Thursday, December 28, 2017

Cheers Linda & All My Customers at @ClevelandParkWineAndSpirits At 3423 Connecticut Avenue NW DC 20008 : Cleveland Park A Happening Place Yes So True - Keeping Our Dreams & Futures , Passions, Vitality, Truth, Community - ALL Alive One Day, One Bit At A Time! Happy New Year 2018 - We Are Ready Here To Meet Any-All Your Needs


Cleveland Park WineCleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine
Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits
 
 
 

IT'S STILL THE HOLIDAYS THAT STARTED BACK ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2ND, 2010 AND WE ARE STILL GOING STRONG!

     IT'S BEEN A GREAT TURBULENT YEAR FILLED WITH INCREDULOUSNESS AND NUMBNESS AND JOY...

NOW WE NEED some humbleness, equality for women, respect for women, equal pay for women, all lives matter, all equal here, celebrate much of what we have and need to share more in common, live and let live, provide for everyone, have the rich give back what they do not need that will help others have an existence worth living and filled with enough hope for all that depression and suicide is not the answer!

 

WE just sent from you all our second money order from the post office across the street for $155 to planned parenthood, Washington DC, NE - the first monet order we sent in march and so the total for both comes to $345!!! Thank you for your generosity in giving, makes me feel very proud and pleased, and brings a smile to my face, too! Mailed today. We will keep our tin bucket here into next year, it is above our computer bu out tasting table.

 

the part two big theme bubbly tasting last night was a huge success once again, as we had six fabulous people pouring 25 or more sparkling wines including fine french champagnes, too for you all to taste. we continued our them of supporting women and were thrilled to have christina caswell , tatiana gladny and diana richer pouring their fine selections of various bubblies here for you all to enjoy, as well as klaus wittauer, andrew stover, francois hurtel and craig maura pouring as well! thank you six, you did a great job and helped to make our celebration and holiday cheer so exciting, memorable and cherished.

 

happy new year to everyone.

 
you are the very best, we are here for you, always let us know what we may do better for you to help you with your needs, wants, and help with any events you are hosting and need our guidance.
 
this is just a short email to thank you all!
 
to let you know we are here with many choices? in all the spirits, liqueurs, liquors, wines, ciders, beers, non-alcoholic wines and beers, too -
 
choices galore!
 
we can better assist you now with your sparkling wine needs, too, as yesterday 25 were tasted here and so they all are fresh on our minds!
 
Al Volo Trattoria opened and that is great news, i did a seafood take-out that was so tasty! my whole family enjoyed it the other night, Matteo recommended it to me, and Danielli and Matteo were on hand to get it to me all ready to rush home to the family. I had a chance to introduce again a number of our fine customers to both of them, something I did on the previous Friday their first night open.
 
the Uptown Art DC House across the street ( in the old Four Provinces Irish Pub location will be open through April 2018! If you have not been there yet go by and introduce yourselves to the fine artists there ( always say to them that - Tony sent you! ) : Marc, Maps, Parker, Maya, Jamal, Sebi, ... they are all instrumental in making this an alive, active, happening space for movies, art shows, fashion shoots, fashion clothing for sale, art classes, drawing classes, wine-tastings by me, Dan, Nik, Manuel Rojas, Narayan Campbell, Robert Kennedy, Craid Maura, Reid Harper -  and more. And the work is all for sale, so if you need some local art please inquire and support the local arts. My work is now on display there, too as I am an artist as well.

 

try and buy what you need for New Year's eve early so that you have more choices. We have fresh stocks of -
 
- sparkling wines , champagnes, proseccos -
 
- pinot noirs from around the world
 
- malbecs from Argentina and France
 
- pinot grigios from Italy
 
- cans of sparkling and non-sparkling wines from Westminster Winery, - a sparkling Chardonnay, a dry red Cabernet Franc that pops and sizzles, and a dry and complex Pinot Grigio, too : a can that is a half-bottle in quantity + 375ml - all at $10.99 - limited quantities, tasty, flavorful, cute, fun, exciting, great gifts still - limited quantities!
 
- 187ml bottles -splits of many sparkling wines from -   
 
1) Prosecco 3-packs of VILLA JOLANDA  to
 
2) French MOET rose Brut Imperial French champagne, and
 
3) French sparkling rose from JP Chenet, and
 
4) HILLINGER Pinot Noir Austrian dry rose, and
 
5) Le Grand COURTAGE French Brut sparkling, too
 
 
AND in 375ml bottle size ( half bottles ) :
 
1) ADAMI Prosecco SuperioreValdobbiadene Bosco di  Gica , Veneto Italy - the best growing region for grapes to make the finest Proseccos!
 
2) Champagne LALLIER Grand Reserve from Ay, Champagne
 
3) Michel TURGY Reserve Selection from Mesnil sur Oger, Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru RM - the best available, all family-owned, produced, marketed, all -
 
4) TWO From JEAN VESSELLE -
 
     A) Brut Oeil de Perdrix a Bouzy, Pinot Noir, dry blush of color rose, lovely, Recoltant-Manipulant
 
B) Brut Reserve a Bouzy the town famous for Pinot Noir champagne, Recoltant Manipulant, dry Brut -
 
AND -
 
1) Brut Tradition a Colombe le Sec - oui oui oui oui oui!
 
WE ALSO HAVE astounding values in MAGNUMS - 1.5ml bottles of sparkling wine -
 Veneto, Italy -
 
     A) Lugana Italiano 100% , On Special for $54.99, 2010 -  and  -
     B) Chardonnay 100% yeasty, bread and dough accents, 2008, On Special for $59.99!
 
WE HAVE in Sparkling Wines from around the world :
 
- Croatia,Trapan

- Georgia, Bagrationi

- New Zealand, Sophora and Elstree

- Armenia - Karas

- Austria, Steininger and LHillinger

-Argentina, Malma Pategonia, Santa Julia,organic and sustainable agriculture

- Italy,-
Vale D'Oasta Pinot Noir 100% w/ jalepeno -cilantro overtones -4478 -
 
Prosecco, Lambruscos of Alberto Paltrinieri Tenuta Pederzana, and Cantina della Volta  ,-
Veneto - Perla Del Garda, -
Emilia Tenuta Cassali, -
Piemonte - Lemon Moscato and Mango Moscato Piemonte Brachetto, Moscato of Canelli

- Spain, Trepat dry rose Josep Foraster , Rossignol & Bohigas

- USA :
 
     - Missouri 2013 dry rose STONE HILL
     - Texas-CA McPherson Cellars
     -California Etoile Brut & Brut rose CHANDON
     - Virginia - Thibaut-Janisson
     - New York Chateau Frank 2008 Brut
     - Hawaii dry Pineapple , Hula o Maui

- Germany, Fitz Sekt, and Schloss Sarstein Riesling'Franken VAUX and Christian Stahl,

- Uruguay,  Bodegas Carrau

- Greece, Matamis and Domaine Glinavos, and Karanika
 
YOU GET THE IDEA - we represent the world available to us - come by, experience all your choices - possibilities!
 
TASTINGS -
 
Friday - will have see if anyone is available to taste here?
 
Saturday - we have ...
1) Andrew Shapiro the inventor of his own Ginger Brew non-alcoholic 12 ounce bottles, $2.49 a 12 ounce bottle, 11am-3pm pouring and talking about mixed cocktails, etc ... get bottles signed as last-minute gifts !    
 
AND -
 
2) Andy ( 2-6PM )  coming to pour some great wines from Australia ZONTE'S FOOTSTEP Sauvignon Blanc, and New York - some sparkling Pinot Blanc from LIEB CELLARS Long Island, yes! and more!
 
THANKS AGAIN for everything! You are the very best! Cheers, TONY 12/28/2017
 
COME SEE US ASAP - yes, si, oui, venga aqui, viens ici, prosit, sante, gracias, obregado, ... tim tim!


     AND BITS OF SO MUCH MORE FOR US TO deal on so many levels with as we all plod along and try and make sense of so many conflicting events, so many emotions on our part and in all this for me there has always been a constant thread of things positive even though some people i know tell me this is unrealistic and naive even ...
 
    TO USE A POPULAR LINE : " the Grinch puzzled until his puzzler was sore " in the great animated movie : " The Grinch That Stole Christmas " : I think that many of our puzzlers are sore from so much puzzling ... but that's no reason to give up and not smile and not try and do something about it  ...
     My wife shared this line with me this morning. We were all sitting at our dining room table this morning before I headed off for a teeth-cleaning and then into work here. Love the sparkle and shine of my teeth this morning, nice ...
 
    THIS EMAIL WILL BE LIKE LAST WEEK'S : I will tell stories all day long here. IT'S MY BIRTHDAY, too so come by and help me celebrate with lots of wine, good cheer and mirth-a-runneth-over! Like so many things I do they today will be serendipitous and spur-of-the-moment. I expect that many of you are off for the week and I am thrilled for you all that are. Enjoy this precious time of yours as you never know when you might have it again : and then, you will never have this exact moment again and so it's always best to live it fully just in case ....      I AM GLAD THAT WE WERE SPARED THE SNOWFALL THAT HAS ENGULFED MUCH OF THE EAST COAST and other parts of our country. We can still get out, we can still move and navigate  the day besides the intense bluster of the wind that rattles and shakes one and one's car to it's very foundations.
     I love the sunshine of this morning's drive into work and I kept noticing the fallen leaves all being swept-gushed in intense fits of wind and energy hither and thither and right past my car's windshield.
 
AMAZING GUSTS OF  seemingly fitful raw energy and perhaps ennui and perhaps rage and perhaps defeat?!? Hard to say, but on the backdrop of swept baby blue skies with bands of wispy white clouds and everything drenched and flooded with a rather intense brightness of sunshine ... it all looked so fruitful and promising and bright and I was feeling no pain until it seemed that the wind would ever so slightly, jerkily and unexpectedly pick the car up and shake it just ever so noticeably to make me quiver some myself... unsettling, really and yet it did add a true sense of adventure to my otherwise pretty routing drive from Virginia into the inner folds of our nation's capitol.
 
 
     IT'S RATHER QUIET HERE THIS MONDAY MORNING as we clean up from the onslaught of customers last week ending with a strong week of sales and trying as best we can here to meet our varied customers many needs. We never know quite what we will encounter and hear from you all : but we do enjoy the challenge of your demands and your desires, wants, whims, fancies and fantasies . Sometimes we can help you to fuel those latent urges and dormant impulses that have been silenced so often that they must be awakened, shaken and dusted off and brought to the center of your stage right there in the spotlight by you to catch your full attention.
 
     WE HAVE BUBBLY, I was just over there straightening things out and we will receive more today of some excellent inexpensive French sparkling wine. It will be fun to have it and I am sure that I will open at least one or more bottles today to help celebrate the advent of the New Year and today my birthday of course! This idea is naturally near and dear to me and never far away as the minutes wind on. There are still all the prices, styles and colors from the driest dries to the sweetest most sublime sweetnesses - undescribable, you really have to be there, you really have to taste to know the full impact, the full taste, the full range, the full story ...
 
 
     WE STILL HAVE A REALLY WIDE, BROAD SELECTION here to cheer and to toast you all with. THERE ARE TOO MANY TO LIST HERE and that's okay : it simply means that with this nice day and the clear streets and sidewalks that you will all be able to venture forth and here to our store in our wonderful Cleveland Park neighborhood. You may thus see with your own eyes and perhaps taste with your own palates what we have to offer you all that is unique, original, truly representative of the various parts of the world and the indigenous grapes and what they are able to yield lovingly from those very specific micro-climes and soils, too.
 
 
     SO WHILE IT IS WINDY and BEAUTIFUL come by the store and get whatever it is that you ran out of over this weekend. Come check out the " new " selections here at Cleveland Park. It's fun for me to walk the whole rows here of beers and liquors and you will see that both Ravi and Santos are always including " new : items for me to write about each week here. It's exciting for me really.
 
 
     WITH THE BEER THE COLORS, the packaging is so very bright and vivid and alive : speaks to me of celebrations, carnivals and basic colors and stark with  forms, figures and images that are exciting and taunting, a bit savage and rustic, sometimes primordial and scary and yet they draw our eyes to them making us have to hold the bottles, turn them around 360 degrees to read and learn and be further stimulated and stymied by them : what are they?!? What do they hold?!? What voodoo, charms. spells, chants, etcetera do they hold inside? Will we live, will we survive/thrive/arrive?!? They are so much fun to look at and simply imagine the various joys that they hold. And now they are also organic and gluten-free, too.

     LAST WEEK WE HAD SO MANY BEER REQUESTS : it's always a treat when people come from small towns around the country and ask for their hometown beers to help them feel more comfortable and at home here in a large city where they may not yet know many people. I like this, especially when we in fact do have their beers - and fifty percent of the time we do have them.
 
 
     THE LIQUOR and LIQUEURS ARE NOT QUITE as vibrant in colors - those stark, primary colors : they are more subtle and reserved and yet still quite as exciting as you cut through to the actual product held safely, securely inside.
     We get the same amount of liquor requests as we get for the beer. There's just so much more being produced today than ever before!!!! In every category, in every field, there's simply so much more marketing of products than ever before, too.
     It's still all really good and exciting and we have almost as many " new " liquors and liqueurs as we do beers. I think that Ravi simply wishes that he had more space for them. The vodkas alone are appearing almost every single week and that is exciting, especially when the distillers themselves come with them from as close to us as West Virginia and as far away as Maine. It's all good. We had the distiller Lisa here from Maine a weekend ago tasting her vodka with our customers and we sold-out before she left! Thanks Lisa.
 
     THE TREND WILL CONTINUE as more and more individuals decide to try their luck at realizing their dreams : families come together and pool their resources and try their luck. We are here to help support this kind of initiative as you know as we are small enterprises and we very much exist on this level ourselves ans we select and offer our wares much in the same way as it was done years ago before the advent of the internet and so much became available in the palm of one's own hand, left or right depending of course.

   
     EXPECT TO SEE MORE VARIETY as these enterprising individuals pick up many of the pieces that have fallen here and there as the economy has suffered along with so many. It will be fascinating from our point-of-view to see where things realign themselves and resurface. We will continue to search for the small properties and small ventures, the moms and the pops out there as well as the grapes that are possibly going to all but disappear if someone does not champion their cause and suggest them now and then they will languish ans shrivel up and die a death of neglect and abject loneliness that I would not even wish for my least of least favorite people that I could conceivably ever hate and that's rare indeed ....
 
     WE HAVE TASTINGS THIS WEEK ON BOTH WEDNESDAY With sommelier of Oya restaurant Andrew Stover ( both sparkling Spanish cava and  Italian prosecco along with the Hawaiian pineapple sparkling and still off-dry pinapple still wine, the Michigan " new " vintage Pinot Noir blend of " Shindig " that Andrew blends himself I believe ? It will be fun to be able to talk with Andrew that can discuss wine enjoyment on so many levels and with so many food-wine-food-pairing combinations as well.
 
