Thursday, May 31, 2018

We Here In Cleveland Park Say Bye-Bye And Good Luck In The Future & A Big Thanks Danke Grazie Kop Kun Klop, Dankle , Shukaria, Aap Sabka, Shokran, Gracias, Obregado, THanks, Multsumesc, and Spasibo & Prosit to Wake Up Little Suzie That Will Soon Be Absorbed By The Firehook Bakery and Roma Graden , Yes, Si, Oui Verdad, Great!

Saying Bye Bye to Wake Up Little Suzie that will close on June 2nd, 2018! We will miss you, thanks for all your great contributions here to the vibrant fabric of our lives here in Cleveland Park! This picture from the back with the Roma gardens of Bobby Abo and his parent's grape vines that connect the two Wake Up Little Suzie and the Firehook Bakery and Roma Garden are a fitting last picture as the space of Wake Up Little Suzie will become part of the Firehook Bakery! Cheers, good luck, thanks again! Happy June everyone here on this last day of May! TONY Cleveland Park Business Association Cleveland Park Life Cleveland Park Historical Society and more!


Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Come Taste 15 Dry Rose Wines With 5 Guys Tomorrow Read My Weekly Tuesday Email Here, Be Proactive About Father's Day On June 17th, Kanke, Grazie, Kop kun klop, Danke Le, Shukaria, Aap Sabka, Shokran, Multsumesc, Spasibo, Gracias, Thanks, Cheers, Obregado!




Cleveland Park WineCleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine
Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits
 
 
 
DANKE , Grazie, Kopkun klop, danke le, shukaria, aap sabka, shokran, multsumesc, spasibo, gracias, merci, thanks in all these languages to you our valued customers and friends, too!
 
 
 
 
JOIN US TOMORROW as we really begin to celebrate the summer, the heat, the time-off from work to really relax and feel special as we all deserve.
 
 
 
 
TOMORROW, May 30th, 2018 from 5:30-8:30PM, we have 5 handsome and knowledgeable guys here to taste 15 really FABulous dry rose wines from France, Spain, Germany , one in cans, too ( how cute is that?!? - tasty, too! ), two sparkling dry rose wines, and more. Read on for more.
 
 
 
 
THIS EMAIL TODAY I will break into two emails :
 
ONE EMAIL for this week from May 29th through June 4th, 2018, and the
 
SECOND EMAIL written here today for June 5th - June 11th, 2018.
 
SO SAVE this email and read the second part next Tuesday so that you have the continuity and flow of next week, too.
 
JANE FONDA in the movie " The Book Club " that I saw on Sunday afternoon at the Cinema Arts in Annandale, VA. was really wonderful and brought a whole lot of joy to my family as we were led along by the antics of four wonderful women and their four wonderful men, too.
 
IN THE MOVIE JANE FONDA poured herself some rose wine while the three others drank white, perhaps Chardonnay?
 
SO Tomorrow we have our dry rose tasting here to charm and to pleasure, please, tease, test and intrigue you all as we now have pools that are open where we may go swim outdoors here in this glorious Washington DC metropolitan region, or in the mountains and lakes and streams, or at the beaches, too - wherever you may escape to.
 
BUY and TAKE some of these dry rose wines to relax and feel connected to yourself and to your surroundings as you unwind, smile and laugh, sing, play music, act, whatever, be a d-j, do kereoke, climb up the sides of mountains, whatever tickles your fancy.
 
5 GUYS 15 DRY ROSE WINES - ALL From the 2017 Vintage -
 
WE ARE NOT CHARGING so please buy at least one bottle to show your appreciation for this event as we would like to start them up again as you constantly ask about them and we are here for you after all, without you we are nothing.
 
TABLE ONE : We have Alan Cohen , one of the two owners of LVDH Imports ( Laurent Vonderheyden, the owner and winemaker of Chateau Monbrison, Margaux being the other owner that lives in Bordeaux, France )pouring four fine roses, 3 from France and one from Chile,
 
1) ESTAMPA Chilean dry rose, $16.49, - we love the dry reds from ESTAMPA and are thrilled to bring you here a dry rose after a long cold winter. From Chile's Colchagua valley.
2) Les Hauts Plateaux Alpes de Haute Provence, a very pale color, really nice to sip now anywhere with or without food , then the third glass you will be looking for something to nibble on.
3) Domaine de Paris, Cotes de Provence, with more color - that of shiny salmon or accents of delicate roses, more body, more taste, a great way to enjoy wine with so many food combos like wild Koho salmon.$16.49.
4) MILLET from the Coyes de Gascogne where D'Artagnan is from, and Jean-Louis the famous chef of the old Watergate Hotel many moons ago. Actually Jean-Louis is from the land of Armagnac not far away. $10.99
 
TABLE TWO : We have Oscar Losama ( one of the owners, with his wife Olivia Bombart - of Voila! Collection ) pouring 6 wines -
 
1) Chateau PIGOUDET ' Classic ' ( a blend of 44.5% Grenache, 35.5% Cinsault, 10% Cabernet, and 10% Syrah )  Vin de Provence, $19.99 - a lovely delicate ethereal color that pleases and kisses gently - just a brush-over of our eyelids and tongues to both please, ease and tease us so.
 
2) ' L'Oratoire ' Cuvee Divine ( a blend of 30% Grenache, 25% Cinsault, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, Var )  from the Chateau de PIGOUDET, vin de Provence, $21.99, a touch more color, more viscosity on the palate, some firmer intensity, great with food like some smoked salmon or perhaps some Lox at lunch?!? Yes, the Lox on a wwekend or on vacation, close your eyes, and you can be wherever your fancy takes you.
 
3) Le Triporteur Vin de Pays de Vaucluse , $10.99, a dry rose blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah, great deeper color, and that will convince you raise your glass to your nose and in-out-hale-hail the bouquet, si si oui oui oui! With 12.5% alcohol by volume, ...
 
4) Tavel southern Rhone rose from the Domaine PELAQUIE, $21.99, with 14% alcohol by volume, such an amazing deep rose color, almost like a light red, the one with the most color of these six from Oscar, a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 20% Mourvedre, a great food wine for all it's verve, svelte and muscle and tang and guts and brawn. This wine will hold it's own against many a meal!
 
5) Gamay - the grape used to make Beaujolais, a vigneron - recoltant - owns the vines and makes the wine from the grapes grown, $16.49, from VIGNOBLE COGUE, with 12% alcohol by volume, from France's Loire valley, also a really deep rose color, a fine food wine, enjoy it with some smoked trout, some lamb cooked medium-rare, and more. Maybe some rillettes to enjoy and the Gamay to cut the luxurious opulent spread of the rillettes over tongue and throughout the mouth, mmmmmm yeah si si si!
 
6) Rose D'Anjou Loire valley, $14.49, usually one of the fruitiest of the French rose wines. In this case it is not quite as fruity as it can be, but a bit fleshier and rounder and thoroughly pleasurable, withh 11% alcohol here, using 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Grolleau grapes in this blend.
 
TABLE THREE : We have Eric Garcia of Tradewinds Specialty Imports here pouring four selections from Spain ( one of them in cans called Ah So ) -
 
          ONE From Spain's northern Navarra -
 
1) Ah So 200ml cans of Navaraa 100% Garnacha grapes, dry, refined, polished, more subtle and elegant flavors, great to take on hikes, to sip while your feet are in the trickling stream water, while eating a ham and cheese sandwich! Easy on the mustard, this is a more delicate flavor that you do not want the mustard to drown out.
 
          TWO from the Basque country -
 
1) Geteriako Trakolina from GANETA , $22.99,  with only 11% alcohol by volume, a really delicate color, too - much like many from Provence, France, this was in a flight at the Jaleo restaurant last year when my wife and I went to see Bette Middler perform at 70 years' of age - and she did everything, just like this dry delectable rose did, too except squeeze into a mermaid suit and cavort over the stage or our tongues. Great rose-tasting with tapas, and then a great concert, too. A winner.
 
2) Rioja, Rosado from the Baron LADRON d'GUEVARA, $13.99 a bottle, with 12% alcohol by volume, there is some real elegance and polish, refinement of taste here. Some soothing-to-our-eyes-color-that-lulls-us-all-sooooo! We do really well with the reds, so let's all wrap ourselves around this refreshing dry rose.
 
          ONE Penedes Sparkling Cava Rosat
 
1) Rosat Cava from BOHIGAS, this combines the Pinot Noir used to make French champagne as well as the Trepat indigenous grape from the Penedes region of Spain typically used to make some of the finer dry rose spumantes! This is always a winner, this always delivers, everyone of you mostly, generally, love this BOHIGAS , and that explains why we are so often sold-out!
 
       ONE Organic 2016 - the only wine not from the 2017 vintage, a dry rose ( also available in a 3-liter box $32.99  for the equivalent of 4 bottles - that is $ 8.24 a bottle, and the 3-lier box is good for a month after you open and start pouring ! ), from FUENTESECA, from the Bodega SIERRA NORTE, I like the elegance, the silky and lovely , lulling, lilting air about this blend of Spain's indigenous Bobal grape 80%  with 20% of the international Cabernet Sauvignon grape. This has 12% alcohol by volume, and is a delight with or without a meal.
 
I WROTE This store email that follows below on May 26th, 2015, read it if you have time, and then check with us about current availability and pricing. Thanks, enjoy, cheers,  TONY
 
TABLE FOUR : We have Craig Mauro the President of his own Raja Imports - and now Comete Wines here to pour 4 2017 roses from Germany, FRance and Spain -
 
1) A dry Sekt sparkling wine from Germany's Franken region, a blend of grapes with  100% Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs  to give it the  delicate rose color, $27.99 a bottle, with 12.5% alcohol I believe, love the flavor, the taste, the restraint, the having to wait a bit for all the flavors to reveal fully themselves. Do not rush this, baby it on your tongue, let it linger along with the voice of the lead singer for the group the Cranberries! Stretch your tongue and senses.
 
2) Limited-Release Prieta Picuda indigenous Spanish grape variety, ' new and exciting ' for us, from TRASTO, from  the Vina  de la Tierra, this is so much fun to combine with various meals, tapas of course being obvious, but what else do you think when you taste it? Let's compare notes here tomorrow.
 
3) Rose de Loire from Anjou, Loire valley, France, from the DOMAINE De CLAYOU , I dubbed this one a ' body-builder ' a 100% Groleau that I usually see in the Muscadet region by the mouth of the Loire River as it spills out into the Atlantic ocean. A food wine for sure.
 
