LET'S CELEBRATE ACTIVELY THIS WEEK ... BOTH " TEACHER APPRECIATION " ... AND MOTHER'S DAY! A VERY FULL WEEK FOR US ALL INDEED, AND A VERY POSITIVE ONE, TOO!

CALL US : 202-363-4265 ; WE DELIVER ; HAPPY TO DELIVER, HAPPY TO GET THINGS FOR YOU TO GIVE TO TEACHERS AS WELL AS TO YOUR MOTHERS!

LOOKS LIKE RAIN THIS WEEK and you may not to go out so call us and we will deliver to you. It's our pleasure. Just let us know what you are interested in and we will come by and save you from getting any more wet than you already may be from this constant rain, clouds and gray, no sunshine, dampness and puddles everywhere that eventually permeates everything we are wearing as well as within us effecting our moods, feelings and thoughts. Let us bring you some liquid sunshine, we have it in so many colors, forms, textures, from the driest of dries to the sweetest of sweetest, from clear to golden and green and brown and dark and blue, from still to sparkles - few and bigger bubbles or more and really tiny ones like in real French champagne! SOMETHING for EVERYONE is our motto.

WE'VE ALL HAD FULL PLATES and it has been exciting to hear from customers about some of them like the NIKE WOMEN'S SERIES running marathons. One of our customers this past Saturday had just participated in the first one held here on Pennsylvania, 13 mile marathon starting on Freedom Plaza with 14 thousand-strong I believe that she said. It all started in San Fransisco with firemen dressed in tuxedos bringing the female runners Tiffany boxes with necklaces. Joan Benoit-Samuelson was there, at this one in D.C. our female customer relaying all of this to me also got a Tiffany box with a Tiffany necklace. She showed it to me. Admission started at $160 per runner and it went to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. ALL GOOD. I loved hearing all of this. So many great causes. She received her Tiffany box here from a man dressed in a tux - showed me the picture, really nice. She had a broad smile on her face as she showed it to me.

WHERE WILL THE NEXT one be held? I should have asked?

I ALSO SPOKE TO ANOTHER WOMAN recently that was all excited about discovering the Barclay Bar Calvados Collection and organic spirits menu in New York City at 111 East 48th Street. Barbara told me that there was some insane number of French Normandy Calvados bottles to sample and order the one that you preferred. She told me that she had sampled a really old one. Being an avid Calvados lover as I am, and knowing that we have many customers that love French apple brandy as I do I asked her to email me the place and address and phone number, etcetera. Thanks Barbara. She did, too : 1) www.intercontinentalnybarclay.com, and 2)www.Facebook.com/NYBarclay. This all makes me wonder what we have to offer here in Washington D.C.? It is worth checking if we have something similar here so that you can support D.C. and our local economy before heading north to the Big Apple. Cheers. Please do respond here and let us know any of your thoughts? We'd love to hear th e? How many of you love apple brandy?

SPEAKING OF APPLES we have three California ACE Ciders for you all to try and choose from to see which you like best? You may want to buy a 6-pack of each to see where you all stand/ where your palates-tastes fall?! 1) ACE California " Joker Hard Cider ( On Special for $11.99 a six-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 6.9% alcohol by volume, produced by the CALIFORNIA CIDER COMPANY, Sonoma, California, Sebastopol, 95472, www.acecider.com ) : " Our Master Cider Maker, decided he would experiment and make a strong dry cider. The result is Ace Joker which is European in style and has distinct Champagne characteristics. ... Enjoy this exhilarating alternative to beer or wine. "

2) ACE California Berry Hard Cider ( On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack, 5% alcohol by volume ) : " ACE Berry Cider is a premium hard cider made in the heart of Sonoma Ciounty's apple orchards. Ace berry is a mixture of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry juice added into our fermented apple cider ... Enjoy this exhilarating alternative to beer or wine."

3) ACE Hard Pumpkin Cider ( On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 5% alcohol by volume ), : " Our cidermakers developed a seasonal cider with pumpkin and allspice for the fall. The cider is crisp with subtle aromas of pumpkin. Ideal for Halloween and Thanksgiving which is traditionally cider time. Enjoy! : I might add that with all this cold weather, dampness and rain, cloudy days with spotty sunshine that this will also taste great now for this week of Teacher Appreciation! Try some out, see what you all think? ALSO : Great for Mother's Day.

BEER From SANTOS :

1) MOYLAN'S Hopsickle Imperial Stout Triple ALE Hoppy ( On Special for $8.99, a 1Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottle, 9.2% alcohol by volume, from MOYLAN'S Brewing Company, Novato, CA. www.moylan's.com ): " This is a " Hop " tribute, worthy of a King's Imperial Court! Enjoy the blast of fresh Tomahawk, Chinook and Ahtanum Hops as they stimulate the taste buds in a truly Imperial Fashion. Pucker Up! "

2) " Night Tripper " Imperial Stout from The High Gravity Series from NEW HOLLAND Brewing ( On Special for $8.99 a bottle, Vintage 2013, 27 Plato, 10.8% alcohol by volume, 1 Pt, 8 Fl. Oz bottle, www.New HollandBrewing.com ) : " An abundance of roasted malts and flaked barley create rich, roasty stout with deeply intense, lush flavors. Layered, nuanced tones invite intrigue and reward a curious palate. Pairings: dark chocolate, stinky cheese, cayenne." Sounds like a real tasting experience. I love this text, makes me want to try it!