WOULDN'T IT SIMPLY BE GRAND  to be around wine and food all night long as Andrew is? What a great occasion to first-hand put so many things together and to make so many on the spot observations. I love it and am a bit-a wee- a tad jealous of Andrew for this. However, Andrew is nice enough to come and share some of all of this experience with anyone able to join us this Wednesday evening, December 29th from 5-8PM here in the store. Join us, never any charge, everyone is welcome. Bring your visiting family and friends with you.
 
     FRIDAY, December 31st, 2010 ( 3-7PM ) : We have Chris Bartha here of Cobblestone Cellars to taste his sparkling wines ( 4 in all ) : Chris will taste a sparkling Spanish cava called GRAN GESTA brut ( $14.99 ) from Penedes, Spain , two sparkling Burgundy Cremants from VITTEAUT-ALBERTI - a clear brut and a dry rose, too ( $24.99 ) ; as well as a Sparkling German Kir Royale with cassis already in the sparkling sekt wine : already blended for all of us to enjoy - nothing for us to do but to open the bottle, pour it and lift it to our awaiting lips. It will be grand, really grand.
     WE HAVE THE TWO CREMANTS OPEN HERE NOW in the store and so come by and have a taste with us while they last. Come today and help me celebrate my birthday and then come again on Friday to try and buy and get ready to celebrate your New Year's later with family and friends .... JOIN US, NEVER any charge.
 
 
     ALL IS WELL HERE ON MONDAY. It's relatively quiet now and deceiving as it will surely start to get a whole lot more lively and active as many of you start to plan this last week of yours. Let us help - give us something meaningful to do and to give us the satisfaction of assisting you all in bringing both a sense of closure to this year and a true excitement and raw energy to be channeled and ridden in the New Year of 2011!
 
     THERE ARE SO MANY FUN STORIES, so many people that have passed through our doors this year, so many relatives that have been brought to us, so many people that we have gotten to know better, so many people discovering us for the first time and so many " new and exciting " connections that have been made as a result.
     I love when someone comes and they say that they have lived here a long time and are just now discovering us and the extensive offerings that we have here. So many of you have inquired about the health of the store ( it's strong because of your continued patronage ), and about whether Peter Wygandt's store a block away has hurt us?
     It's nice, there's so much open conversation between us here and that makes everything so much more relaxed and enjoyable. Lots of kisses and hugs, smiles, laughs and bond after bond after bond that is established, strengthened and reaffirmed daily as well as throughout the year.
     It's also so gratifying that many of you that used to live here still make it a pilgrimage with us as the destination to return to, say " hello ", chat and buy whatever it is that you may be in need or search of.   
       I WISH THAT I COULD RECALL  all the wonderful events that we have held here : all the wine-makers and wine owners that have passed through our doors this year as well as wine reps and sales managers, brew-masters, distillers,all the great Big-Theme wine-tastings;  Mike Martin's leaving at the end of last year and the bringing of Chris Barker here from Dean & DeLuca, the events that we have supported from the individual to the large corporation, the local school charities, the theater fundraisers, ... the list goes on and on and on. That's one reason that we have the web page, calendar of events, the various blogs from chatwine.blogspot.com and chatpoetry.blogspot.com, our new Facebook page at : cleveland park wines & Spirits as well.
    IN TODAY'S DAY and age we have to be connected to one another . That link has to be made, the memory jogged, the bond begun, strengthened, reminded ... we have to be there for one another.
    IT'S BEEN FUN and challenging to grow with this neighborhood : to see the changes, the empty store fronts filled and then again emptied,
     the Palena expansion as well as that of the new Ripple and the consolidation of both Ardeo and Bardeo into one,
     the Tackle Box that will finally go into the old MacDonald's space after eight or nine years,
     the businesses here in this two block period grouping together to make this a more vibrant and energized, cleaner and more beautiful place to be and to both eat and shop in,
     the closing of both Yanni's and Ivy's restaurants - both are already missed by many of us...
     all this transformation, all this change :
     the first in years of a Cleveland Park Day and boy was it successful!
     We loved it, it sure was grand to be a part of that and we could not have any of us asked for a more beautiful day for that to have happened!
     We've seen the passing of some of our favorite customers and that's always sad for those that survive.
     We've seen people get jobs in a tough economy and lose jobs, too.
     We've seen so much on a political level, home foreclosures, public officials prosecuted and convicted of crimes and so many others get off Scott-free ...
      we have done our dinners in the local restaurants around here, too.
     WE HAVE BEEN THIS YEAR AS MANY AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS COMMUNITY and for that I am very proud. It may be in only small ways but it does count for something and it all does add up and make a difference for some ; better some than none at all.
 
 
     IT'S ALL SO MUCH THAT IT MAKES MY HEAD SPIN ON THIS MY BIRTHDAY and I will now proof this and send it along as the last email of the year. IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE and get all revved-up to finish this last week of 2010. Let's do it together.
 
     RUSH ON OVER EACH AND EVERY DAY THIS WEEK to help us celebrate what we do have and what we are fortunate to be a part of. It will be a bit of a dynamic party here for the rest of this week. We can be talked into a lot of things. Come and check us out and have a taste or two on us through Friday and New Year's Eve!  
     Cheers and thanks a million guys and gals, you are the best, you are the creme de la creme.  
     Ravi, Ved, Sofredo, Nelson, Santos, Chris and Tony ...

Thursday, December 21, 2017

TONIGHT : Support Local Artists, Come See My Art, Other's Art, Too at @UptownArtsDC House across street 6:30-8:30PM #BuyLocalArt #greatgiftART! 12/21/2017 Thanks Michael! Happy New Year! Wednesday Store Email W/ Our Part Two Bubbly Tasting of 25 Bubblies-Sparkling Wines December 27th, 2017 5:30-8:30PM, Join Us, $10 Cover Charge To Be Applied Later To Your Purchase! Sante, Prosit! Feliz Navidad!!

Michael Harding
56 mins ago
A friendly neighborhood liquor store. Very helpful staff
(owner)
Just now
Thank you Michael, we try very hard to be here for all our customers, listen carefully to what they need, help them decide and we put the burden on us for our suggestions telling people to blame us - me ( Anthony TONY - Quinn ) if there is any problem, as we are in the business, we know the products, we taste many of them before selling them, and value our customers and are only as good as they - you Michael say we are. Thanks, happy holidays, thanks for shopping with us. Cheers all! TONY 12/21/2017 Come to our group art show across the street tonight if you are available, at the @UptownArtsDC House - the old Four Provinces Irish pub location next to Byblos Deli, and come to our Part Two BUBBLY Wine-Tasting here, 25 to taste, $10 cover charge that will later be applied to your purchase, 5:30-8:30PM, celebrate, enjoy the sparkling wine experience and bubble-over with all of us here!





Cleveland Park WineCleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine
Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits
 
 
 
 
Hope You All Had A HAPPY HANUKKAH !I was at Adas Israel yesterday celebrating with them and some Israeli wines we sell here HAI Moshe 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon and also their HAI Emerald Riesling, both smooth soft bright dry wines, lovely, $15.99 a bottle. Come get some and see what you think. They liked them very much and that pleases me enormously as I, too like them and am happy to have both on our shelves, from Galilee. Cheers!
 
I REALLY FELT WELCOMED last night at Adas Israel and so I want to give a ' big thanks ' to everyone there. What a fine group of individuals, a treat for me to be there. Cheers!
 
HERE IS THE REST of the lineup for our Part TWO Big-Theme BUBBLY Wednesday night ( 5:30-8:30PM ) event here, 25 bubblies being poured, six fine people pouring, six tables, I wrote up the first two yesterday in that weekly Tuesday store email.
 
