" Mac " McDonald , Owner/Wine-Maker Of VISION CELLARS In Windsor, CA. Visits Cleveland Park For 2nd Time ( W/ Rep Dmitri ) / 2/2010

Here in the picture above Lisa Giufre our Elite wine rep tastes with wine-maker/owner " Mac " McDonald ( Windsor, California ) of VISION CELLARS his first white wine. Lisa was waiting her turn to see me and I invited her over to taste along with me and Matt of Soprex Selections. I like including everyone in the wine business in the store at the time as long as there is enough wine to go around and those that are tasting me on their current releases/selections have no objections. Neither Dmitri our rep or Mac seemed to have any problems with this.

I am still downloading these many fun pictures that I took of Mac's second visit to our store in February 2010 with Dmitri this time. Before I believe that Allen Murphy had brought him by early in 2009 or was it late 2008? Memory fades. I will have to look at my blog here at : chatwine.blogspot.com to get those details.

It was great to see Mac back in the store and I told him we did not have any of his wines and that this would be a great opportunity to buy some to sell. It's always nice to see what is current and to hear the comments from the owner or wine-maker himself.






I apologize for including this picture above of a label of MIGUEL TORRES, their new Spanish Penedes " value " dry white Chardonnay. I tried it with Lisa Giufre immediately after trying Mac's wines and it slipped in here by accident. It does, however, show a continuum and a progression of events and how they interconnect here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ) where everything is very open and fluid and where everyone is welcome and encouraged to join-in and participate thus hopefully enriching all of us just a little bit or a whole lot more ...




I liked this first white of Mac's - a blend. I will have to consult my notes at work as I am at home now about to leave for work. I get these blogs done in the bits and pieces of time that I can work and add and write and edit and finally post them. It works though it does seem to take me a lot of time from start to finish. Oh well, that's the way the glass of wine is poured and enjoyed alongside " the cookie ( that ) crumbles " ... that did not quite work, but perhaps still interesting?




I told Mac that we will most probably buy both his VISION CELLARS
new " dry WHITE WINE blend and his Grenache. I liked them both very much : even more that the off-dry Riesling that I think he told me he made to please his wife as well as the two red Pinot Noirs that he made to please himself.




This picture above is out of focus of both Mac and Dmitri with them both smiling and laughing as I moved the camera by accident. Yet it still contains that thread of joy and warmth that grew and grew and grew till it covered one end of their face to the other : contagious and wonderful.




I'm really enjoying experimenting a whole lot these days with the pictures that I take during these visits and wine-tastings at Cleveland Park and sometimes outside, too in restaurants and at small lunches with the principles of the wineries.

In this picture Mac is photographed through the darker green-yellow-olive-colored glass of his wine bottle. I like the results. They are artsy and atmospheric and show Mac and the connection between him and his wine. Sometimes the pictures are clearer and sometimes they are quite vague. I like the warm colors here as well as all the strong reflections off the glass : almost like arrows pointing or facial/ ceremonial markings or many colorful paintbrush strokes. Mac's white shirt becomes yellowed and it becomes an interesting thing to see in a series of the others that I took at the same time. I will have to include more of them later.




Here Dmitri is holding up the bottle of VISION CELLARS 2007 " Las Alturas " Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir that I tasted with Mac. I liked it quite a bit and may buy some of it Mac as it is a favorite of yours and a priority, too. You make some really nicely-balanced and forward/delicious wines. I liked both the Pinot Noirs that I tasted with you and if I had needed Pinots I would have bought one from you.




But then you went and ruined your chances for any immediate Pinot Noir sales with me when you poured me some of your excellent VISION CELLARS Grenache ( 2006 I believe, or was it 2995? I will refer to my notes when back at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ; 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ). I can use some really good Grenache like this is the store now as I have none as exciting as this.

I liked this VISION CELLARS Grenache for it's weight and authority and blanc of some really good Grenache fruit flavors bundled-up and served-up in the wrappings of so many exciting and enticing/insinuating spices and herbs and earthy seasonings that with a meal just would work so well for me and many of our customers I strongly believe.




Mac has had an interesting career making wines at places like CAYMUS among others and I think he has found a really nice touch and style to his wines that he makes in very small quantities. It will be interesting to sell your wines Mac and see where yo continue to go and what wines you decide to make as you seem to be very much in the prime of your life and very much on a mission to make some of the best wine that you possibly can.




I love this totally atmospheric photo that I have taken of you with my Canon digital camera above Mac. It's cool, or at least I think it's cool. I hope you like it, too. I love that I have captured your head just below the neck of the bottle. Are you a genie caught in a lamp like Aladdin's and about to be released along with your wine held inside this bottle? What magic will the two of you work on all of us once released from your confines? What lays in store for you/ for us?!?




AS always Mac it is a great pleasure to be with you and to talk about life and wine and women and to laugh and smile and feel alive. I will speak to Dmitri this week as it is now March 3rd, 2010 ( Wednesday morning at 10:53 AM to be exact ) and time to order some wines again as we are sold-out of many and need and want a " new infusion " to excite us as well as our many loyal customers here in our nation's capitol. Come again soon and let's organize for that next visit an in-store/wine-tasting of your current releases. Cheers, and say a " big hello " to your wife for me. TONY