Chat Wine: Anthony Quinn's Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits' Store Email TODAY,Tuesday October 1st, 2013 : Read It & Enjoy It : Government Shutdown Started Today : So Bad!

Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine

Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits

EVERY WEEK NOW there are so many things to weigh us all down even more before we even start our week. It just comes at us from all sides, all directions, from the news, from conversation, from our commutes to work, talking to neighbors, billboards, signs, the radio. It's coming so fast now that it's hard to keep up and to absorb it all.

THERE'S SICKNESS and family members and friends that have health issues, allergies, accidents that, in a flash change things pretty much permanently ; like our college friend's mother that was coming out of a movie and fell. How horrible. Our hearts and prayers goe out to them. That, and news of the government probably shutdown last night at midnight, all the ramifications like the National Zoo down the street from us being closed today.

I PASSED THE ZOO coming to work and saw that the gates were closed : I have never seen that before at this time of day. I noticed that our sidewalks were clear of the many people of all ages on their trek from the Cleveland Park metro station going there. I also noticed that there were no bright deep yellow cadmium buses either. I drove and thought to myself that at least those that love the animals are there to take care of them until Congress manages to do their jobs and compromise and work out some budget to keep our government open.

I AM SORRY to have to mention this, it's not my job, but to ignore it and pretend that it is not there and try and sell you more of what might become more difficult for you to afford now is not doing my job either. It's a quandary of sorts, so I think I will try and talk about as many " values " as I can today to offer you all this weeks as we wait and see what transpires.

I AM SADDENED by the passing of Marcella Hazan that through her cookbooks and classes brought Italy to us here in the United States : that's Italian cooking, not to mention Italian wine, too. We have one of her cookbooks. I should have brought it with me today. She started her cooking journey way back in 1955. That sure was many lifetimes' ago! She was a biologist by training. With the help of Craig Claiborne the New York Times food critic she really became a name and a force to be reckoned with in the international cooking arena. She was I guess the Italian counterpart to Julia Child?

I WONDER IF OUR NEIGHBORS Ed & Jinny that have their own home cooking classes ever took one of her classes? I believe that they did. I will ask theme when I see them, they may respond to this when they read this? Marcella would write in Italian and her husband would translate it to English.

MARCELLA was from Cesenatico in the Italian province of Emilia-Romagna where she met her husband Victor Hazan. This will be fun to write today about the excellent wines of both DREI DONA and also of TRE MONTI.

FUNNY, when our local rep Oscar Losama of Voila Imports was here to taste his French country wines with our customers this past weekend we spoke of TRE MONTI that he and his wife Olivia represent as well as many small French family estates. We were speaking of my son being in Italy and that he should visit the fabulous husband-and-wife-team of TRE MONTE that have been here twice now. They are charming, completely dedicated to their wines and were even recently featured on one of the last Anthony Bourdain " No Reservations " segments.

IT'S SUCH A SMALL WORLD as here our son is in Italy and he knows someone that worked on " No Reservations ", and he may visit TRE MONTI and get a chance to discuss this with them?!? How cool is that?!? I love it, but I love all these ways in which life weaves a tapestry of colors, shapes, textures, liquids and solids, arts and tastes around and through us all!

WE SELL THE 2009 " Vigna Rocca " Albana Secco dry white, $17.99, 14% alcohol by volume ( Go to : www.tremonti.it for more info, in Imola, Emilia-Romagna. How close to Cesenatico is this? We will offer the reds once again. I will speak to Oscar about this in a day or so. The white is rich, flavorful, complex, textured and really offers a whole lot of sensory tastes to keep every plate searching and lingering longer to determine what the tastes are and what they remind them of?

THIS PAST WEEKEND our good customer Beth came to store and was at the register when I caught up with her. I asked her if she had got everything that she needed? She said that she had, that she would be cooking from scratch in her apartment a bit later : perhaps all weekend. Her shopping cart-stroller was filled with beautiful colors of vegetables and herbs like the deep rich green spinach.

BETH TOLD RAVI and ME that she had a recipe that needs three cups of spinach for her creamed spinach soup. She had in her cart only enough fresh spinach to make just over two cups of spinach that would become creamed spinach. She was using the Julia Child book : " Mastering The Art Of French Cooking ."

BETH CONTINUED by saying that this book is now on her Kindle and that she can even read it standing at the bus stop! She smiled as this occurred to her. She said that she did not know why she did not just buy the Stoffer's Creamed Spinach, that it was quite good.

