Matt Daniels Stops By Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits To Taste CVNE Monopole Dry Spanish White, CVNE Crianza 2011 Rioja Red, SANTO RISTO Garnacha Red , the 2011 MAURO Red, Too ... & LUSTAU Pedro Ximenez Sherry Was It Matt?!? On Tuesday, September 30th, 2014 : Great Start To The Day Today! Thanks - Gracias Matt!

Matt Daniels brought by some pretty special Spanish dry reds and whites for me to taste this Tuesday around noon . he had a list, I scanned it and said that this is pretty impressive and he said something like he knew that with a smile on his face, the MAURO I will sell for $60 a bottle,...


 the GRANBAZAN Albarino Green Bottle -  the intro  - not the brown bottle, wow, so balanced, so fine, so pure and fresh and balanced and appealing, loved it.

Then Matt poured the CVNE white after and it was simply too awkward for me after the lightness, airiness and lilt and swag of the Albarino, lovely, yes, but definitely a food wine and some appetizers liked some fried calamari perhaps would have brought it to life and made it sing to me in a language I would want to learn immediately even if I did not know it already! he Crianza 2011 CVNE Rioja red pleased me enormously because it was fleshier, meatier, more red red blood, sweet red blood color and taste, and I loved the balance and it's frame-o-reference, and it's scope : lovely, also reasonably-priced.

 I also liked the SANTO RISTO Garnacha that is pictured here as it will sell for around $12 and it delivers pretty much everything to enjoy these fall days, and enjoy them thoroughly, immediately, with or without a meal.

 AND : the 2011  Maura was amazing, more forward and more fruit-centered and fleshier and brighter and better-balanced than I remember, still quite young and yet very approachable now with a meal. his was a fine tasting Matt and we will enjoy getting these this week. Cheers,  TONY

Matt promises to come back with some of the LUSTAU sherries for me to try once again and we have some of the Fino coming back this week! Cheers. It's beautiful fall weather here now and perfect for all of these selections.    TONY

Ana Keller The Owner & Winemaker Of The KELLER ESTATE Sonoma Coast CA. Wines Here On Thursday, Oct. 2nd, 2014 From 5 To 8 PM Tasting Three of Her Excellent Wines InCluding 2 Chardonnays and 1 Pinot Noir : No Charge, A Free And Wonderful Wine-Tasting With Ana Keller!

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

WE are pleased to have Lew make the delivery of these 5 cases of inexpensive
Pecorino from Italy that my wife just enjoyed with our meal last night. She
liked it. That's great news indeed.

Lew is also bringing us some tasty vinho verde with 11.5% alcohol by volume and
thus more flavor  and character, too. We also need that.

We MAKE Many Wine decisions and it is nice to take some of the bottles home as
I did these two and enjoyed them with my wife, daughter and two neighbors.

ULTIMATELY WE DO this to bring you the best , most informed selections that we
can, and trying beer and wine, even liquor with food is the best that we can do
to have a better sense of how the beer or the wine evolve and either complement
or not one another. It's a constantly changing equation and a joy to monitor,
especially when it's your own time to do with what you will, and not be under
constraints from being at work. Lovely.

SINCE I QUOTED LOU I asked him how he spelled his name : " Do you spell your
name '  L O U , or do you spell it  L E W ? ' I asked him. " L O U Lou
responded, but it's actually Luigi. " he added with a smile. " Where are you
from in Italy ? " I asked Lou.  " My father is from Calabria. " I smiled then
and said no wonder you sell us the excellent CIRO Calabrian 100% Gagliopo red. "
Lou smiled again and said that : " And no one knows the Gagliopo grape. " I
seconded that notion immediately. We love selling it here, a Rosso Classico 2010
from Marina, Italia, 13% alcohol by volume, it's such a flavorful, honest, pithy
and so much tastier with a meal to ' flesh it out " as I like to say. We have
some in stock as I type, thanks to Lou and to Chris our salesperson for the
wine.

I AM THRILLED that I engaged Luigi in conversation as we started to speak about
what he sells that me may not already have here. I told him how we operated and
he listened and then said that he had an excellent Moscato that was at a really
competitive price. I asked him if he had a bottle to taste? Then I asked him if
it was from Italy?