BECAUSE IT WAS SO BUSY HERE I finish Tables 3-6 now so that you may better plan the 27th of December BUBBLY Wine-Tasting here. COST : $10 cover charge that may be paid at the register where you will get you tasting glass. Then that $10 will go to cover the first $10 you spend on any bottle tasted. Cheers, thanks, you all are the very very greatest BEST.
 
 
TABLE THREE - Tatiana Gladney of Michael Downey Selections ( miss you Michael! ) pouring :
 
          TWO From Italy -
 
     1) Frizzante Chardonnay from Italy's Veneto region, made by DAL MASO, $13.49, how lovely, bright, lively and uncomplicated and enjoyable ' as is ' !
 
     2) ' Naufragar ' Vino spumante di qualita Brut, $16.49 from Piemonte and made and bottled at Agricola SULIN, this wine is a delight and charming and wonderful to sip with or without a meal!
 
          TWO From France -
 
     1) Cremant de Bourgogne Brut, $21.99 , from Jean Francois COQUARD, tasty, flavorful, a treat. Jean Francois knows his wines, both Italian and French! Great value, too.
 
     2) Mauzac, an indigenous grape from France, this one a ' Nature ' that means that it is the driest possible version of this French sparkling wine because at the topping-off of the bottle after the sediment was collected at the head of the bottle and disgorged no sweetness of any kind was added. " Quand meme !!! " they say, even so, a 2014 sparkling by Robert & Bernard Plageoles, a hearty, robust, you feel immediately it's presence and gravitas here on the first sip! $27.49, a great vin mousseux to enjoy with some food, :
" Ce n'est pas le vin qui enivre, c'est l'homme qui s'enivre " :
it is the man that becomes drunk, not the wine that is drunk.
From Gaillac, Southwest France where the grape Mauzac is used to make some slightly-sparkling wines, some without sparkle, too as well. What a treat from Jenny & Francois SElections.
 
TABLE FOUR - with Diana Richer of G & B Importers -
 
     1) Extra Brut KARAS dry sparkling white from Armenia, $15.49 a bottle, a surprising delight to cheer and make us all smile and relax, lovely! From Armenia.
 
     2) Extra Brut ' Cuvee Reserve ' MALMA from Pategonia, Argentina, $21.49 a bottle, what a treat! Love the force, the force here is with us all, love the rush of grape emotion here, the winemaker is part Armenian and part Argentinian from what I understand. Love this.
 
          TWO From Portugal, off-dry delights -
 
     1) 3 Castas Nature estate-bottled from FIUZA, $10.99 a bottle, from Tejo, made with the Vital, Arinto and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, with only 10.5% alcohol by volume, light , airy, refreshing!
 
     2) 3 Castas Nature Fresco e Leve, light and refreshing -< $10.99 a bottle, from Tejo, with 11.5% alcohol by volume, made with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Touriga National grapes, with a seductive floral aroma of violet coupled with strawberry, and in taste an alluring blackberry component and fragrance! Mmmmm si si si obregado, bom dia, boa noite amigos!
 
BACK TO Armenia -
 
     1) Dyutich KARAS, $15.49 a bottle, from Armenia's Armavir region, a sweet sparkling Muscat wine with 12% alcohol by volume, this is utterdly delicious, seductive, charming, warming and a ' no-brainer ' - cheers!
 
 
TABLE FIVE - Klaus Wittauer - Austrian all the way! STEININGER & HILLINGER -
 
          THREE From STEININGER -
 
     1) Gruner Veltliner Flaschengarlung, $24.99 a bottle, from Langelois, sekt 2014, a svelte bright, lively, refreshing flavor and taste that wakes up our palates and makes us eventually look for some food, too. Lovely.
 
     2) Sauvignon Blanc , $27.49 , Niederosterreich sparkling wine 2014, 13.3% alc. by volume, sekt, a more rich, more body, more angular taste and flavor that shouts louder, roars more than the Gruner Veltliner! What a great treat to enjoy this with a meal, a real treat, now is perfect, purrfect!
 
     3) Karl Steininger Riesling Sekt , $43.99, the very best that Steininger makes and you can sure taste it! World-class, have recently been seeling it instead of bottles of French champagne for the same money as this is the best that Steininger makes, and for the same money it is the entry-level of most French champagne houses! Cheers, come see what your palate tells you when you taste this?!?
 
     AND -
 
          TWO From Leo HILLINGER -
 
     1) Secco mostly Pinot Noir rose dry blend, available in a
     - 187ml bottle, $6.49 a bottle, and -
     - 750ml bottle, $16.49 a bottle,
 
I like sipping this, so smooth, very pleasing, a bright light of rose salmon peach that dazzles the taste buds sooooo! With 11% alcohol by volume, two convenient sizes, one a great stocking-stuffer or size to transport and enjoy anywhere ' on the go '!
 
     AND - Don't Forget Organic -
 
     1) Foam White Natural , a biodynamic wine estate , $25.49 , this is intense, unfiltered , unfined I believe - a rawness, a vibrancy that is both brilliant and jarring at the very same time. What a treat, especially when combined with a meal. Try it now during the holidays, it will help to define and add clarity and refresh your palate all at the same time. Wonderful, thrilled to have it. Cheers, Prosit!!!!
 
 
TABLE SIX - With Craig Mauro of RAYA Imports -
 
     1) Brut Extra Cremant de Bourgogne from owner - winemaker Clothilde Davenne, $23.99 a bottle, Clothilde makes brilliant Chablis wines as well as some wonderful Sauvignon Blanc from Saint Bris, and a 90% Pinot Noir from Irancy with 10% Cesar grapes, and this sparkling cremant, too. Dry, bristles with freshness, very lively, a treat! A great palate cleanser-definer, yes, oui oui c'est bien vrai ca!
 
     2) Feder STAHL ' pink spark! ' from owner-winemaker Christian Stahl in Franken, Germany. $17.99 a bottle, a great sipping bubbly all by itself, a lovely rose color, a treat all by itself.
     NOTE : At the end od the International Day for Women Christian was standing right here by our tasting table sampling this with you all as you returned from the March on the Mall.
     Further Note : This year has been about supporting all in their struggle to have control of their own bodies, have equality, have equal pay, and not be sexually molested or bullied.
We love you, and we stand by you here as an oasis, a shelter from the storms that need not be but alas sadly are! Cheers to you all, thanks for all that you do to enrich our existence and the fabric of our lives.
We raise glasses of bubbly here to toast you all.
 
 
          TWO French Champagnes from LELARGE - PUGEOT :
 

     1) Tradition Extra Brut Recoltant - Manipulant, from Vrigny, a Premier Cru, , $41.99 a bottle, bone-dry, really steely and solid and svelte and toned, tanned, bursting to be untethered on your palate! Yes!
 
     2) Premier Cru Recoltant Manipulant dry rose, Brut Rose, a lovely chalk dryness in character, with vivacious fruit - a great champagne, $49.99 a bottle to enjoy with a meal, anything smoked is superb , and fresh strawberries and almonds like in the movie with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, what a treat! Perfect with many meals!
 
 
THANKS to Cathi for your great holiday cake, I am enjoying a slice of it now. We all love it and enjoy it each year, and share it, too with our customers and suppliers like Robert Kennedy and his son Luca that came by yesterday!
 
IT WAS WONDERFUL also to see tia Rosa the other day with her fabulous holiday cakes that she dropped off, gifts from her and both Melanie and Elizabeth Asher of Macchu Pisco in Peru. Gracias lindas senoras!
 
