Anthony Quinn's Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits' Store Email Written A Year Ago In November 2012 : Enjoy!

Cleveland Park Wine Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine
Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits
LIKE A ROLLER COASTER these days for all of us. We have so much going on and the
world keeps knocking and bombarding us with information, news, opinions, and
more and so we carry more stress and worry with us. The fall foliage is
spectacular with all the incredible colors of reds, oranges, yellows, shades of
browns and greens. Impressive. There have been many sports games such as the
Redskins, the Nationals, our soccer team ... with both wins and losses and thus
highs and lows. The debate with President Obama and Mitt Romney last night, the
scandal with Lance Armstrong and the rest of his team ... and many personal
events, too : too many to count or even know about. I have four amazing wine
success stories to share with you as well.

THIS WEEKEND was one of many celebrations : of friendship, a birthday and to
mark the moment some great wine was brought from our cellar. Two separate
nights, and some old wines were enjoyed. I will mention two here. You can ask me
about the other two when you see me here in the store.

LAST NIGHT BEFORE THE DEBATE I made dinner and to mark the birthday of a dear
friend we opened a bottle that had been properly cellared by him and that had
escaped his notice for a very long time. It was a bottle of Sancerre 1983 Silex
" Les Belles Dames " from GITTON PERE ET FILS. It had a great fill ( no wine was
gone from the bottle neck ) and the cork was still very much intact and came out
easily, even after 29 years' of bottle age! The cork smelled fine, the bouquet
of the wine was fine, and when I poured it the color was a beautiful golden
color. The taste was all there, the focus, the citrus and the mineral, the
accents of creamy nut came out much later. Each sip was a celebration. Each
taste was a revelation. How could a dry bottle of French Loire Valley white 100%
Sancerre of 29-years of age still be so charming, vibrant, filled with
personality?!? It was a true gem and it never faded, not once. After the meal I
made I took a glass downstairs to enjoy during the debate. The bottle was
imported by the Mayflower Wines & Spirits in Mayo, Maryland and now represented
by Bacchus Imports I think?

THE SECOND BOTTLE I want to mention was enjoyed the night before. I grilled
again outside and our guests were outside with me as I grilled. This was an
evening celebrating a long and wonderful friendship and one of the bottles I
chose to open and share with everyone was a bottle of the 1983 Cornas northern
Rhone from Alain Voge and imported then by World Shippers in Philadelphia that
has just recently closed it's doors after a long and glorious run of business (
where Bobby Kacher started his importing career so long ago ).  It. too was a
marvel and had survived beautifully. The color was bright ruby red and so
vibrant, the bouquet, too was mesmerizing and drew me closer. The taste was
silky and charming and full and rich and elegant and so pleasing with everything
in it's place and performing like a great orchestra. We all loved it and talked
off-and-on about it's age and how deceiving that was with such a red , bright
color and a taste that was so fresh and fruit-forward - almost like an old
Burgundy, just a bit fuller with other accents of spice and toasty berry
flavors.

A COUPLE OF LESSONS HERE : that wine well-stored/ cellared can really survive
well; and that some wine was and still is made to age and develop and does not
need to be enjoyed immediately. We have to recognize when we should drink a
wine, and certainly not before it's time. Those were the last two bottles of
these wines, one from my cellar and one from my friend's. What a wonderful treat
and surprise. The Cornas which is made from the Syrah grape threw a thick and
heavy sediment that settled to the bottom of the bottle. I took a taste just to
see what I would find and it was sweet and soft and did dry my palate just
slightly but was certainly not unpleasant.

COME AND ASK ABOUT any old bottles that you may have and are curious about? We
can help you with that, look at the bottle for you and give you our best advice
about when and how to enjoy any of these bottles. For both on the two separate
nights I set out some cheeses and crackers and I abstained from having any of
them as I wanted to focus all my attention on the wines and not be distracted. I
also did not want the cheeses to rob me of any of the flavors of each wine as
they unfolded and opened in both the bottle and my INAO glass. I know I would
have enjoyed the cheeses but I only get a chance once in awhile to enjoy
something so old and spectacular.

HALLOWEEN IS COMING! We still have many Pumpkin beers : too many to list here.
The category has exploded this year and so you still have plenty to choose from.

YOU MAY WANT TO buy some now, however, to be sure you have some for Halloween.
Here is one for you :

1) Pumpkin Lambiscus from TIMMERMANS The World's Oldest Lambic Brewery ( On
Special for $11.99, 1 Pt. 9.36 Fl. Oz bottle, 4% alcohol by volume, since 1702,
www.anthonymartin.be, 1701 Itterbeek, Belgium ) ... belgiumfamilybrewers.be ...
check it out.