LUIGI SAID he had the CHIARLE Piemonte Denominizione Di Origine Controllata 2012
bottle in his car and would get us a sample to taste. Luigi told me the price
and I told him what I would need as a price to buy ten cases at a time and sell
it up front at $9.99 a bottle ON SALE. He thought a minute and said, " I can do
that , I'm making the executive decision here on the spot for you now. " I like
that, I cannot wait to taste it with Chris here a bit later. Join us, stop by,
ask for a taste? Give us your opinion? We would like that. We will not have them
wine until tomorrow or Thursday if we do buy it, Cheers. The alcohol content is
5.5% alcohol by volume, and my only concern is to see how fresh and bright and
vibrant it still is? if it is all of that and we can sell it to you for $9.99 a
bottle On Sale then this will be grand find and I say hurray!
JUST GOT A CALL FROM JIM saying that he wanted a case of the 2013 ROCCHE
COSTAMAGNA dry Arneis from Langhe, Piemonte, Italy that we started selling here
recently. We sell it for $15.99 a bottle, it has 13% alcohol by volume, and we
tasted it here two Saturday's ago with Andrew Stover our local Siema rep and the
owner of his own VINO50 Selections. It was quite ' the hit ' and we were happy
to include it as the Washington Post had just reviewed one of our regular Arneis
selections that was sold out, most of it in Virginia before the Wednesday review
in The Post's Food section came out! Argh! I have a real ' love-hate '
relationship with these reviews in the Washington Post. We like supporting them
and having what the customers come in search of as it helps business all around
and we are thrilled for that. However, so often there are real snags in the
chain of players involved here in getting these wines to you, and we do not
enjoy looking like ' the bad guy ' when we do not have one of the wines where we
are mentioned having it.

I TOLD THE MAN that wanted six bottles of the Arneis mentioned in the paper that
it was all sold-out. I quickly said that Andrew and I had worked to arrange
including a tasting here on that same Saturday of the ROCCHE COSTAMAGNA 2013
Arneis, $15.99, that we bought from the same supplier and that he and his wife
could sample before buying. I told him that the Arneis was $2 more than the one
reviewed so that he would know I was aware of the price difference. He said that
he would mention this to his wife. I did not see him return and taste it.
Perhaps his wife came and tasted it? In any event we did what we could to
alleviate any misunderstanding concerning this Arneis or any other wine that we
get mentioned for and do not have. Complicated, a web to weave through, we are
trying to do our part. Cheers.

ANDREW WILL BE SENDING JIM a case of the Italian Piemonte Arneis 2013and one for
our shelves as well. It has sold really well. Bright, forward, a bit meaty and
certainly tasty and polished and with good Arneis character as well, and
excellent food wine that will complement well many a meal. By the second glass
you will be looking around for some food to fill out the flavors and the lively
acidity and mineral that the wine shows.

JESSIE JUST CAME UP TO ME and said : " They sent me back to you. " She said this
with a really bright smile. " Do you have any empty boxes? " I told her to come
back later, that we would have some later. " How many do you need? " I asked
Jessie? " As many as you have. " she responded. " So, you're leaving us? " I
asked? " Yes,but don't worry, we'll still come back here for the wine,
especially for the wine-tastings, they are the best. " she said again with an
endearing and warming smile that covered her face from ear to ear! Thanks
Jessie, it's always a pleasure helping you. See you in a bit as soon as we stock
some of the shelves with all this ' great value ' wine that is coming through
our doors now.
without your knowing perhaps anyway as you come and we ask you if you need any
help, and when you say " yes " we make suggestions that may or may not agree
with you at the time. We try and listen really carefully to you all as it is
such a personal choice whichever wine works or does not for each and every one
of us. We all have to pay attention : to try and understand the event, the mood,
the occasion, the people involved: mush easier said than done. But it's all fun
: all done in good fun ...   and fun we have! Cheers!!

MATT DANIELS just came by with tastes of some pretty special Spanish wines that
we will be putting back on our shelves this week, thanks Matt. The wines are :
1) " Verde " Albarino 2013 from GRANBAZAN, $22.99, the ... 2) Crianza 2010
Rioja, $14.99, and the ... 3) Garnacha 2011 from Santo , $11.99. All were
balanced, fresh, lively , balanced, all treats. Cheers, thanks Matt, see you
when you return with the EMIDIO LUSTAU sherries from Spain that we need to get
back here once again!


Matt Daniels brought by some pretty special Spanish dry reds and whites for me to taste this Tuesday around noon . he had a list, I scanned it and said that this is pretty impressive and he said something like he knew that with a smile on his face, the MAURO I will sell for $60 a bottle,...


 the GRANBAZAN Albarino Green Bottle -  the intro  - not the brown bottle, wow, so balanced, so fine, so pure and fresh and balanced and appealing, loved it.

Then Matt poured the CVNE white after and it was simply too awkward for me after the lightness, airiness and lilt and swag of the Albarino, lovely, yes, but definitely a food wine and some appetizers liked some fried calamari perhaps would have brought it to life and made it sing to me in a language I would want to learn immediately even if I did not know it already! he Crianza CVNE Rioja red pleased me enormously because it was fleshier, meatier, more red red blood, sweet red blood color and taste, and I loved the balance and it's frame-o-reference, and it's scope : lovely, also reasonably-priced.

 I also liked the Garnacha that is pictured here as it will sell for around $12 and it delivers pretty much everything to enjoy these fall days, and enjoy them thoroughly, immediately, with or without a meal.