AND CARLOS our customer came by with a gift card saying thanks for all the help he has received here on wines. It warmed my heart to receive that card yesterday. But that is what the holidays are all about here - sharing, caring, working together.
 
PEOPLE DO NOTICE, people do appreciate, Dina sent in the mail a " Thank You " for the Chilean wine of DOS PASOS and ALMA that we donated with the generous help of Manuel Rojas to her auction and fund-raiser.
 
 
 
 
HAPPY HANNUKAH !It starts tomorrow and we have any last-minute ' needs ' here for you. So come by and let us know if there is anything that we may help you with to enjoy fully your holidays.
 
IT'S SAVINGS TIME HERE @ CLEVELAND PARK WINES & SPIRITS : 20% OFF 12 Or More Still Bottles Of Wine EVERY WEDNESDAY: 3-Part Still-Wine SALE : Read On...
 
That applies on the 27th as well as today the 20th! 
COME SAVE HERE every Wednesday!
 
THANKS For Everything, you all are the very best! You rock, come see me and my other local artist friends tomorrow at the Uptown Arts DC House ( the Old Four Provinces Irish pub next to Byblos Deli ) - 6:30-8:30PM, everyone welcome, come meet us, sip some wine, and buy some of our art, support local artists and their art if you like anything you see. Great holiday gifts. Cheers, TONY 12/20/2017
 
 
WHAT FOLLOWS below is an old store email that I wrote and posted in December 2013, read and enjoy it, cheers! TONY
 
Happy Holidays all!!!!! Happy Kwansa, Merry Christmas, too - and any other holidays you celebrate in December as we get ready to close this difficult year and hopefully move into some more clarity, perspective and harmong and peace with others and our world, respecting, honoring, loving both!
 
 
     THE WEATHER IS PRETTY GORGEOUS NOW : NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT!!!! It's raining ' cats and dogs ' " everywhere, damp and cold and flu and cold weather, and that is no good!The weather was gorgeous yesterday here and now we have buckets of rain. Listen to Bob Dylan's 1970 album " Blood On The Tracks " and the one with the lyrics about buckets of rain that he sang and played his 12-string guitar, I love that song, used to listen to it all the time!
 
WHAT WINE WILL you drink, or what beer will you enjoy tonight watching the Grand Finale for " The Voice " tonight at 8PM? My money is on Damien winning, we will see.
 
I WILL ENJOY something, I have not decided what yet, but something to warm me like perhaps the French Vin de Pays de Vaucluse from the southern Rhone, a 2012 from BOSQUET Du Sanglier/ Wild Pig , $17.99 , 14% alcohol by volume ....
 
 
AS WE CELEBRATE  Sara's birthday, Jess's Diploma Ceremony of passing the Maryland Bar, and any of you that are born today : COME on by from 6-8PM to taste with us this ...
1) delightful dry French Rhone red, as well as some of the more lively and ...  the 
2) spritzy Italian Rosso Lajara Organic SPRIZZ'ter, $18.99, , 5.5% alcohol by volume that is very fruity, for some quite sweet, so chill it and enjoy this Italian ' wine cocktail ' with orange, strawberry and blueberry .... sounds perfect for tonight. No charge, join us, ...
Everyone  always welcome!
 
 
SO : CHILDREN ARE GETTING off from school for their holiday break ( if they are not off already?!?  ) : I know that Virginia and Maryland get off this Friday for their holidays. I know because my wife and my daughter were speaking of it on Sunday and I was all-ears as this is big news. They were talking about how crazy this week will be to keep their students' attention as they are all so excited already about the approaching holidays. Who can blame them. I should have asked Colleen this past weekend when she came in search of her annual dry French rose champagne and settled finally on her bottle of the Grand Cru, Recoltant-Manipulant Verzenay Brut from MICHEL ARNOULD Et Fils, $49.99, ...
 
SO : TEACHERS Join Us TONIGHT, Tuesday, December 16th, 2014 from 6-8PM with Sara and Jess ... we will celebrate the holidays and accomplishments and those things that we are all thankful for : FINE TEACHERS, FINE STUDENTS, FINE GRADUATES : funny, it's all about education, or it all comes back to it, anyway, EDUCATION is so IMPORTANT, really the foundation, the cornerstone, the roots, the threads that bind, inspire and fire and inspire and motivate us all to do better, be better, do more ...
JOIN US TONIGHT, even in the rain, do not let it dampen our spirits...

HEY SANTOS : What Do You Have In BEER/ CIDER ?!
 
     1) Honey & Apple Hard  Imported Cider from STRONGBOW, On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 5% alcohol by volume, : it's gluten-free and with natural honey flavors, perfect for this damp, dank, brrrrr nasty weather that's biting, too!

     2) An American Tradition Hard Cider From McKENZIE'S, Hand-Pressed, Seasonal Reserve, Naturally Gluten-Free, $11.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, West Seneca, New York, ... " Sip, smell and savor the rich, mulled spicy goodness of McKenzie's Seasonal Reserve. Aromatic fall flavors warm you from the inside out and chase away the chill on those cold nights ... "
 
     3) Lager that's local from Richmond, Virginia's LEGEND Brewing Co., On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack pf 12-ounce bottles, something lighter and brighter to enjoy as almost a palate-cleanser between the heavier bouts with these other bolder beers! It's a nice contrast, I enjoy it ...

     4) ' Coffeehouse Stout " Craft-Brewed in Williamsburg, Virginia from ALEWERKS Brewing Company, On Special for $12.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, this is perfect for this biting cold, what a way to warm ourselves around a blazing fire at home or in the country!
 
     5) Aged Red Ale ' The Key To Heaven ' from PETRUS, On Special for $12.99 a 750ml bottle, product of Belgium, this is another smart way to go and to boost and enliven, to refresh and animate our tired and flagging spirits after a hard day's work with another kind of spirit that has prepared all it's life for such an opportunity.

UPDATE : News That's Happening Now With James Henry : Tasting the Cider Snap that is brand-spanking ' new ' : Here's James to tell you more :
 
     "Hard cider with a bite of a ginger beer! Hitting the market this week, Cider Snap is made from only apples and ginger. Let the fresh ginger make you all the more chipper this holiday season! Cider Snap is invented and brought to market by a local born and raised in Cleveland Parker. 'I'm happy to see it at my favorite store, Cleveland Park Liquors. Try it out along with TEAVINE, a bubbly blend of organic green tea, white wine and organic honey. Two sold feel-good healthy holiday alternatives.'"
Thanks James for writing this here for us. It will be great to have the CIDER SNAP here soon. Cheers!
 
 
LIQUEUR & LIQUOR From Malkit & Jagir :
 
    1) ' Old Tom ' Gin from GREENHOOK GINSMITHS , $47.99, 50.05% alcohol by volume is golden in color and brand-spanking new here, from Brooklyn, NY and made with corn. Cheers!
 
     2) Straight Bourbon Whiskey from PINHOOK, $62.99, 45% alcohol by volume, hand-bottled in Bardstown, Kentucky is also brand new here, 90 Proof... come check it out.
 
     3) ' Owls Brew ' A Tea-Crafted For Cocktails, this ' Coco-Lada ', $13.99 a 32 Fl. Oz bottle is a blend of black tea, coconut, chai spices and pineapple. Tasty, so many possibilities here ...
 
     4) ' Owls Brew ' a Tea-Crafted for Cocktails, this ' Pink & Black ' is a blend of Darjeeling, hibiscus, lemon peel & strawberry... Rolf was tasting them here this past weekend. Perhaps you tasted them here already?
 
