Sheri Spang Now Assistant Winemaker Of PEJU Vineyard, CA., Having Sold Her Wines @ Cleveland Park Wines, Wash. D.C. N.W. Till '07? You Love Wine!

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I just sampled with Ean Bond at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits some of the new / current vintage of the PEJU Sauvignon Blanc. It was just this past week of March, the 20th or the 21st of 2012 that we met with our local rep for PEJU and he came with a large rolling case of temperature-controlled wines and he asked what we would like to sample? Both Ean and I said that as he brought them out of the bag and onto the tasting table that we would tell him " yes " or " no " as we saw them. The PEJU was the second wine that he showed us and I immediately said : " Yes! I know the assistant wine-maker Sheri Spang ". I think that this both pleased and surprised him and I took extra time and paid more attention as I tasted it. Sheri had just been to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits during the 2010 holiday season here . She came one night with her boyfriend and with our good customers the Gallo's. Wow, this was fun, wow, my eyes lit up when I saw Sheri as I do not think we had seen each other for five or so years. She was our customer and she loved wine. At the time she was our customer she was not in the wine business, she just loved wines and would stop to chat and to taste and it was always fun to sell to you Sheri with you smile and your interest.

I do not know how much wine I sold you over the years that you were here in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington D.C. N.W. but I'll wager that is was more than just a few?!?

So, here we were with the PEJU Sauvignon Blanc on the table and in our glasses and it was working it's magic on both Ean and me and I was enjoying it's elegance and polish and finesse. It was not a big Sauvignon Blanc but a more refined version like you would find in Europe. It let my palate breath and I loved this. I felt that I could sip it all by itself and also with many a meal. It had lovely subtle flavors and I appreciated that about it and we will buy some for the store. Yesterday when the Gallo's were in the store I told them that I had tasted it and would have it soon for sale. That pleased the three of us with smiles all around. As I am home typing this I do not have my notes that I left at the store so I will add them here a bit later.

Sheri often came for our weekend as well as our Big-Theme Wine-Tastings. Above is David Enright of Grappoli Imports that specializes in Italian wines from small vineyards of the highest quality and often great deals, too.

On this occasion with her dog pictured here I think it was simply a weekend tasting, perhaps later in the afternoon on a Saturday and I sampled her myself on whatever we had at the time. She was always interested in everything and willing to try pretty much anything I suggested.

It was also Sheri that suggested that I start to type some of my poems in my emails and share them with our customers. I thought about it and did just that and I got a number of compliments for the. Thanks Sheri for both mentioning this and for encouraging me with my poems. I appreciate that a whole lot as you know. You can read many of my poems now on my blog called : chatpoetry.blogspot.com. Check them out and see what you think. I am happy to be writing and publishing here in this format as many as I can find the time to type onto the site : blogspot. It's a great labor of love.

The picture above of Sheri and her dog was not taken when it was snowing outside as we see in the picture below. It may have been when the German wine-makers / owners came for their Big-Theme German Wine-Tasting in the store? I will have to check that. Anyway, the pictures that follow are from that great wine-tasting when we had four or five owners / winemakers present to taste a selection of their fine wines. I always say about German wines that it is rare that I have trouble deciding to buy a German wine as their quality is so high : but that I have to decide which ones to buy as I have a budget and it unfortunately is not large enough to buy them all! Agh! Oh well, we do what we can.

It was the Gallo's that told me that Sheri was now the assistant winemaker at PEJU Vineyards and that really got my attention quick. It was on one of their trips to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits to buy whatever they needed at the moment and we got to talking about Sheri and I realized that they all knew each other. It all developed quickly after that and I am pleased, really pleased to be back in touch with you Sheri.

I remember when I got all this under my belt that I asked our local rep Ethan to bring me some PEJU wines to taste and within a day or two he dropped off two open bottles of wines for me to sample with Greg. One was the Merlot 2007 I believe and there was also a red blend, too from another vintage? I tried them in the store with Greg and then brought them home here to enjoy with our meals. I took pictures and loved the 2007, not so much the other. I will have to find my notes and clarify all of this as it is way to vague. Sorry Sheri. I will also add the pictures that I took of the bottles here at home. I have already posted some of them on our Facebook account at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits for everyone to see.

I remember when you came this past December 2010 Sheri that we got to talking about your Cabernet Franc. You were going to send me samples for me to taste? I have not yet received them. We got into the difference between the Loire Valley French Cabernet Francs and the ones from PEJU. I told you at the time that in my mind there was no possible way that the PEJU would be better than the Loire Valley Cab Francs. You did not agree with me. I told you that I almost did not want to try the ones from PEJU as I valued our friendship and would not want to hurt it by trying them and telling you flat-out that there was no contest : that the Loire Valley Cab Francs would soar - did soar way over the ones from PEJU. But hey, I do have an open mind and am willing to try them and admit to you and to the world that they are better if in fact to my palate they do taste better. It's all, after all, simply a matter of opinion - and we are all entitled to our opinions. No one is right, no one is wrong - it's all just our personal tastes.

SO : I await the PEJU Cab Francs that you spoke so highly and eloquently of Sheri. Bring them on!

... ... /// ... I wanted to add this current picture taken last year in the store sometime when Sheri returned to visit me and say " hello " during the holiday season when she and her boyfriend were also visiting the Gallos. Cheers Sheri on this start of our 2013 Memorial Day Weekend, Friday, May 24th, 2013 ... hope all is well with you at PEJU Vineyards. TONY ... /// ... ... /// ... ... /// ...