Tuesday, January 8th, 2013, Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits' Store Email Written & Posted By Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn To Store Customers : Cheers & Enjoy!

Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits

THIS IS THE KIND OF DAY that inspires me, inspires us to do better, be better, learn more, expose ourselves to more, share more, grow more, do everything with a bit more enthusiasm and courage, confidence and  conviction. These days with baby blue skies and some wispy white strings of white clouds and some cool air, brisk and refreshing; it's the kind of day that we all walk a little faster and have to focus a bit more, perhaps even try a bit harder as a result of our environment. I like it, it spurs me on to try harder and have a better attitude, a more positive attitude as I do. These are all inspiring days for.   ERNIE IS HERE TO SEE WHAT WINE HE WANTS? He says that it's perhaps a rose? Turns out we decided on something entirely different and that's okay. That's what makes wine fun. You come looking for something which you may or may not buy and you see what else is interesting. I used to have this conversation with Mike Martin ( how many of you remember Mike Martin?!? ) and I would say to Mike: people come here looking for something specific, they do not come here interested in everything or wanting to buy everything. It's our job to expose them to new and different possibilities in all the categories that we represent. That keeps it interesting for all of us here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits : always something to discover, at any moment, at any period in our lives, at any age, it does not matter.   I AM READING THIS BOOK called " Mindset " and it talks about two categories of learning : 1) those that learn what is asked of them to make a good grade in college ,  and  2) those that try and learn from what they are studying and try and make it interesting and stimulating, no matter what it is. I was reading some of this last night and those that try and actually learn something of value from what they are studying, and not simply memorizing it do better in life according to the author. Anyway, wine is something to learn about and to explore and to see, as I always like to say, : how it fits, feels and looks, as well as tastes your own personality, mood. needs, taste buds and palate, etcetera. JOIN US on this voyage of discovery that we all take together. It has only become more stimulating and intriguing recently these days as we are exposed here to more things from around the world.   THE SAME THING I AM WRITING ABOUT ABOVE is true in beer, liquor, liqueurs, apple ciders, waters, organic, bio-dynamic, vegan, Free-Trade, limited sulfur-content, gluten-free, local, green, ... the list goes on and on and on. We try and represent as much of it that we can here as we see these " new " products pretty much daily. SO : Here From Santos :  BEER - CIDER           BEER/ ALE :        1) Imperial INIQUITY Black Ale from SOUTHERN TIER Brewing Company ( On Special for $7.99 a 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottle- 650ml , 9% alcohol by volume, from Lakewood, New York, southerntierbrewing.com ) : " 2-row , 21 Plato, " a debittered black malt kettle hops : chinook, cascade hop back : Willamette dry hops : cascade, centennial. ... We carefully chose the name for this imperial IBA, Iniquity - a word opposing goodness. Why? This beer is contrary to what one may expect from an IPA ; this is an ale as black as night. It is the antithesis of Unearthly ". YOU ALMOST HAVE to try it after all of this! Cheers.        2) MADAME ROSE Belgian Style Ale from GOOSE ISLAND, this vintage-dated ale of 2012 ( $15.99 a 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottle, 7.1% alcohol by volume, develops in the bottle for up to 5 years, contains live years, and a sediment may form ) , from Chicago, Illinois. It's also aged in wine barrels. That gets my attention, just that alone! Try some. Cheers.        3) Belgian Style Pale Ale from WHITE BIRCH BREWING in Booksett, New Hampshire ( On Special for $8.99 a 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottle, 6.7% alcohol by volume, bottled August 2012, ) : " Our ales are unfiltered, unpasterized and traditionally made. Best served at 50-55 degrees ". This style has a distinctive aroma of noble hops and ripe pears. The flavor is moderately spicy with a soft, smooth malt body and a nice dry finish. Try some. Cheers.             CIDER :      1) JACK'S Hard Cider ( On Special for $9.99 a six-pack of 12-ounce cans, 5.5% alcohol by volume, www.jackhardcider.com, also : hauserestate.com, GLUTEN-FREE, Biglerville, Pennsylvania ) : " Craft-brewed, local Pennsylvania apples, pressed on site ... We produce a hard cider from the ground up. We grow, press and ferment apples ... ". You should all check this out. Inspired by " Jack " Hauser in the 1950's when he was the patriarch of the Hauser Family, makers of Jack's Hard Cider ".     