 
TODAY : Tuesday, Save on your Bubbly/ Champagne & Sparkling Wines , SAVE UP to 15% Off the marked sticker prices. You can also save up to 15% on the still wines today. You either have to buy  ... 1) any sparkling or still wine bottle at $19.99 a bottle or more, or  buy  2) twelve or more bottles of still or sparkling wine at any price to save 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.
 
SAVE BIG ...
 
Wednesday, ALL DAY we have our 3-Part Still Wine SALE :

1) BUY ANY BOTTLE of non-sparkling wine and SAVE 20% OFF the sticker price,
whether it is already on sale or special or not.
2) BUY ANY 6 BOTTLES or more of still wine and SAVE 15% OFF the marked
sticker prices.
3) BUY ANY 12 Bottles or more of still wine and SAVE 20% OFF the marked
sticker prices.

ALWAYS SAVE BIG here @ CP Wine & Spirits!
 
 
 
 
WINES From Chris & Tony :
 
     1) Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 California from CHATEAU JULIEN ( also comes in Chardonnay and in Merlot ) , $9.99, really balanced and flavorful and honest expressions of the grape for such reasonable prices : I like this, I like it a lot.
 
     2) Dry WHITE4 Paso Robles California from VINA ROBLES, this 2012 is fully-developed and ready now and is a blend of 61% Viognier, 33% Verdelho, 3% Vermentino and 3% Sauvignon Blanc. Tasty and flavorful, great with this damp cold!
 
     3) Brut Suid Afrika South African sparkling wine from PIETER CRUYTHOFF, $13.99, 10% alcohol by volume : really flavorful, dry and refreshing and loaded to the rim with individual character, too : at a very affordable price we believe.
 
     4) Una Pera Pear Wine that is smooth-dry and refreshing from FABBIOLI CELLARS in Loudoun County, Virginia, $16.99 a bottle, 12% alcohol by volume : PERFECT for these holidays. Come get some, sip and relax and smile. Go to : www.fabbioliwines.com for more info.
 
     5) 2011 Chianti Colli Senesi dry Tuscan red from Tenuta VALDIPIATTA is medium-to-light-bodied and a simply delightful smooth and thoroughly-engaging red to sip or enjoy with most any meal today or later this evening. A favorite!
 
     6) 2012 Merlot from Virginia's Loudoun County at the NORTH GATE Vineyard, $21.99 a bottle, 13.5% alcohol by volume is a fine, balanced medium-bodied dry, fruit-forward red that I enjoy sipping as well as with a meal. It's so surprisingly good considering how young this winery is! Get some quick for these holidays ...

     7) 2011 Meritage dry Colorado blend from GUY DREW Vineyards, 14.1% alcohol by volume, $22.99, is a lovely, tasty and so clearly-distinctive, personal blend of 67% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc .... I like it, got to meet Guy Drew and taste with him at the Smithsonian Institute a couple of years ago : he knows wine and how to make it. Bravo Guy! He also has the name of my father-in-law that I miss that has passed away several years ago sadly ...
 
     8) Bourgogne Mousseux Rouge / Red Sparkling Burgundy from L. VITTEAUT ALBERTI, a dry brut, French, $24.99 : is spicy, earthy, forest-floor warm and tasty and lovely , I really like this French sparkler that is medium-to-light-bodied ...     
 
9) ' Vignette ' 2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir From R. STUART, On Special for $33.99 , 12.8% alcohol by volume, is a symphonie, a ballet, an orchestra, a choral ensemble, a jazz quartet, a blues revival of flavorful, balanced, distinct and really unique flavors to enjoy now with no further wait. You did another fine job here Trish with your team!! Congrats!!!
 
    10) Porto 10-Year Old Tawny from CALEM, a gift-set with a free glass, $36.49 is a great gift for someone now if not for yourselves. I like it, a Portuguese house owned by the Portuguese that is not as well-known, but so stylish, so fine, so fruit-forward and elegant. I like it.

Michael Robinson our favorite local photographer just dropped of the 2015 Calendars for us here to do when we sign people up to do their wine-tastings, beer-tastings, liquor tastings, cider-tastings, all dinners and all tastings! Thank you Michael, grazie e enjoy your Italian class tonight!
 
WEEK'S TASTINGS :
 
     TUESDAY, December 16th, 2014 : 6-8PM : For ALL TEACHERS, for Sara, for Jess : for all our customers - JOIN US TONIGHT to celebrate our knowing one another, being friends and being one large family / community! NO CHARGE, everyone welcome.
 
     FRIDAY, December 19th, 2014 ( 5-8PM ) : Tony's Picks! Come see what Tony pulls from his sleeves!
 
     SANTOS has organized two beer-tastings :
 
     1) Cisco tasting with Mike Moran from 5-8PM, as well as ...
     2) Harpoon tasting, too : same time.
 
     SATURDAY , December 20th, 2014 ( 2-6PM ) : MORE of Tony's Picks! Come see what's still to be pulled from his sleeves! Cheers, everyone always welcome. JOIN US.
 
DRIVING HERE TO WORK this morning I loved seeing the Zoo Lights sign and all the joy the display must bring at night to many. I also liked very much seeing the American Bison poster/ sign hanging just behind to welcome us to this entrance of the National Zoo : so cool!
 
PLEASE ASK FOR OUR BOOK at the computer here for guests to sign and say whatever you care to , and to share whatever you would like with us all. Cheers!
EVERYONE WAS AT THE POST OFFICE this morning as I took a package to mail to my mother and brother. I stood behind Michael's wife and she had a flat, long rectangular box with gifts inside. I loved the box, it still had a wine label on the side of the box : cool again! Now that was inspiring to me. I almost started to talk to her about it but instead I will wait till I see Michael here and tell him this story and bring a smile to his face as they both LOVE wine!
 
CHEERS, THANKS for everything ...
 
CALL : 202-363-4265 for free deliveries of purchases over $30 ...
 
LIKE us on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits ...
 
FOLLOW US on Twitter at : cpwinespirits and also : wineenabler.
 
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
 
JOIN US TONIGHT from 6-8PM ...
 
 
WHAT FOLLOWS HERE is a store email I wrote on Tuesday December 15th, 2012 I believe, read it if you have time , and enjoy ...
 

 
It WAS TWO YEARS AGO beautiful weather, much like it was here yesterday, ( also very unseasonal ) and all our hearts are heavy with the recent tragedy and senseless loss of so many precious lives. young and old in Connecticut. Last night at home after a very busy day my wife and I sat down to watch the latest episode of " The Voice " and were greeted by country singer singing with the group of judges and current contestants this year a holiday song. He was holding a card with the name and the year of one of the children that was lost this past week. The camera went from him to the other judges and there was a warmth and a beauty and a calming influence with lighted candles and the soothing sounds of all the singers. It was a lovely tribute to those that died recently in Connecticut. It may have been my favorite moment ever watching " The Voice " and brought tears to me. I also enjoyed very much the songs that followed after that were comforting as well as Bill Wither's famous : " Lean On Me ".
I WANT TO THANK ROGER the owner of the Ripple restaurant here for this past Saturday when he was kind enough to bring me a cup of hot coffee. I had tried to get one at the Firehook Bakery quickly but it was too crowded! I saw Roger in his coffee shop and was thrilled that I might get a cup there? It was too early but when he heard my plight he said : " Give me a few minutes and I will bring some to the store for you ". Good to his word, as I was helping a customer he showed up with a cup for me and I was feeling better already as I smiled, took the cup, offered to pay him, but he would have nothing of that. Thank you again Roger. That's what good neighbors are, here to help one another when they can and I appreciate the cup. It was just what I needed as I continued to help our customers. Cheers!
 
