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Vibrant Goals

Vinicola Tombacco
Ca’ Del Doge
Prosecco DOC
Vino Spumante
Extra Dry
Glera 85%, a potential blend (15%) of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Nero vinified in white, Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Long Glera
Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy
Tombacco Family

Very pale yellow/green starlight with teeny fine bubbles. Breathing in memories of homegrown Golden Delicious apples, green pears, a squish of lemon, and donut peaches. First sip is mouth tingling and then here comes a bigger squish of lemon mixed with lime & other citrus, crisp green apples & crabapples, firm green pears, and a sliver of slightly underripe white peach. It’s dry, crisp and so vibrantly full of life.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: yes please

The Tombacco Family has been creating and cultivating wine for 3 generations, and it all started way back with a peach farm that over time grew into a love of the vines. Now they also have different labels/brands showcasing the grapes’ regions of origin. Their “Ca’ Del Doge” line is best described in their own words, “Ancient traditions that speak of beauty, taste and knowing how to live well. Like a reflection in the waters of the most famous lagoon in the world, the Ca’ del Doge Wines reflect ancient and shimmering memories, flavours and aromas of the Veneto region, bringing some of the goodness of our wines to tables around the world.” Love the idea that they’re sending you a bottled bubbly postcard, and I also admire that Vinicola Tombacco has a code of ethics that includes a part about “socially responsible work management” where they actually care about their employees and especially for those still in school or courses to make sure they are provided with the time to achieve their education goals…now that to me is a reason to raise a fizzy glass to them in appreciation & cheers. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #prosecco #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #italy #Tombacco #cadeldoge #docwinebar #docwineshop

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A Chill Love Note

El Mas de l’A
Tot-Ú 2020
Blend of Garnacha Peluda, Garnacha Gris, Garnacha Blanca, Garnacha Tinta, Trepat, Cariñena
Organic, bio
Priorat, Spain
Alfredo Arribas

Cheery stained glass cherry. Sniff once…twice…three times a…wait I just got stuck in a song. Back to the glass, there’s scents of raspberries, cherries, pomegranate, young strawberries, and a little dragged through the forest floor with a dried pine needle. Sipping and this is so lovely and lives up to all I’ve been told. I could drink this blend all day.

There’s again those raspberries, cherries, pomegranate, sweet & tart strawberries, and hanging out in the back and shyly waving a blueberry or two. Pinch of earth lingers but the funk has left the building and again this is awesome. Chill it a little, chill it a lot (my fave)…either way you will have some very happy tastebuds.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: absolutely not

Every time I find a “new to me” wine, it’s not just a tasting experience but a chance to learn about the person behind the bottle. It’s even more of a delight going in blind and discovering it’s by a winemaker I already ❤️ but just under a different monicker. First encounter with Arribas’ was in Barcelona (at La Vinya del Senyor) with a glass of his Somni and over the years others have happily dropped in my lap (bottles not glasses bc that would be quite a mess). His wines are truly fabulous but that’s just scratching the surface of this creative fount…he’s also an internationally acclaimed (award winning) architect & interior designer, who also has a recurring thread of sustainability across his ventures. Alfredo’s “El Mas de l’A” project lets Garnacha varieties (red & white) mingle, shine and reflect his personal spot of Priorat, and (to me) this Tot-Ú is like writing a love note not only to these grapes but also to everyone that gets a chance to share in this experience. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #Garnacha #Spain #josepastorselections #portaldelpriorat #alfredoarribas #vinewinenyc

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“The Story Is Still Going On”

Barone di Villagrande
Etna Bianco Superiore DOC 2023
Carricante 90%, other Indigenous Etna grapes 10%
Certified organic production (but they don’t shout about it)
Milo, Sicily, Italy
Marco Nicolosi

Shining yellow gold like I remember from a Cimabue viewed years before. Breathing in round ripe pears, a splash of lemon/lime, touch of grapefruit, lychee, mango, and a sprinkle of sage & oregano. All of the sniffs are in the sip with a dryness/sizzle along with golden delicious apples ripe & warm just picked from the tree, lick of a well washed over river rock/conglomerate, fresh grown sage and oregano. That dryness is still there with a weaving in and out of a bit of richness…or should I say moving in sync together like a couple tangoing around the room.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Back away from the bag!

The Nicolosi family’s connection to their lands date back to the 17th century but it was in the 18th when the Bishop of Catania came to them with a not so easy task to transform the wild, gnarly, difficult fields of Etna into a flourishing “delicious garden”. Guess they impressed the powers that be in 1727, and Emperor Charles VI of Augsburg, King of Naples, gave Don Carmelo Nicolosi the title of Baron of Villagrande. Over all this time passion for their territory and grape grew, new cellars were built, and a focus began on keeping the red and white grapes separate bucking the ways of old that just blended them all. They’ve kept growing in knowledge, passion, and just making the best darn wine they can. As they say on their site: “We wrote a fundamental page on the Etna wines history. The story is still going on.”

Side note: Do you want to combine a delicious & educational winecation with a bit of added pleasure? Check out their site and book one of their 4 rooms. Blend & immerse yourself with the history of the manor & local nature, bask in the sun, and of course view the vineyards while chilling in the infinity pool. Oh, what I wouldn’t do to be there right now.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #Sicily #italy #omniwines #baronedivillagrande #villagrande_winery #docwinebar #docwineshop

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26 Hours

Grace Wine
Koshu 2023
Fermented and matured in stainless steel, hand picked, grapes grown above 400m
Yamanashi, Japan
Ayana Misawa (5th gen) & the Misawa Family

Very pale starlight yellow green. First sniff and there’s a light smash up of apple with Mandarins, Valencia oranges & other citrus (very small tangelo), which leads to round pears, touch of fresh honey & honeysuckle blossoms, and over time a pinch of nutmeg. Sipping and wow! All of the scents are there with a touch of smoke that fades and on day 2 lighter & joined with that smidge of nutmeg, all sorts of apples & pears, a lick of fresh sugarcane (but not overly sweet just a memory) that morphs into honeysuckle nectar, ripe fresh picked cucumber, winter melon, and an end welcome bitter bite that normally I’d single out almond or an herb or two like parsley without the greenery taste but this one is harder to define. Maybe it’s more like a fruit pit without the fruitiness or a lemon seed. Either way the best way to describe this bottle is it’s a gentle wine…well balanced…graceful (no pun intended)…elegant…and a happy surprise.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT

Ooooh when my friend pointed out this bottle, let’s just say I was giddy. Wanted to try a Japanese wine for so long, and quite happy that it turns out Grace Wine will be my first. They’ve been around for just over a century and now in their 5th generation, there’s a woman in charge of making the wine. Ayana Misawa followed in her father’s footsteps (he’s a winemaker with an organic chemistry education) but also branched out by studying in Bordeaux & Stellenbosch, and working abroad in Australia, Argentina, Chile & New Zealand. In 2014, she brought home a Gold Medal from the Decanter World Wine Awards (1st for Japanese wine) and the heralds & honors keep coming while thriving in what is still an old boys club. She and Grace keep shining with her knowledge, viticulture gift, and her hard work since her workdays last 26 hours.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #japan #koshu #GraceWine #vinewinenyc

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Hanging Onto The Last Strands Of Summer

Domaine de l’Abbaye
Grand Beylesse
Rosé 2023
Syrah, Cinsault, & Grenache
Côtes De Provence AOP
HVE3, hand harvested at night
Chinon, France
Owner: Franc Petit

Pale pinky salmon that deepens over time. Breathing in strawberries, raspberries, a bit of cantaloupe, honeydew & a mix of other melons, cool free flowing river rock mineral, touch of grapefruit but not overly funky, and a smidge of lemon crispiness. Completely all of the scents in the sip along with a light bit of cranberry, a little pomegranate, pinch of salt, & it’s a fresh smile, wink and smooch in a bottle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: pretty good

At first I wondered why this bottle was blue. Turns out Mr. Petit takes great pride in this rosé, and cares about extending the freshness as long possible and hence is why he chose this UV protectant cobalt blue bottle. Each glass reminds me of a feeling I’ve been having…the pleasure of hanging onto the last strands of summer, and stretching that warm glow for as long as possible. Maybe I need to squirrel a few more away to brighten the cooler days of fall and winter ahead. Cheers!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #Rosé #Rose #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #France #wineemporium  #domaineabbaye #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Full Of Charm