FROM RAVI :  LIQUOR & LIQUEUR :             LIQUEUR -        1) Cherry Sangue Morlacco Liqueur ( $23.99, product of Italy since 1821, 30% alcohol by volume, Berolamo Luxardo ) : Make the LUXARDO SLING :  one-fourth of Cherry LUXARDO, one-half of gin, one-forth of grapefruit juice, shake well in the shaker, serve in a tumbler filled with ice, top with soda. Cheers.             LIQUOR -        1) Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky from DRUMGUISH ( On Special for $19.99 a 750ml bottle, aged a minimum of 5 years by law, 40% alcohol by volume, distilled, matured and bottled in Scotland, Drumguish distillery Co. Ltd, Drumguish, Inverness-shire ) is BACK AFTER 10 YEARS of not being available here on the U.S. market! This is exciting, a REALLY AFFORDABLE Single Highland Malt Scotch whisky!!!! Cheers.        2) The Distillers Edition , distilled 1992 DALWHINNIE Double-Matured Single Highland Malt Scotch whisky ( $78.99, 43% alcohol by volume, ) is a special release D.SR. 312 limited edition. Come get some while we have it. You all know what the great value and single malt 15-year-old from DALWHINNIE is. We are pleased to have this special release for the time-being. Cheers.        3) White Whisky from DEATH'S DOOR 2010 Harvest ( On Special for $24.99, regularly $39.99 , 40% alcohol by volume, from Madison, Wisconsin ) : this is a ridiculous deal for the latest CRAZE in the whisky world. It started really strong last year and will continue into this year, especially when the world really discovers them as almost everyone is making them. I give some credit to a number of our local producers here in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. GET SOME WHILE YOU STILL CAN. Cheers.        4) Distilled Gin by GREEN HAT ( $34.99 a 750ml bottle, 40.4% alcohol by volume, go to : www.greenhatgin.com for more info, from Columbia Distillers LLC , in Washington D.C. - WOW, here and so local, and a great label and bottle, too ) : " Distilled by Hand from 100% Grain and Select Botanicals in Small Batches in a Copper Pt Still. " Batch Number 000009. Cheers. ... " the ' Man in the Green Hat ' - a bootlegger who for 10 years secretly delivers booze to the majority of Congressmen ... " what a story!!!!     FROM Michel & Tony : WINES -              REDS :        1) " Legado " from DE MARTINO, this Reserva Chardonnay 2010 from Chile's Limari Valley ( $14.99 a bottle, 13.5% alcohol by volume, go to : www.demartino.cl for more info ) : " This wine is elegant and expressive, with a very pleasant mineral touch, plenty of fruit and creamy notes. It is flavorful with a long finish ". You should try some, we are pleased to have it back here again. THE FIRST CARBON NEUTRAL winery in South America.      2) Pedro Ximenez 2011 Reserva dry white from FALERNIA, this Chilean dry white from the Elqui Valley is also very flavorful ( On Special for $11.99 a bottle, 13% alcohol by volume, go to :www.falernia.com ) , made by an Italian winemaker with a Spanish grape that makes sweet Spanish sherry in Chile - this wine is amazingly complex, multi-layered and flavorful and a great wine to enjoy in this biting cold weather now. It will hold it's own with many a flavor, spice, herb, hot pepper ... great when you use nuts of any kind in a recipe. Try some, great green label, too.        3) Riesling Vino Budimir 2008 from MARGUS MARGI ( in Latin it means : Great Moravia, a river in Serbia , $21.99, 12.2% alcohol by volume, go to : vinobudimir.com for more info ) : 100% Riesling that is dry and complex, multi-layered here, rich in mineral, in rich-thick-dense yet creamy flavors that really work beautifully now in this biting cold. It tasted great a week ago and we sold a whole lot of it that Friday evening when Jody poured it. It does not taste to me anything like Riesling, any Riesling that I know anyway, and yet it sure is a flavorful and complex dry white and it really deserves a place now on our table as we enjoy many of our meals. A great thrill and a great surprise.             REDS -        1) Garnacha Tinto dry Spanish red from the DUQUE De MEDINA, this 2011 ( $11.99, 13% alcohol by volume, from Carinena, Spain ) : " Intense ruby red with purple notes and abundant tears. Clean, bright, high layer. Intense aromas of ripe fruit ( plums and blackberries ). Broad, powerful, balanced tannins and fruity. Long and elegant ". That's a long finish. It will be tasted here this weekend on Saturday, January 12th, 2013 from 2-6 PM by the importer Howard Friedman will be here himself to pour it along with another Spanish red and a Spanish white, too. Join us, never any charge.        2) 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa's Swartland and made by RIEBEEK CELLARS ( $8.99, 14% alcohol by volume, ) is such a solid, flavorful line of excellent value food wines that also include a Pinotage dry spicy red, a dry Chardonnay and a dry Sauvignon Blanc : all sell for $8.99 and we have them all in stock now except for the Pinotage which should come back soon. Cheers. This Cabernet is made like a good European wine, dry and flavorful and bright and toasty and a fine food wine.      3) Gran Reserva 2004 dry Spanish red from Valencia and from the MARQUES De ZENETE ( $13.99, 14% alcohol by volume, ) is an OUTSTANDING/ ASTONISHING DEAL from a great vintage, and the top-of-the-line quality level, too. It doesn't get any better. This will make a really fine gift of a Tempranillo dry red from Spain. Give it to yourselves or to a friend or business associate. A STEAL ...        