SHE TALKED ABOUT how much work it was to de-stem and clean and prepare this much spinach. She exclaimed : " Do you know how long it takes to wash and de-stem? " Before hearing our answer she quickly added : " It will take awhile. " She's obviously done it before and will make extra to have when she gets home from work. She can freeze it and have it heated and ready to enjoy quickly.

I CALL THAT COMFORT FOOD. I bet that this TRES MONTI dry white indigenous Albana di Romagna 2009, $17.99 would work well with Beth's lovingly-made and prepared home creamed spinach? Maybe Marcella has her own recipe in " The Classic Italian Cookbook " ( 1973 ) or her more recent: " Marcella Cucina " ( 1997 ) ? I will look later today.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FATE if Beth had mentioned Marcella this past weekend instead of Julia? Beth do you also have either of these Marcella Hazan books? I'll ask you next time I see you here or you call. Cheers, thanks for the inspiration : makes all the beers and the wines taste so much better : as they should, together with good food, great comfort food to nourish all our psyches and souls!

WE ALSO SELL the dry reds and white from Enrico Drei Dona the owner of DREI DONA in Massa di Vecchiazzano, Forli, Emilia-Romagna. How far is this from Marcella's Cesenatico? I will look this up shortly. Too busy typing now. But if you know any of this and would like to share it with us please feel free to leave a comment here when you get this email, either here or on our Facebook page, or when you come to the store next.

I HAVE A SIGNED BOTTLES by Enrico here of his :

1) " Pruno " 2007Sangiovese Superiore Riserva, $43.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume - as good as many Tuscan versions if not better ,

2) " Magnificat " Vigneto Singolo-Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ( $42.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume ), and his dry white

3) " Il Tornese " white blend of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Riesling, $19.99. GREAT FOOD WINES : tremendous character, terroir, style, balance and wonderful when combined with a meal like Beth's homemade cream spinach.

SO SANTOS, What do you have for us?

ALE, BEER, CIDER :

1) Pumpkin Ale from SARANAC, ale brewed with pumpkin and spices with natural flavors added ( On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, New York State, owners Nick and Fred, go to :www.saranac.com for more info ) : " Sticklers for detail and suckers for a twist on tradition, our family is relentlessly committed to brewing excellence . " Try this. Get some now while you still can.

2) " Uprising " Triple IPA Ale, Bottle-Conditioned from IRON FIST Brewing Company ( On Special for $11.99 a 1 Pt. 9 Fl. Oz bottle, 12% alcohol by volume, from Vista, California, go to :www.IronFistBrewing.com for more info ) : " In case you are one of the 3 people that haven't figured it out, we at IRON FIST are fans of everything unfettered by any silly notions of ' tradition '. So our test insurrection is a two-for. We brewed a huge Belgian style Tripel and hopped the ( expletive deleted ) out of it. ... "

3) Premium Lager Beer Klaipeda, Lithuania from SVYTURY'S 1784 - EKSTRA ( On Special for $2.99 a 500ml bottle, 5.2% alcohol by volume, go to : www.svyturysusa.com for more info ) : Musu geriausias : our finest, since 1784 ). Cheers, come try some!

HEY RAVI - Ravinder Sharma, What LIQUEUR/ LIQUOR Have YOU For Us :

LIQUEUR :

1) Pear- Poire Williams Liqueur from MARIE BRIZARD Depuis 1755 ( $25.99, 750ml bottle, 25% alcohol by volume, from France, go to :www.mariebrizard.com for more info ) : When jy family lived in Paris, France in the 1970's this was a favorite of my mother's. She loved it! I will have to buy a bottle myself and take her some. She will love it all over again. So this is for you Mom! Try the " Red Night " recipe on the label : three-tenths Marie Brizard Pear William, three-tenths lemon juice and four-tenths Marie Brizard Blackberry. Put in a shaker and shake well and enjoy. Or chilled slightly all by itself as we did years ago when living on the Avenue Paul Doumer. Oh what great times those were!

NEWS UPDATE :

Our first customer just came in saying she had cleared her office and was off and going to be paid, she quickly added : " We will see . " She seemed okay, a soft smile, in good spirits with a bottle of Prosecco to enjoy and another to make Mimosas with. I told her about making a kir-royale with some Creme de Cassis. She bought a bottle and I hope that on this deceptively beautiful afternoon that that helps to boost her spirits as all this plays out in Congress.

