As I told Brennan Downey of Downey Imports at the time of this wonderful tasting I was there because of Alessandro Furlan : plain and simple. Since I do not like to buy wines off of points and other's scores ( no one ever remembers the voluminous verbiage of Bob Parker, Jr and his team of excellent reviewers ever ) I buy off of the wine and the history I have with it and those responsible for it from owner and wine-maker down to rep. I mean if we all continue to sell off of points and scores then we might as well all plan on retiring soon because we will eliminate ourselves and the value of our opinions as we are just talking numbers and names and trying to match those up and forgetting about personal tastes and specifics about events and how the wines are in fact supposed to complement one's meal or not.
There was also an Elite Imports portfolio wine-tasting happening at the same time as this Downey portfolio tasting. Believe me, I would have liked to have attended and gotten a chance to spend time with some of those French and Italian wine owners and wine-makers as I know many of them now as well having been before and having also received many of them 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 I have now managed the wine department for just over ten years.
But I did not know any of them as long as I have known Alessandro Furlan who also knows my wife and my mother. Also, Alessandro Furlan was there this past last week of October 2009 in Tuscany ( once in Florence with our other great friend Andrea Fossi of FOSSI chianti and chianti classico fame - both Andrea and Alessandro came to work years ago at the Mayflower Wines & Spirits with Sidney Moore and Michael Downey and me back in the mid and early eighties ).
My daughter and I met Alessandro and Andrea Fossi for dinner ( thanks for the treat Andrea ) on the top of one of the best Italian hotel/restaurants right there in the center of old Florence where we had an incredible view from our seats of the city ) and then again a few days later in the town of Montalcino where we went on to meet the owners of VERBENA * Brunello and Rosso & olive oil - we tasted their three-day old extra virgin olive oil that they were in the process of making - gathering olives as we tasted both their wines and this fabulous fresh and tasty extra virgin olive oil ).
My daughter and I would have been quite lost here at the home and vineyard of VERBENA as they spoke hardly any English and our Italian is also pretty much non-existent, too. Thanks Alessandro.
Good thing that this blog site of mine is called CHATWINE as I sure do chat a lot! Hope you don't mind.
By the way Sidney Moore Margolis is doing well now but has been quite sick recently and our thoughts and prayers are with her for a complete and as speedy a recovery as is humanly possible : go Sidney! Rally and kick this! Let me know through this site with your comments if I may be of help putting you into contact with Sidney. I told Alessandro here about Sidney's illness and he was quite concerned.
So, you see I had to start my Monday late morning part of my wine-day with Alessandro and no one else : simple, no question at all. And that's what I did and so here as you see with these pictures I am right in front of Alessandro Furlan as he pours for me and for others at his table at the Hendry House in North Arlington.
I was meeting my old neighbor and friend Paul Jameson here as he has recently gotten into the business himself with his PAUL JAMESON WINE EXPERIENCE that specializes in conducting home wine-tastings as well as private office and business wine-tastings.
As you will see from the photo here all the excellent and classic-style Italian wines that Alessandro now represents ( he makes wine and has for years made many excellent wines at his family's vineyard in Friuli called FRANCO FURLAN. Some of you may still remember these wines as they got great distribution and attention from both Alessandro when he would come and visit here as well as through Franklin Imports/Selections ( Michael Franklin I am sad to say has now passed away as has Michael Downey that I used to work together with at the Mayflower Wines & Spirits ).
I forgot to mention that both Andrea Fossi ( he was not here at this Downey portfolio tasting today ) and Alessandro Furlan both worked at the Mayflower Wines & Spirits back in the mid eighties learning the business and learning English. Elizabetta who's family owns VIETTI was also there at the same time as Alessandro doing the same. What a wonderful moment this all was , really. I will never forget it. )
Since Alessandro left making the FRANCO FURLAN wines called " Pra Di Pradis - Fields of Paradise " wines in Friuli he has amassed an amazing portfolio of top Italian wines to sell here through Downey Selections in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. We carry a number of them always. They are : Alberto OBERTO of Piemonte, Italy, DEGANI of Valpolicella, Veneto, and VERBENA of Tuscany, too. There are more. I will soon mention them all.
However, it's time for me to go off to work to sell wines on this sweltering hot and humid Saturday morning, July 24th, 2010 in Washington D,C. in our Cleveland Park neighborhood two blocks away from our National Zoo at 9:50AM. I have much more to say as usual but that will have to wait until tomorrow when I am here back at home and not working.
In the meantime caio Alessaandro e a presto I hope and to all you others enjoy these pictures and stay-tuned for more. TONY
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