This was a great visit, unexpected and much appreciated from Laurent Givry the president of Elite Imports with Cindy. They both left Franklin Imports years ago ( Cindy was the right-hand woman for Mike Franklin ) and Laurent was one of his top sales people : and damned if they didn't have the balls to start their own import company and get it going from the ground up and hire people as they could afford them and become the success that they are now! Bravo Cindy and Laurent! You both are an inspiration to the rest of us that have our dreams and our balls and are also doing our best to make the most of both. It's not easy and it takes nerve and guts and determination and follow-through and it's great to see that you have succeeded and hired people like Lisa our old sales person and Fran our new one.
Fran has now called on us three times and each time has been very successful and I applaud him for that as well. As I told you in the store just this past weekend that the time you and Lisa Giufre organized our wine-tasting around your annual wine-maker/wine-owner warehouse tasting ( and the last one was at Mio restaurant I believe? I did not make that one unfortunately because I wanted to see Alessandro Furlan instead - tough decisions in life ) that when we had five French owners/wine-makers in the store on a Saturday, well, that was one of our most successful events-days.
I think of the two of you when I think of that Saturday back in 2010 : and of the five French people that came and poured their wines : Joel and Sandrine Duffau of the CHATEAU LES ARROWMANS and CHATEAU LA MOTHE DU BARRY, of Bernard Bouvier of the BOUVIER Burgundy house, of Christian Lauverjat of the LAUVERJAT Sancerre wines - red, rose and white , and of Jean-Remy of Champagne and really fine French champagne that also represents value in these days as well as being from an area that I know less about and have learned about with Jean-Remy's fourth or fifth visit now to our store Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel:202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com also now on Facebook at : cleveland park wine and also on Twitter at : cpwinespirits ) over the last two years with Lisa Giufre, Laurent Givry and I think even once all on his own.
I just added another blog about Joel Duffau here a couple of days earlier with pictures of this successful Saturday wine-tasting. Go to the search engine above here on the home page and type his name in if you want to see and read it as well ).
Laurent as I told you this past week you looked great and so I had to have some photos of this. I hope you like them - I do.
I like taking these pictures where everyone is less self-conscious because they do not know that I am taking them.
I also like taking these fun close-ups as you get to see into the eyes - the portals of our being. Being an artist I really do believe this stuff and it brings me immense joy to take these pictures to see what develops : I never know until I have snapped the picture. I like this one above of the two of us.
Just this past Friday both Nicole and Fran came and did an in-store wine-tasting of I believe six of the Elite wines which included three reds and three whites from both France and Spain. It was a very successful wine-tasting and Nicole was able to be with us earlier and get the ball rolling for us until Fran could show up from a previously-arranged tasting - he fit us in as we needed someone because we had a last-minute cancellation. Thanks Fran and thanks Nicole - you both did a great job.
I will add the wines here shortly. I have already included them in the photo album on our Facebook page at : Cleveland Park Wine if you want to see what wines we poured immediately. It's time to make dinner now so I will post this " as-is " and finish it later tonight or tomorrow morning. It's now Monday at 6:51PM on January 24th, 2011 and it's really cold outside - and dreary. Oh well, it will turn nice again ... cheers et a plus tard mes amis ... TONY
We did introduce some " new " wines from Elite Selections into our Friday evening wine-tasting which included an excellent Tempranillo from the Castilla region of La Mancha which Fran tells us is the largest one in the world. Hard to believe but he said it with such conviction that it must be true. It was a beefier style of Spanisg Tempranillo called " Symphonia " that reminded me with it's earth and rusticity more of a Rhone-Garnnacha-Mourvedre-style red. I liked it and On Special for only $11.99 it flew out our doors in this really cold weather. It's a perfect " comfort wine " when combined with a meal because it does need some food.
WE also tasted a " new " Pinot Noir that also needed a meal but it was smoother and mellower than the Tempranillo " Symphonia ". It did not show as well next to the Symphonia in my opinion : but that is mostly because it was so cold - is so cold now. I also think that it needs some more time to open-up more - perhaps another year or two? I think I am correct about this - it's a wine that can be aged.
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