I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION RECENTLY ...

IT WAS AN EVENING HERE and I was talking to a customer that I later learned is called Michael. We were talking about the single malt Scotchs I believe and somehow the conversation led to both beer and liquor and Michael asked me if it was me that worked on our Facebook page? I said : " yes, I work on it :. He responded that it seemed to be mostly about wine, was that true? I said again : " yes, it was a whole lot about wine ". And as it sunk in I started to answer his question fully and explain that my principle job here are the wine selections. In saying this to Michael it occurred to me that I do not talk with all the other reps for beer and liquor as much and even though I constantly tell them that I write a weekly Tuesday store email I do not always here from them in time to make a bigger impact and impression as we can. This, I know sounds like an excuse.

I TOLD MICHAEL that I would work on all of this. He mentioned a beer conference and I said I did not know about it? I asked him to include it on our Facebook page and that that would be helpful to any of you interested. I promised to include more pictures and info on both beer and liquor ( and ciders as well ). I told him I would do this immediately. Well, by the end of the day we had both done what we promise and our Facebook page there was some of all of what we said we would do. Thanks Michael, I appreciate your input and your comments and they have encouraged others to comment as well. Bravo.

SO NOW EVERY TIME I think of a ale,beer,cider, liquor, liqueur or wine I go to their Facebook page, " like " them, leave a message, share one of their pictures with our Facebook customers, and ask them in turn to " like " us and to stay in touch with us, to share information back-and-forth as this is key to staying caught up on things and not missing valuable pieces of information.

TODAY YOU WILL ALREADY SEE on our Facebook page that I have included some of the pictures of the products that will be included here in today's email. So far I have mostly done this on the beers and the liquor. It will take time, but I hope this all is helpful and interesting and engaging for you all as you look and hunt for " new " ideas and some " old " ones, too that you can add your own newer touches to? Let us know? Whatever input you have to share with us is valuable especially as you are all so busy. Cheers. Thanks again Michael. You got the ball rolling for us and I do appreciate it.

HAPPY First Day Of PASSOVER.

HAPPY Friday.

HAPPY EASTER this Sunday.

THE JANCIS ROBINSON American-Wine-Experience-Wine-Tasting-Book Signing of her joint effort with Linda Murphy AMERICAN WINE was a grand success on many levels. Too bad it was not more than one evening? That would have been nice. It was more an event for the members of the Smithsonian Associates program and less for the wine trade of retailers and restauranteurs. I heard one good customer of ours say that it seemed a bit more like something to highlight the Smithsonian? Interesting idea. It was recorded and I do believe that I was one of the very few if only retailers there? I also did not recognize many people in the restaurant business there? I guess it was about selling and signing the " new " AMERICAN WINE book that is very welcome. It was fun this past week for me to compare it the THE AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN WINE written by William Kaufman and published in 1984. I used both recently and would love to see the two combined a s they both cover very valuable bits of information.

OUR PAST FRIDAY wine-tasting here with sommelier Andrew Stover of VINO50 Selections was on the wines of Virginia, 3 wineries that we highlighted : BREAUX Vineyards, BOXWOOD Winery and PARADISE SPRINGS Of Clifton Winery. The wines showed really well and it was a great way to highlight what British wine-writer Jancis Robinson said at the Thursday 3-Part event , March 21st, 2013 at 6:45PM starting with the interview conducted really well by Dave McIntyre that writes the wine reviews for the Washington Post and supports the efforts of all local products that includes wine, then the AMERICAN WINE book-buying and signing, and then the wine-tasting with wine owners and makers from Texas, Michigan, Colorado, New York, Virginia and even California! Jancis made the rounds of all the tables and it was an incredible gathering of really talented people making, drinking and promoting wines. BRAVO.

JANCIS ROBINSON SAID about the wines of Virginia : " Great energy and broad vision. I quite like the Petit Verdot and the Petit Manseng wines, the Virginia governor, Chris Parker ( for introducing them to London and the UK ), and Steven Spurrier ". With such a statement as this it seemed the only correct thing to have Andrew Stover taste here that Friday night right after this momentous wine-tasting.