SANTOS HAS SOME OTHER " Beer " Treats :

1) Malt Beverage " Barrel Aged : In Bourbon Barrels, this HUMAN BLOCKHEAD
Imperial American Bock from Smaltz Barrel Aged Release #7 CONEY ISLAND ( $12.99,
1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz, 10.83% alcohol by volume, schmaltzbrewing.com , Saratoga
Springs, NY ) is aged in the BUFFALO TRACE bourbon barrels. There is so much
writing on these labels that it's almost like reading a short story with great
graphics and images. They have worked these two labels and covered every inch.
Come and buy some and enjoy holding and reading the labels while you sip this
high-alcohol beer as you would a glass of fine wine. Cheers and enjoy.

2) Purist Pale Ale from the APPALACHIAN Brewing Co. ( On Special for $9.99
a 6-pack of 12 ounce bottles, Harrisburg, PA. 17101 717-221-1080 ,
www.abcbrew.com ) is brewed with barley, hops, yeast 7 water ... and got the
Seal of Excellence ABC Notably Fresh. There are two others in the line that we
have. This is a new entry for us.

3) IPA ( India Pale Ale ) All Malt Farmhouse Ale from SNAPPERHEAD ( On
Special for $8.99 a 6-pack of 12 ounce cans, Butternutsbeerand ale.com ,  from
Garrattsville, NY, 13342 ) ; check it out with the other two flavors we have up
at the register. Again ,these three beers in cans are " new and exciting and
worthy of our attention ". Oh yeah ...

CIDER :

1)  America's Best Joker Hard Cider ( On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack, 6.9%
alcohol by volume, produced by the CALIFORNIA CIDER COMPANY, Sonoma County, CA.
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. ".

RAVI, What Have You In LIQUOR ?

1) GLEN GARIOCH Highland 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ( On Special
for $61.99 a bottle, www.auchentoshan.com, Oldmeldrum Aberdeenshire, Scotland )
: " Hand crafted since 1797, non-chill-filtered ... gains its distinctive
Highland character from a classic marriage of Bourbon & Sherry casks . Fresh
heather, poached pears and a hint of oak. " I like the sound of all of that,
especially the poached pears! Love it. Cheers.

2) SVEDKA All Natural Colada Coconut Flavored vodka with pineapple/tropical
flavors and distilled five times ( $12.99 37.5% alcohol by volume, product of
Sweden, www.svedka.com ) - all this and was only $12.99, and is NOW ON SPECIAL
for $11.99  - what a deal.

3) SVEDKA All Natural Cherry is distilled 5 times ( $12.99, 37.5% alcohol
by volume, product of Sweden, www.svedka.com )  is On Special for $11.99.
ALSO :comes in Citron and Vanilla and we have all four.

WINES By MICHEL Et TONY :

WHITES :

1) HILLCREST SAuvignon Blanc 2011 from Durbanville, South Africa ( $19.99 ,
13.5% alcohol by volume ) was just tasted here this past Saturday by John and
Theresa Morrison. It's bright, fresh, lively, with a clarity and a focus that's
pure delight - liquid sunshine filtered through Sauvignon Blanc, what else could
anyone want? Cheers.

2) SANDRO DE BRUNO Indigenous dry white made from the Durello grape (
$22.99, 13% alcohol by volume, www.il-pioppo.com , from Veneto, Italy ) is
clean, crisp, flavorful and with great mineral, it's fabulous with a meal. The
owner just came by last week and signed his bottles and a week before Enrico our
Veneto distributor poured it here and sold a whole lot on a Saturday. Really a
great food with salads, seafood, etcetera.

3) CM CASTELLUCCIMIANO 2011 Catarrato indigenous dry white Sicilian grape
variety ( $17.99, 13% alcohol by volume, ) is grown high up, way above sea
level. The owner was here with David Enright and his wines blew Michel and me
away and we have some of most of them. This is a medium-bodied, elegant dry
white that has subtle tones of mineral and citrus and a velvet-bright taste that
lilts and rocks your palate, like being pushed ever so smoothly while in a swing
... nice. This wine is special, really. Enjoy with or without a meal.

REDS :

1) CAPE ELEMENTS 2008 dry red South African Blend of Shiraz, Cinsault and
Grenache from Nico Van Der Merwe ( $17.99, 14% alcohol, Stellenbosch, South
Africa, www.wilhelmshof@xsinet.co.za ) is a medium-bodied Rhone style red with
some real polish, brightness and elegance. We tasted the 2009 on Saturday with
John and Theresa Morrison and it was a huge hit. Here we have the previous
vintage as well for less money and more bottle age. Perhaps buy a bottle of each
and compare and enjoy? Cheers.