4) 2017 Feder ' Drink Pink ' from Christian STAHL, from Franken, Germany. Christian is both a chef and also the owner and winemaker of both the winery and the restaurant, too. This off-dry rose is a blend of Pinot Noir, Regent and Tauberschwarz grapes, and a delight to sip all by itself.
Last year after the Women's March ended he was standing here pouring it for those of you returning from a really exciting day at the March on the Mall, the energy, satisfaction and excitement were all palpable!
 
JOIN US Tomorrow and enjoy these fine dry rose wines!
 
WEEK'S TASTINGS
 
Wednesday, May 30th, 2018 ( 5:30-8:30PM ) : Come taste these 15 dry rose wines with five guys, bring the fries, the burgers, the peanuts, we have the wine!
 
Friday, June 1st, 2018 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Amy coming to pour a selection of the fine wines of Brazil from the SALTON winery, to be decided tomorrow, so stay-tuned, cheers! Still and sparkling wines, too, including the FABulous dry rose espumante!
 
ALSO : We have a tasting of the ONE EIGHT local DC Distillery here from 5-8PM, join us, celebrate.
 
Abalon will taste the OLD BUST HEAD beer with you all, 5-8PM.
 
Saturday . June 2nd, 2018 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Paolo Cali of his owner winery called PAOLO CALI in Sicily here with importer Robert Kennedy. This will be special, this will be grand, something special for each and everyone of us, yes , si si si si si e a presto Paolo, grazie! Learn about the Grillo white grape, the red grapes of Nero D'Avola and Frappatto, and be amazed with so much personal finesse, taste, elegance, style, polish - ALL! Get some bottles signed early for Father's Day on June 17th!
 
ALSO : With Dave of TWIN VALLEY Distilling from 2-5PM from Rockville, MD, we will taste an assortment of these fine local spirits!
 
IN BEER From Santos we have -
 
1) Longitude Series 100 Raspberry Barrel-aged Saison from INNIS & GUNN, $9.99 a bottle 1Pt .9 Fl Oz bottle with 5% alcohol by volume, cheers!
 
IN CIDER from Santos we have -
 
1) Original Dry Meadworks from CHARM CITY, $9.99 a 500ml bottle, with 12% alcohol by volume, from Maryland, Baltimore, bottled, brewed and bred locally in Baltimore!
 
IN LIQUEUR From Jagir we have -
 
1) HEERING 200 ( 1818 years 2018 ), from Copenhagen, imported, $34.99, with 24% alcohol by volume, back on our shelves once again! Cheers!
 
IN LIQUOR from Jagir we have -
 
1) Bison Grass flavored vodka, The original from ZUBROWKA, product of Poland, $27.99, 7 times distilled, 40% alcohol by volume, blends really well with apples and apple juice, anything appl! Try it!!!
 
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, you all are the very best!

TONIGHT I watch the finale for Project Runway and that will be exciting! Cheers, enjoy your time-off from work, relax, smile, and join us tomorrow here for our dry ROSE TASTING 5:30-8:30PM, 15 dry roses being tasted, 5 guys pouring!
 
 
 
NOW for Part Two - Week Tuesday June 5th - Monday June 11th, 2018 :
 
I noticed recently that the fire flies are happy and I noticed that there were not any mosquitoes yet, hopefully that will continue. The pollen seems to be at bay with the rain showers coming off-and-on here for us.
 
That is another great sign, and I enjoyed some old Margaux Bordeaux wine that quite literally blew me away last night, what a thrill that was - Chateau Margaux. Could have sold it, made a lot of money, some things are made to be enjoyed and you just have to leave it at that and saturate yourselves in the experience as I did. WOW!!
 
WE STILL HAVE SOME OF PAOLO CALI'S fine Sicilian wine here for you all to buy and enjoy this coming weekend. We have many of the Robert Kennedy wine selections here from Italy. Come see what we have up our sleeves for you as we get closer to Father's Day on June 17th! Be proactive and get your fathers some of the spirits that he enjoys most, from beer and cider, liqueurs, liquors and wines of course!
 
HERE ARE SOME EARLY IDEAS for Father's Day -
 
1) domestically challenged Dry Hopped Pilsner from the LARIMER Beer Company, ' we clean up nicely, homemade in Denver, Colorado ), ... for our friends that can't be tamed they state! Maybe some taming, some wild, peace between the two?!?
 
2) Dry Cider Huerces , a 700ml bottle, with alcohol of 5.9%, unfiltered, unfined, On Special for $6.99, unleash your spirit and soar like an eagle and drop like life-itself awaits you!
 
3) Premium Limoncello , liqueur de Limone di Sorrento I.G.T., 30% alcohol, $24.99, the real McCoy, met Feliciano the owner and he told me how this family GIOLA LUISA is named after his mother Luisa! I like that a whole lot, love the pure , rich , enticing taste, too. Both fathers and mothers will enjoy this in this week's heat!
 
4) Milk and cookies , a Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Milk Stout, from the WICKED WEED Brewing Co., On Special for $11.99 a bottle, enjoy this with your spouse and perhaps move to a whiskey, maybe a Bourbon, maybe a local whiskey?!? From Asheville, North Carolina. Yes!
 
5) Port Cask Finished Virginia Highland Whisky, from the VIRGINIA Distilling Co., this is a marriage made on earth : " Whisky from Scotland married with Virginia whiskey distilled from malt mash, 92 Proof, ...
 
6) Red Bush Irish Whiskey from BUSHMILLS, ' matured to perfection in Bourbon casks . ' On Special for $30.99 a bottle, this will be nice, another marriage of our two hemispheres, a taste to suit many we hope, starting with fathers and spreading!
 
7) Tequila 100% de agave, FORTALEZA, amazing, sublime, one of the truly greats! $92.99 a bottle, great package, so much character, definition, concentration, finesse, polish, flame and fire and flair and flash - great! Estate-bottled, stone ground, 40% alcohol by volume, only two bottles, come get them quick.
 
TASTINGS for the Week :
 
Friday, June 8th, 2018 ( 5-8PM ) : Eric Garcia will be back to taste some fine wines of Argentina and Spain, still to be decided, but thinking now some BOHIGAS sparkling dry Cava, maybe the rose 3-liter in the box, perhaps the cans of Spanish rose once again, some of the LADRON Rioja red Crianza? It will be great whatever, and maybe some of the Basque GANETA non-rose dry Getariako Txakolina, too?!?
 
COME TASTE, too the REAL MCCOY Rum ( 5-8PM ) for the first time, and the FLYING FISH beer , too!
 
Saturday, June 9th, 2018 ( we have Eric Grasser here to either taste the fine South African wines of LUBANZI, or a selection of his fine Loire Valley French wines, or perhaps even a mix of both!?! We will see, stay-tuned, cheers.
 
THANKS For Everything, you all are the very best, you really are. Thanks again, 
 
Danke , Grazie, Kop Kun Klop, Danke Le, Shukaria, Aap Sabka, Shokran, Multsumesc, Spasibo, and gracias, merci et thanks!
 
JOIN US in celebrating this great weather-streak of 3-days now with sun and a breeze, baby blue skies, feeling good and relaxed, some still suffering from allergies and other symptoms of pollen and everything flowering at once. I am my worst enemy as i LOVE being outside and gardening and I pay the price, even from trimming a wild and unruly holly bush out in our front yard yesterday with my wife. Maybe I got pricked too many times, maybe I said : " Ouch! ", and maybe I cursed once to many times and the spirit of the holly is getting me back for that?!?
 
WHATEVER, I woke up with watering eyes and blowing my nose. Our customer Michael just passed me here in front of the store and smiled when I told him my woes. he said that the same thing had happened to him yesterday and that today he felt better.
 
SO : I guess I am not going to die. The bank manager concurred and smiled, too , saying that he could not even see any of my pain and suffering. Good I say! Life goes one thankfully.
 
US/ WE / I - all celebrate, smile, smirk, feel good, feel alive. Spread some joy, say something nice to someone, a loved one, someone you are just meeting.
 
COME BY here and tell us your stories of how you did this or just met someone, or made a family member feel loved and let us pour you a taste of a wine or something special we may may have here in reserve for just these special and important occasions.
 
MAYBE WE CAN help you figure out what is especially good now in this weather. One of our customers just put three bottles of BALTIKA beer on the counter to pay and I said to him, smiling : " Where are the three bottles of wine there to balance out the three bottles of beer? " He replied quickly that it was beer weather, not wine weather. There is some truth to what he says, just some, I still love my wine.
 
ENJOYED SOME sparkling Cremant de Bourgogne this weekend at home, a gift from Jim and Elizabeth Reeves and Clotilde Davenne of a bottle of CLOTILDE DAVENNE NV brut : it was dry and full and steely and yet rich and tasty and, most of all, really balanced, we all really liked it, really a treat with herb abd garlic goat's cheese and smoked salmon. There was no complaining, just smiles and sighs of complete satisfaction last night.
 
ISABEL INQUIRED about the CASAL GARCIA Vinho Verde and we will have some here the first week of June for $6.99 a bottle. Obregado Isabel, ola, ola , ola ole Isabel!

MADE SOME FRESH PESTO last night, too before grilling burgers on our grill.
 
BUT HEY,  down to business now ... as the rolling thunder recedes and the President's Band sounds of singing and playing at Wolf Trap the music of South Pacific dim a bit, the fireworks there in the dark, one hundred feet away, while listening to the Steve Miller Band, ZZ Top, the Beach Boys, Kelly Clarkson : wow, it was enthralling, magical, intimate with five hundred others all around us ...

ALE, BEER From Santos :
 
     1) Blonde Ale from MALKA , hand-crafted bottle-conditioned beer, a 4-pack, $16.99, for a 11.2 Fl. Oz bottle, 6.5% alcohol, ... : " Located in the Western Galilee region of Israel, Malka ( Queen in Hebrew ) Brewery brings you traditional bottle-conditioned Ales, using natural water from the Ga'aton springs & carefully selected raw materials." Yes!
 
          3 From SCHLENKLA :
 
     1) Aecht Ochlenferla Rauchbier ' Marzen ' Brauerei Heller Bamberg, $4.99 a 1 Pint 9 Fl. Oz bottle, Germany5.2Fl Oz, the 'original ' Schlenkeria Smokebeer, ... go to : www.Smokebeer.com for more info ...
 
     2) A O R " Urbock " Brauerei Heller Bamberg, $4.99 a 1 Pt, 9 Fl. Oz bottle : " Exactly like the classic all its barley malts are smoked over beech wood logs. Its higher smokemalt concentration and longer maturation in the 700 year old cellars underneath Bamberg create a taste profile of most intense smokiness beautifully balanced with deep malt sweetness."
     3) Helles Ochlenferla Lagerbier , $4.99 a 1 Pt. 9 Fl. Oz bottle, from Brauerei Heller Bamberg seit 1678, 4.3 % alcohol by volume, German , : " Schlenkerla Helles is brewed with fine Bavarian aroma hops and lagered in century old caves underneath the historic Schlenkerla brewery and maltings. ... "   SOUNDS like three fine brews here.