4) Cotes Du Rhone 2010 dry red blend for the CLOS Du MONT-OLIVET " Monteil-la-Levade ", non-filtre, vieilles vignes-old vines ( $16.99, 14% alcohol ), this classic dry red Cotes Du Rhone just got a great plug from Dave McIntyre in the Washington Post last week. We still have some in stock, have had to order it three times since last Wednesday! Come and get some while you still can.        5) Carmenere dry red from a Single Vineyard Max Reserva Estates of ERRAZURIZ, Chile, this 2010 from the Valle de Aconcagua ( $19.99, 14% alcohol by volume, Errazuriz GOES GREEN, 20% reduction in glass weight of bottle, www.errazuriz.com ) : " ... hand-picked and carefully selected for quality, then aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels. Complex and enticing, with aromas of fresh blackberries complemented by a roasted red pepper, toast, sweet spice and an elegant note of black pepper ... " Come try some. Robert Mondavi used to be a partner with ERRAZURIZ years ago ...      6) Barbera and some Cabernet Sauvignon , a dry red Piemonte, Italian blend from Monferrato, this Agricola SULIN 2007 ( $17.99, 14,5% alcohol by volume , Agricola Sulin Grazzano ) is a good medium-to-fuller-bodied red with good mouth feel, punctuated with good acidity and heft from the Cabernet grape and the smooth, bright flesh of the Barbera grape. It's an excellent food wine that will continue to improve with more bottle age. Buy a couple or more bottles and forget that you have them and open them in another 5 years or so. Enjoy.        7) " Triada "- means trinity- my land, my family, my wine ... Vino Budimir 2007 dry red from Serbia and made from 100% Prokupac grapes, an indigenous Serbian grape variety. We poured it for our customers this past Friday with Jody Jackman's help and we sold quite a few bottles ( $21.99, 12.8% alcohol by volume, from the Zupa region of Serbia, www.vinobudimir.com ) because it is so smooth, bright, full and elegant and richly-textured, a bit like silk-satin on the tongue and on the palate! Cheers. Something very fun and new and special.     SAVE BIG IN JANUARY @ Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits :        3-PART Still-Wine SALE / UP to 20% OFF :          1) BUY ANY still wine bottle over $20 and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker price.          2) BUY ANY SIX BOTTLES of still /non-sparkling wine and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.          3) BUY ANY 12 or More Still Wines & SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.      If you cannot come by call us at : 202-363-4265 and we will help you.        SAVE, SAVE, SAVE BIG Here At Cleveland Park Wines on Wednesday, January 9th, 2013 on your still/non-sparkling wine purchases.     WEEK'S TASTINGS / EVENTS :          WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9th, 2013 ALL-DAY 3-Part Still/non-sparkling wine sale. Read above for more info.        FRIDAY, JAN. 11th, 2013 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Lucinda of Washburn here to do an in-store wine-tasting of her wines from Chile, France and more to be decided tomorrow. Call for more info at : 202-363-4265. Cheers. JOIN US, NEVER any charge.        SATURDAY, January 12th, 2013 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Howard Friedman the owner of his own import company called South River Imports here to taste his excellent Spanish portfolio of wines : two reds and one white : A 100% Garnacha red mentioned above , as well as a dry and flavorful white made from the Godello grape, and one other red. This will be fun : some tasty and distinct wines from Spain that are made in the old-fashioned way to complement a meal and not to replace it. Come taste and judge for yourselves.       THANKS FOR EVERYTHING : I saved this that follows from an old email that I wrote that is still true for the NO-CORKAGE fees or lack of them at DINO and at LAVANDOU. Come and buy a bottle here at take it to either on Monday ( LAVANDOU ) or tonight Tuesday ( DINO ). Cheers. The other about the show " America's Got Talent was just an episode that blew me away!     DON'T FORGET : No-Corkage at Dino tonight and No-Corkage at Lavandou on Monday nights. I had a beer at Ripple last Tuesday ( the Lady Gaga concert night at the Verizon Center ) and I really enjoyed Quintin and our customer Mark : both of which I sketched the whole while that I was there.        LAST NIGHT I WATCHED " America's Got Talent " and was blown away another time by the young ten-year-old Pennsylvania singer that sang like an adult angel : something Evancho: wow, I could listen to her voice for a very, very, very long time : inspirational to the max and then beyond!!!!   TONY       IN PARTING : I am very excited about this new year of 2013! Cheers to you all.