2) ROBERT ALEXANDER 2008 Shiraz from Nico Van Der Merwe ( $19.99, 14%
alcohol by volume, www.34south.com, www.wilhelmshof@xsinet.co.za , Stellenbosch,
South Africa, ) was flavorful, good body and concentration and it was slow to
open and best with food. The next day it was more silky, with more distinct
flavors fully-developed and showing really well. In short, for me it was better
the second day than it was the first. No need to rush it, enjoy it with a meal
on the first day and if there's any left taste it the next day. Cheers.

VA. WINERIES Recommended By Steven Spurrier :

Steven Spurrier had his Caves De La Madeleine and his Academie Du Vin in Paris,
France off the Place De La Concorde in the early 1970's and in 1976 he conducted
a blind wine-tasting with both French and American judges of both California and
French wines and the French picked the American wines as better! What a scandal
ensued! He was just invited back by Virginia's Governor to do a similar
wine-tasting with both Virginia and other well-known/high quality wines. The
Virginia wines fared really well. Steven had some favorite wineries and wines.
Dave McIntyre of the Washington Post wrote up the results this past Wednesday.
Here are some of the wines we have and recommend from Steven's favorite wineries
:

CARDINAL POINT VINEYARD/WINERY:
Afton, Virginia -

1) 2009 Barrel Select Chardonnay from CARDINAL POINT Vineyard in Monticello
AVA , Virginia ( $19.99. 13.3% alcohol by volume, www.cardinalpointwinery.com )
has got that lovely buttery-oaky flavor that just rocks and cradles you ever so
gently-firmly-delightedly ...

2) Un-ion 2009 CARDINAL POINT Vineyard and Winery ( On Sale for $23.99 -
regularly $29.99. Afton, Virginia, 13.5% alcohol by volume ) is a lively, toasty
berry-cherry-spicy flavored , medium-bodied dry red blend of 40% Petit Verdot,
30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Tannat. Wow, it's tasty, distinct, fun and a
trend-setter, too. Try some!

3) Rockfish Red dry red blend 2010 from Virginia's CARDINAL POINT ( $20.99,
12.7% alcohol by volume, www.cardinalpointwinery.com, Afton, Virginia ) is
lighter, brighter, easier to sip and enjoy all by itself than the Un-ion above.
It's a treat and bright, fresh, lively and balanced. Enjoy some with or without
a meal in this warmer weather. Come and get one today and enjoy it later tonight
outside in your yard or on a picnic. Cheers.
We had owner Sarah come and pour all of these for you and it was a big
success. Her brother makes the wines and she promotes
them.

BOXWOOD ESTATE, Middleburg, VA.

1)  " Topiary "  2008 ( $28.99, 13% alcohol by volume,
www.boxwoodwinery.com ) is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec grapes
from the ENTAV clones grown and processed in the traditional Bordeaux style :
low yields are harvested and sorted by hand ...Made like the Right-Bank wines of
Bordeaux. This 2008 should really be beginning to open and reveal some of it's
many charms. No need to rush. Buy it in the half bottles that we still have some
for $17.99 Boxwood and enjoy those while you wait patiently for these full
bottles to develop and mature. They will reward the patient. Steven Spurrier
tried the 2010 vintage and wrote about those.

2) " Boxwood " 2009 ( $29.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume,
www.boxwoodwinery.com ) is made like a classic Left Bank French Bordeaux wine
with a blend of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes from the
ENTAV clones ... It's heartier, bolder, thicker and usually more tannic and in
need of a meal than the " Topiary ". We have enjoyed them since the 2007 vintage
and with family member Rachel Martin's earlier visits here. She even helped me
conduct one of my Saturday wine classes. That was quite the fun and educational
experience. The 2009 are brighter and more fruit-forward than the 2008 vintage
wines. But they are made to age slowly and gracefully and again the patient of
you are all well-rewarded. Read above again about what I wrote of the two wines
enjoyed this weekend from the 1983 vintage to get some distance and perspective.
No need to rush. Buy some and put them away for later.

WINEWORKS From Michael Shaps,
Monticello, Virginia -

1) 2009 dry red blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon (
$16.99, 13% alcohol by volume, ) is fresh and smooth, silky, fruit-forward,
balanced , medium-to-light-bodied and a delight to drink all by itself or enjoy
with a meal, inside or outside. Refreshing. Steven Spurrier talked about Michael
Shaps and his wine-making skills.

