Steve Schattman( Touton),Lindsay Pike( Wash. Wholesalers) & David Bortolin(Cobblestone Cellars) Taste Us At Cleveland Park Wines Wed. March,11th,'09

     Here are the photos I took yesterday when three of my local wine reps ( Steve Schattman, Lindsay Pike and David Bortolin ) were here in the store tasting with me some of their " new " releases and otherwise current vintages. It is my day to learn about new wines and to see what is out on the market and available for us to purchase here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. 

     I was very pleased with the wines I tasted with all three of these individuals that come and see us pretty much each Wednesday bearing " new " and  " current " liquid treasures/libations that I will hopefully " ooh " and " aaah " over. Recently I have been finding quite a bit of interesting wines available for us to purchase from all over the world. 

     I will write more about these selections as time permits. In the meantime enjoy these fun. casual pictures I snapped during the tastings. It helps break the ice for me and give me the slightest of breaks so that I may return to my Reidel glass and tasting feeling fresh and alert and ready for my next wonderful discovery.

     Lindsay was tasting me on the current BONTERRA CA. organic Sauvignon Blanc that I rather liked. I told her my recent positive experiences with the BONTERRA line and have asked her to pull samples of the other flavors like Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah which I remember liking very much.

     It will be fun to taste this Syrah from BONTERRA just having read Dave McIntyre's excellent expose on the current situation/state of affairs of the Syrah wines coming from the west ( California, Washington State and Oregon). If you have not read it yet you should : it is excellent, the best I have read from Dave so far and I have really been enjoying following his Wed. morning wine articles in the Washington Post newspaper's " Food " section. He writes about more than just wine : he puts it in the current social as well as economic and world settings that it is already in and amplifies, clarifies and points to many of the ways in which wine is interdependent on so many things/forces and effects us, our environment, us, our health, etcetera in so many ways. I am glad that he is drawing our attention to these things and making us think about them as we enjoy our meals and the wine of course.

     Cheers and be on the alert for more fine wines from these three. David has already brought me excellent Aussie wines and yesterday he brought me a very fine French Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon ( as well as a fine dry white Chardonnay ) from the old label " Les Jamelles  ". We will buy them I am sure.

     Steve Shattman had an incredible dry red Cabernet from Argentina that we will buy as well. We've already added it to our list to have come in on his next order.

     Thanks Steve, Lindsay and David. See you in two Wednesday's as I will be in South Africa this next one.  TONY