     4) Dark Lager Authentic Czech beer from PRAGA , $11.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 4.5 Fl Oz bottles, since 1784, : " Brewed by natural process using the best all natural ingredients. " Come try some.
 
LIQUEUR / LIQUOR from Jagir & Malkit :
 
     1) The Curious Cinnamon Whiskey from JEREMIAH WEED, a delicious libation of whiskey and spices, $19.99, 750ml bottle, 35.6% alcohol by volume : " It's showtime people! "
 
     2) Imported Rare Triple Orange Liqueur GRAN GALA, made with Italian VSOP brandy, On Special for $16.99 a 750ml bottle, 40% alcohol by volume, ... it is the Italian brandy that sets this apart, and the great price, too! Try some!!!
 
     3) District-Made Vodka from ONE-EIGHT Distilling, hand made in Washington D.C., 750ml bottle, 40% alcohol by volume, $33.99 a bottle, really quite smooth, really quite nice. You all thought so when we tasted it here recently one weekend and sold out before the tasting was over! oops, we will order more the next time.
 
     4) ' White ' Whiskey ROCK CREEK from ONE EIGHT, made here in Washington DC, On Special for $32.99, again really ' new and exciting " and just released, come get some now, be one of the very first to try this before it becomes all the rage soon!
 
     5) Northern Harvest Rye from Canada's CROWN ROYAL, On Special for $31.99 a 750ml bottle, 90% Rye Mash  Whisky, 45% alcohol by volume, : " deliciously balanced whisky, extraordinary smooth with hints of fruit, cloves and spice." CROWN ROYAL is on a roll these days, everyone is asking for one of the CROWN ROYAL products, love it, what a rush, what a thrill!
 
     6) Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey from MICHTERS, a limited release, since 1753, US 1 , 109 proof, : " After full maturation, each individual charred white oak barrel of the US 1 Rye is bottled at its particular strength. This Single Barrel Rye has been mellowed by our signature filtration." WE only got three bottles, call : 202-363-4265 or come by ASAP! Cheers.
 
 
BREAKING EVENT : 
 
     WE have Sebastian Olalla of CHANARMUYO, Rioja, Argentina ( we sell these wines so well and tonight I will open the Chardonnay and let you all taste it as you get off work ) : HERE IS Sebastian to say a few words in Spanish about his wines : "estamos muy orgullosos de tener nuestros vinos en Cleveland Park. Ellos nos apoyan desde el comienzo y ya son amigos de Chanarmuyo Estate Wines. Gracias Tony por su apoyo!!!" Gracias Sebastian!

COME TASTE here tonight from 5-8PM with Tony : Chanarmuyo Chardonnay , $9.99 a bottle!


 
 
WINE By Chris & Tony :
 
          THREE FINE, Fine VALUES:
 
     1) Soave dry, clean, bright, crisp and Italian white wine from TAVERNELLO, No. 1 in Italy, On Special for $5.99 a bottle. Took this to Wolf Trap on Sunday night and tasted it to be sure that it was still as good as I remembered it when I tasted it with Chris a month ago? YES, it was still as good : and WHAT A VALUE! This is a great deal for this hot weather, come get some, enjoy outside, with or without food, it is pleasing and easy-drinking and we are thrilled to have it here for you all. With  11.5% alcohol by volume, a real warm-weather treat.
 
     2) Pinotgae 2013 from South Africa's Swartland, made by RIEBEEK CELLARS, $7.99 a bottle, 14% alcohol by volume, I really enjoyed this at Wolf Trap on Sunday with my family. I took it there chilled and with the guacamole, the salsa dip and the fried chicken tenders it was delicious. But hey, it was really delicious all by itself! SO : with or without a meal, utterly delightful. A softer, mellower, brighter, and fruitier red, with no edge, no burn, just melts on the tongue.
 
     3) The 2013 Dry Red French Cotes Du Rhone from CHARLES THOMAS, $8.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume, ... I enjoyed this last night with my thick and juicy and delicious hamburgers that I grilled last night on our grill out back. It was wonderful, really lovely, and so easy to drink and enjoy all by itself. It was juicy just like the hamburgers I grilled, a treat that I shared with our neighbors that brought us over some of Matt's own smoked pork done the day before that melted on the tongue. Some smoked neighborhood pork for some fresh pesto that I had just made an hour earlier and some dry red juicy CHARLES THOMAS Cotes Du Rhone 2013 to wash it all down. Lovely!
 
THREE GREAT EVERYDAY TREATS here 4 U!
 
 
MORE Fine Wines :
 
     1) 2014 Bourgogne Aligote ( a grape variety in burgundy, France ) from NAUDIN FERRAND is like having three or four layers of grape skin in your mouth in a liquid form of course! It has great mouth-feel, great grip and taste and appeal : Jim Reeves poured it here this weekend, on Friday night, and we sold a lot and many of you really liked it! Tasty, bright, very nice. I like it.
 
     2) Bourgogne Blanc 2013 dry white 100% Chardonnay , from CLOTILDE DAVENNE, $15.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume, made just outside the limits of Chablis and tasting the same, clean and crisp and bright and wonderful, with or without a meal. I really like this , too : it is lighter than the Bourgogne Aligote. It sell so well because it is always ' spot-on ' in quality, taste and value!
 
     3) ' Radice ' dry rose Lambrusco from Italy, made by PALTRINIERI, On Special for $17.99 a bottle, regularly $21.99, Robert Kennedy tasted this with you all this weekend here on Saturday and it was so smooth and lovely and velvet overtones of a lighter and more energized and a wine with flavors that could act like wings and life you, your palate and all your senses off the earth and make you soar and smile and feel so serene, too : sinfully sumptuous!
 
     4) ' Duca SanFelice ' Ciro Rosso 100% Gagliopo grapes from Calabria, ITaly, this Classico Superiore Reserva, $20.99, has lovely overtones of a fine French burgundy, from the Chalonaise region, so not as light and bright, but lovely and multi-textured, not heavy : perfect red with a slight 25-minute chill to fend-off the heat and humidity that is settling in today here in Cleveland Park, Northwest, Washington D.C., 20008 ... oh yeah!
 
     5) 100% Gamay grapes from 2013 , the ' H. Brac De La Perriere ' from the Chateau De Lancie, $22.99, with 13% alcohol by volume, is a very elegant, easy-drinking, smooth and pleasing Cru Beaujolais to enjoy now with or without a meal from the Brouilly region of southern Burgundy, a real treat and perfect with a 25-minute chill for this heat and humidity today!
 
     6) ' Il Bianco ' DECUGNANO A.D.1212 from Italy's Umbrian region, a 2011 vintage, this is a really fine Orvieto Classico Superiore from DECUGNANO Dei BARBI, and we have some bottles signed by owner Enzo, and what a wonderful rich, thicker and denser, more posh, more plush and pleasingly-perfect taste to just saturate and cleanse your weary stresses and woes in! Wonderful, highly recommended.
 
 
WEDNESDAY WEEKLY SPARKLING / STILL WINE 3-Part SALE :

1) BUY ANY $20 or more Non-Sparkling/ Still wine and SAVE 20% OFF the
marked
sticker price.

2) BUY ANY 6 or more Non-Sparkling/ Still wines and SAVE 15% OFF the marked
sticker prices.

3) BUY ANY 12 or more Non-Sparkling / Still wines and SAVE 20% OFF the
marked sticker prices. Call if you cannot come. This also includes port,
sherry,
marsala, madeira and sake. 202-363-4265.

THANKS for all your support, we appreciate it greatly! 
 
 
WEEK'S TASTINGS :
 
     Tuesday night, Tonight, May 26th, 2015 ... with me ( Tony ) come taste the 2012 CHANARMUYO Estate Chardonnay, $9.99, from La Rioja, Argentina, from the Valle de Chanarmuyo : come taste and discover this for the very first time, a fine dry and flavorful food wine.
 
     Wednesday, May 27th, 2015  We have a Spanish Albarino Wine-Tasting here with Harvey pouring three for you : a choice and different styles, come an taste as they are perfect for this weather! Cheers, no charge, join us!
 
     Friday, May 29th, 2015 ( 5-8PM ) : WE have Katie and Michael Cavanagh coming to taste some of their fine selections , and I am thinking to taste out the South African 3-liter wine-in-the-box will be a grand idea, as well as some of the tasty dry Chilean Pinot Noir rose and maybe one or two more? More info about this tomorrow. Cheers!
 
     Saturday, May 30th, 2015 : Estebe will be here from 2-6PM to taste some FABulous dry Spanish whites : 1) Gran Cardiel Rueda Vedejo - Viura, $13.99, and the ... 2) Mariposa MANIA 2013 Rueda On Special for $12.99, and some other wines like the sparkling dry rose Cava ROSSIGNOL De Moragas, $16.99 ... and a fine Spanish sherry, too. NO CHARGE, JOIN US...
 
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, come see us, let's catch up on things! Cheers,  TONY
 
 
CALL FOR DELIVERIES : 202-363-4265. We will come and see you and make your lives easier we hope. Cheers, thanks again,  TONY
 
 
What follows below is a store email I wrote and published on May 24th, 2015 ... cheers! Read and enjoy if you have time, TONY  5/26/2015

 
JOIN US TONIGHT After Oprah's 2nd-To-Last 4PM 25th Season Finale  Show ( history-in-the-making, really stupendous ! ) W/ Wine-maker BEN GLAETZER as he tastes his way through a selection of his wines from the HEARTLAND and the WALLACE South Australia and Barossa Valley. This will be really a great wine experience for you ( many of the wines will be great to enjoy thinking, too of Oprah and her last Finale Show tomorrow - buy and serve some tonight and then ) all to take advantage of as Ben works with some interesting grape varieties like the Dolcetto, the Lagrein, Viognier, Verdelho, Pinot Gris and Semillon that are not the typical grapes when you think of Australia and their wines. I like this : it's both creative-inventive and draws attention to him and his wines and gives everyone a clear change of taste and pace in drinking Aussie wines. The labels are clearly marked on the back and that's also a plus as it makes it that much easier to know what you are enjoying. More labels should be clearly marked as to give consumers the knowledge of what they are drinking at any given point in time.
 
