a spice blend I am still figuring out and it turns out to be cardamom. Now sipping and boom! There’s so much at once…tart and sweet cherries, blend of raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, a tart tingle that sort of sizzles, young plums, a warmth is added to the sizzle that almost feels like a hot pepper but not the taste, and again cardamom joined with violets.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: deliciously juicy

Malinga is Christoph’s business within a business, or should I say a natural wine venture within his family’s winery & vineyards. Honestly from all the pics it looks like a beautiful life and he’s someone with a true appreciation for the art in the bottle as well as on it. Here’s a quote from one of his posts, “Malinga has achieved a big goal. Labels are more than just printed paper. They have the power to represent the ideas and the attitude of the winemaker and spread those into the world”. So very true, and Hotrot’s label and that post led me to find another artist Anika Katzengold. Her drawings and tattoos are well…just breathtaking. In fact, rather than call them tattoos, to me they feel like a moving abstract artwork come to life on the body she uses as a canvas. Check out her work on Malinga’s labels and on her IG page @a.nik.a.katzengold_______ and take a look into how she works her visions from thoughts to reality. https://www.instagram.com/p/C30jH21srFi/?img_index=1

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #organic #wineislove #winetime #malinga #tattoo #art #austria #worldbyglass #volkerwineco #docwinebar #docwineshop @malinga._.wines @volkerwineco @docwinebar @docwineshop

This Is Not That Story

Valdisole Wine
Helios 2019
Nebbiolo
Organic, biodynamic
Corneliano d’Alba (CN), Piedmont, Italy
Giuseppe Amato & Kyriaki Kalimeri

Shining garnet pour. Sniff and it starts off a bit wild but it’s just been opened so over a short amount of time it tames, tart cherries, young raspberries, blackberries, tomato leaf, tiny roses & violets, over time there’s plums of all sorts, red apple, and a rugged bit of peat/earthiness. Tasting and it starts out light & delicious that grows into a richer moment, cherries (tart & sweet), red currants, plums, a touch of peat or smoke, raspstrawblueberries mix, a drop of blackberry, tiny reminder of sugar cane that turns into violets, smidge of green tomato, and touch of grounded earthiness.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: sweeter

You know the usual tales of growing up in a wine family and inheriting land…this is not that story. Giuseppe & Kyriaki’s strength in finding their way in wine is curiosity. She had a background in computers & electrical engineering but that curious spark led her to getting an education as a sommelier & a diploma. He had a great appreciation for cuisine so ended up taking cooking classes and realized the attraction of pairing food & wine so he also ventured into sommelier courses, but that a wasn’t enough. The whole wine experience grabbed his attention and they both jumped full in to buying a vineyard…oh, and it was an online site where you can buy stuff secondhand. The vineyard was a half ha of “abandoned & shabby Nebbiolo”. (Makes me think of people who buy a house for $1 in an old town and when they get there they see the full extent of the repairs needed 🙀.) They’ve expanded, added varying grapes, are keeping it all natural, and I have to say this Nebbiolo is definitely not shabby now. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #naturalwine #Nebbiolo #italy #terrellwines #valdisolewine #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vinewinenyc @valdisole.wine

Returning To A Sparkling Nest

Domaine J. Laurens
Le Moulin
Blanquette De Limoux AOP
Brut
Mauzac, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay
Sustainable agriculture, HVE 3
La Digne d’Aval, Graimenous, Languedoc, France
Jacques Calvel and team

Very light yellow-gold with a green sheen and very fine white bubbles. Breathing in and it starts cool, clean and creamy smoothness (or a poof of meringue). Next up are pears (fresh & baked), green apples, lemon blossoms, light white peaches, and toasty brioche.  Sip and there’s green apples again with a few crab apples thrown in, firm green pears, apricot, a lemon/lime spritz, and mineral lick. It’s lovely, dry, crisp, and very lively.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: absolutely delicious

I always love stories of being able to reboot your life and return to your roots, just like Jacques Calvel. He grew up near Limoux and learned the satisfaction of a good day’s hard work from childhood. As often happens a person will leave the nest or in his case even France to venture to Switzerland, build his expanding venture and then after success, sell the business and return back to his homeland. Sparkling wine was his calling, and his business acumen & exporting knowledge were a perfect pairing. When he purchased Domaine J. Laurens it had a history of making sparklers, he just needed to rethink how they (he & his team) would work to better the lands, the winemaking process, and quality which is very important to all of them over quantity. They’ve achieved the 3rd level of HVE, and are working constantly harder to achieve organic. As Jacques says on his site, “Our next goal, which is not a small one, is to become organic. We are just at the start off our organic conversion; however, I am excited to work hard to provide a cleaner environment for the next generation.” Cheers and raising a glass J. Laurens caring enough to plan for the future of the next generations. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #sparklingwine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #France #blanquettedelimoux #worldbyglass #cynthiahurley #cynthiahurleyfrenchwines #jlaurens #docwinebar #docwineshop @cynthia_hurley_french_wines @domainej.laurens @docwinebar @docwineshop

Back To The Origin

Mas del Serral de Pepe Raventós
Ancestral
Viñya del Mas 2018
100% Xarel·lo
Natural sparkling wine
No. Bottles 1863
No disgorging, no dosage, brut nature, organic/biodynamic, vineyard work all by hand or horse
Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain

Hazy yellow gold with a little sheen of green (kind of IPAish) with fine bubbles & deepens over time from the bottom up. Sniffing and it’s creamy at first like an Oreo center and later turns into a tiny drizzle of honey on top of sourdough, lovely pears (reminds me a bit of Poire Williams), white peaches, apple pie, and a light citrus blend (like Valencia oranges smooth & Mandarin). Tasting all of the scents are there…especially the pears with a twist of lemon & lime tingle/sizzle on my lips and tongue, there’s even a little Key lime pie, pinch of salt & mineral lick, and smidge of hay that fades fast. Very bright and full of life.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: just don’t

When you see Pepe’s last name you know he comes from a long line of winegrowers and the prestigious winery Raventós I Blanc (documented since 1497 & one of the oldest wine producers in the world). His grandfather Josep Maria championed the creation of DO Cava and passed the torch to Pepe’s father Manuel who was joined by Pepe who like his grandfather had a dream and withdrew from the DO Cava in favor of a being recognized for their Conca del Riu Anoia that would rise to a higher standard. To be included there would be a higher min. paid to growers, vineyards must be at least 10 yrs old, native & organic, smaller yields, and a longer time on the lees (18 month min). Pepe’s project Mas del Serral is a plot within the Raventós vineyard (Clos del Serral) where they return to the ancestral farming traditions. It brings together humans, vines, and animals living & working together in harmony to tell the story of their and their land’s origin. As he is quoted, “What I love is to taste a wine and that it takes us to the place where it was made”. ❤️🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #cava #sparklingwine #winelover #winetasting #winetime #organic #naturalwine #biodynamic #Spain #raventos #masdeserral #vinewine #vinewinenyc