2) HONEY Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey infused with real honey and liqueur from JIM BEAM ( $16.99 a 750ml bottle, 35% alcohol by volume, from Clermont-Frankfurt, Kentucky ) : What great value! JIM BEAM is always great value and a good product, reliable and affordable : all good during this shutdown. Smooth, no bite, easy to sip and enjoy leisurely, and on such an amazingly beautiful day now!

LIQUOR :

1) Spiced Finest St. Lucia Rum from the CHAIRMAN'S RESERVE ( $23.99, 40% alcohol by volume, from St. W.I, go to :www.chairmansreserve.com for more info ) : We have enjoyed selling the rums and now introduce the " Spiced " for you all to check and see what you think. Deep brown-toasty-roasted Caribbean color!

2) No. 485 Gin from NEW AMSTERDAM Exceptionally Smooth ( On Special for $15.99 a liter bottle, 100% pure grain neutral spirits ,www.NewAmsterdamSpiirits.com 1-877-897-2446 ) ; What a great value : LUXURY BLEND : " A modern, American Gin, refreshingly balanced with citrus, subtle hints of Juniper, and sophisticated notes of Angelica. It's smooth enough to drink straight. "

Aged 18 Year CHIVAS REGAL Blended Scotch Whisky, this " Gold Signature " ( $68.99 a bottle, 40% alcohol by volume, product of Scotland from Chivas Brothers LTD, go to : www.chivas.com for more info ) :

I WAS LUCKY enough to be given a bottle of this as a gift from our customer Delores. Thank you Delores.

I SHARED IT on the 4th of July with our dinner party with neighbors and friends. Smooth with enough kick and Scottish attitude to make it a real treat as the evening wound down.

IN PARIS, FRANCE in the 1970's I used to have a bottle of the 12-year old and my American artist friend, Dallas , used to come by and enjoy it in my Mansart-roofed chambre-maid room so many glorious moons ago!

MORE NEWS : Dale was here to buy the Viognier from DEMOCRACY Vineyards, the " Unum " 2011 from Monticello, Virginia, 13% alcohol by volume, and the 2) Reserve Petit Verdot 2010 from COOPER Vineyards in Virginia, $33.99, 13.8% alcohol by volume, Louisa, VA. go to : www.coppervineyards.com for more info ... to take back with him to Seattle to share with friends! Nice Dale, way to go!

ALSO : Gary just told me that we were prominently featured in this month's WASHINGTONIAN Magazine as having an extension selection of the wines of Virginia and Maryland. All true : we work very hard at this to bring them to you! I gave Dale two Virginia and winery maps to take back with him to Seattle, Washington.

LOTS OF REGULAR CUSTOMERS affected by the government shutdown are coming through our doors and buying wine and beer. I told one that I am not happy to be making money this was, that a customer said last week that this would be good for business. Well it may be but it's not good business, it's not the way we want to make extra money, at your expense and at your misfortune. Makes me so mad!

WINES Of Michel And Tony :

WHITE:

1) Roussette 2012 " L'Altesse " Dry French Savoie White made from 100% Roussette grapes by the Swiss border ( $19.99, 13% alcohol by volume ) from the DOMAINE De L'ADYLLE had tremendous presence, flavors quite forward, great mouth grip-grip-pith and taste : I warmed to it immediately and really like it. Perfect for this weather today while you enjoy some as many of you have got off early today with the government shutdown. Perfect to soother your frazzled nerves.

2) Macon-La Roche Vineuse 2012 Dry white Burgundy 2012. $19.99, 13% alcohol by volume was also tasted here this weekend by Oscar Losama of Voila imports. It had more body and was more intense with a heavier mouth-feel and structure, and calls out more for food. I liked it, not as much as the dry white Savoie above. The verdict was split about half and half this past weekend.

ROSE :

1) Cotes-Du-Rhone Dry Rose from France's DOMAINE De La SOLITUDE, this 2012 ( $18.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume, from a famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape producer ) is a class-act. What body, what flavor, what balance, what versatility! Buy some smoked salmon or any smoked fish or meats.

I COULD SEE it going really well with some smoked trout for example! Perfect to sit outside in this beautiful weather and nurse as we contemplate life and how we came to this situation of waiting on Congress to act collectively and as a group that functions and does it's one basic job, creating a budget to keep our government functioning. Maybe they didn't get or pass on the memo?