LINDA MURPHY that co-authored the book AMERICAN WINE with Jancis had been in contact with Andrew Stover setting up the wine-tasting with the various owners and winemakers. The wines showed really well and we will have them here as they are available for us to buy and resell to you all. From Virginia we have the BOXWOOD wines and the 2012 dry rose Bordeaux blend, $17.99 ( Middleburg, VA. Rachel Martin of the family was there, 13% alcohol by volume ) that was tasted there was also tasted here and we have the last few bottles for you all. We also have the CGT " Ship of Fools " OLD MISSION PENNINSULA 2010 dry white blend, $18.99, a blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir grapes, 13% alcohol by volume, www.cgtwines.com, Michigan, Sean, the owner poured, his wife had just had a son 3-wwek's old and had given Sean permission to be away for 24 hours, no more! ). The LINDEN wines of Front Royal, the Chardonnay was poured by owner and win emaker Jim Law himself. Will have to order it as it is showing brilliantly.

BEER From SANTOS :

1) The SHED Brewery India Pale Ale a Hoppy Good Ale ( On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack, unfiltered, since 1995, Brewed in Stowe Vermont, 6% alcohol by volume, ) : " Brimming with citrus hop aroma, this IPA inherits it's complex flavor from ample hop additions throughout the entire brew ".

2) Oberon Ale brewed and bottled by BELL'S Brewery, Inc, ( On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack, 5.8% alcohol by volume,www.bellsbeer.com, Comstock, MI, 49053 ) : " Oberon, our summer ale, an American wheat ale with the color and scent of a summer afternoon ".

3) RED STRIPE Jamaican Style Lager ( ON Special for $8.99 a 6-pack , www.redstripebeer.com ) : " For over 80 years ... Red Stripe has embodied the spirit, rhythm and pulse of Jamaica and it's people ". And it sure does taste good and make one want to have another taste, and then another ... cheers.

4) CRABBIE'S Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer, imported ( On Special for $9.99 a 4-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 4.8% alcohol by volume,www.crabbiesgingerbeer.co.uk, from Glasgow, UK ) : " best served chilled over ice with a slice of lemon or lime ". We just did a tasting here recently with our customers and it's already off to a great running start in such a short period of time. Cheers.

INSTANT NEWS : Blond 21-year-old son of Karine Et Christian Lauverjat of Sancerre, France was just here trying with me his two dry white Sancerre wines, his one dry Pouilly-Fume, his dry rose Pinot Noir Sancerre rose and his dry red Pint Noir Sancerre (Lauverjat.christian@wanadoo.fr ). Excellent, all of them. We always sell well the " Moulin desVrilleres" dry white : it's our best-seller, $23.99 a bottle. It's such a small world as he just spent 4 months last year from January -June 2012 helping to make wine at SEIFRIED Vineyards in Nelson, New Zealand. We just tasted Agnes Seifried's wines here this past Saturday with Paulette pouring them for us. Small, wonderful world. He had a great visit in New Zealand and saw other ways to make Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. A win-win situation for everyone.

LIQUOR / LIQUEUR From RAVI :

LIQUEUR :

1) G. E. MASSENEZ Creme de Cassis de Dijon, $19.99, 375ml bottle, 20% alcohol by volume, Ville, France, depuis 1870 ) : " The Triple Creams of G.E. Massenez are versatile specialties which can be served : Neat or over ice in a liqueur glass, with white wine or champagne - Kir and Kir-Royale, or with club soda, or even as an ice cream and dessert topping ". Cheers.

LIQUOR :

1) TEMPLETON RYE Prohibition Era Recipe, " Small Batch " Rye Whiskey ( $46.99, 750ml, 40% alcohol by volume, www.templetonrye.com , Templeton, Iowa ) : " Uncle Al's favorite whiskey was the good stuff from Iowa, Templeton Rye Whiskey ". Deirdre Maria Capone. Back in 1920 when it was " outlawed " there were 350 people living it Templeton, Iowa, and they all knew that this was the " good stuff". Cheers.

2) Imported LAUDER'S Scotch Blended Scotch Whisky, ( On Special for $16.99, Glasgow, Scotland, since 1834, 40% alcohol by volume , 1.75ml bottle ) : what a great value! Good and so affordable!

WINES By Michel Dumas and Tony Quinn :

WHITES :

THREE Kiwis From Eric, Poured By Paulette :

1) " Craclin' Savie " Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc , New Zealand , $18.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume , www.ppw.co.nz ) has developed some in the bottle so being the only Kiwi SB with some sparkle this is also more flavorful and complex with more layers of tastes to really complement many a dish. Perfect for these first few official days now of Spring, perfect for Easter this coming weekend!

