This was another era and it has come to an end unfortunately with the recent passing of Sidney Moore Margolis, owner of the Mayflower Wines & Spirits. I have just made a copy last week of one of the pages of the newsletter and will include it here in this blog entry now. This is Deja Vu : sorry for any of you that do not want to tag along down this very fun and unique and specific " memory lane " of the days back at the Mayflower Wines & Spirits back in the mid eighties.
One of our customers back then was Jim Stutsman and he just brought a copy of one of the monthly newsletters that Sidney would write each month. It was always crunch time and not a good time to disturb her while she wrote these. It was understood that everyone would keep their distance from her and let her approach you or speak to you when she wanted and to pretty much for the rest of the time keep one's distance and let her thoughts and her writing flow undisturbed. Thanks Jim for bringing this copy to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel:202-363-4265 anthony.quinn@clevelandparkwine.com Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits , also on Twitter at: cpwinespirits )early this April, 2011.
Here's what appears on this second page of the newsletter :
" The white we are featuring this month is Pinot Bianco, but we have others from the same producer ; all of great interest. Our last shipment from LUIGI VALLE was in June of 1981. I looked at the old newsletter and was pleased to see last year's price of $3.99. Despite the Italian inflation, wine prices in the U.S. are remaining stable or dropping. We're delighted to have the VALLE wines in stock again. Hope you will try several.
PINOT BIANCO, Colli Orientali Del Friuli, LUIGI VALLE $3.49/Bottle #37.69/Case of 12.
I guess this news letter was from September 1982?
SEPTEMBER SAMPLER ( of six bottles ) : Sidney writes -
" Great sampler this month. A bottle each of the VALLE wines and a bottle of the TRAVAGLINI Spanna - four whites and two reds. Let me go on a bit about these selections from VALLE - Tocai is, first of all, no relation whatever to the Hungarian Tocai. It is the most prevalent white wine grape of the region. In good hands produces a dry, distinctive drink, smoothly nutty, fruity, all that tastes good in a medium bodied white.
Where Tocai is restrained, a Pinot Grigio is exotic, opulent. It is a rich gold color yet dry. Pinot Grigio is the new darling of wine writers. However, none of the senses is so poorly put into words as taste. You can't possibly imagine the taste from a description - so I won't try.
The Riesling in the sampler is dry in the style of Alsatian Riesling and the Cabernet Riserva will stand up to a California at twice the price ; not as heavy as the one from California, but elegant. It's a good opportunity to taste a range of wines from a little-known region.
1 Pinot BIanco $3.49
1 Pinot Grigio $3.99
1 Riesling Renano $3.99
1 Tocai $3.49
1 Cabernet Riserva $3.99
1 Spanna TRAVAGLINI $3.99
REGULAR PRICE FOR 6 $22.94
SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $20.65
Next is : BUBBLES and that is the bubbly of NINO FRANCO that makes really good prosecco. I will continue this a bit later. It's Sunday now, 1:21PM on Easter the 24th, 2011 and it's time to post this " as is " and to finish it tomorrow. In the meantime if you see and read this enjoy it and stay-tuned for tomorrow when I will finish the NINO FRANCO section as I believe that we may be one of the very first in the U.S. to introduce the United States to prosecco which may now be the most asked-for and enjoyed bubbly in Washington D.C. anyway?!? Cheers and Happy Easter e a presto! Or , Sante as Sidney would finish her monthly emails with. TONY
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