 AND : the Maura was amazing, more forward and more fruit-centered and fleshier and brighter and better-balanced than I remember, still quite young and yet very approachable now with a meal. his was a fine tasting Matt and we will enjoy getting these this week. Cheers,  TONY

HEY, BUT WHAT ABOUT ALE and BEER from Santos? Here's what I found earlier :

1) CUSTER'S LAST STAND Ale brewed and bottled SMUTTYNOSE Brewing Company
from Hampton, NH., ... On Special $10.99 for a 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottle, , made in
collaboration with STONE Brewing Company, with 6.8% alcohol by volume. Make your
stand, gain a new flavor taste profile, ... cheers.

2) Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin Aged In Oak Barrels by CROOKED LINE, an ale
brewed with Pumpkin and Spices, with 10.3 % alcohol by volume, limited release
with 9.4 Fl. Oz, from Salt Lake City, Utah. Looks like it is selling well
already, come and get some while you still can!

SANTOS Just SUGGESTED THESE TWO :

1) Session IPA , the TRADER from UINTA Brewing, in cans, On Special for
$9.99 a 6-pack of cans, this is exciting to have as the flavors are all there to
enjoy and in cans it is easier to carry and don't have to worry about any broken
glass : all good. And there is only 4% alcohol by volume, and I like that as it
is easier to enjoy while drinking and still feel good afterward, what a great
and it should not be a novel concept either. Enjoy.

2) Fireside Chat Winter Spiced Ale from the 21ST AMENDMENT , On Special in
a box of 6 - 12 ounce cans, with 45 IBU's and 7.9% alcohol by volume, what fun,
what a treat, enjoy outside when the sun goes down, around a fire, this and the
fire will keep you warm, toasty and smiling.

AND NOW for Jagir and Malkit We Have  In LIQUOR :

1)  Bianco Vermouth de CHAMBERY Blanc from DOLIN, $13.99 a 750ml bottle, is
something that everyone does not know, this French Vermouth is not like the dry
version that you know and love already, the Bianco is softer and easier and has
completely different applications when you serve it alone or when you mix it. Do
you know it yet? If not you should, it will add to your vocabulary of flavors
and tastes that fine vermouth can offer, this one from France and from DOLIN.
Cheers.

2)  X Rated Fusion Liqueur , $27.99 is striking for the color and the tall
and sleek bottle shape : shocking deep pink color, and ...it's " a sensuous
fusion of ultra premium French vodka & Sicilian blood orange mingling with Mango
& Passion Fruits. " It has 17% alcohol by volume, what fun, what a statement it
makes even before you open the bottle and pour some into a glass.

TWO DAYS TO SAVE : Tuesday and Wednesday :

Today, Tuesday, Sept. 30th, 2014 : SAVE UP TO 15% OFF on your purchases of both
still wines and also on sparkling wines, too. Call and pay today and SAVE,
especially on bubbly!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 1st, 2014 : SAVE up to 20% OFF on still wine ( no
bubbly or sparkling wine ) : you know the drill, everything is still the same,
come and SAVE BIG today and tomorrow at Cleveland Park Wine And Spirits/
202-363-4265. Call us and ask us to explain if you have any questions. Cheers.

WEEK'S TASTINGS :

Wednesday, October 1st, 2014 ( 5 to 8 PM ) : We have Robert Kennedy here to
try four super wines from Italy with you all :  1)  PERLA del GARDA Perla 2013
Trebbiano di Lugan, $22.99 a bottle, ... 2) PERLA Del GARDA Terre Lunari 2009
Benaco Bres rose, $22.99 a bottle, ... 3) TRE MONTI Reserva red, $23.99 ... and
the ... 4) PAOLO CALI Mandragola 2012 Frappato red, $25.99 a bottle ...this will
be fun, this will cover some of Italy's by-and-large hidden treasures! JOIN US,
never any charge.

Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 ( Just Announced, 5-8PM ) : We have Ana Keller
, owner and winemaker at KELLER ESTATE in the Sonoma Coast California wines here
to pour her own Pinot Noir and her two Chardonnay. I loved the elegance and the
silky finesse of the " La Cruz Vineyard ' 2009, what a lovely treat, so subtle
and rich and not heavy and cloying, so elegant, I loved it, really did love it,
$51.99 a bottle, 14.1% alcohol by volume, ... come taste it with Ana and get a
bottle signed of it as well as of the two others we will taste and enjoy. Ana
might bring something else for us to taste as well, we will see?!/ JOIN US<
NEVER any charge, everyone welcome. This is a special winery and Ana is indeed a
very special person : love her and her wines.

Friday, October 3rd, 2014 ( 5 to 8 PM ) : We have our Greek OENOS
wine-tasting here. What's new and exciting in Greece? Come discover that here
with us from 5 to 8 PM, no charge, join us...

Saturday , October 4th, 2014 , We have Michael Cavanagh and perhaps Gabriella to
taste some outstanding wines of Brazil, South Africa and Romania, too : what a
great treat this will be : all the wines are outstanding, really great as well
as great values, distinct, focused, characterful and intriguing-beguiling as
well. Join us, never any charge. Katie may come, too : you just never know ...

MARK YOUR CALENDARS : Robert Kennedy and Cleveland Park are hosting a TENUTA
CASALI Wine-Dinner ( