We had a wonderful tasting of Laurent Givry's portfolio of excellent French and Spanish wines earlier this year : Friday April 25th, 2008 from 5-8 PM to be exact. I forgot to download the pictures of our two guests from Spain and their wineries : CASTELO DE MEDINA ( Rueda - Valladolio ), we poured the Verdejo white, 2007, $11.99 ) and AGRICOLA LA BASTIDA ( we poured the Rioja red, $14.99 ).It was a great evening at our store with these excellent French and Spanish wines. Carlos is the Rioja owner with the great Hawaiian-style shirt on and the other gentleman who's name escapes me now ( pouring the CASTELO DE MEDINA Verdejo white works for that winery ) is in a gray/muted green short-sleeve t-shirt with his long dark hair in a pony-tail.
Both these gentleman had loads of personality ans quite the flair. It was nice to have them in our store as we sell a lot of Laurent and Aurelio Cabestrero's ( Grapes Of Spain Spanish Imports, president ) wines ; some from Aurelio and some that Laurent finds on his own.
It has been great to work with these Spanish wines and we are currently out of Carlos' Rioja red and white. We sell more of the red but each time we include the white on the shelf it seems to disappear fairly quickly, too! and will have to buy some before the end of 2008! We do have the white Verdejo in stock and it's always been a favorite of our customers.
Another note about the CASTELO DE MEDINA : we started carrying it years ago when it came in a tall Riesling-style bottle and was introduced to us by Tatiana Maria ( worked for GEMMEX then ) and her sisters. We loved it then and it at that point had more of a banana bouquet. I believe they used a banana yeast on at least one of the past vintages and as it matured in the bottle ( deepened into a golden color as well ) the bouquet of bananas intensified! How many of you remember any of this?!? It wasn't that long ago and yet memories tend to fade quickly I am sorry to say! Check out my blog on Tatiana Maria and the camera that she gave me years ago.
It's been a grand year with Laurent and our rep Lisa Giufre. They have both taken great care of our store and always been there when we need them for anything. They don't ask why when we ask ; they just ask how can they help?!? Gotta love that : we do.
Anyway, I have also just about finished another blog to include soon about this tasting and both Lisa and Laurent's invaluable help and readiness to be involved with us and our events each and every time. I treasure that commitment and as a result end up doing more business with Elite because of it.
I was very pleased when Laurent offered to bring us many of his growers/owners/winemakers as they arrived from France and Spain for this annual portfolio tasting of his at their warehouse ( and this year at MIO restaurant in Washington D.C. on Monday afternoon April 28th, 2008 ) I believe. I did not attend because I had just sampled so many of these excellent wines. I know I missed out big but then there's always next year.
Laurent, cane we do the same tasting here in our store next year? What do you say? Are you up for another rollicking good time tasting an assortment of your wines with the Cleveland Park customers that we love so much?!? I hope so. I'm sort of counting on it unless to tell me otherwise.
Lisa, you were there for the whole three hours of the tasting and were a big help to me and the store. I told you so then and am happy to tell you again now. Thanks.
Enjoy these pictures. Laurent is wearing the red baseball cap and Lisa is the short-cropped brunette pictured with Carlos twice.
Call Mike Martin or Tony Quinn ( me ) at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 2008 , sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com Tel: 202-363-4265 for more information. We can offer you pricing on the whole selection of Elite wines and if we do not have them get them within a day or two ( availability not an issue ) for you.
Happy Holidays to one and to all. Enjoy the last days of celebration of 2008 and cheers to 2009 and a new president. TONY
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