THE  "  New "   STREET DECORATIONS up and own our two blocks and lining the poles on either side of Connecticut Avenue look great. That was done by our Cleveland Park Business Association that has been making steady strides for the last two years to improve our neighborhood and to make it look more attractive, clean, appealing and : more of a destination for everyone. It takes a whole lot of patience and grunt work and it makes me happy to see THE THREE WORDS :    DINE  SHOP LIVE !    and ...   Live It Uptown ! It's all a nice touch and we hope that people walking and driving here notice them, stop, shop, dine and live a bit more here in this great neighborhood of ours :   CLEVELAND PARK  that we are all so proud of, that do add to our lives immeasurably.  CHEERS!!!
 
OUR SWEDISH NEIGHBOR at home complained to me yesterday that she missed the snow and the colder weather. She remarked that it's either a deluge of bad weather here or hardly anything at all : and that she wanted some of the " in-between " weather. I second that motion. I do love this weather in some ways , it's so pleasing. It's easier to get around and to do things in this nicer weather. We all must have pretty big " to do " lists to constantly be adding to, and subtracting from? I know that I do. That's how I exist these days and feel fortunate to remember to put many of the things that I need to accomplish on the list so that I do not so easily forget.
 
AS I TYPE THIS we are listening to Christmas music and it's comforting. I do like it. It's easier to type this store email and to feel " in the spirit " as I do with everything corresponding except this unseasonably warm and calm/peaceful weather. This past weekend I spoke to some of our customers and they will be heading down south to Florida. I guess that that feels like a whole different experience than the one we enjoy here? Except that the holiday experience of being with family and friends and celebrating as we do transcends where any of us are. We can enjoy the experience no matter where we are. That's a good thing as so many of us are scattered all around the world and travel for our jobs and spend more time traveling than being here in Washington D.C.

BUT WE ARE GEARING UP here and I had a message waiting from a good customer planning a holiday party for 150 people. My first job was to see what wines we had in stock that I know David likes and I then called him back to discuss more of the specific details as everyone has their likes and their preferences. That's normal. It's not easy to change our colors or our stripes. I read an article in the New York Times Sunday magazine about that and watching the show : " Survivor ". and how people could not easily change no matter how much they wanted! Anyway, we are here to help you all and to get for you what works best for you : simple as that!
 
 
 
      THIS SALE is the regular THREE-PART SALE that we like to run here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits :
 
       1) PART ONE : BUY ANY NON-SPARKLING WINE OVER $20 a bottle and SAVE 20% OFF The Sticker-Price. That includes ports, sherry, Marsala, madeira, sake, all-size bottles and shapes including box wines, too.
 
       2) BUY ANY 6 Or More Bottles Of Still Wine and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.

       3) PART TWO : BUY ANY 12 BOTTLES Of Non-Sparkling Wines ( includes the ports, sherry, marsala, madeira, sake, all size bottles and boxes ) - EVERYTHING non-sparkling that is still wine, any size, boxes, too may be included in the mix.
 
     MIX IT : GOOD FOR EXISTING MERCHANDISE HERE in the store : not for special orders. Come have some fun mixing some things up to taste and try and SAVE, SAVE, SAVE SOME MORE. Wednesday , December 19th, 2012. If you cannot come call Michel or me ( 202-363-4265 ) and we can get your orders together for you and even arrange to have them delivered to you if in Washington D.C.
 
 
     HERE ARE SUGGESTIONS FOR You To TRY :
 
       BEER From Santos :
 
     1) III Avec Les Bons Voeux de la Brasserie DUPONT Vieilles Bieres sur lie/ non filtre ... lots of French here : means : Old Vines, non-filtered and kept on it's own lees to add flavor, complexity and taste ( $10.99 for a 1 Pt. 9.4Fl. Oz bottle, 750ml bottle, with 9.5% alcohol by volume, product of Belgium, Belgian Saison Ale ) : " Les Bons Voeux means best wishes, which is what Brasserie Dupont sends with this very special saison ale brewed only for the holidays. Redolently aromatic, rich and velvety, this is an ale to toast the season and welcome in the New Year! "
 
     2) Imperial Porter from SHIPYARD Brewing Company in their Pugley's Signature Series ( $10.99, 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottles, 7.1% alcohol by volume, Portland, Maine, ) : " ... Imperial Porter is a full bodied, very dark, malty beer with a good roasted character coming from the Crystal, Chocolate and Black Patent Malts used in the mash. ... ".
 
     3) Imperial Helles Lager KRAMPUS from the SOUTHERN TIER ( $7.99, 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz 650ml bottle, 9 % alcohol by volume, Lakewood, New York, southerntierbrewing.com ... Are You Naughty Or Nice ? ) : " St. Nicolas, aka Santa Claus, is a magical figure, the bringer of gifts and an icon of holiday spirit. Forgotten by most is his evil side kick and enforcer of ' the list '. Dark malts and aromatic hops create the diabolical spirit of this brew. It is finished with lager yeast ... will warm even the coldest hearts ".
 
     4) Winter Ale by SMUTTYNOSE :  Let Snow Wash Away Your Cares ,  Handcrafted in New Hampshire  ( $9.99 a 6-pack, Portsmouth, New Hampshire ) : " Here's to winter in New England : short days & long, cold nights : scratchy wool mufflers & soggy, wet boots : getting up early to dig your car out from under two feet of heavy snow. ... Why do we do it? Hell, what else can we do? ...  warming , mellow, & full-bodied, Smuttynose Winter Ale is your perfect cold weather companion".  WE MAY GET SOME OF this weather, but not right away so be patient everyone. Cheers.
 
     5) BEAR REPUBLIC " Hot Rod Rye " Specialty Ale - Alcohol Burnin' Monster Ale ( $8.99 a 4-pack of 12 Fl. Oz bottles, 8% alcohol by volume, from Healdsburg, Cloverdale, California ) : " Don't drink & drag. Sediment at bottom of bottle may be a result of the truckload of hops in this non-filtered ale. ". Since 1995 and still going strong! Come check it out. this high performance, turbo charged, alcohol burnin' monster ale ...  Cheers.
 
 
LIQUOR / LIQUEUR  From Ravi :
 
     1) Terroir Gin from ST. GEORGE, Handcrafted in California, ( $36.99, 45% alcohol by volume, Mt. Tam, CA. artisan distillers since 1982 ) : " Uniquely Californian gin with a sense of place and poetry, distilled from sustainably sourced botanicals ". 100% neutral grain spirits, Alameda, CA. USA, www.stgeorgespirits.com.
 
     2) Private Stock Fine Puerto Rican Rum with spice and other natural flavors ( $21.99, 40% alcohol by volume, Ponce, Puerto Rico, www.rum.com ) is something " new and exciting " for all of us. Great deep golden color, too : very attractive.
 
     3) Petite Liqueur de Poire Williams Pear Liqueur / Birne Likor of ELIE ARNAUD DENOIX ( On Special for $19.99, 24% alcohol by volume from France ) is in a beautiful hand-blown decanter that makes a great gift. We have sold them for years : a big favorite, and so smooth, bright, rich and silky and with no burn, just warm cream pear flavors on your tongue! Cheers.
 
     4)  XRated Fusion Liqueur ( On Special for $26.99, 17% alcohol by volume, 12043 Canale, Italy, I would put in the web page but it might pick it up as spam as the letter " x " and the word " ratedfusion " and put together to then add the .com! ). I do not want to have this email not be sent because they think it's spam!  It's got a beautiful deep red-pink color that is beautiful.
 
