Here are the pictures I just added of Jean Remy and Laurent to go along with the rest of the blog that I wrote at home over the weekend. Scroll down and enjoy this artsy ride of fun, whimsical and bubbly pictures of people and champagne all combined into one...
It was a delight to see Laurent Givry once again as he spends so much time these days in the Maryland market getting his selections of Elite Imports better known there.
It was a double delight when I realized that Laurent had with him the proprietor/owner Jean Remy Rapeaneau of the champagne house CHARLES ORBAN that Lisa Giufre had mentioned was in town when she did her Saturday in-store/wine-tasting with our customers three days prior.
I just looked at this and realized that so far I have only downloaded three photos. Oops! I will have to get on this and put more here as I have some wonderful shots when I get back to the store tomorrow as I am home now on my day-off. It's another beautiful fall day here and I have many leaves to still rake and bag as so many have now fallen from our half circle of tall trees out back.
For more technical information about Champagne CHARLES ORBAN you can go to : 44, Route de Paris, 51700 Troissy www.champagnecharlesorban.com jrrapeneau@gmail.com +33 6 88 05 43 88.
I love this photo of Jean Remy pouring his dry rose champagne from Troissy, France. It gives some interesting angles and shows the bubbly and it's color more than once, the tiny beads of bubbles, him, his hand, the bottle and the label : a bit of many of the key parts to the story of CHARLES ORBAN here and now at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-363-4265 www.clevelandparkwine.com, anthonyquinn@clevelandparkwine.com ) last Tuesday, NOvember 10th, 2009.
It was early in the morning and I was getting the store email ready to send to our customers when Laurent and Jean Remy came around the corner of our office and into my vision. I smiled immediately.
I got a chance to try both the " La Carte Noire " ( a blend of 40% Chardonnay , 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier ) as well as the " Le Rose " ( a blend of 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Meunier, 15% Pinot Noir and 15% Coteaux Champenoise rouge ). They both sell for just around $50 a bottle here at the store in our nation's capitol.
I had already heard all about Champagne CHARLES ORBAN the past Saturday when both Mike Martin and Lisa Giufre were talking about it that afternoon. Turns out that the rose was the winner according to Mike as the " Le Carte Noire " just did not seem to be showing much at all. He had already purchased the " Le Rose " and it was on the shelf for $50.99 a bottle. Of course I was curious to try it and know what we had to sell. It's important to know one's product and this was no exception as the season for bubbly and lots of celebrating was coming really soon.
We all three went out to our tasting table and Laurent proceeded to open the two bottles of champagne and give me a taste of each. As usual I had my trusty Canon camera with me and was composing and snapping pictures away as I listened to both Jean Remy and Laurent talk about the champagnes.
We had customers come through and stop and look a second or more before continuing on into the store. Of course I asked if they needed any assistance and some did and so I tasted, listened, helped customers, invited them to taste and to meet Jean Remy, etcetera.
It was pretty much as I always conduct business. Everyone was invited to taste and informed of what was going on as they shopped. I like customers to feel welcome and included in our daily activities. I want them to walk away with a positive experience at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits and want to return for more.
Neither Jean Remy or Laurent minded. Laurent knew the game at our store and Jean Remy was learning it quickly.
I really liked the " Le Carte Noire " NV Brut ( $50 a bottle ) and asked more about Troissy as I had never heard of/ or taken note of it in the champagne district of France. Jean Remy was more than happy to speak of it and I am sorry that I did not register more as our customers were arriving and I missed much of what he said.
You will simply have to return Jean Remy and tell me more again about Troissy. Of course it will have to be with an open bottle of the CHARLES ORBAN champagne!
I liked very much the body, the weight, the rich mouth feel on my palate without it being heavy or too strong. It was just right for me and with the undecided type of weather we were having that morning with some heaviness of water in the air it seemed perfect for me. It satisfied me and intrigued me and those are two great things : especially as I love champagne and bubbly almost anytime. It's one of my favorite all-time beverages and I would choose it over many others most of the time as it always brings a smile and comfort to my spirits while elevating them, too.
I also liked the " Le Rose " NV Brut but not as much as the " La Carte Noire ". If I bad been having some food say like some smoked salmon I would have changed my tunes I am sure. On my Air France flight recently from Paris, France To Milan, Italy they served some smoked salmon then and it would have been fabulous with this. The salmon was wild and not farmed and had such and intense flavor and taste that I know it would have matched beautifully here as the " Le Rose " includes 15% of a Coteaux Champenoise rouge/red wine. Wow, this is a first for me and it gives more weight and gravitas to the dry rose flavors. It's more of a food wine and will work very well with many a meal. I'm thrilled to have it and told Jean Remy so.
Jean Remy was heading back to France after having spent time her on a whirlwind trip of many states and cities spreading the word about Champagne CHARLES ORBAN. He understands perfectly his need to be here in the U.S. pushing his champagne if he hopes that it will succeed in a difficult economic time for champagne as well as for business and life in general. He will soon return and I hope that he will come and do an in-store.champagne tasting.
Both Laurent Givry and Lisa Giufre will be here themselves as our guests when we have our annual Champagne / Bubbly Tasting on Wednesday, December 2nd ( 5:30-8:30 PM ) 2009. Everyone is welcome. Come see and taste with us. Laurent and Lisa will pour both the Champagne CHARLES ORBAN as well as other sparkling wines that they represent from France ( TRIPOZ Cremand de Bourgogne 100% Chardonnay ) and Spain ( 1+1 =3 and more ).
Jean Remy and I hit it off pretty well I believe. I asked him to sign both our guest book as well as the bottles of " Le Rose " NV Brut Champagne on our shelf. This is what he wrote in the guest book :
" Tony & Mike Thank you again for your warm welcoming ... La qualite de photographe et des photos sont a la hauteur de celle du champagne Charles Orban ... Ouf! ... Vive les artistes ... Enjoy " Jean Remy Rapeneau. He drew a champagne bottle with the cork exploding from it like a canon ball - very expressive and on the bottle he wrote the three letters : J Z R ... cheers et revenez nous revoir Jean Remy. Bonne continuation et Bonne Annee bientot 2010 ! TONY
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