WE HAVE BEEN SELLING REALLY WELL the wines of Ben Glaetzer ( HEARTLAND and WALLACE ) thanks to Marcie Weinstein and our Epicurean reps David and now Gina. All three have been instrumental in getting us these HEARTLAND dry red and white blends called " Stickleback "  :  1)  Stickleback White, South Australia 2008 ( $12.49 ) is a blend of Verdelho 35%, Semillon 24%, Viognier 23% and Pinot Gris 18% Fresh, crisp and zesty and fun, too.   2)  Stickleback Red 2008 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 47%, Shiraz 44%, Lagrein 5% and Dolcetto 4%. I look forward to asking Ben why there is so little of the grapes of Dolcetto and Lagrein in the blends? Why not more? Why not make a wine with just those two grapes? We also sell well the WALLACE Barossa Valley Shiraz/Grenache 2008 ( $29.49). It's really a very solid and bold dry red that's best when paired with a meal. I'd enjoy a bottle of it at the Outback Steakhouse when I go with my family. If it was on the list or the Stickleback red blend I might think of giving up my 220ounce Big-Bloke Fosters that I enjoy there because I can never find a bottle on the list that I want to drink except for perhaps the CHANDON CA. sparkling wine. Oh well, Gina and David : get them to buy these wines of yours please!
 
WE ALL WILL BE MEETING Ben Glaetzer here for the first time. As far as I know it is his first visit to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits? Join us tonight, Tuesday, May 24th, 2011 from 5-8PM. Never any charge. ALSO : Think that Father's Day is coming soon and that you might want to get some bottles signed as gifts? Be proactive and take care of this as much as you can in advance.
 
MANY THINGS HAPPENING As Usual HERE In Cleveland Park Our Fabulous Neighborhood. We just received more of the LA VALLE California VALUE wines :  1) a Cabernet Franc dry red for $4.99 and  2) a White Blend also for $4.99. That's such a deal and we have already sold-out of the first drop that we received at the beginning of the month and getting more before the end of June. This is good : this means that you all are embracing this wine and enjoying it a lot. One of our regular male customers mentioned this to me this past weekend saying what would we/ he do without this excellent value? 
 
WINE VALUES UNDER $10 A BOTTLE :
 
     1) OWL HOUSE WHITE, $8.99 , California white blend from the LEDGEWOOD CREEK Winery in Suison Valley. The owner has been here now twice and I have to say that this white bowled me over just a couple of weeks ago when he stopped by with Sam our rep for LVDH wines. It's so inexpensive and fun and lively and flavorful and bright and a real treat at so little money. My wife and I enjoyed some at home this weekend. I wanted to see how it went with food as well as all by itself before a meal? It passed on both counts with flying colors.
     2) Sweet Meliss ( Alman Brothers' song? ) Sweet Red Wine by MAD WINES, Pleasantville, New York 10570 ( $4,49 for a 1.87ml plastic bottle - carton of 4 bottles in each pack, 10% alc. by volume, is a rose with overtones of strawberries and raspberries and perfect to drink and enjoy just about anytime. Cut package, fun gift, easy to transport and enjoy just about anywhere!
     3) CHATEAU CARMES CANTILLAC 2009 Bordeaux dry red blend ( $9.99, 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc , 13% alc. by volume ) is part of our BIG-THEME Bordeaux-Wine-Tasting tomorrow, May 25th, 2011 from 5:30-8:30PM. Join us, no charge. Come discover 25 Bordeaux wines with us. The 2009 vintage ( as well as the 2010 ) are both exceptional years and it's true for all the wines no matter how expensive or inexpensive. That's a good thing because three of the wines from LVHD are under $10 a bottle.
     4) Shiraz, South Australia 2008 OXFORD LANDING dry red ( $8.99 ) is nice to have once again here in Cleveland Park. Drink some Aussie wines ( especially some of those that cost between $10-$20 a bottle as that part of the Aussie wine business has been hurt really badly these last two-three years and they deserve our attention as so many of them ( like the HEARTLAND wines ) are really very fine wines. GO AUSTRALIA! Thanks Robert Whale for starting things for us all way back in 1985 or 1986 when for the whole year the number of cases that came to the U.S. was five thousand or so!
     5) 44 LOTE Ciarenta Cuatro Dominio Argentina Malbec, Mendoza, 2010 ( $9.99, 13% alc. by volume ) is new as of last week. I think Greg sampled this on a Monday my day-off and so I will ask his opinion of the wine. In the meantime it has been selling really well!
     6) Viognier 2010 from the DOMAINE DE GOURNIER ( $9.99 dry white from France ) , made by owner Maurice that comes to visit us pretty much each time he comes to Washington D.C. and is now a dear friend here. This dry white of Maurice's is excellent and we sell it whenever we can. It is unfortunately often out-of-stock at the wholesaler's and so we try and get at least one wine from Maurice here whenever we can. I took this one home this weekend and my wife, daughter and I enjoyed a glass of it together just this past Sunday while sitting outside on our deck with everything looking so green and verdant.
 
WINE VALUES At $10-$15 :
 
     1) Viognier 2009 from the DOMAINE De MONTMARIN, Cotes De Thongue, Southwestern, France ( $10.99, 13.5% alc. by volume ) has traditionally been our best-selling Viognier and we are thrilled to have it back again as it, too has been out of stock for awhile at the wholesaler level. Not any more, their container from France is here and it is back in Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits once again. Love it, really do.
     2) Cava Spanish sparkling wine called KILA ( $10.99, 11.5% alc. by volume ) is back for the second time. It's so bright and pretty and refreshing and perfect to combat beautifully this high humidity that is ours at least for today. It will cut right through it and bring back the ease and the relaxation to your features.
 
 
HEY SANTOS : What Beer's You Got For Us? :
     1) Ancient Grains 100% Biodynamic ALE from Austria's MEINKLANG ( $18.99 6-pack 12 ounce bottles, 4.7% Alc. by Volume ) is here for the first time I believe. We have sold already over the recent years the MEINKLANG wines ( Pinot Noir is on our shelves now, " Zwerest " 2009 Blauburgunder - means Pinot Noir - 13% alc. by volume Demeter, Burgenland, Austria$16.99 - drinking beautifully now, best with a meal ). Come try this new biodynamic beer from MEINKLAND.
     2) Black Belgian-style stout beer from ALLAGASH ( $10.49, 1 pint, 9.4fl.oz , 7.5% alc. by volume, Portland, ME 1-800-330-5385 www.allagash.com ) is " new and exciting " here and I still have to try it. Come check it out.
     3) Daura Premium Quality Lager beer of ESTRELLA Damm ( On Special for $7.99 a 4-pack of 12 ounce bottles, www.tastingbeers.com , Barcelona, Spain ) is a barley malt lager beer with less than 6ppm gluten as a result of the brewing process which minimizes the gluten normally present in other beers.
 
RAVI - RAVI - RAVI : What Liquors Have You? :
     1) ROOT Art In The Age ( $34.99, 750ml bottle, USDA Organic, certified organic neutral spirits with North American herbs and pure cane sugar, 40% alc. by volume, ) is the " unity of art, craft, design & contemplation". Made from Birch Bark, Smoked Black Tea, Cinnamon, Wintergreen, Spearmint, Clove, Anise, Orange, Lemon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Cardomom and pure cane sugar. Great package, too. What fun!
     2) Red Berry 5 Times Distilled French Grape vodka from CIRO ( $30.99 ) is bran-spanking new and exciting! Go to : www.DRINKiQ.com, www.ciroc.com, 1-800-392-8458.
     3) Japanese Blended Whisky HIBIKI Aged 12 Years ( $66.99, 43% alc. by volume, from SUNTORY ) is " a harmonious blend of handcrafted selected Japanese whiskies matured in oak barrels " ,  made in Osaka, Japan. Come check it out. Beautiful bottle for a really nice gift for Father's Day!
 
 
EVENTS / TASTINGS / NEWS :
     TONIGHT : Tuesday, May 24th, 2011 ( 5-8PM ) : We have wine-maker Ben Glaetzer here of his Aussie wines HEARTLAND and HEARTLAND here to taste with us and sign bottles as gifts for Father's Day. Join us, never any charge. Come meet the man himself and enjoy this event.
     IS TONIGHT also the night that the Mexican ambassador will have his wine-dinner again featuring the wines of L.A. CETTO ( Sauvignon Blanc $11.99 and Zinfandel $11.99 and Chenin Blanc dry, too $11.99 )? I think so. From Baja, Mexico these wines are all dry and balanced and delicious and we have them all including the $11.99 Cabernet Sauvignon that tastes like blueberries. Celebrate with these wines, too as you think of Oprah Winfrey and her amazing twenty-five year career on national television.
     WEDNESDAY, May 25th, 2011 ( 5:30-8:30PM ) Join us and bring family and friends to our Big-Theme Bordeaux Wine-Tasting of twenty-five ( 25 ) Wines including two sparkling wines as well as some white along with many reds. We will have some of the great 2009 vintage for everyone to taste and evaluate as it and the 2010 are both great vintages. Join us, never any charge. Come celebrate with us after the last Oprah Winfrey show of her twenty-five years on tv!
     FRIDAY, May 27th, 2011 ( 5-8PM ) : Join us when Danielle of Dionysos Imports comes to taste a selection of her wines with us. It's always fun, it's always a treat. You just never know what fun and exotic and special wines we will come up with when Danielle visits. Will it be Italian or Spanish or Argentina or Chile, France? I think Spanish and Argentina are slated for this Friday : " new " and " value " wines for everyone.
     SATURDAY, May 28th, 2011 ( 2-6PM ): Nolan of Mondo Vino Imports will be here to taste a selection of his company's excellent wines. We may taste some from the McMANIS CA. winery as they are so popular and sell like hotcakes here in Cleveland Park. Join us, never any charge.
 
     UPDATE ON PALENA Wine-Maker DREI DONA:
     We will do instead a wine-tasting with owner and wine-maker Enrico Drei Dona of his own winery on Tuesday, June 7th, 2011 from 5-8PM. The dinner which was scheduled for this same day we will reschedule for Monday, June 13th, 2011. We will get you the menu and more info ASAP. In the meantime you can always call Kellie of Palena and reserve your seats for this extraordinary dinner with the Emilia-Romagna wines of DREI DONA like the " Notturno " 2008 Sangiovese $21.99, and the " Pruno " 2005 Sangiovese Superieure Reserva $45.99.
     ALSO : Jed Steele or his son will be here in the store on Wednesday, June 1st. Call us about this and we will give you more information as we get it. 202-363-4265. I am hoping that who ever comes can taste wines here for an hour or so with you all and I will let you know ASAP.
 