3) PEAK Organic Brewing Company , the IPA ( On Special for 10.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 7.1% alcohol by volume, pure ingredients, delicious beer , Portland, Maine ) : Santos has organized a tasting here from 5-8PM on Thursday night, May 9th, 2013/ JOIN US, NEVER any charge ...

LIQUOR/ LIQUEUR From RAVI :

1) Amaretto di Saschira from LUXARDO ( On Special for $26.99 a 750ml bottle, 28% alcohol by volume, product of Italy ) : a perfect Mother's Day treat. I know for a fact that my wife really likes it. how about yours, and how about your mother? Beautiful gift-bottle, too : fun, so much fun and great taste, too. Cheers, Happy Mother's Day everyone ...

2) TORRES 20 Hors D'Age Imperial Brandy ( On Special for $62.99 a bottle, Penedes, Spain ) : this is another perfect gift for both Teacher Appreciation Week as well as Mother's Day this Sunday. It's smooth enough for everyone to enjoy sipping it all by itself. From the TORRES family, from Miguel Torres, 40% alcohol by volume, aged 20 years - NO BITE - soft like a newborn baby's skin :www.torreswines.com for more info. A REAL TREAT for everyone.

3) Reposado CASAMIGOS Tequila, 100% Agave Azul, from Jalisco, Mexico, Numero 22122 On Special for $56.99 a 750ml bottle, 40% alcohol by volume, made in Mexico ) : another great Teacher Appreciation Week gift that can be enjoyed still relishing our past weekend of the Cinco de Mayo! Cheers and enjoy.

4) " Midnight " KAHLUA Rum With Black Coffee Liqueur ( On Special for $18.99 a 750ml bottle, 70 Proof, product of Mexicowww.kahlua.com ) : best enjoyed as a chilled shot. This is another perfect Mother's Day present that may be enjoyed easily this weekend, especially if the temperatures continue to be cool and there is still some rain and drizzle around. Let's hope everything will dry up and that the sun will break through the thick blanket of clouds. Cheers.

IT'S BEEN BUSY HERE : SOME UPDATES:

THIS PAST FRIDAY with Jody Jackman we tried the COUSINO-MACUL Chilean wines from the Maipo Valley and they all showed really well as expected. The LOTA 2007, On Special for $99.99 a bottle showed beautifully and we sold some of that as well as of the FINIS TERRAE, the ANTIGUAS RESERVAS, the MERLOT, and the dry white an exciting SAUVIGNON GRIS. ALL the wines are still in stock and available here for any of you that missed this incredible event to honor Arturo Cousino that was just in town here in Cleveland Park about a week and a half ago. What a great moment that was to see him again and have him back here. The LOTA Bordeaux blend may be enjoyed now or aged and it will only show better with time. It's still very young. The LOTA will make a great FATHER'S DAY Gift as that is also coming up soon.

THIS PAST SATURDAY with Chuck our salesperson for Robin Cellars we tried three California wines from SHANNON RIDGE Petit Sirah and Sauvignon Blanc, VIGILANCE dry red Zinfandel blend with Petit Sirah in it as well - from North Coast , and PALI Chardonnay from Sonoma, that all showed really well - SOLD REALLY WELL, too. We still have them all here for you to enjoy. They, too will make great Teacher Appreciation Gifts, along with the COUSINO-MACUL wines from Chile.

JUST HAPPENED : We had winemaker Pascal / Schildt of the FALSE BAY Portfolio here with Nolan Hale introducing his dry Chenin Blanc 2011 and his dry Pinotage 2012 , both will sell for $14.99 a bottle, both are balanced, fruit-forward, smooth, bright, fresh, medium-to-light-bodied : delights both. They will make good additions to what we currently have. Nolan will come by and try Michel on them to see if he agrees with me on these two? I hope so as I really do like them both very much. It was a treat for me to taste them as I finish this store email for you all.

WINES From Michel & Tony :

1) Pinot Grigio from Italy's Veneto, from CORNARO, $9.99 and very flavorful and rich and tasty this 2012 vintage! It's a fine food wine.

2) 100% Sauvignon Blanc 2011 from France's Loire Valley, a Touraine from Jean Sablenay, $10.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume, this is clean and crisp and bright with more body and more personality than most and thus more reminiscent of a delicate Sancerre. Cheer. Great value, too. AMAZINGLY GOOD!

3) !00% Sauvignon Blanc 2012 from MATUA in New Zealand's Marlborough Valley ( $11.99, 13% alcohol by volume,www.matua.co.nz ) : this was amazingly good like the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc above : BOTH WAY OVER delivered for quality and price.

