I get so excited about Virginia and the excellent quality that is coming from the land and many of the dedicated wine-makers/ wine owners and vineyards with the help of people like Lucie Morton and many penologist's around the world that are also now lending their time, their palates and their experiences in helping to give any support needed to better craft and realize the potential that the soil and the grapes and the weather all when combined well together can produce each and every year.
Recently at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits we have hosted the likes of Michael Shaps, Chris Pearmund, Doug Fabbioli, Rebecca Cooper, D.J., owners Jim and Susan of the DEMOCRACY Vineyard, Mark Fedor the owner of NORTH GATE and more ( like we added recently NARMADA Vineyards which is out by GRAY GHOST Vineyards and on the way out to see the Lurray Caverns. We have three wines, two whites now, the ' Mom ' off dry white, a dry ' DREAMS ' Traminette white blend, and the off-dry red Chambercin as well, as of May 2015 , when Jordan the tasting-room maanger contacted us and did an in-store wine-tasting for our customers. Thanks Jordan, 6/152015 ) to taste a variety of their wines with our customers. The wines and the people have all been really well received and it of course encourages me to do more of these tastings. We always sell the wines and it always opens the eyes of our customers a little bit more to the wonders and treasures and marvels of Virginia and it's land.
Imagine my surprise when I read this article this morning about vintner Rutger de Vink in the Washington Post newspaper this morning ( Wenesday, March 16th, 2011 - " Vintner Rutger de Vink, Abpit To Make A Splash - New Depth In Virginia " and I knew nothing of him at all and yet I have been actively supporting and selling Virginia wines since 1984-85 or so?!? I'm shocked and embarrassed and overall quite unhappy along with being delighted, invigorated, charged and ... rarin' to go! I love it! I love this kind of news! I'm thrilled to read articles like this. They are so welcome and encouraging and I am especially pleased because now I can contact Rutger de Vink and invite him to our store to taste and to talk about his new venture and wines. Thanks Dave for making me aware of Rutger.
I do believe that the world is ready to pay $90 for an excellent quality Virginia wine as well as $55 for another entry level one, too. Why not? If the quality is there then I say go for it! Be daring and out front of the pack. Be adventuresome and willing to fall flat on your face by the rarest of chances. You won't though. You simply have to believe in your decision and stick to it. The wine is worth it and you will be one of the very first to discover and promote it. Take price and satisfaction in that. Know the style and what you are serving and promoting. Include a personal story of yours, include one from Rutger. If the wine is of a certain quality and you have represented it well with the proper appetizers of meal then everything will fall into place and you can help to make it a truly serendipitous and " first " kinds of experiences for both yourself and your guests. They will thank you for it, too.Maybe not immediately but as time goes on and you prove to have been way ahead of the pack in making and sharing this discovery then your guests will realize what a special event this was. Just like the small group of professionals that gathered together with Dave to taste the Chateau Montrose 2006 Bordeaux , the Dominus Napa 2007 California red and Rutger's own RdV 2008. Wish I had been there myself. It would have been a great experience and opportunity having sold and promoted Virginia wines way back since 1984-85. It's been a glorious adventure for me and I am only sorry that I have not done more.
I guess that my eyes were truly opened to the magic and the excellence and the power and the presence of Virginia wines way back when I worked for Wines Limited Imports and represented Corinne's OASIS Vineyard wines of Hume, Virginia. That's when I took the OASIS 1991 Merlot to Swiss smellier Pierre Estoupey at the Jefferson Hotel and tasted him on it. We both agreed that it was a real treasure and he pretty much bought me out of it single-handedly. Wish that I still had a bottle to open and to share now. Is there any of it anywhere left to taste? Pierre and I both nearly almost cried when we realized that there was no more to be had.
Anyway Virginia is on a roll with more variety and more quality to offer on all fronts and I am thrilled to have 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, also now on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits - I have written more about this article and already posted it there - as well as now on Twitter at : cpwinespirits ).
We have a good selection of Virginia wines now from : THIBAUT-JANNISON, FABBIOLI, DEMOCRACY, MICHAEL SHAPS, NORTH GATE , COOPER Vineyard, PARADISE SPRINGS Vineyard, VINT HILL Vineyard, LA GRANGE Vineyard, BOXWOOD, BARBOURSVILLE and more. We are out of JEFFERSON, RAPPAHANOCK, LINDEN, INGLESIDE, BLENHEIM, WHITEHALL, STONE MOUNTAIN, Brad McCarthey's " new " wines and more ... oh well, come on by and taste me on your " new " releases guys and let's get the ball rolling once again. Many of the owners-wine-makers have been in the store themselves tasting and talking with our customers - as well as signing their bottles for gifts,
Thanks guys and gals - you are all wonderful and great and we are thrilled to actively promote and recommend your wines to our customers. I often like selling your wines more than the California wines that we sell as I believe in your efforts and want to support them and like selling, working and drinking local. I also believe that you get what you pay for when you but a Virginia wine. This pleases me enormously : there are no illusions just lots of gustatory satisfaction, especially when combined with a meal. Cheers and bravo to you all - keep it up.
Cheers and stay-tuned for more on Virginia. Also, Rutger expect a call from me soon inviting you to the store anytime at your convenience. You are welcome anytime.
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