SO : It's an exciting time here and in the world now. Today is the second-to-last day of Oprah Winfrey's show ( 25 years and going strong! Yes I know about this show because my daughter, son and wife all love it. The latest Lady Ga Ga album just came out, too yesterday with the song : " Baby I Was Born This Way ", we feel so bad for all those in the United States affected by the many tornadoes that have been sweeping through with devastation, the floods with the Mississippi River overflowing in Memphis, etcetera, so many developments and sudden things happening and unraveling unexpectedly. It's so much to digest and to absorb and I think that it has been so stressful for all of us. What to do/ where to turn/ when will the next bombshell fall on any of us?!? So many questions. I did enjoy watching the third-to-last Oprah Winfrey show yesterday with my family at 4 PM and watched Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise, Beyonce, Madonna, the Evenko 10-year old girl from Pennsylvania that sings like an angel, John Legend and many more perform for Oprah. I was so inspired that while it was being broadcast I sat at my computer and typed a poems based around what was happening at the moment. You can read it at : chatpoetry.blogspot.com.
 
YOU CAN STAY CAUGHT UP WITH US at : www.clevelandparkwine.com, on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits, on Twitter at : cpwinespirits and at : chatwine.blogspot.com. We will infact be sending more Twitter blasts out now with the help of Megan that has volunteered her valuable services to assist us in this. They should start momentarily and if you want to receive them you have our address now. We have been twittering now for four months or so I believe. Check it out and let us know what you think.
 
I KNOW I HAVE FORGOTTEN MANY THINGS and I am sorry for that, especially if I told you that I would be writing about something and did not remember or do it. Sorry. I try and have a representation of our week's activities and I hope that you like the diversity and the scope of what we cover. Let us/ me know. I will be happy to entertain any of your thoughts as this is always a collaborative effort. We are here only because of you and appreciate greatly all of your support and trust and faith in what we do. We strive to always do it better.
 
HOW MANY OF YOU are doing and Oprah Winfrey party tomorrow? Taking off of work and gathering around you tv's at 4PM? Come on by and buy some wines,beers, liquor - whatever for that. We have everything here to help you enjoy tomorrow and watch the last hour of Oprah's 25th extraordinary spree-years on national television. What an amazing feat, and such an inspiration to so many from all those people here and abroad that she has touched with shows on so many things ... and the positive spin she has put on being a woman and being able to do whatever they dream/ want. I'm blown away even though I did not watch the show religiously like the rest of my family. I still gleaned many valuable thoughts and insights from watching when I did. Thank you Oprah, merci, gracia, prego, and more. Will you be drinking champagne of tequila tomorrow Oprah? We have some Crystal and Dom Perignon to celebrate with as well as some of the excellent Claude Thibaut 2006 Virginia Monticello sparkling wine ( $41.99 ) as well as some great dry rose champagnes from BOISEL , Epernay, France, NV Brut ( $60.99 ), CHARLES ORBAN , Troissy, Champagne NV Brut, $46.99 , and the MICHEL ARNOULD & FILS NV Brut( Verzenay, $49.99 ) as well as many other rose sparkling that are less expensive ... and a whole selection of dry still/non-sparkling roses, too from around the world!  For tequila we have a whole selection as well as the CAMPO AZUL Anejo $28.99 and the DON JULIO Anejo On Special @ $51.99. You do know that Oprah loves both tequila and champagne, right? CELEBRATE, celebrate and celebrate some more. This is history in the making and really special history, too that resounds of truth and many great things as well. Cheers, and come tonight after the Oprah show to celebrate some more with Ben Glaetzer from 5-8PM. He's got some really good Aussie Pinot Grigio that would also be great to enjoy tomorrow for the last Oprah show.
 

Thursday, May 24, 2018

The Wines Of Macedoni and @StobiWinery Are Sold Here at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits, Come On By 3423 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC 20008, 202-363-4265

Anthony QuinnHere at Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits we sell the wines of Switzerland - 1) Les Murettes of Robert Gilliard S.A., Sion, maison fondee en 1885, Fendant, vinifie sur fines lies, $31.99, ... 2) Chateau Auvernier 2013 , Neuchatel, Caves du Chateau d'Auvernier, proprietaire - eleveur, Thierry Grasjean & Cie, $30.99, - and 3) Dole des Monts Robert Gilliard S.A. eleveurs de grands vins, Sion, 13.8% alcohol, $42.99, On Wednesdays here we take 20% OFF the price of each bottle, tell your friends, come by, call : 202-363-4265 if you need any quantity where I may be able to offer better pricing! Cheers, Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn 5/24/2018 Happy Thursday all, come by!

We Sell Swiss Wines at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits! In Washington DC, 20008, 202-363-4265!

 
 
 
Here at Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits we sell the wines of Switzerland - 1) Les Murettes of Robert Gilliard S.A., Sion, maison fondee en 1885, Fendant, vinifie sur fines lies, $31.99, ... 2) Chateau Auvernier 2013 , Neuchatel, Caves du Chateau d'Auvernier, proprietaire - eleveur, Thierry Grasjean & Cie, $30.99, - and 3) Dole des Monts Robert Gilliard S.A. eleveurs de grands vins, Sion, 13.8% alcohol, $42.99, On Wednesdays here we take 20% OFF the price of each bottle, tell your friends, come by, call : 202-363-4265 if you need any quantity where I may be able to offer better pricing! Cheers, Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn 5/24/2018 Happy Thursday all, come by!

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

My Tuesday Email about Wine and Spirits, Ciders, Vacation, How Will You Spend Yours, Where Will You Be? We Can Help You, Cheers, Come Taste With Me, Tony



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

CALL US, or better yet, come by, save, learn, experience @cleveland Park Wine & Spirits

 

 

  If you cannot stop by Call :202-363-4265 ; We'll deliver ALWAYS! Take advantage of our delivery service, order $30 or more and we deliver here to you Locally in DC : cheers!

 

 

 

WE are getting ready for this long weekend of remembering, celebrating, honoring and also getting ready for summer , the beach, the mountains, traveling overseas, whatever escape we can plan and execute to find some relief from the heat and the humidity and the street of life and work. WE can help you achieve some or part of these plans and goals.
 
I WROTE this back on May 19th, 2015 and sent it to you all, and it still rings true! So much to be thankful for and to celebrate, to honor, to respect and acknowledge, to remember and not forget, and most of all to not take for granted.
 
THE POOLS OPEN and so that is a delightful respite from the heat and humidity here in Washington DC, and it is a good time to remember those and the things that made it and still make it possible for us to enjoy our lives here in the great United States of America where many still live and respect others and thank them, too, so many contributions have been made to the fabric of our lives, and thanks, respect should always be given to include and not exclude, to build and not tear down.
 
I WAS THINKING that as I drove to work this morning, I knew I would have to include it here as we all need to grow, not to grow older, not to grow more tired, not to grow mad, to grow more cynical, not to grow more lazy, not to grow thinking we are owed something, simply to grow, to appreciate, to smile and share and receive more - together.
 
SAVE BIG ON WINE here tomorrow, especially when you want a special treat costing more than $19.99 a bottle, and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker price. Call and order here 202-363-4265. Pay tomorrow and SAVE.
 
ALSO Buy from our rack of 3 for $33, and 6 for $60 of wines and save all week long, mixed or matched, however you choose. We can assist you.
 
JOIN US THIS WEEK for :
 
OUR WEEKLY Calendar of Events :
 
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018 ( 5-8PM ) : Come taste with me three wines from Bulgaria the red indigenous Gamza grape, and from France a dry white mix of grapes Cotes Du Rhone, as well as a 100% Semillon dry white Bordeaux. Iwill teach you how to drink and enjoy it and match it with food and get your full money's-worth, too. #freewinetasting #everyonealwayswelcome. #JoinMeTonight!
 
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 ( 5-8PM ) : Join Serghei from Moldova as he teaches us, too about the FABulous wines of Moldova and Turkey, and more ?!? Let us all see what Serghei has up his sleeves tomorrow night for us.
 
Friday, May 25th, 2018 ( 5-8PM ) : TWO tastings -
 
Santos has organized a tasting of the DOGFISH HEAD beers for us, Namaste, 60 and 90 minutes, and the ' new ' flavor, too! Join us. #freebeertasting.
 
ALSO : Jade Smyth of the Jackson Family Wines will be here to try four fine wines :  1) La Crema dry Pinot Noir rose,  2) Edmeades CA. Zinfandel dry red, ... 3) a ' new ' Prosecco from Italy ... AND : from CA. we will taste the 4) Murphy Goode Sauvignon Blanc, too.  JOIN US.
 
AND : Just Added : Melanie Asher is just back from Peru where she was making more La Diablada and also Macchu Pisco , and will be here making some delicious Pisco Sours - join us!
 
Saturday, May 26th, 2018 : 2-6PM, Lyss the owner of Red Wolf Wines ( with her customer Ian ) will be here to taste their fine wines of South Africa :  Eagle's Nest, and Babylonstoren and more - four FABulous wines to feel real special and smile and glow/ grow grow grow!
 
JOIN US, learn, enjoy, profit and share and get all that you can from your moments.
 
SO : it is about to be vacation time for us , some will start now and that is wonderful, so this email will be about vacation and relaxing, and smiling and laughing, and feeling pure joy.
 
I HAVE PLACED a number of bottles to write about on our tasting table, so let me start in a more novel approach.
 
I LIKE TO GO to the beach when I have time-off from work, and so I usually take wine , and sometimes a few other things, but always wine!
 
Some like dry wine, some like off-dry, and some like sweet, I can see taking a bottle of good Rioja to the beach like this Usoa de Bagordi, it has 14% alcohol by volume, is a ' value ' at only $9.99 a bottle, from the 2015 vintage, good acidity, darker fruit Tempranillo flavors, would chill it 40 minutes or more.
 
I WOULD ENJOY it anywhere at the beach, on a deck, at night with only the stars and moon to light us, in full sunshine, going off to enjoy the sound side of a beach, pretty much anywhere, with many snacks and or a full meal, something grilled from flavorful fish like some tuna to some hummus and pita bread, a nice pesto dish, some tapas of course, ... yes si si si! 
 
BUT HEY, you can also make some great drinksthat would be refreshing for the heat, and we have some 99 Apples Schnaps liqueur here for you all, $17.99 a bottle, 99 proof, apple is so good in the heat, I would probably do something like add some apple juice and add slices of apples, too, and something to offset the apple with something sweeter, like some slices of mango as well! That would be fun and exciting for me, a learning experience, my experience, not someone else's, a discovery.
 
