I started doing more business where I felt more of a commitment with Bobby's wines of the Robert Kacher French portfolio once that I got Ronnie Miller as our Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits sales person. Why you as k me? Because Ronnie was the one to finally " get " me in the sense of understanding me and how I like to do business. I don't sell points and scores and hype I sell the wines and the people behind them. It's as simple as that. I became more invested in the wines once that I began to meet and know just a little better the wine owners and makers of these fine French wines of Bobby's. I think Ronnie also appreciates me and my style and I think he has gone out on a limb more often than not to get me the wine owners/ makers either in the store in Cleveland Park or over at Bobby's home - sometimes both. Thank you for believing in me Ronnie. I appreciate that more than you know.
One night I got off work ( I think it was a Friday evening. I've got to check my book in the store. I know that it was before August when I took my summer vacation at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Memories in part fade unfortunately. It's a good thing I have all these wonderful photos of the evening to include in this blog to help them all come back rushing to me and to provide some pleasure and insight for you all.
Let me start by saying that this particular evening remains one of the best in my memory that I have. I treasure it even though I Have a strong feeling that perhaps it did not mean nearly as much to the others as to me. But who am I to say?!? Should it even matter? No, not really. It's enough that it was one of the most pleasurable and complete evenings for me in the company of some really fine people , some great white and red burgundies ( AMBROISE principally ), some great cognac and some great food. Bertrand was actually out at the grill cooking our red meat : was it flank steak? I think so. It sure was juicy, tender, bleeding red and about as tasty as I've ever had. Sometimes the simplest foods are the most satisfying and this evening's were memorable.
I'm typing this at home on Sunday, July 13th, 2008 the day before France's " Bastille Day " tomorrow. Happy Bastille Day to one and to all. My family is celebrating Bastille Day tonight because tomorrow we have our son's " B " swim meet and we will not be able to focus as much then as tonight. It's about three years since this memorable evening in the company of Bobby, Kelly ( she's special ), Bertrand and his daughter Ludivine, Ronnie, Craig ( was your wife with us Craig? ), Tom McKnew, Rob Stewart and his wife, and a host of perhaps six or so others.
I'm glad that I had my trusty camera with me. I was charged-up from work at the store and ready to see what would/ could transpire. I go to these with purpose, I want to get as much out of them as I can. It's a bit selfish and I must apologize to Bobby, Kelly and everyone else. I'm sure that I can be difficult to be around and that many times people are wary as they have no idea what I might do or say. After all it is both their home and their affair. Thank you for including me. I must apologize now nearly three year's later for in part monopolizing the two guests : Betrand and Ludivine. I played my part, not the only part and if I overstepped my bounds I am sorry. But as this became one of the most pleasurable wine evenings that I have ever spent I'm torn between the two feelings: one of hogging the two and the other of having gotten so much joy and artistic satisfaction on all levels( taste, sight, smell, sound, warmth, high energy, great vibes, etc ). I was stimulated and satisfied so completely that I could write a whole story about this one single evening. I may, too by the time that I finish this blog. Beware!
It was an interesting evening for me to be a part of and yet witness, too. An artist does that type of thing : can be close and touching at one point, distant, quiet and observing in another. I did some of both. It's like there were really two events happening side-by-side at the same time. This is probably true at most events. On this evening I was really only involved with one side of the evening : the one that took place in the kitchen where Kelly was working quietly and doing such a great job with the food to keep us all quite-pleased and content for those three or so hours. Bobby was pouring wines and explaining and crossing over from the kitchen to the dining room/entertaining area with the amazing wine-storage/cooler units. I'd like to take a good look at that some day. Most everyone gathered around the beautiful large dark rectangular ( is it wood? ) table that pretty much fills the space. The food was there or passed around. People were sitting and standing and talking amongst themselves. That's how it all appeared when I arrived. I think that their dog might have been there to greet me. Perhaps Craig came to the door, was it Kelly? Bobby? I don't remember. I saw Bobby almost immediately and he hugged and kissed me on the cheek as is his custom. It's quite welcoming. I relaxed immediately being thus welcomed into the bosom of his home.
Bobby pretty much ushered me right over to where Bertrand was opening and organizing his wines to be poured a bit later. I was handed a bottle of one of Bobby's Grand Cru champagne producers to drink almost immediately. I can't remember which one, it was delicious and it, too further helped melt any stress that I may have had on my shoulders from work. I said " bonjour " to Bertrand when I met him. He smiled. I continued in French. I don't remember what I said. It was chit-chat and perhaps a few remarks about what I enjoyed about his wines. Through my peripheral vision I could see the others close and around me. I saw Betrand's daughter. I don't know then if I realized who she was. I recognized Rob Stewart and Tom McKnew. I'm sure I said " hello " to Craig. I saw Kelly off to my right working in the kitchen. Did I wave, did she, dis she smile her warm, big welcoming smile my way?! Probably. It's a wonderful, hazy warm glow all of this now.
As I said I can be difficult. In this case I saw all these people but I was only interested in Bertrand. I came for Bertrand. I wanted to meet this man who's wines I had enjoyed infrequently over the years. I made a conscientious choice ( I almost always do ) to focus on the principles for the event. I already know the others. My feeling right or wrong is that I can see them another time ( those " other " times don't occur very often I'm sorry to say . We all have so many responsibilities and many of us have families ). So I do miss talking to Rob or to Tom and the others and that's my loss.
