Three world class wines for me to try with owner Chris Mullineux of MULLINEUX Vineyards in Swartland, South Africa that importer Theresa Morrison brought me the other day to try and discover for the very first time. I was very impressed, really and will stock some of these wines. I think I already gave you the order Theresa?
It's a pre-order as the wines are still in South Africa. By now they should be on a container crossing the Atlantic Ocean, right? You and John have some very exciting wines here to promote from South Africa. It's also nice that they come from a region that i bet many buyers here in the United States are less familiar with?
And with all the great excitement of the Soccer World Cup competitions coming so soon and being held in Cape Town, Well ... there should be plenty of excitement to share and flame even after the event and when the wines come here to be sold t drink and celebrate both good fortunes/family and friends and of course, really excellent wines as well that remind me very much of some of the best and most authentic wines still being produced in France today.
I am sure that there has been a tweak and a pull and a yank here and there to put Swartland's mark as well as those of husband and wife team behind them? That's all good : all " comme il faut " ... Je suis d'accord, moi avec tout ca ...
As you can see from these photos I have put my own tweak and pull and yank on my subjects and the angles and the combination's of glass and bottle, sales sheet, etcetera here on them. I love to take pictures through my Reidel wine glass : that's my signature picture-style.
I had a most willing subject and a fine bit of conversation as together we exchanged many pieces of information as well as points-of-view, anecdotes, stories, personal preferences, etc. That's the way it should always be.
As I said at the very start I was very impressed with these wines and immediately picked up on that they were made by Chris American wife, Andrea Mullineux ( of California ) that studied wine-making at UC DAVIS in California. I kidded him that Andrea should have studied somewhere here on the East Coast! I just wanted to get his reaction to my comment : I play the devil's advocate all the time this way. It's my way of starting some interesting and hopefully pithy and meaty and meaningful/unscripted conversation to get to the core of the issues and of those that come to see me, and taste their wines with me.
What are they really like? What are they really all about? How did it all come to pass that they were now standing there right beside me tasting me on their wines? What roads / paths/ avenues/ skies. oceans did they have to take to get to this very point? That interests me enormously : much more than points ans cores that the wines might have received along the way.
I buy a lot of South African wine from John and Theresa Morrison and I am always happy to see what they have that is new and exciting. This was no exception : the quality level and the wines being true to their origins and grape varieties and locales and year were very high here as they always are. MULLINEUX Vineyard is something that will need to be tried and experienced by many of us here in the world looking for some really special and fine wine and that also want to know about the various areas of South Africa producing such high quality and at still very reasonable prices, too? There are many of us out there that will benefit and learn from tasting these three superior wines.
I need to write more of course and yet today, Friday, June 11th, 2010 is the first day of the Soccer World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa and so I have to post this now and add to it later this week! Cheers and enjoy the games and drink some South African wines while you do, including these three excellent MULLINEUX Vineyard wines of Swartland, South Africa from talented and rising stars Andrea and Chris Mullineux. Cheers, TONY
Thanks Chris and Theresa, this was a great, eye-palate-opening treat for me.
It turns out that Chris did not sell his wines to John & Theresa Morrison in the end. Theresa thought it was a done deal and had all the price lists printed and ready to go and then discovered that the wines were being offered to another wholesaler instead. I guess that means that we at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits will not be selling the wines after all as I want to support my friends John & Theresa Morrison more than I want to sell these excellent three wines.
What happened Chris? I thought it was a done deal? You heard me tell Theresa right there in the store that I was buying the wines and I was all set to buy and sell these excellent wines made by your wife Andrea with child that I just met yesterday at the store when Jeremy Sutton brought her by. I wanted to meet her as she makes such excellent wines. I did not discuss any of this with her. I simply wanted to meet her and tell her that I really liked her wines.
I am torn by this decision not to buy your excellent wines but determined to stick by my good friends that I buy for Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits so many excellent South African wines.
I could have also been your champion and am sorry that I will not be with this news of yours going with Fran Kysela and not John and Theresa Morrison. Don't get me wrong, I will tell anyone that asks me that you do in fact make really very fine wines. That's not in dispute. Cheers to that, cheers to you Andrea.
It's Oscar Night 2011 as I add these last comments and it's now time for my bedtime. I liked listening to you Andrea speak about your family and home and which you considered home today : Swartland, South Africa or the San Fransisco area of California? You explained it nicely. I enjoyed listening to what you had to say. Thanks for sharing. TONY
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