Viña Casalibre
Siete Perros 2022
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Organic, native yeasts, single vineyard, low intervention, no oak
Vineyard: Los Guindos
Maipo Valley, Chile
Founder: Fred Skwara

Deep dark cherry maroon that still shimmers & shines. Inhale and there’s cherry, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry, red currants, and a “light breeze of cherry bubblegum that turns into an earthy goodness that grounds all. Sip and there’s all of the scents along with a green tomato spark & a bit more of the red currant that blends together into a little sizzle, touch butterfly lilac exhale on the back of my tongue that flutters in and out, overtime it’s a bit more dried plums, raisins, cherries & mission figs, and those raspberries are still here and oh so bright. This is one friendly smooth operator that’s also a bit comfy rustic.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: perfectly mouth watering

Mr. Skwara had an eye opening experience on a family trip outside of Chile. While dining out he decided to try a wine not from his homeland only to be questioned by his brother “why?”. This is the part that shocked me, the waiter piped up and “told the whole table that I wanted to choose a wine with more charm than the Chilean ones, which had little personality. We all stared, open-mouthed, especially my mom.” Man, either that dude had some massive “cojones” or was an idiot with no tact. It did start a drive in Fred to let the world know that Chile is special, full of surprises, and can make wine that is full of expression which is very much seen in their “Siete Perros” project since they use “no oak”. These grapes sing & shine baby, and believe me this little bulldog (Humphrey) is full of charm. Would love to see that opinionated/biased waiter try this wine and have to humbly eat his words. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #Chile #SkinContactWines #casalibrewines #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Patience Is A Virtue

Roxanich
Mara 4/6 2011
100% Borgonja Istriana
Organic & biodynamic, long aged
Motovun, Istria, Croatia
Mladen Rožanić & family

Dark rose-orange amber. At first right after opening there’s a scent of toasted rice bit that turns to baguette, a blend of red plums & young cherry, rasp/blackberry, red currants, and a cranberry pomegranate cocktail along with a mineral bit of a fresh rained on rock. Everything I’m sniffing are there but the toast dissipates and evolves into watermelon rind, squeeze of lemon/lime & balsamic, dark rose cotton candy (I don’t know how else to describe it), and on the back end a smidge of caperberry…but not overly. It just balances all.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NOPE! DO NOT RUIN THIS EXPERIENCE

Roxanich produces three different collections of wine: Philosophy (aged Istrian reds), First Roses (entry level wines), and lastly the Sorelle line (6 wines dedicated to Mladen’s 6 daughters) which is their “natural, orange, long macerated whites and reds”. Honestly I’ve ever had a wine like this Mara 4/6…a rosé this aged and complex yet still fresh and so full of life took me by surprise. The magic ingredient to this bottle is time or as Mladen says on their site, “Patience is a fantastic cellar technique…Because wines need time to find each other.” In this fast paced, rushed, insane world; it’s such a delight to take a moment to savor, to rest, and to reflect. I say slow down, enjoy the wait, anticipate what is to come, and of course take time to linger & smell the rosés.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #organic #worldbyglass #croatia #livingwine #Roxanich #vinewinenyc

 

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A Wild Tumble With A Jump Of Grace

Two Shepherds
Wiley 2024
Carbonic Carignan
Organic
Sonoma, CA
William Allen (owner/winemaker) & Karen Daenen (owner/Chief Shepherdess)

Stained glass ruby-magenta. Sniffing and there’s red currants, raspberries, strawberries, young plums, and a bit of a smash of fresh picked blackberries. Sipping all of the scents with gooseberries, wild sour grass I used to chew in the outfield, a little Virginia pepperweed too, white pepper, and a small chew of clover. There’s a little wild tumble that turns into a jumping arch of grace just like its namesake.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: nah