AT THE BEACH in beer I would look at the ' Exit Sixteen ' DOUBLE IPA , hoppy highs of Tangerine Mango and Pine from FLYING FISH, a 4-pack of 12-ounce bottles with 8.2% alcohol by volume, On Special for $10.99, to go along with the spicier Asian, Mexican, Southwest US, Indian foods that need something to clear the palate, separate the flavors, like a breath of fresh air to make both the food and the wine work brilliantly together! YES!!!
 
SOME OF US ARE GAGA over hard cider, and the Basque country makes some that will test our devotion to them - unflitered, unfined - cloudy, tart, tangy, real sharp edge to the taste, needs food desperately, and the more flavorful the better. Try it with some  flavorful appetizers - perhaps anchovies, perhaps some pickled choices, even perhaps something mildly sweet, what do you like to serve with ISASTEGI Sagardo naturala / natural cider, with 6% alcohol, $10.99, please give me your suggestions. And some shellfish could be spectacular with this, too, perhaps clams, fried? Some fish with cheese like parmesan added to the white fish, I keep thinking fresh sardines?!?
 
GREAT NEWS, too -
 
GRAND OLD PARR Blended Scotch whisky, aged 12-years, from Scotland is back once again. We have not had it for quite some time and have had numerous calls about it, and so it is now with great pleasure that we can announce that we have it here once again, On Special for $33.99 a bottle, with 40% alcohol by volume. What cute small bottle it comes in, great for a gift.
 
AND ALSO - if celebrating a birthday at the beach, or a graduation, something off-dry would be nice to suit more palates -
 
TRY THE KOSTER-WOLF Weingut 2016 Riesling Troken, a liter-size bottle, $16.49 a bottle, from Germany's Rheinhessen, with 11.5% alcohol by volume, this is a nice way to have a refresher and something that will stand up to some fruit-based sweets like an angle food cake, something perhaps with pineapple, perhaps some lime pie, maybe something with fresh peaches?!? Or pears?!?
 
 
ANY OF YOU going to the mountains?
 
TRY some GUNPOWDER Irish Gin, so ' new and exciting ', thrilled to have it here, really distinct flavor and taste, and a great transparent cobalt bottle, too.
THIS IS MADE with oriental botanicals and gunpowder tea, ' Drumshandbo slow distilled ' , On Special for $39.99, with 43% alcohol by volume, ' from the curious mind of pj rigney ', this is unique, where the ordinary becomes so extraordinary.
TRY THIS to give you a new experience after a walk in the hills, after dipping your feet in the cool waters of a lake or stream. So refreshing. 
 
THE ' Dank Wood ' up in the cellars and underground spaces, caves, etcetera up in the mountains and ravines with the pine, the spruces, the mint and wildflowers, all those darker, more sheltered from the sun places might be a great place to rest from a sojourn and open one of the four bottles in this 4-pack of 12-ounce bottles of the FOUNDERS Brewing Company, their ' Barrel-aged series ' , an imperial red India Pale Ale, aged in Bourbon barrels, $16.99, maybe hike in Michigan, cross into Canada, maybe you can even see Russia from where you are?!? Contact Saturday Night Live if you can, they will want to introduce you to Sarah perhaps? With 12.2% alcohol by volume, at Grand Rapids, enjoy the goodness in dank!
 
FOR WINE in the mountains the FOSSI Rosso, a dry red blend of Primitivo and Merlot, maybe some Sangiovese, too from my good friend Andrea Fossi, $8.49 a bottle, ... enjoy this medium-bodied dry red chilled 40 minutes or more with some pasta, pizza, cheese or even with red or white meats, a treat to easily open , without a cork, the Stelvan-closure you just twist the top and then pour and enjoy and sit by a fire as the sun sets and the chill of the higher altitudes set in for the night.
 
AND AS THE FIRE softens as the night goes on up in the mountains of West Virginia, perhaps in Lewissburg, outside, brrrrrr near midnight sipping this liter bottle of the WeinkellerErbach 2016 Riesling from Germany's Rheingau, $13.49, withh 11/5% alcohol by volume would be warming and comforting, would not even need you to chill it, the mountains would take care of that all by themselves, you just need to pour and raise your glass to your lips, tilt, and enjoy! Mmmmmmmmmm good!!!!
 
 
PERHAPS YOU ARE on a cruise? What will you enjoy on the waters?
 
PAMA the Pomegranate liqueur is so good for us and so tasty and refreshing on the rocks, blended with many other things, I would have fun and add it with other dark fruit juices like blackberry, maybe even make a smoothie or slushee, whatever, have fun, live, smile, dream awake! $23.99, with 17% alcohol, not too alcoholic, I like that.
 
ON A CRUISE some of the California ST GEORGE Bruto Americano liqueur, On Special for $20.99 a bottle, with 24% alcohol by volume, would be nice, too. Add it to some good inexpensive sparkling wine like a Spanish cava or a French sparkling wine, like our Pierre Larouse, $9.99, or Painous $9.99.
 
THE HEERING 200 Cherry Liqeur is finally back in stock here and we are delighted to offer it to you once again, this would be so nice with so many sweets after the meal as you lounge around in lounge chairs on the deck, if it is allowed, sipping and watching the sunset or later watching the moon and the stars, maybe even spot a shooting star?!? With 24% alcohol by volume, mix it or have it on the rocks, and smile broadly, sigh silently yet loudly!
 
 
IF I WAS in a car crossing the country I would take some ' Lexington ' Spring IPA from Natty Greene's, On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack from Greensboro, North Carolina, maybe I would head up to Maine, perhaps to Boston, or Vermont, I might enjoy one of the six bottles, and keep the rest to share with anyone I meet on my travels, share the wealth so to speak, with 6.8% alcohol by volume, a seasonal that is brewed with peaches?
 
 
IF I HEADED SOUTH in my car to go to Georgia, or down to New Orleans I would take some of the delectable Sweet Pedro Ximenez grape that makes the MALAGA wine like sherry from Spain, $21.99, with15% alcohol by volume, called MALAGA VIRGEN, this is a treat and keeps well, and may be enjoyed many an evening sitting outside in the slight chill or breeze of the evening, especially if you are parked by the ocean.
WHAT FOLLOWS BELOW is my old store email that I wrote and sent on May 19th, 2015 - read it below, enjoy, and ask for current prices and availability? Cheers, thanks for all your belief in us.
 
IF I WAS BOARDING a plane this ' value ' MILES' Original & Genuine LONDON DRY Gin On Special at $7.99 a bottle would be a ' must ' to stick into my luggage and share with others when reaching my destination, great value, with 40% alcohol by volume, cheers!
 
IF I WAS GOING to Trinidad or Tobago I might take some bottles of the MILLS and HILLS Imperial Stout from BROUWERLJ de MOLEN in the United Kingdom, Leyne Ales from Scotland, $8.99 a 11.2Fl Oz bottle, with 9.5% alcohol by volume, easy to pack, something ' new and exciting ' for most, fun to share, cheers!
 
AND IF I WAS HOME and grilling I would chill forty minutes some of the Romeo from VERONA Merlot and Corvina grape red blend from ITaly, $9.99 a bottle, and enjoy it while I grilled and watched the sun slip down through my canopy of tall trees out back and out of my sigh sight!
I AM especially blessed and lucky just now to be eying and slowly sipping this rich amber-colored liquid from France called cognac, called " Cordon Bleu ", called MARTEL. Yes, all true, come and see for yourselves, what a lucky treat.
 
 
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT! Happy vacationing, come and see me now and taste with me, cheers, thanks for all your business, stay dry as the heavens are crying here on Connecticut Avenue NW 20008 right now!   TONY
 

OUR LOCAL REP from Washington Wholesalers spoke about JACOB'S CREEK and a wine collaboration with another winery and whether he could come and taste me on it this next Tuesday? I said : " Yes, between 3-4PM." AS he was packing his bag he asked me if I wanted to try some MARTEL " Cordon Bleu? " I said : " Sure. " It took me a moment to catch my senses and to put it all together. Looking at the bottle brought it all rushing back to me and I smiled inwardly, the smile, like the " Codon Bleu " slowly working it's way outward as I realize and as the silkiness of this amber works it's magic ...
 
AND WHAT MAGIC it is, I love the caramel overtones, warm and comforting and lilting and rich and bright and , si, oui, just right, juste ce qu'il faut maintenant! Lovely, a real-vrai treat for me to nurse my agitated throat that has valiantly fought against the recent pollen everywhere!
 
AND YOU CAN HAVE all this for a measly $155.99, the taste will replace your immediate reaction of " ouch! " , with a broad smile and a big " wow!"
 
 MY LIFE is hard I was getting ready to type with a smile on my face as I put a cork in an open bottle of CHATEAU SAINT-VALERY Saint-Emilion 2012 ( so open and fruit-forward, balanced , and really well-priced, tastes good almost immediately, very round and smooth and pure and bright ), $16.99 a bottle I believe?
 
WE WILL HAVE some by the end of this week when Jim Reeves comes to taste French wines here on Saturday with you all from 2-6PM, mostly red and white burgundy that includes two fine Cru Beaujolais of Brouilly 2013 " H. Brac-de-la-Perriere" , $22.99, and the ' new kid-on-the-block ' that owner Eric introduced here with you all, his Saint-Amour  ' Les Grands Vents ", 2013, $22.99. With a slight chill, lovely both. Our tastings are free, no charge, bring family and friends, make it special.
 
BUT HEY, SANTOS JUST CAME BACK from vacation and brought me a gift that I want to share with you all this evening to welcome him back. I have missed him. It's a white he bought in El Salvador, a French white from B & G Imports. SO : ask me for a taste along with the Saint-Emilion tonight when you come by after work.
 
SPEAKING OF SANTOS now, here are some beer selections from him :
 
     1) " Belgique DU NOIRE " 2014 bottle-conditioned ale from OVERSHORES Connecticut, USA, $16.99, 1 Pt. 9.4 Fl Oz bottles, East Haven, Conn., : " A rich and seductive Belgian Style Imperial Stout. ... Pair with chocolate, orange, dates, nuts, balsamic reduction, roast vegetables, duck, lamb." Makes me hungry just to type all of this, I love it! Cheers.
 
     2) ' Palate Wrecker ' Imperial India Pale Ale from GREEN FLASH ( Hop Forward & Aggressive ), On Special for $8.99 a1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottle with 9.5% alcohol by volume, : " Weighing in at six pounds of hops per barrel, Palate Wrecker stands up to the happiest heavyweights in the ring. A complex double-brewing process of mashing and sparging ... " New term for me : sparging" ...
 
     3) Imperial American Bock Lager aged in Bourbon barrels " Bock Bock " from SCHMALTZ Brewing Company, On Special for $13.99 a 1Pt 6Fl. Oz bottle, with 9.2% alcohol by volume, CliftonPark, NY, .... HEBREW, The Chosen Beer. Try some, see what you think?
 
