My acrylic painting is in the background of these photos ... I hope it's a good backdrop to this bottle.
I like these pictures of the 375 ML bottle of the 1992 Nectar Of Traminer sweet white wine from OASIS up in the Front Royal area of Virginia not far from the really nice Skyline Drive ...
I am now adding some pictures that I took a few days ago ( it's now Sunday, July 12th, 2009 here at my home in northern, Virginia and I have these pictures of the OASIS wine that I want to share with you. I keep my white wine vinegar in it. It has been up in one of the corners now of our kitchen for years and I'd like to include it here as pictures tell stories of more than a thousand words.
I also have a black sweat shirt with the letters in gold of the word OASIS on them that I will soon find and take a picture or pictures of that, too as it also dates way back when I was selling and representing OASIS. I'll have to go and taste the wines again soon : it's been way too long! Cheers Corinne and thanks for responding to this blog. TONY
I have always believed in supporting local effort and local talent and since I am an artist and educator and in the wine business I have been keenly interested and willing to support the local vineyards in Virginia where I live. Funny, I have always worked in Washington D.C.'s wine business and lived in Virginia! In my small way I have always tried to bring a selection of Virginia wines to the Washington D.C. customers that I have sold to over the years. That's a whole lot of customers by my imperfect/inexact calculations. I'm proud of it, too. I care and don't about what others might think of this in the business. But I'll be damned and go to hell before I give all the business just by laziness and default to all the vineyards in California or over on the west coast. I simply do not believe that across the board they make better wine.
There, I've said it! It's a big thing. I remember starting way back when in the mid eighties with the OASIS , MEREDITH and PIEDMONT VINEYARDS ( owner Bud Nufnagel and Rein du Pont - stunning brunette lady, who could say " no " to Rein? Not me ) wines at Burka's Fine Wines & Spirits On Wisconsin Avenue ( home today of the ever-successful Cactus Cantina ) and Maryland's MONTBRAY VINEYARDS ( owners Dr Ham Mowbray and wife Phyllis ) and BOORDY VINEYARDS ( owner Rob Deford ) Pennsylvania's ALLEGRO ( John & Jim Crouch ) VINEYARD. That was thirty years ago and the wine world was so much simpler back then!
I don't exactly remember when I met Corinne of OASIS VINEYARDS ( Hume, Virginia, 22639 703-635-7627 ) and yet I will never forget her. She's energized, charged, a strong steel resolve like a female bull? I should probably take that last bit back but I mean it in all affection. I worked with Corinne to sell and promote OASIS VINEYARDS wines and bubbly ( dessert, too ) on several occasions and I will also never forget her magnetic smile that covered all her face and could not fail but to weaken one and win them over to her and any cause that she might have!
I read the article this morning in the Washington Post newspaper's METRO section ( Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 : " Tangles in the Vineyard " ) about OASIS and the fight for ownership between husband Dirgham Salahi and wife Corinne Salahi with their son Tareq Salahi. It saddened me so I thought I would tell another story, my story with OASIS ans Corinne who worked with me at first to sell her wines to me ( wine-buyer ) at Burka's Fine Wines store on Wisconsin Avenue N.W. and then later to all possible buyers in Washington D.C. when I worked for Wines Limited distributors.
I have since starting to write this blog gone and scrounged around my many books, binders, folders and drawers stuffed with memorabilia and various photos, papers, etcetera. I'm a notorious pack-rat and will probably never change. I am happy to have finally found this glorious medium of blogging where I can finally use some of this myriad of things I have collected and saved over the years.
In my search I turned-up two pamphlets from the OASIS VINEYARD ( one from the late eighties that is on a regular size of paper and folded into three pages ( perhaps 1986-1988 ? ) and a later one from 5/93 that is much more complete and fancy ( a larger sheet and folded five times with actual labels shown of both still and sparkling wine.
The first pamphlet/flier is signed on the front by Corinne and inside by the wines listed she has hand-written their prices : Riesling ( semi-dry ) $4.25, Seyval Blanc ( semi-dry ) $3.50 , Chardonnay ( dry ) $4.50 , Cabernet Sauvignon ( dry ) $4.50 and Chelois red $3.50. These prices should give us the exact year and I am sure Corinne if you read this you will be able to include a comment at the bottom of this blog and provide the year.
I am sorry to see so few Seyval Blancs currently ( it's Sunday, November 9th, 2008 12:34 AM as I type) available on the market today. I have recently sold the RAPPAHANNOCK Seyval Blanc and will reorder more very soon when it is next available. Why abandon this grape? My humble advice now is to bring it back in small lots and promote it, too along with other , better-known grape varieties. How many vineyards in Virginia still make a Seyval Blanc? How many still make a Vidal Blanc?
I have some shelf-talkers that I am looking at from the second flier/pamphlet I believe and here are some interesting points on them : Cabernet Sauvignon : made from the oldest plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon in the state of Virginia ; brut bubbly - a classic blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes - traditional Methode Champenoise ( not including any Pinot Meunier ) .