Back in 2010, Two Shepherds started out as a one man (William) micro/garagiste wine venture until Karen officially joined in 2015. Their backgrounds & personal expertise blended into a fabulous partnership in many ways. There’s also other members of their farm family, but they’re of the hooved, feathered, and furry kind ranging from donkeys, goats, pigs, chickens, dogs, and of course my favorite noble beasts…cats. If one of their wine creations has a personality that’s like one of these “kids”, they get their name on the label. That’s what led me to picking up this Wiley. He’s as they called him, a “unicorn cat” being that he’s a male calico with from what I’m reading had quite the independent rascally personality, a voice that matched, and a great little hunter. My heart leapt when I saw a pic of him as a kitten on their IG, and then I read the sad news posted on 12/1/24…Wiley was no longer of this world. My belated condolences to William & Karen. He must have been such a warm force of nature in your life. Here’s to hoping you continue making this carbonic carignan in his honor & memory because there’s nothing like the honest love of a cat.❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #catsofinstagram #cats #worldbyglass #california #twoshepherds #twoshepherdswine #vinewinenyc

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Keep The Bees Happy

Fourth Wave Wine
Bumblebee
Chardonnay 2023
Organic grapes, vegan friendly
New South Wales, Australia
Created by Con-Greg Grigoriou & Corey Ryan

Pale yellow with a touch of green. Breathing in a mellow grapefruit/lemon/lime & other citrus blend, a toasty bit that lingers, and followed by nectarines. Sipping away (it’s so easy to) and all of the citrus is there with more twang, pears, white peaches, yellow tart plums, nectarines, and a mineral lick with a shake of salt. It’s fun & fruitilicious with a clean dry snap.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: I’m on the fence

Fourth Wave is a family run business with a wide reach, and they work with producers/winemakers from 6 countries. The brand Bumblebee’s Chardonnay hails from South Australia and celebrates the humble bee & all the good works these buzzers do for the world. As I’ve mentioned many times in the past, my great-grandfather was a beekeeper (honeybees) so I feel like loving these creatures is in my DNA…well except for the part that I’m allergic 🤣. I even carried some drones to grade school for show & tell because even back then I knew they deserved to be celebrated. Bumblebee’s site states the hard truth we should all know by now, “the decrease in their population poses a serious threat to human livelihood”, so we all need to do our best to keep them alive & pollinating since “Healthy crops mean happy bees… and happy bees mean flourishing fruit and delicious wine.” 🐝

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #winelover #winetasting #Australia #Chardonnay #fourthwavewine #bumblebeewine #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Don’t Miss Out On The Summer Breeze

Galgo Wines
La Brisa Blanco 2023
Field blend of 85% Treixadura, and 15% Godello, Albariño & Loureira
Biodynamic & organic
Galicia, Ribeiro, Spain
Project between Ezequiel Sanchez-Mateos & consultancy of Sentiviño Wines (Diego y Álvaro Diéguez)

Sunshine shining yellow. Breathing in pears, green apples, something a tad nutty/woodsy, yellow nectarines, over time grapefruit grows but not at all overpowering, and a small mix of celery & wild fennel. All of the sniffs are in the taste with a good splash more of grapefruit & a pinch of salt, the pears/apples are fresh yet luscious at the same time, and a small bitter bite like a citrus seed with a squeeze of oranges. It’s mouth awakening and so begging to be dropped into your cooler for a day at the beach. I love this wine so much!

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Yes please bring the whole box & also grab the Bugles

As I’ve said before, I truly think Sanchez-Mateos has the best job in the world. Galgo Wines gives him the chance to meet with interesting people from small producers, other distributors, local (and not so local) enthusiasts, writers, etc (who doesn’t love conversation with kindred spirits), and utilize his financial background education into the mix. Oh and he also gets to travel far and near all while living his wine life to the fullest. He and his cohorts in vine (Sentiviño Wines) also care about what goes into the ground, the plants, and in us. They don’t use any pest or herbicide in their 20 year old vineyards (Avia Valley) and are keeping the whole process as natural as possible or as they say “least intrusive”, and these bottles are vegan friendly. BTW if you find one scoop it up ASAP to add to your drink list because you don’t want to miss out on this cool & refreshing Spanish summer breeze.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winemaking #worldbyglass #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #winelover #winetasting #Spain #Ribeiro #Galicia #steephillwine #SentivinoWines #galgowines #docwinebar #docwineshop