     4) Double Chocolate Stout , stout brewed with natural flavor, from ROGUE < $16.99 a 1 Pt. 9.4Fl. Oz bottle, Newport, OR, brewed with no chemicals, preservatives or additives : wow, I like the sound of this, like the taste, too. With 9% alcohol by volume.
 
 
LIQUEUR/ LIQUOR From Malkit & Jagir :
 
     1) Ginger All Natural Infused with Ginger Root, for a warm, spicy finish, from STIRRINGS, Liqueur On Special for $19.99 for a 750ml bottle, ... : " exotically lush aroma, and sweet- spicy flavor of fresh-grated ginger ... "
 
     2) The King's Ginger, " emphatically ginger liqueur was specifically formulated Berry Bros in 1903 for King Edward VII ... ", $42.99 a 750ml bottle, 41% alcohol by volume : a class-act! Glad to have it on our shelves.
 
     3) Amaro Fratelli Ramazzotti Casa Fondata Nel 1815 ' Milano ' , $22.99, with 30% alcohol by volume. This is a fine staple of ours and we are thrilled to have it back on our shelves as it shifted from one wholesale house to another. Phew! Graham, we are ready for your next visit.

          LIQUOR :
 
     1) Rhum Agricole NEISSON from Martinique Reserve Special, a one liter bottle ( that's more in the bottle for all ) from Thiebert-Carbet, On Special $68.99, 42% alcohol by volume, ... lovely color, a great golden color, I say " YES!
 
 
NEWS FLASH : Patricio of Palm Bay recommended that Melanie come here today to see me, and in her bag-of-tricks she had three wines and one ' new ' French whisky called ' Bastille " , all four of which I have just tasted. I told Melanie that the SELLA & MOSCA Sardinian Vermentino white, 2013, $14.99 , is lovely and she will bring the Cannanau red to taste, as well never have enough fine Sardinian wine. I also tasted the dry French rose from Marselles from JEAN-LUC COLOMBO that I met years ago, and I told Melanie I could use some of the white Cotes du Rhone now, maybe the rose, too ... and we also trued the MONTGRAS XX 2012 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Carmenere , that was, unfortunately slightly-corked, and yet the flavors were rich and opulent and cradling, I want to try another bottle, $14.99, what fun. Now for Bastille Day in July we just have to finish our plans for a tasting here with Melanie. Thanks Patrizio and Melanie.


WINE : From Chris & Tony :
 
     1) Italian 100% Barbera dry 2014 rose from TATI, a paler, more rose-lighter-salmon color, DELIGHTFUL balance, flavor and taste for only $8.99 a bottle! Nice.
     2) 2013 off-dry red CASTILLO Del CONDE from Valencia, $9.99, that has more flavor and taste, more nuances, a delightful charming, appealing taste where the flavors keep revealing other elements that they conceal sometimes, reveal others. Chill slightly, nice for this heat and humidity!
     3) Dry Greek Rose blend of Xinomavro and Moschomavro grapes, this ' DioFili ' from the SIATISTA Winery in Siatista, Greece, is a delicate color of rose-salmon, $12.99, and drinks beautifully and is charming - engaging! Sotiris Bafitis had it open here this past Saturday, it was a big hit, each year it is, come get some!
     4) 2012 Portuguese dry red from the Duoro region, called " Tons " Duorum, $13.49 a bottle, a fruit-forward, more modern and brighter dry blend of three of the many grapes that make up a port : 1) 50% Touriga Nacional, 2) 30% Touriga Franca and ... 3) 20% Tinta Roriz. It showed beautifully when I poured it here this Friday evening, and we sold a lot, even some on Saturday when I tasted the last of it to our customers! Thanks Jody, great suggestion.
     5) Ginzo Premium Japanese sake " Well Of Wisdom " from TOZAI, $14.99 for a 300ml bottle, with 14.9% alcohol by volume. Contains no sulfites and is gluten-free ; lovely taste that is rich, with anise accents, and a long finish, too. Beautiful Cobalt Blue bottle as well. What is not to like?!?    6) Gruner Veltliner from Carnuntum, Austria, from NETZL, $15.49 a bottle, this classic 2014 has green apples, lemon zest, is full and refreshing, and lovely accents of pepper on the palate, too! It is a trocken/dry bottle to enjoy even with all this heat and humidity, chill - a great summer food wine as well.
     6) 2013  dry 100% Assyrtiko


BREAKING KIWI NEWS : Owner John Forrest here from FORREST WINES to say a few words : " always love to come and see Tony, best wines in town! Thanks John!
 
TASTINGS :
 
     Friday, May 22nd, 2015 ( 5-8PM ) : WE have Robert Kennedy pouring his wonderful selections from Italy : all small producers, family-owned, the very best! Some sparkling and some non-sparkling wines!
 
     Saturday, May 23rd, 2015 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Jim Reeves , mentioned above coming to taste his fine wines with you all : Beajolais Cru wines, other red and white burgundy wines, too!

SAVE BIG TOMORROW :
 
WEDNESDAY WEEKLY SPARKLING / STILL WINE 3-Part SALE :

1) BUY ANY $20 or more  Non-Sparkling/ Still wine and SAVE 20% OFF the marked
sticker price.
2) BUY ANY 6 or more Non-Sparkling/ Still wines and SAVE 15% OFF the marked
sticker prices.
3) BUY ANY 12 or more Non-Sparkling / Still wines and SAVE 20% OFF the
marked sticker prices. Call if you cannot come. This also includes port, sherry,
marsala, madeira and sake.  202-363-4265.

THANKS for all your support, we appreciate it greatly!  TONY
 
 
WHAT FOLLOWS BELOW is an old store email, read it if you have time. Cheers,  TONY


THE HUMIDITY is here to bother us now from time to time. We always think we are ready for it but it always catches us off-guard and we are here to help you navigate through and around it as best as you all can on your own terms. We have lots of suggestions for you on this, from cool and refreshing apple and pear ciders to a special Jalapeno 100% Agave tequila to some refreshing ale with Raspberry puree, some chocolate liqueur, some Lucky 13 red ale, some Sloe Gin, some Goldwasser liqueur with actual gold flakes settled nicely at the bottom of the bottle, and many still and sparkling wines, as well as many dry roses.
SOMETHING for pretty much EVERYONE!
 
 
THE RECENT PAST TORNADOES that have devastated certain areas in Moore a suburb of Oklahoma City I believe? , including the one yesterday afternoon that has leveled two elementary schools is so tragic and getting up to watch more of this this morning with my wife on the Today Show with Al and Matt and the NBC 4 Morning News team was especially hard for us. Out prayers and our sympathies go out to all of them now in their time of need. It's hard to hear someone say that such devastation is so complete. The young lady that had helped with her husband look for survivors remarked that ten minutes before the tornado hit ground there that everything looked fine and that the sky was blue ...
 
 
WE ALSO READ THIS MORNING that Ray Manzareck the keyboard player for the DOORS sixties singing rock band just passed away in Germany. My wife showed me the article and I read it completely. Ray was an amazing musician as were both John on drums and Robbie on guitar. Ray had to make his Hammond organ sound like a bass guitar and he did it, too. Jim Morrison the singer that dies so unexpectedly at the tender age of 27 years of age is the best-remembered of the four. Ray's last quote in the article said basically that it was always about Jim, all the conversation, always about Jim! Yet for me it was always about the four of them ; these four guys in the band. As Ray put it, about the music. I agree : it took all four of them to create the sound that they are still famous for in songs like : " Light My Fire " that they sang on the Ed Sullivan show and were banned from ever returning once that Jim Morrison refused to modify his lyrics and sang them as they were intended. Remember?
 
 
SO : just like the music of the DOORS where all four players were important, so it's the same with all these wonderful products that I will now mention here. Music is an art form just as are so many fine beverages where multiple elements all have to pull their own weight to be the success that they in many cases ultimately are. Bear with me as I use this in continuing today's store email to you all, to tie it all together : to flesh it out, give it life, purpose and make it interesting, too.
 
 
BUT BEFORE I DO THIS I want to say that I received a very nice " Thank You " from Joy Sterling of the famous California IRON HORSE Vineyards that makes both fabulous sparkling as well as still wines using the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir grapes. I wrote on the IRON HORSE Facebook page and " liked " them as  we have sold a whole selection of their sparkling wines over the years including the one that both draws attention to ? and gives back to the ocean called :
 
" I Am Giving / I Am The Ocean ".
 
THE RELATIONSHIP we / I have with IRON HORSE is long and strong and includes many individuals and stories from Tim Gural our old Field Sales Manager of Washington Wholesale The Charmer Sunbelt Group to Claude Thibaut that made the very first IRON HORSE " Wedding Cuvee " for Joy Sterling , one of the owners of IRON HORSE Vineyards. We sell Claude Thibaut's current Virginia sparkling wines here, a NV Brut for $30.99 and a Vintage 2008 for $31.99 : BOTH are FABulous! And we sold the : " I Am Giving / I Am The Ocean ", as well as tasted all four that we had from IRON HORSE here two Decembers ago ( 2011 I believe ) with the help of Tim Gural that was so good at promoting them here to us. Thanks Tim.
 
 
AND NOW I realize with our good customers Ed and Jinny and another " more recent " good customer Barton Seaver that is a talented and successful  sustainable-ingredients cooking chef  that he helped with Joy Sterling make and promote the IRON HORSE : :  " I Am Giving / I Am The Ocean " - Barton bought our last bottle last year in 2012  that we sold here : and Ed & Jinny are serving the " Wedding Cuvee " soon : SMALL WORLD that comes together and connects in such marvelous ways. I love it. I have called Roberta and am checking to see if we can get any more of the : " I Am Giving ... " to sell here? I also want to taste with Michel the current vintages of the IRON HORSE before I get to , I hope, finally meet Joy for the very first time soon. Maybe Roberta can come and taste us, or perhaps Joy you can taste us? All sounds so promising. Cheers.
 
WHAT I LOVED about the IRON HORSE : " I Am Giving ? I Am The Ocean " : polish, finesse, elegance, subtle, almost gravity-defying : a wonder and a treat to hold and cradle in my mouth as I sipped and enjoyed it. It was vintage-dated and I believe it was a 2008? Cheers. Thanks Barton for helping to bring this all back to me with the help, too of Ed and Jinny : the harmony of the universe, of the ocean, like the harmony of four musicians playing together to create a wonderful experience where every part mattered/ matters.
 
