We had a great time and a great meal and it was fun to see everyone coming together the night before the big Robert ( Bobby ) Kacher portfolio Spring Tasting tomorrow at the Washington Club on Dupont Cirle the next afternoon. I plan to attend that, too if I can fit it into my busy schedule for the day.
In the meantime the dinner at Lavandou restaurant with many of the Robert Kacher team from around the country as well as with four of the owners/ wine-makers was quite the treat. I had already met Diane Puymarin as she had already done a grand wine-tasting at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com, anthony.quinn@clevelandparkwine.com, http://www.clevelandparkwine.com/, on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits , also on Twitter at : cpwinespirits ) perhaps three or four years ago? I blogged about it here and so you can plug Diane's name into the search engine above to find it with photos and all ). She sold all but one bottle as I recollect and was very unhappy that she did not sell it. She told me tonight in French that she should have bought that bottle herself. Not necessary Diane. After all, people do come back the next day in search of another bottle or two because they like it so much.
It was great to have the front of Lavandou to ourselves as people kept arriving from around the country to the dinner. A retailer showed up from Boston, Massachusetts that I got to meet and draw a quick portrait sketch of. He appreciated that. I was moved that he gave me his business card before I drew as well as a corkscrew from the store called The Wine Thief I believe?
Yes, in my typical fashion I sat at the table with Diane Puymarin , Antoine Songy, Bill and Anthony Hudry ( the Export Director Americas ) called AdVini Des Vignobles & Des Hommes that represents CAZES, OGIER GASSIER, RIGAL Antoine MOUEIX, LAROCHE, et JEAN/JEAN. Impressive. I drew Anthony and Diane and Antoine and Lionel and the two twins of the Chateau Guiot. It was fun : I was completely in my element and having a blast - chatting and eating and drawing and telling stories.
The food and the wine matched really well. I arrived late and so I missed a couple of courses. Antoine told me that they were excellent. Too bad - I had wine to sell to our customers at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits just a few store fronts down from Lavandou at the other end of the block and on Connecticut Avenue just across from the Uptown Movie House Theater.
The course that I did really love was the rabbit. It made the meal for me and was pretty much the course that I had a good chance to focus on. It was the Slow Roasted Rabbit a L'Anchoiade, Sauteed Fingerling Potatoes and served with Diane's Chateau d"Or et de Gueule " Cimels " Costieres de Nimes 2008 dry red blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan. The combination of food and wine was superb here and I thoroughly enjoyed both - pretty much devoured both!
I was so busy chatting and drawing my quick portrait sketches and introducing Ben Giliberti ( the old writer of the wine articles for the Washington Post newspaper ) that I never got served any of the cheese as I moved around the front of the restaurant from table to table. I did have to say my " hellos " to some of the gathered guests. The cheese course did look inviting and under other circumstances I would have enjoyed it quite a bit I am sure : Humbolt Fog Goat Cheese, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Grilled Country Bread and served with Diane's Chateau D'Or et de Gueule " La Bolida " Costieres de Nimes red 2007 almost 100% Mourvedre with a smidge of Syrah, too. I loved this wine and served myself a second glass if not a third. It was superb and spoke to me on all levels and all of my senses. I will definitely have to buy some of that for the store and have it to sell soon.
As a matter of fact as I told Ronnie Miller, Antoine Songy, Diane Puymarin, Lionel Lavail and Anthony Hudry - we will make a wine-tasting in the store based around some of these wines from the dinner. That will be fun and we can tie the wines with the foods and talk about both when Ronnie Miller comes soon to do his next weekend wine-tasting for our customers on a weekend. I will include that date shortly.
I am running out of time and have to get dressed and off to work now as it promises to be a really busy day at the store for us.
I loved the dry white DOMAINE CAZES, Canon du Marechal, Cotes du Roussillon dry white 2008 - a blend of Viognier and Muscat. I liked it better than the Seared Fresh Sea Scallops, Vegetable Julienne and Safron Sauce that accompanied it. The food was good - the wine in this case was really quite a treat and I enjoyed every sip and it made a great first impression on me. Merci Lionel pour ca.
The two twin brothers Alexis and Newman of the CHATEAU GUIOT visited the store earlier in the day with Ronnie Miller. I had already met Alexis and was now meeting Newman for the very first time. They both are jeune and have tons of personality. I enjoyed drinking the MAS de GUIOT 2008 Costieres de Nimes dry red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. I missed the Fricassee of Squid and Calamari with Bacon and Onion in a Red Wine Deduction that accompanied it. Too bed : it needs some food as it is a food wine first and last. I like that - the bread helped as I sat down when I arrived and that is what I started with immediately. I had already tried their 2010 dry rose earlier that late morning in the store when Ronnie brought them around. I have more to say but it's time to get off to work now.
Cheers and stay-tuned for more as I have much more to add when and if I get a moment. I gave everyone their quick portrait sketches last night as my gift to them and I think that they really appreciated this gesture on my part as I am an artist first and foremost and thrilled to be so! Cheers, TONY
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