     5) Banana Liqueur , the " Genuine " one from JACQUIN'S ( $12.99, a 750ml bottle, 25% alcohol by volume, made and bottled by Charles Jacquin et Cie, CO., in Philadelphia, PA ) has got a great banana color and sure does look appealing - draws one's attention. Made since 1884. what can you think to mix with this banana liqueur this holiday season? Good to have it back, it's not always available sadly.
 
 
WINE From Michel & Tony :
 
          WHITE :
 
     1) Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley's Touraine region from Jean Sablenay ( $10.99. 2011 ) really tastes like Sancerre and both Michel and I love it, especially when you consider the ridiculous price! Cheers.
 
     2) 2011 Bourgogne Blanc 100% Chardonnay from CLOTHILDE DAVENNE is an " overproduction " in Chablis by CLOTHILDE so it must be called " Bourgogne " and not " Chablis " and yet it's a dead-ringer for a good bottle of clean, crisp, bright, MINERAL-accented Chablis,and for ONLY $14.99. This is a " must-buy ". You will love it. Cheers.
 
     3) Riesling 2006 from PADDY BORTHWICK Vineyards, in New Zealand's Wairarapa region is bone-dry yet developed and flavorful and has great minerals and is a fine food wine. it's too flavorful to drink all by itself, best with a meal. It sells for $20.99 a bottle and will hold it's own well against many a flavorful sauce or a more well-seasoned fish, shellfish or even a nice fresh-water Rainbow trout. Cheers. Was tasted here this past weekend by Scott of Monument Imports and it showed really well.
 
     4) " Adriatico " Ribolla from BASTIANICH ( $18.99, 2009, 13% alcohol by volume, estate-bottled by Marian Simcic, Ceglio, Slovenia , www.adriaticowine.com ) is full and rich and forward and has a very specific nutty quality that is natural and fresh and not oxidized. This region is famous for this. It's lovely and creamy and a delight to sip with or without food. Scott of Monument Imports tasted this also this past Saturday here in the store with some of you lucky enough to have been here.
 
     5) Morava 2011 from MILIJAN JELIC is a dry and very flavorful white from western Serbia ( $24.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume, www.milijanjelic.com ) that has real body and really needs a meal to flesh out it's flavors that have mineral and richness and dense fruit, too that is accented by flavorful spicy notes. What a treat : just tasted it here this past week with Alex that will come to taste it here in January 2013. Cheers. Made from 100% Morava indigenous grapes to this region of Serbia.
 
     6) Roxanich white Orange wine, 2008 called " Ines In White " ( $44.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume, www.roxanich.hr, ) is a UNIQUE white, a one-of-a-kind that is flavorful, complex, filled to the brim with nutty nuances, vanilla, cream and richness, ) : " Cuvee seven grapes ( Sauvignon blanc, Vermentino, Riesling Italico, Glera,, Friulano, Pinot Gris ) aged in oak vbarrels 36 months. After 100 days of maceration and 3 years of aging in large wooden vats it is bottled without filtration or any other intervention". It's pretty amazing : a must-try! Cheers. From Croatia.
 
 
          SPARKLING WINES :


     1) Champagne JANISSON & FILS Grand Cru a Verzenay, Rose, since 1923 ( $50.99, 12% alcohol by volume , ) , a dry and elegant blend of 40% Chardonnay and 60% Pinot Noir is one of the great champagnes " tache " with a splash of rose or salmon color. Lovely, a treat.
 Glad to have it back. Using 5% of the finest grapes grown in Champagne.
 
     2) NEIGE Premium Sparkling Apple wine from Canada that uses some of their ice-apple-wine in the blend, $27.99, this is pretty creamy and bright and soft and round and filling on one's palate! Cheers!
 
     3) Champagne from GIMONNET-GONET from Mesnil-Sur-Oger : Tradition " ( $49.99, dry brut, 12% alcohol  by volume, RM - recoltant-manipulant-owners-harvesters-blenders-makers-they-do-it-all/own-it-all! This is what you want : small families that control everything from start-to-finish and do the job really well. Cheers.
 
     4) Cuvee TSARS LEGEND Methode Traditionelle Brut 2009 sparkling wine from Bulgaria ( $27.99, blanc de blanc, 12.5% alcohol by volume ) is smooth and light and gravity-defying and a real treat! I love it! No better, what a fun treat to introduce your friends to : it tastes GREAT ALL BY ITSELF! Cheers.

     5) Prosecco Bosco di Gica from Azienda ADAMI, from Italy's Veneto region - the best - Valdobbiadene, ( $12.99, for a half bottle ), it does not get much better than this : so lovely all by itself, just melts effortlessly away on the palate!Go to : www.adamispumanti.it for more info. A lovely half-bottle to enjoy, one after the other, pace yourselves, stop when you want : don't feel guilty with these tasty half bottles of some of the best Prosecco. Cheers.
 
 
          REDS :
 
     1) 2009 Vacqueyras dry red from XAVIER ( $29.99 ) : a real Rhone treat from a great vintage.
 
     2) ACORN 2008 Cabernet Franc from California's Alegria Vineyards, Russian River Valley ( $29.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume ) is smooth and bright and very silky and has some delicate Cabernet Franc traits. Great to sip, with finesse and balance.
 
     3) Pinot Noir 2010 Sonoma County, California dry red ( On Special for $19.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume ) is a real treat from California. Cheers : fun, warm wood-fire label, too.
 
     4) Altos Del CUCO Spanish dry red Monastrell/ Mourvedre grape/Syrah and Tempranillo blend ( $11.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume ) from Jumilla, Spain. This 2011 is a real treat and a value, too.
 
     5) COLIMAN Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina, this 2011 ( $8.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume ) is a light and very fresh and bright style, easy-drinking for anytime.
 
     6)  Svb Rosa Vino Budimir, Aleksandrovac Zupaki , Serbia dry red ( $42.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume ) is made from 60% Prokupac and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and is a really full-flavored, spicy, earthy and tasty wine from southern Serbia to combine with a good, hearty, robust meal that includes some meat or at least really well-seasoned-spiced foods. Cheers! What an amazing wine!!
 
 
     WEEK'S TASTINGS :
 
     Friday, December 21st, 2012 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Chris of Lanterna here to taste some great Spanish and Washington State wines.
 
     RAVI has lined up a GLENLIVET, ABERLOUR, Single Malt Scotch tasting at the same time.
 
    Saturday, December 22nd, 2012 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Chris Bartha here to taste some really fine selections from around the world that will be great for our weekend and our Christmas meals. More info tomorrow as we decide what would be the very best to taste with you all.

     JOIN US,NEVER any charge for any of these tastings!

     JUST SPOKE TO OWNER FLORENCE of Lavandou restaurant and they have changed back their " no corkage " day to Monday. So remember buy a bottle here on Mondays and take it down to the restaurant. Tell us you are doing this and we will give you a 10% off on whichever bottle you take there, that pays your tax. Cheers.
 
 
     I AM SURE I FORGOT SOMETHING ... oh well,  and DON'T FORGET TO COME tomorrow for our 3-Part Weekly Wednesday  20% OFF still wine ( non-sparkling ) Wine Sale Wed. Dec. 19th, 2012 event on 12 or more bottles of non-sparkling wines.
 
     SAVE, SAVE MORE, SAVE EVEN MORE Here At Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. Cheers and Thanks For All Of Your Business. We are nothing without you and we know this. Thank you, be safe, be sound, be merry, be wiser and happier and more satisfied ... and do come and chat and hang with us. We love it when you do. You are the very best. Happy Holidays to one and to all!! It's been a difficult year and I, for one am really looking forward to this 2013!  Cheers ...  TONY