I see that on January 3oth, 1986 at 1PM ( postmarked from Charlottesville, VA. and sent to my attention : Mr. Anthony Quinn ( in someone's actual handwriting - I still love that ! ) Mayflower Wines & Spirits 2115 M. Street N.W. Washington D.C. 20037 ) I received a pamphlet from the JEFFERSONIAN WINE GRAPE GROWERS SOCIETY ( 2, Boar's Head Lane Charlottesville, Virginia 22901 Tel : 804- 296-4188 ). I love this type of detail stuff because it all tells a story or more. The stamp is one of the American flag USA 22. Wow, back in the year when my wife was pregnant with our daughter a stamp cost 22 cents!
I also have a pamphlet called " Vintage Virginia 1985 Virginia Wine Guide ( a publication of the WINE MARKETING PROGRAM Va. Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services Division of Markets P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, Virginia 23209 (804) 786-0481. I wonder if any of these numbers still work and who will answer at the other end when you call?!?
I moved back to the United States with my girlfriend ( now wife ) from Paris, France in August 1980 and bull-shitted my way into a wine job at Rex Wines & Spirits with owner Alan Salm in January 1981 I believe! At that point I knew near to nothing about Virginia wine and just a " wee " little bit about Californian wines from the classes I had conducted back in 1975-76 at Randolph-Macon College where I majored in English Literature.
I did not meet Corinne's husband Dirgham until I worked for Wines Limited. distributors and won the first place prize for most-sales in the Washington D.C. area. Our whole sales staff at Wines Limited. had been invited to come to OASIS to receive our prizes and to enjoy an afternoon at the winery with food and wine and beautiful weather as I still recall.
I believe that I may in fact have taken some pictures then and there, especially during the tour that Dirgham himself conducted. We may have also met Tarek then, I think we did but I cannot be sure. Anyway, I really enjoyed the tour and the bubbly and the wines. It was quite a treat and I know that I also took some notes as well as many mental ones, too.
My impression of Dirgham was that he was a much more private person than his wife Corinne. It may be true that Corinne was once that way too and forced to take the center stage to help better promote OASIS winery. I don't know that answer. I did really enjoy Dirgham's tour and explanation of his wines. It was so familiar to him : he had lived and sweated each and every one of his wines and in his softer, less demonstrative way still conveyed perfectly his relationship to them as well as his love and respect.
I think we went there sometime in 1993-1995. I cannot remember just now. Our rep Toni Fewell was with us as well as our hosts Corinne and Dirgham.
I remember one of my fondest memories ever of OASIS and the belief in the high quality of the wine if there ever was any doubt in anyone's mind of that. It concerned the selling and the placing of the 1991 ( great year ) OASIS Merlot at the Jefferson Hotel. To do this first I had to get past the Swiss Pierre Estoupey that was then the head buyer/sommelier at the Jefferson Hotel and it's very fine restaurant. I wish I had taken some pictures of this first meeting with Pierre. They would have been gold now. Alas my recollections will have to suffice.
The 1991 OASIS Merlot was an immediate success at the Jefferson Hotel and I had Pierre begging me for every bit that he could possibly get! His customers dining there at the restaurant loved it and wanted more. Could he please have more? How much more could he have? Pierre asked me these questions over and over again and thus started a beautiful relationship for me with Pierre, the Jefferson Hotel and OASIS winery all of which I remember fondly after all these years.
This is just the beginning of this story and I will continue to add to it as I find both papers and photos and talk to people I knew way back when! I have other stories to tell but want to post this in the meantime. I have had a fondness for both the bubbly as well as the reds ( especially the Merlot and the Cabernets ) of OASIS.
I look forward to trying again soon both as of this moment I do not sell any OASIS VINEYARDS wines at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com tonythewineguy@gmail.com). I wish you well Corinne and look forward to hearing from you soon I hope. I also hope you enjoy these words as they are meant in a positive affirmation of my past involvement with you and your wines and I hope that these troubles of yours soon come to an end and once again you produce another wonder like the 1991 Merlot that I simply could not get enough of! Cheers, Anthony ( Tony ) Quinn
5 comments:
Funny how I do not like computers nor how to use them to the fullest. But somehow, I came across this "chat" thing and was surprised by the note. I do remember you well as you were one person who looked at our wines without prejudism...What a treat and what a feeling to be judged by strickly what was in the bottle.
Your openess to virginia wines was priceless. A true wine connaiseur if I may say so. And there are not too many out there. A lot of snobs at the time who did not have the vision to realize Virginia is a great state to grow good wines.
Thank you Tony for your good words and rememberance, It helps making my day a better one as I taste some of our older wines. We are still open for business...so please do come and visit. Corinne
Having worked with Dirham and Corinne for many years (including making that 1991 Merlot) as their winemaking consultant, I would like to add how nice both are.
Dear Corinne
Thank you for taking the time to meet with Beth and I Sunday. It was a pleasure to meet you. Your wine is delicious.
Denise
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