RED :

1) 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin No. 944, Valle Central, Chile ( $5.99 a 375ml bottle, 12.5% alcohol by volume, Kosher for Passover, Nancagua, Chile ) : " ... abundant with soft berry fruit aromas and flavors that are balanced with soft tannin and make it ready for immediate enjoyment. " ALSO comes in the 750ML bottle at $8.99. Cheers. Also comes in a 375ml size bottle of dry white Sauvignon Blanc : take outside and enjoy on a hike or trip, picnic ... as we all wait for Congress.

2) Limited Edition Red Blend 2012 from Susana Balbo, this " new " CRIOS from Mendoza, Argentina is full and rich and layered on the palate with soft tannins that could see a bit more bottle age to settle really nicely, say another six months? It drinks really well now, $16.99, 13.9% alcohol by volume. Keith poured it here this Friday night and everyone liked it quite a bit : a blend of Malbec, Syrah, Bonarda and Cabernet. Cheers.

3) Beaujolais - Villages 2011, made from 100% Gamay grapes, this CHATEAU GAILLARD, $16.99, 13% alcohol by volume, from Sebastien Gutty ) is lighter-bodied, toasty forest floor berry-strawberry flavors that lilt and entice and spice and perk and ping and ZING so nicely along the palate, settling in so nicely. It's a real treat : perfect now. Chill 30 minutes and enjoy now, today, this afternoon, outside on a walk in the park, on a deck, a patio, on a rooftop, relax and think of all the things we have to be thankful for and try and not dwell too much on Congress. 4) Dry Red 100% indigenous 2011 Mondeuse grapes from France's Savoie region by Switzerland , from the DOMAINE de L'IDYLLE ( $19.99, 12% alcohol by volume ) is more peppery and spicy, more intense toasty berry flavors than the Beaujolais Villages. It turns up the intensity and gives us a fine food wine to enjoy also chilled thirty minutes. Fun and differ ent, light and refreshing and a great conversation piece, too.

5) " Secret de Jaligny " from France's southern Loire Valley, Saint-Pourcain, this dry red 2010 made from an ancient clone of Pinot Noir ( On Special for $19.99, regularly $23.99, 12% alcohol by volume, Chateau de Chassignolles ) : made from old-vine Pinot Noir : this is a polished yet slightly earthy-forest-floor bright Pinot to chill and to have with a picnic, with some appetizers, something easy, some white meat, salmon, fish. For the pleasure of a new discovery! What fun, enjoy, feel expansive, let yourselves GO!

WEEKLY WEDNESDAY 3-PART Sherry, Marsala, Madeira, Sake, Port and Non-Sparkling Wine SALE :

1) BUY ANY $20 or more bottle of the categories listed above and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker price.

2) BUY ANY SIX ( 6 ) or more bottles of the categories listed above and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker price.

3) BUY ANY TWELVE ( 12 ) or More bottles of the categories listed above and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.

MIX things up, have fun : SAVE BIG!

CALL Michel or Tony and place your order if you cannot come. Pay Wednesdays and SAVE BIG here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. 202-363-4265. Cheers.

WEEKEND TASTINGS :

FRIDAY, October 4th, 2013 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Mark Congdon of J.W. Sieg Imports here to pour the Freciarossa wines. Join us, they are fabulous. More about them on our Facebook page tomorrow. Go to : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits and LIKE us and get our daily updates. Cheers. JOIN US, NEVER any charge.

SATURDAY, October 5th, 2013 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Stephane Defot here of his own Z Wine Gallery Imports here to taste some of his excellent French as well as new " Spanish wines. This includes his outstanding dry red Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2010 dry red from the DOMAINE JULIETTE AVRIL On Special for $32.99, 14% alcohol by volume. Buy some tomorrow and SAVE 20% off the $32.99 and pay only $26.39 a bottle : what a deal, what a fine wine, too : perfect to enjoy with this week's weather while we all wait on Congress.

I KNOW I HAVE FORGOTTEN many things. Thanks for everything. Without you we are nothing. You all are the best and deserve the very best from us. We hope we deliver, that is our aim I assure you. Cheers, TONY

ALSO : LIKE us on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits and follow our progress there daily! Cheers, enjoy the weather of this beautiful Tuesday afternoon.