2) Pinot Gris Pinot Gris, 2012, from Nelson, New Zealand, $20.99, 13% alcohol by volume, www.seifried.co.nz ) is steely, dry, flavorful and amazingly complex and balanced. It was my favorite with so many levels of flavors that slowly warm up to my touch as my hand warms the glass and releases the flavors that are there in this delightful Pinot Gris. Cheers.

3) The DOCTORS' Riesling , 2011 from Marlborough ( $20.99, 8.5% alcohol by volume , www.forrest.co.nz) from owner Dr. John Forrest, this is a bit rounder, softer, more round and fruit-forward and easy to drink with or without a meal. Cheers.

3 From Virginia :

1) PARADISE SPRING of Clifton, 2011 Sommer Blanc ( $21.99, 43% Vidal Blanc, 31% Traminette, 26% Riesling ,www.ParadiseSpringsWinery.com ) is floral and aromatic and so easy to enjoy again with or without a meal. Medium-to-light-bodied, a good fleshy fruit-forward middle taste with good acidity and mineral coming at the finish and taking the fruit away and making you long for more.

2) BREAUX Vineyards of Purcelville, Virginia " Chere Marie " 2012 Vidal Blanc ( $16.99, 13.6% alcohol by volume,www.breauxvineyards.com 800-492-9961 ) : there is a lovely fullness on the palate and a softness of flavors on the tongue : so easy, so delightfully bright and pleasing. PERFECT for this Easter.
BOTH these Virginia whites are perfect Easter wines.

3) BREAUX Vineyards' " Marquis de Lafayette " 2009 VA. Cabernet Franc ( $21.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume,www.breauxvineyards.com ) is medium-bodied and Michel kept comparing it's flavors to those of a French Loire Valley Cabernet Franc. It's a good food wine : medium-bodied, earthy and spicy and should be chilled twenty-plus minutes and served with some food. It's sold really well for us and continues to do so.

ALL THREE of these were tasted here this past Saturday by sommelier Andrew Stover. Cheers.

WEEKLY WEDNESDAY Still-Wine/Non-Sparkling Wine 3-Part SALE :

1) BUY ANY BOTTLE Still-Wine over $20 and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.

2) BUY ANY six Bottles Of Still Wine and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.

3) BUY ANY 12 Or More Bottles of Still Wine and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.

This includes port, sherry, marsala, madeira, sake. Call us : 202-363-4265 if you cannot come by. Be sure and pay tomorrow and save tomorrow. Ask Michel or me, Tony for help. WE also will deliver your orders to you here in Washington D.C. where it is legal for us to do so.

NEWS : Michel Dumas continues to add to our " new " web page : www.cleveland park wines & spirits. Check us out. See what we have to offer that the others do not. You will be both pleased and surprised. Give it a shot : send things to clients, friends, neighbors and relatives.

WEEK'S TASTINGS / EVENTS :

Wednesday ( tomorrow ) : Our Still Wine 3-Part SALE mentioned above.

Friday, March 29th, 2013 ( 5-8PM ) : We have David Enright from Grappoli Imports here to try a selection of his fine Italian wines like his Tuscan Morellino di Scansano red and the Vernaccia white, a Pericone indigenous red from Sicily, his Grechetto dry white from Orvieto, maybe even one of his STONE MOUNTAIN Virginia, Marlborough wines? We are working on all of this as I type. Join us, never any charge. Saturday, March 30th, 2013 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Dmitri from Nice Legs Imports to try an assortment of wines from Argentina, Oregon and even Moldova as he is from there and his mother has made wines there for more than 30 years now I believe? Anyway, it will be a great tasting with Dmitri.

ALSO : Ravi has set up a rye tasting with the famous Vermont rye whiskey called WHISTLEPIG Straight 100% Rye Whiskey, $76.00 a bottle, 100 Proof, Aged 10 Years, finished in Bourbon barrels. Made at Whistlepig Farm, Shoreham, Vermont. 5-Stars from Spirit Journal, their highest award. Pretty special. Come taste it : so distinct, makes a great splurge gift for someone you love.

I AM SURE I have forgotten many things : there is so much to talk about here! The world of spirits is enormous! Please check out both our " new " web page as well as our Facebook page and " like " us on Facebook. Take care and have a great week and stop by anytime. We are here for you. Cheers, TONY