4) 100% Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2012 from SEIFRIED in Nelson ( On Special for $19.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume ) : this is the " new " vintage that arrived and it's really amazingly flavorful, crisp, tasty, tangy, like a great mineral-laden Pouilly-Fume from the Loire Valley in France. Better with food, makes you hungry quicker as there is more acidity and TANG here and so it's great with salads and vinaigrette, goats' cheeses, anytime you squeeze lemon or lime on a dish, casual or formal, inside or outside : and CERTAINLY PERFECT for both this week of Teacher Appreciation and Mother's Day this Sunday! Cheers.

5) Moscato 2011 from Oregon's FORIS VINEYARDS in Cave Junction ( $20.99, 7.5% alcohol by volume, www.foriswine.com ) : this is a perfect dessert wine all by itself or with many fresh fruits like apricots, pears, peaches, nectarines. Steve was the winemaker, he might still be? Anyway, for years Steve lived and worked here and so it was a great surprise to find him here at the FORIS Winery : " This Moscato was made in an exuberant style and rich in sustainable enthusiasm. Enjoy." We will : perfect for this weekend and to cap an exciting evening or celebration : like teachers getting their students to check their work, catch their mistakes, and dot their " i's " and cross their " t's "! OH YEAH. BRAVO.

RED :

1) Syrah La Rioja, Argentina of CHANARMUYO, 2011 ( $10.99 , 14% alcohol by volume, www.chanarmuyo.com.ar ) : wow, peppery and spicy, earthy, pithy and delicious and GREAT VALUE! WOW!!!

2) L.A. CETTO Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Estate-Bottled from Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico ( $11.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume ) : the lovely essence of bright dark red berry fruit like blueberries and raspberries : I love it, so do many of our customers. Cheers.

3) Pinotage " La Capra " from FAIRVIEW , this 2011 in South Africa ( $11.99, 14% alcohol by volume ) is nice to add here to our collection. Cheers.

4) BOE Brookly Oenology 2010 Social Club Red Merlot blend from the North Fork of Long Island ( $19.99, 13.2% alcohol by volume ,www.brooklynoenology.com ) is medium-bodied, bright, fresh, lively and really balanced and a TRUE DELIGHT to enjoy now. Bravo! Signed, too in time for Mother's Day by the female winemaker. Cheers.

5) TINTORGEN Co-Ferment Malbec 2010 from Mendoza, Argentina ( $19.99, 14% alcohol by volume ) : I loved the fruit-forward balance of the plum and the prune, spice and toasty, bright roasted berry flavors here. Quite the treat! SO ENTICING, drew me in ...

6) Pinot Noir Cuvee J from EVESHAM WOOD from Oregon's Eola -Amity Hills, $54.99, a 2010 made with organic grapes, 13% alcohol by volume , this is elegance and SILKY SUBLIME-NESS , so fine and bright, and lovely now even so young.

DESSERT RED - PORT-STYLE :

1) Syrah Dessert Wine 2008 from the LAUTERBACH Cellars, this Russian River Valley , Sonoma County ( $36.99, 375ml bottle, 18.5% alcohol by volume ) is a beauty to sip. WOW, it's a TRIPLE WOW! Michel and I both LOVED it, really we did.

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY 3-PART STILL-NON-SPARKLING WINE SALE :

1) BUY ANY $20 or more non-sparkling wine and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker price.

2) BUY ANY 1-6 Bottles of non-sparkling wine and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.

3) BUY ANY 12 or More Bottles of Non-Sparkling Wine and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.

Pay on Wednesday and SAVE BIG> Cheers, call if you cannot come : 202-363-4265 and Michel or I, Tony Quinn will be happy to take care of you.

WEEKEND TASTINGS'

THURSDAY, May 9th, 2013 ( 5-8PM ) : Santos has set up a PEAK Organic , Portland Maine beer tasting . Join us, NEVER any charge.

FRIDAY, May 10th, 2013 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Chuck Leopold here to taste the organic California wines of TERRA SAVIA : a Chardonnay, a Merlot and a Petit Verdot. Join us, NEVER any charge.

RAVI has set up a FEW Spirits American Gin & Rye Whiskey tasting for you all as well. Same time.

SATURDAY, May 11th, 2013 ( 2-6PM ) : We have 3 from France from Bobby Kacher to try : Julienne Ducasse with Domaine Tariquet, vegan an where they make Armagnac as well, as well as Antonin Bonet of Domaine Caze, and also Jean Hubert Leberton of Domaine Liberton. Antoine Songy the president of Robert Kacker Selections will be here, too. It's in anticipation of the Robert Kacher portfolio wine-tasting on Monday. Cheers. FUN!

I AM SURE I HAVE FORGOTTEN MANY Things but it's time to post this. Cheers, thanks for everything. Don't forget to say " thanks " to the teachers in your lives and to prepare early for Mother's Day this Sunday. Cheers, TONY