This was a lovely event for me : I went with Vince my good customer at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ) and with a certain feeling of trepidation and wondering whether I would enjoy this Wine Spectator Grand Tour wine-tasting in Washington D.C. at all?
I was given a ticket last-minute by my good sales rep from Winebow Imports Jody Jackman. She was too tired to go and an hour before I left for the event she offers me the free ticket. I accept and immediately look for someone to accompany me there - one of our customers? I was lucky, too as Vince came to taste our wines and when I pulled him to the side to ask him if he was free this evening he said that he was. Bingo! I had someone to go with and I already felt better.
These are pictures of Nicole Pattalochi ( Consumer Sales Manager ) for DOMAINE SERENE Vineyards and Winery, Inc ( 6555 NE Hilltop Lane, Dayton, Oregon 97114 USA Tel : 503-864-4600 X 207, Fax : 503-864-4500 www.domaineserene.com ) that was pouring this one bottle of DOMAINE SERENE Oregon Pinot Noir. Thanks Nicole for both pouring and being a good sport as I took these many pictures of you and the bottle and you pouring for me and for others. I appreciated your patience with me as it must have seemed odd when I came and immediately started with my pictures?
I really enjoyed your wine and it's balance and character and appeal, especially with a meal for me at least. However, this blog is not so much about this particular wine or any other being poured this lovely evening in the Ronald Reagan International Center.
I expected the wines to all be excellent : that should have been understood before anyone tasted any wines : this was a special and a memorable wine-tasting of some of the best that the world has to offer us. So excuse me for not going on so much about the wine as I talk more about the experience and the joy and the comfort and the pleasure I got being here in this setting. It's a beautiful space and here in this open area with the light coming in from the high ceilings above of sculpted metal and glass ( reminded me of the excellent work of metal that one sees in Paris at the Grand et le Petit Palais and other spaces like that ).
You all that participated ( like Nicole ) did your jobs beautifully and with intelligence and a professional demeanor and I could not have asked for more. It was a classy and well-organized/arranged and executed event from the very first to the very last. It took a whole lot of work and it looked like it went off without a glitch - at least none that I could see. The place, the people, the wines and the food were all working in complete harmony and I began to really enjoy this experience.
By the time that I got to you Nicole it was still pretty early on in the evening and tasting for me. It was still daylight outside and it came inside here while I was tasting with you. In the picture you see above it is of the line of tables that you were in. I liked that I never had to fight to get to a table and that within a minute or two I was tasting whichever wine I was there to taste : one wine per table. I liked this idea, too of only one wine.
I also liked the wine-tasting glass with the logo of the event on the side with the letters GRAND TOUR large and clear on the glasses. As you see here I liked taking pictures through my glass of the people like the lovely Nicole and sometimes the wine bottles, too.
I tried to get pictures of the wine bottle and the labels, too to fix the pictures so that I would not forget later as there were so many wineries here in attendance. I only got to try about fifty or so of them as I took my time and tried to meet the people and say " hello " and exchange cards, etcetera. I loved when I met the wine-makers and the wine owners. That's really why I went : to meet them, especially the French on this go-round.
However, we were about to do our own " Big Theme " Oregon wine-tasting at Cleveland Park Wines and Spirits and so I was keen to try as many of these Oregon wines as I could. I was not disappointed here in the least : high quality and many very appealing and pleasing and approachable wines to enjoy with or without a meal.
Look at the light and the ceiling and the iron-steelwork above : pretty impressive. Being an artist I notice this kind of thing. How many other people do you think noticed the ceiling of steel and glass and air and light? I can see why organizers like this space for wine-tastings, really I do. It was my first time tasting here in this and these spaces.
I feel like I know well the DOMAINE SERENE wines that we have sold over the years at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. My predecessor Peter Anastopolos must have known the owners well because for a year or two they would send him a Christmas card to the store. I kept one hung on the wall for quite some time and wondered when they might visit our store? They never have alas but I feel like I know them just because of Peter and this lovely card with a picture of the two of them in it. I hope to meet them sometime in the future and of course they are welcome to come to our store in Cleveland Park, Washington D.C. anytime.
I am sure I have forgotten something but it is time to post this blog now as it is already Wednesday, May 26th, 2010 at 11:08 AM and I have to get off to work now as there is the Bobby Kacher portfolio tasting in Washington D.C, later today as well as tonight's grand finale when Simon Cowell leaves the American Idol show forever and they announce this year's " next " American idol. I am voting for Crystal Bowersox. She's amazing. I'd like to have a bottle of DOMAINE SERENE Pinot Noir and some of her music to listen to with my wife as we enjoyed both ... Cheers, TONY
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