This was a South Africa moment for us at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits if there ever was a moment like this that began and finished with South Africa.
Importers John & Theresa Morrison of Boutique Vineyards Imports were on hand to taste some young and fresh wines of SEVEN SISTERS and D'HUDI wines ( I've already blogged about that tasting ) and then later tasting the four wines from both MORESON ( " Morning Sun " in Afrikans , Franschoek, South Africa - 3 older vintages, MORESON Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, 1997, MORESON Merlot 2003 ) and also the one older vintage of BEAUMONT'S " Ariane " 2002 from the Walker's Bay of South Africa.
We also had two of our customers come - she's pregnant - and they are getting some beer from us now, having just enjoyed a meal here locally and getting ready to have their first child.
Many other of our regular local customers stopped by and I asked them to taste some of these wines with us and give us their opinions.
In fact we sold quite a few of these wines on this evening and they will actually be arriving in our store tomorrow, Friday, October 15th, 2010 and that is great as some of the same customers that tasted them with us will be by to collect the bottles tomorrow. Good timing I would venture to say.
It's now Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 and here I am at home on my day-off and trying to catch up on these older wine blogs in their draft forms. I'm pleased to get this one posted today as I have already reached out to the cellar master last night of MORESON that I met a couple of years ago on my trip there with John Morrison. What a great trip that was, too. I told him to check this entry out later today so I have to get it posted pronto!
The wines are in the store so that anyone that tasted them with us should come and pick up what they want before it all disappears quickly.
We tried blends as well as some Cabernet Sauvignon 1997/2000 ; and some Merlot bottling 2003.
The wines are really showing well and the prices are really fair and the wines should be enjoyed this year as the weather turns cold and a good, well-made, balanced dry red is perfect with some of the meals that we like to enjoy to fill us up and to warm us up, too.
The MORESON Merlot 2003 and the MORESON Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 are both ON SALE for $18.99 a bottle ; the MORESON Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 and the BEAUMONT " Ariane " 2002 are both ON SALE for $19.99. All four wines were originally $30-35 a bottle. As I said, come get some while you can.
Being an artist I look for the more artsy and hopefully thought-provoking digital pictures that I am able to produce with my trusted and handy and special Canon " Power Shot " digital camera. I love it : and together I point and shoot and hope and believe in / and for the best : and am always quite pleased with a number of the pictures that are snapped.
I love showing the wines in Reidel wine-tasting glasses with their vibrant and beautiful colors next to the labels and the people that bring them to us here in Cleveland Park neighborhood of Northwest Washington D.C. I like showing the relationship of everything and the colors and the shapes, the textures, the light and reflections, etc of the moment : as well as the action and movement and expression of emotions that can run the gambit as many people actually do quite a bit of talking with their hands and their body motions.
It was also great to introduce to Washington D.C. for the very first time both the wines of the SEVEN SISTERS and M'HUDI : wineries owned and made by local blacks from South Africa that are making quite good wines and which in fact all sold well earlier on this Saturday afternoon here in Cleveland Park. It was gratifying to see these wines make such a positive impression on our customers and sell so well.
Theresa Morrison told the story over and over and over again- never fatiguing - that in buying these wines of the SEVEN SISTERS and of M'HUDI that customers were helping to empower these local South African black owners and wine-makers to stand a chance od surviving in a hard market and send a positive message to everyone that not only were they capable of making the wines but also in selling them and surviving/ prospering to go on and make another vintage and then another : inspiring perhaps other local blacks to do the same and rise from out of poverty there.
A week or two earlier Nick Stacey of WEST CAPE HOWE was here in the store selling those wines as well as the one that I am holding - a rich and flavorful dry Aussie red from the Vinaceous series and made in South Australia. I'm holding the bottle up in my hands as I snapped this picture of the three of us.
Look at the energy and the joy in these seven sisters as they dance together in the picture above : I love it.
I love this picture above : I had to get in profile to show the pregnancy and the strong bond and love between our two customers. Is the baby born by now? I'm not sure.
Take care everyone and until my next posting. I think I could use a nice lunch now at 1:09 PM here in northern Virginia on my day-off but I have my " to-do " list and am afraid that the enjoyment of any wine will have to wait until much later tonight when my wife arrives home from a long day of school and classes and we settle down to watching another episode of the popular show called " Glee ". Cheers, TONY
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