Everyone is always welcome here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits : no matter how big or small their wines selections/portfolio might be : EVERYONE!
With GALLO I have always told the reps and regional sales managers ( I have never yet met any of the Gallo family members - they have not been to our store yet as far as I know ) that I would rather support GALLO in California than outside the state. I have made some exceptions like the MARTIN CODAX wines of Spain but in general I would rather support them with MIRASSOU and LOUIS MARTINI, to name two that are at the top of my list. To me this makes complete sense and so when I see cute labels like those of POLKA DOT from Germany my natural inclination is to run far away in the other direction to avoid them at all possible costs. Not very nice, I know. But there you have it : honest and direct.
That does not mean that I will not try the wines. I will and Chris Barker and I did. They were okay from my point-of-view, perfectly salable for the price and wine inside. Dry in one case and quite fruity in the other ; GALLO is covering their bases here and finding world dominance and meaningful ways to spend their money/ invest it and gain more of a world-share of business. I would still rather see them invest this money in California or other states in the United States that could use their support and expertise and distribution system to spread and sell better ( give back to our United States ) that might really prosper and benefit from such attention? That's if they have already done everything that they can to help the ailing California wineries that have stood the test of time and could use desperately a cash-infusion in these most difficult of current economic times?
I sure am opinionated, I know. Sorry for that but not really. I have been in the wine business here now in Washington D.C. and I have paid many dues and seen and learned many things : many of which I do not like and which sadden me greatly. Mostly I'd like the wine business to be more even with those dream-makers still able to contribute at least fifty percent to the overall making, promotion and sale and marketing of wines today. Let's not have it be simply so much corporate with numbers and units, points, scores, hype and labeling being at the forefront. Put it it the back and have the giants like GALLO help those dreamers still out there to realize more of their dreams as they make wines that reflect their particular plots of paradise wherever they may be in the United States.
What do you think Gallo family ; are you on board for this " new " and positive and beneficial to U.S. wineries direction? I'm a dreamer and proud of it. I may not make a lot of money but I sure do sleep like a log most nights.
I am happy to say that at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits where I have managed the wine department just a couple of blocks away from the National Zoo and across from the Uptown movie theater ( with one of the last big/original screens - it needs help, too : go to see more movies there guys! , that we have had both Michael Martini and David Mirassou here tasting their wines with our customers. Now there were two grand events for us and ones that I am thrilled to have been able to have shared with our customers. The ones that showed up to them really benefited in a great way with getting to meet both David and Michael and hearing bits of their stories and getting to taste and buy signed bottles for family and friends. This is all good : this is promoting the wines and the people behind them and not simply the hype and the points and the scores and the endless reviews with very few pictures and lots to read ...
This was a good tasting. It was certainly animated and we also tasted the WAKEFIELD South Australian wines ( reds and whites ) which also included the less-expensive wines called " Promised Land ". We tried the " Promised Land " unoaked Chardonnay 2007 as well as the 2006 dry red Shiraz blend of 73% Shiraz and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon. We also tasted the three Clare Valley WAKEFIELD wines of : 10 the Riesling, the 2) 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 3) Shiraz 2008. I will have to check my notes at work to see what I thought of all of these wines. I am home now on my day-off and trying valiantly to catch up on all my blogs that are still in " draft " form with pictures downloaded but no text.
It's a daunting task but one that brings me a whole lot of pleasure if no money. Oh well, I want to post what I want and not what others want so I guess I will have to resign myself to be pour from any sales or money passed in my direction when I post pictures and write my stories and opinions of the past and current wine business.
Don't get me wrong : I think GALLO has a place in the wine world and market and in the stores and the restaurants and homes of all of us. I just have a few opinions that I am willing to voice,write in print and share with anyone in the world willing to read and look at my pictures here in these blogs of mine. Cheers and thanks for the tasting guys.
We will have to continue these conversations and more on your next visit to Cleveland Park Wines and Spirits. TONY
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