ONE MORE RED, From California :

1) ZERO-RIDE 36 BOSS Red Tailgate Wine , a 2009 Lake County, California
Merlot ( $17.99, 14.1% alcohol by volume , www.jarthurcellars.com, Calistoga, CA
) is silky, subtle, delicate, fine and so easy to enjoy with or without a meal.
It's a great tailgate party wine and we still have a few bottles left. Come and
get some before we are all sold-out. No more available.

SAKE . Imported, Nigori :

1) Yaegaki Nigori sake ( $18.99, 720ml bottle, 16% alcohol by volume, ) :
"  ... Samurai Sake, by our original process of blending. Well-balanced silky
and creamy texture is complemented by a touch of sweetness, yet enough acidity
maintains its refreshing finish. Keep refrigerated to maintain its original
taste ... "

2) Jon-Mai Kimoto from KURUSAWA Sake Brewery ( $51.99, 1.8ml , 15% alcohol
y volume ) is , of course the large format and you can keep it refrigerated as
well. It will not go off or spoil. It. too - like all sakes - has no sulfites
and so does not give people the headaches like some wines do. Enjoy and cheers.

WEEK'S TASTINGS/ Events :

Wednesday, Oct. 24th, 2012 ( All day- every Wednesday, our 3-Part
still/non-sparkling wine sale. Keep reading for more info below. Call us at :
202-363-4265 and give us your order over the phone so that you may SAVE either
15 or 20% OFF your purchases of still/non-sparkling wines.

Friday, October 26th, 2012 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Chris and Wes of Lanterna
Imports here to taste a series of really fine Spanish organic/biodynamic reds
and one white. These wines are quite extraordinary. Come and check them out.
Never any charge.

RAVI HAS ORGANIZED a SMIRNOFF Vodka tasting here of some of the " new and
exciting " flavors. Join us, everyone always welcome.

Saturday, October 27th, 2012 ( 2-6PM ) : we have Lucinda of Washburn
Imports here to taste some of her excellent California wine selections,
including some Zinfandel and Zinfandel red blends, and more of course. Join us,
never any charge.
NOTE : I just heard from Lucinda and we will be tasting the Bulgarian wines
like the LEVA Winemaker's Selection 2010 floral and fruity-dry white that we
sell, a  50% Dimiat , 30% Chardonnay & 20% Muscat blend ( $10.99, from the rose
Valley/ Thracian valley, at 13% alcohol. Reds and whites, something for
everybody we hope.
THE ZINS will wait till Lucinda's next wine-tasting.

WEDNESDAY Weekly 3-Part Still/Non-Sparkling Wine Sale :

1) BUY ANY BOTTLE of Still Wine over $20 and SAVE 20% Off the marked
sticker price.

2) BUT 6 or More Still Wines and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker price.

3) BUY 12 or More Still Wines and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.
You may assort/include the port, sherry, sake, madeira and marsala bottles
( any size ), and also the box wines, too.
SAVE BIG here at Cleveland Park Wines each Wednesday on Still Wine
Purchases. Call and ask for Michel or Tony to help you. We also deliver here in
the neighborhood. Call : 202-363-4265. SAVE BIG!

We want to thank some of you that came to see us recently with some excellent
products that we are considering buying and selling here :

1) Tom Clare VINO DEL SOL, Argentina
2) Vince Grande WINE WAVE Italy
3) Tom Conte SERRALLES USA
4) Emilie Riebel-Dombey VIGNOBLES PERE-VERGE, Bordeaux, France & Argentina
5) James Henry TEAVINE Is DIVINE ( used to live here in Cleveland Park )
6) Santiago Bernasconi BODEGA NQN, Pategonia, Argentina
7) Joe Nagan MAHONEY Vineyards & FLEUR, CA.

They always have something fun and exciting and worth sharing with you all.
Michel and I have been tasting some great wines thanks to them and the many
others. Cheers.

I AM SURE I HAVE FORGOTTEN many things but it's time to post this so that you
all may stop by on this beautiful day after work and see us. We have lots to
share with you, really we do. We also want to thanks you for all your support.
Check us out on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits, follow us on
Twitter at : cpwinespirits. Thanks again, TONY

Please visit our website below for more information, events and specials, and
our calender of wine tastings!

[1]www.clevelandparkwine.com

If you have any orders, suggestions or questions, you may e-mail us at
[2]sales@clevelandparkwine.com or call (202) 363-4265.

References

1. http://www.clevelandparkwine.com/
2. mailto:sales@clevelandparkwine.com