Hugh always comes to visit our store in Cleveland Park, Washington D.C. N.W. each year that he does one of his whirlwind tours. This year it seems to be the biggest and most ambitious ever. When I asked him where he had been in the U.S. he immediately responded : " Where haven't I been? You name it? " or something to that effect. Then he started to rattle off all the places he had already been and then those that he was going to visit tomorrow.
That's amazing Hugh : how do you find the strength to visit all of these places? I don not think that I could do it, really.
We both greeted each other warmly as usual and he got to meet both Arielle Monaco of the Country Vintners ( that represents his wines here in Washington D.C. ) and Shana Ketron ( that works for Boutique Wines and was selling/tasting some of her wines : KEN FORRESTER/Stellenbosch , South Africa ; HUBER of Austria and both some Spanish reds - a Mencia and a Carignan-Grenache blend. They are both pictured here in the photos with Hugh.
It's been a hoppin' Saturday at the store as we had Tom the owner of THELEMA stop by earlier with Marcie Weinstein ( our Constantine Imports rep ). They are good friends and studied together in Adelaide, South Australia eonolgy. It's a small world, really. I got to visit THELEMA this March, 2009 and meet Tom's dad. Tom was off in Johhanisberg, South Africa at the time. Anyway Tom signed bottles of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay that I had in the store. Thanks Tom, nice to finally meet you after having heard so much from Marcie. I will include the pictures I took of you later in a separate blog.
Hugh also said as he walked in that I did not look like I had aged a bit : that we both looked the same as the last visit. I think you are right Hugh : we both do look splendid if I do say so myself! At least I feel splendid, the better for seeing you again old friend ...
We got started immediately tasting with customers and there were many and they bought both Hugh's and Shana's wines. They bought many signed bottles from Hugh and I have a picture here at the register that bought a bottle of Hugh's Viognier from the cold box by where Hugh was standing and di not even realize that he was there tasting this wine.
I inquired when I saw her with the bottle whether she had got Hugh to sign it for her and she was puzzled. I quickly explained that he was there and tasting his wines and so she came back smiling broadly and had her bottle of Viognier 2008 signed and I later asked to take this picture included here at our cash register as she was paying for it.
What a small, fun, chance world that we all live in ...
The store was crowded and lots of people were delighted to stop and taste once that I explained what was going on and that everyone was welcome to taste and to meet both Hugh and Shana : that it was not a private party going on.
I think that people often wonder what is going on and are delighted for the chance to be included, to taste and to meet the wine owners and makers when they come to visit us. We like to share them with you lucky ones that happen to be in Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits at the right time!
Hugh speaks a lot with his hands and his facial expressions : they both reveal so much. Here I snapped away in quick succession and am thrilled to include them all here for you to see and judge for yourselves. It's also fun to see how the expressions on the young brunette also change as the seconds flash past so very quickly ... to fast to register without the aid of a camera to capture and freeze these spit-second moments in time for us all.
I have more photos to add later and more to say about the two JIM JIM wines ( a dry, unoaked Chardonnay - so much flavor and presence; and a fruity Shiraz : JIM JIM is their dog that loves the Shiraz grapes ) and both the two other reds : the " Mongrel " Sangiovese blend ( my favorite still ) and the " Rascal " Shiraz ( I liked it quite a bit tonight ) and the 2008 Viognier ( Loose Canon is it?!? ).
All of Hugh's wines are well-known by many of our customers. This is perhaps Hugh's sixth visit to our store to taste with our customers? So over the years Hugh and his wife and daughter have become family here as well as their excellent wines.
As I have said already I have a lot more to include. Enjoy this in the meantime and do stay-tuned for more. Cheers ...
You can see all the pictures of the wines we tasted here in the group shot that I took of Hugh, Arielle, Shana and some of our Cleveland Park customers - some new ones I believe ... TONY
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