Here I was talking off to the right side of the room at the edge between the dining room and the kitchen with Bertrand and I was wondering where/when I was going to be trying some of his wines? I must be impatient as well as difficult at times. I also play the devil's advocate often and that can be challenging. I asked Bertrand why we were not drinking his wines? I asked him why we were drinking the burgundy wines of other producers that Bobby sells as well? This annoyed me. I told Bobby this I am sure - I must have conveyed this puzzlement on my part somehow even if I didn't quite put it into words. Again I must apologize, it was Bobby's house and his evening that I had been invited to and here I was raising questions?!? Like I say, I'm difficult and I should not be so outspoken.
I was really enjoying talking with Bertrand. We were speaking of you Bobby! It was fun to share our stories, it was like two boys whispering off to the side not wanting to be heard ; on some level some bonding between the two of us going on. These are rare, priceless moments because another like time may never occur. This may be the only such exchange on this level that we ever have, probably so. To some extent they are serendipitous, to some not. I want and encourage such exchanges because it is what will be ultimately remembered; perhaps shared with others later, perhaps not.
This is when Ludivine came over from the table to join us. She may have overheard and understood us? She probably wondered what the two of us were up to? Anyway she came over and the introductions were made. Bobby came and went and was the excellent, attentive host that he always is. He kept us in wine and at some point Bertrand's wines finally were poured. I think we started with a white Cotes de Nuits Villages and I kid you not I was hooked! I loved it. I immediately responded to it's flavor, balance, clarity and distinctiveness. It for me stood out from the others. I told Bertrand immediately. He seemed pleased, probably wondered if I was just saying this to please him?
I began to talk to Ludivine and ask her about her trip so far to the U.S. Was it the first, etc. Turns out that Ludivine had been in Oregon making wine at a winery that I think she said was now no longer in business. She never clarified this for me. It had overall been a good experience being in Oregon for her but it did not sound to me like the winery that she had been at had impressed her. C'est vrai, Ludivine? I may have got that wrong. We spoke in French the whole time off to the side like this and I was feeling a bit like I was monopolizing these two. Were others intimidated to walk over and become a part of our conversation? I could tell from the conversation that they were both welcoming the chance to speak their own language for a change. But was I depriving the other guests of their company? These thoughts did pass through my head more than once.
I pretty much never left Betrand's side from the moment that I entered the house. He did excuse himself to go off and cook the meat outside on the patio off to the right. That's probably when I had a greater chance to talk to Ludivine. The time frame of the evening has a bit welded into one with three year's gone by now.
I've just placed the pictures onto the blog and it's given me a moment to look at them once again. That's helpful as I get ready to finish the writing. I think you can get a really good idea of the dynamics of this wonderful evening. You can see the bread and the cheeses and other goodies on the counter at the kitchen's edge, you can see the meat that Bertrand grilled himself on our plates, too. You can see the guests seated at the large table and Bertrand, Ludivine and me seated at the small bistro round table off to the side inside the kitchen area with the bottles of Bertrand's red burgundies there : the 2003 Nuits Saint Georges and the Corton. You never see either Kelly or Bobby seated eating and enjoying the meal. They were attentive, wonderful hosts and I feel bad that they did not get a chance to join us. I think that Kelly may have also had to walk their dog after this evening of intense activity? You see some of the behind-the-scenes activity as well as that on the main stage. That's real, that's life.
It was all wonderful. I ate and drank fabulously and I came away with many memories. Bertrand taught me how to put the juice from the red meat into a spoon and drink it and follow it up with some of his Corton. Yum, it sure was good, both, especially together like that. It was great to sit at that small round bistro table with them : en famille, comme chez moi. What more could I have asked for? I got a chance to thank Kelly. She worked here ass off silently there behind the scenes. It was a grand success. Kelly smiled and spoke a bit about how wonderful it was to be able to spend so much quality time in France with these owners/ wine-makers. There were stars in her eyes, her face lit up, radiated joy. Bobby's not so much but you could tell that he was pleased to have us chez eux and that he was happy to share with Bertrand and Ludivine with us, with me. You're a hard worker Bobby, passionate and untiring and you've brought us here in the United States some superb wines including Bertrand's which must rank at the top of the list.Thanks Bobby, thanks Ronnie and Craig, too.
Was Fred Corriher's son in attendance this evening? I believe so but I can't be sure. He now works with Bobby. But if memory serves me well he was there and I was able to tell him how much I had enjoyed knowing his father who is perhaps one of the single-greatest fans of Bertrand's wines that I know! He used to buy the older vintages from me at MacArthur Beverages while I was there for a year. Oh, I think Joe might have been her from MacArthur though he does not appear in these pictures.
I asked Ludivine to write something for me O think? No, it was Bertrand that I asked to write something and it was Ludivine that said she would do it for Bertrand. It was charming what she wrote referring to me as " le petit homme / little man " and proceeding from there. I will include it in a future blog soon because it touched me. Merci Ludivine. Merci Bertrand et Ludivine, j'ai bien apprecie tout de ce que vous avez faire ce soir avec Bobby et Kelly pour nous au diner. Quel repas extraordinaire, quels vins sublime avec charme et balance et un roundeur, fraicheur, clairite des qoutes et parfums merveilleuses. Vous fetes les vins qui flament l'inspiaration et touchent nous au fond. Je suis vraiment contente de vendre vos vins au magasin Cleveland Park Wines et Spirits at 3423 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washingto D.C. ( 202-363-4265. www,clevelndparkwine.com/ anthonyquinn@clevelandparkwine.com ). Et a bientot et bon chance a vous.
Happy Bastille Day tomorrow to one and all! Sante, TONY
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