 
WEYERBACHER Riserva Ale with Raspberry Puree added and Aged in Oak Barrels, $17.99, a 2012 vintage, 1 Pt. 9.4 Fl. Oz bottle, from Easton Pennsylvania, www.weyerbacher.com ). This just sounds like it would be great now to sip and enjoy and relax. I guess that Ray Manzareck would be the Oak Barrels used here. Go to their page or to our Facebook page to see these pictures of the oak barrels used, as well as the beautiful color of this ale. Cheers.
 
 
LAGUNITAS " Lucky 13 " Mondo Large Red Ale ( On Special for $6.99 a 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottle, 8.6% alcohol by volume, from LAGUNITA Brewing Co. in Petalume, California,  ) : Ray Manzareck would be : " ... the Noble Brewer of the planet's only legal Steam Beer ... ". and Robbie of the DOORS might be :  " ... Oregon's Rebel Brewer from Newport ... ". It always takes a team, and everyone's influence is felt by the others daily. Fun.
 
 
 
VAN GOGH Amsterdam Chocolate Liqueur from The HEART of Amsterdam, imported from Holland ( On Special now for $13.99 - very limited availability, 30 Proof, 15% alcohol by volume, distilled in Schiedam, Holland ) : this would be the Jim Morrison while the VAN GOGH Dutch Chocolate Vodka would be the Ray Manzareck - as the two would be mixed together, are mixed together to make a very special drink.
 
 
TANTEO 100% De Agave Tequila Blanco  Jalapeno ( $45.99 a 750ml bottle,  infused with natural Jalapeno, 40% Alcohol by volume, 07477 Tan 7-06-12 J12 www.tanteotequila.com ) : I believe that in this recipe - there are many here to consider : Pitcher of Jalapeno Margaritas :  12 Oz I TANTEO Jalapeno Tequila, 6 Oz. I Fresh Lime Juice, 4 Oz I Agave Nectar, combine in a pitcher with ice and stir well and pour into ice-filled rocks glasses ( salted rim optional ), and garnish with lime wedges. Here Ray Manzareck would be the Jalapeno Tequila, Robbie would be the fresh lime juice, Jim would be the Agave Nectar and John the drummer would be the ice cubes! All fun. cheers. All necessary.
 
 
STELLA ARTOIS " Cidre "/ Cider  made with Hand-Picked Apples ( $7.99 a 4-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 4.5% alcohol by volume, www.StellaArtois.com/Cidre. Baldwinsville, NY ) : new and exciting! I guess that in this case that Ray Manzareck would be the original beer from Europe as he was in Germany when he died?! Hard to say, and yet this Hand-Picked-Cider could not have been made without it's glorious past and glorious beers that all started in Europe so many wonderful moons ago!


LIQUEUR DANZIG " Goldwasser " Der Lachs " 22 Karat " ( $29.99 a 750ml bottle, from the Distillery Der Lachs, since 1598, Norten-HardenbergGermany, www.ourniche.com ) : " The Original Danziger Goldwasser was invented by the legendary pharmacist Ambrosien Vermullen in 1598.  ... owes its reputation to the infusion of 22 karat gold flakes and its bitter sweet taste experience ". I guess that Ray Manzareck of the DOORS would be the Bittersweet taste referred to hear?! Jim Morrison clearly would have been the 22 karat gold flakes! All good fun : all essential in the final product, not one more important than the other, though it is easy to forget this. Try not to.
 
 
YOU GET THE IDEA : it's all about team work and that's so often what produces the greatest success stories.
 
 
 
BEER From Santos :
 
     1) Gouden CAROLUS Cuvee Van De Keizer Jaargang 2011( On Special for $8.99 a 4-pack , 11.2Fl. Oz, 10% alcohol by volume, Mechelen, Belgium,  www.hetanker.be ) : brewed by Brewery Het Anker, one of the oldest breweries in Belgium. ... it's a blond ale of top fermentation that illustrates  the subtle balance between  the different natural ingredients. It's pretty wonderful, pretty special, love the bright golden color, love even more it's incredible balance and full taste. A treat!
 
     2)  2012 " Dragon's Milk " Ale Aged In Oak Barrels from The HIGH GRAVITY SERIES of NEW HOLLAND Brewing ( On Special for $9.99 a 23 Plato, 10% alcohol by volume, www.NewHollandBrew.com ) : " A barrel-aged stout with roasty malt character intermingled with deep vanilla tones, all dancing in an oak bath. Pairings : red meat, smoked foods, balsamic, rich cheese and dark chocolate ".
 
 
LIQUOR / LIQUEUR From RAVI :
 
 
     1) PLYMOUTH Sloe Gin from COATES & COMPANY ( On Special for $38.99 a 750ml bottle, 26% alcohol by volume, www.plymouthgin.com , English ) : " A truly traditionalEnglish Sloe Gin, made from a recipe in 1883. It's intensity and richness is the result of using high strength Plymouth gin which extracts the maximum flavour from the Sloe berries ".
 
     2) POW-WOW Botanical Rye Straight Rye Whiskey Infused with Botanicals ( On Special for $41.99 a 750ml bottle, 45% alcohol by volume, 90 Proof, www.BotanicalRye.com, rye whiskey aged over 2 years ). Check this out. 
 
     3) MOON MOUNTAIN Wild Raspberry Flavored-Vodka ( $21.99 a 750ml bottle,  traditional  copper pot-distilled , 35% alcohol by volume, ORGANIC, contains elderberry extract, www.Moonmountainvodka.com , Lawrenceburg, IN ) ; new and exciting and different! Cheers.
 
 
WINE From Michel & TONY :
 
 
          4 Dry Rose Wines :
 
     1) Alexander Valley Vineyards Dry Rose of Sangiovese, Sonoma County ( $14.99 , 13.2% alcohol by volume, since 1962, estate grown and bottled, Wetzel Family, www.avvwine.com ) : always a hot-weather favorite, very refreshing and bright.
 
     2) 14-18h 2011 GAIA Wines, Koutsi, Nemea, dry dark-deep-colored rose made from the indigenous Agiorgitiko grape in the Peleponnisos region of Greek, $16.99, 13% alcohol by volume, ) : a very fine wine when you grill or well-season your food. Delicious.
 
     3) 2012 Domaine de la Solitude Cotes Du Rhone dry French Rhone rose ( $18.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume, Pierre Lancon, proprietor , www.domaine-solitude.com ) : a fine medium-to-light-bodied red to enjoy with food. Will make you hungry and searching for something to munch on after the third sip. Cheers. beautiful salmon color. That's worth the price of admission all by itself - the color - everything else is extra and a bonus!

     4) Domaine Pelaquie Tavel 2012 dry rose from the southern Rhone valley in France ( #20.99, 14% alcohol by volume , a dry blend of 60% Grenache and 30% Cinsault ) : a dark and deep color, this dry rose from the town of Tavel is very famous and a great rose to enjoy with a more flavorful meal. What a treat!


          TWO LIGURIAN Italian Wines :
 
 
     1) DURIN dry white   100% Vermentino indigenous grape variety from Riviera Liugure di Ponente , 2011 ( $16.99, 13% alcohol by volume , ) : amazing character, brightness, freshness and appeal! A JOY to drink , especially with this heat and humidity, and a value for the wines of Luguria!
 
     2) DURIN  2009 Granaccia indigenous red from the Colli Savonesi ( $18.99, 14% alcohol by volume ) : a medium-to-light-bodied red that should be chilled slightly as it has some nice pepper and spice qualities that become energized and also collected better with the cold and thus more refreshing. A very nice hot-weather red for the humidity, too : so distinct, so much it's very own flavor and taste. best with food to flesh it out some more.
 
 
          TWO MORE REDS  :
 
     1) MARQUES De ZENETE Gran Reserva 2005 Spanish Tempranillo red blend from Valencia, Spain On Special for $13.99, 14% alcohol by volume, AN INSANELY GREAT DEAL & VALUE from Spain : WOW, and from a GREAT VINTAGE, TOO! WHAT A DEAL! NICE ALMOST ANYTIME.
 
     2) " Cuvee Constance " 2008 Cotes Du Roussillon Villages dry southern French red ( $15.99, 15% alcohol by volume ) from Thunevin-Calvet : flavorful, round and nice with meals fresh off your grill. Chill slightly twenty-thirty minutes and enjoy with that good taste of grilled meats and vegetables!
 
 
WEDNESDAY WEEKLY NON-SPARKLING / STILL WINE 3-Part SALE :
 
     1) BUY ANY $20 or more Non-Sparkling/ Still wine and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker price.
     2) BUY ANY 6 or more Non-Sparkling/ Still wines and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.
     3) BUY ANY 12 or more Non-Sparkling / Still wines and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices. Call if you cannot come. This also includes port, sherry, marsala, madeira and sake.  202-363-4265.
 

WEEKEND TASTINGS :
 
     Friday, May 24th, 2013 ( 5-8PM ) : Come by and meet Ruben as he pours his fine selection of the BULGARIANA Bulgarian dry reds and whites. Fine wines, great values : fine food wines : all dry.
 
     Saturday, May 25th, 2013 ( 2-6PM ) : Come and taste with owner Estebe of his Tradewinds Specialty Imports selections of fine still and sparkling wines from Spain and Argentina, also his fine Spanish sherries. We will certainly taste his OUTSTANDING Syrah 2011 dry red from Argentina's La Rioja region from the CHANARMUYO Estate, the Chamas Honnorat Family wines for only $10.99 : WHAT A GRAND WINE, what a GREAT DEAL, too! Love it, with a meal, perfect!!!!!!!!
 
 
     MET OWNER and WINEMAKER Ron Coleman of his TAMARACK CELLARS Walla Walla, Washington State wines ( tried 3 with Jeremy earlier today: a Chardonnay, A fireman's dry red blend 2010 and a dry 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon that is young and needs a meal : liked them all ). We need the Chardonnay, I liked very much the brightness, roundness and softness of the dry red blend. Treats all of them. Ron and Jeremy and I spoke of the passing of Ray Manzareck of the DOORS, we spoke of 1967, we spoke of " Light My Fire ", and " Break on Through ", we spoke of the Grateful Dead and their song " Truckin'  ", and " what a  long, strange  trip it's been ... " with many more still to come, which included for Ron today seeing the pandas at our National Zoo just two blocks away. he even took a picture. He asked me : " And you know what we talked about ?!? " , and I said " yes " but turned out I was wrong when Ron immediately responded/ answered : " Bamboo, of course! " with a big grin and smile! Sounds about right to me. Tomorrow Michel will taste these wines. We've sold them before. We never have too many fine wines from Washington State here : the more the merrier Ron. Cheers. Take care.
 
 
LET US KNOW WHAT we may do better for you all?   TONY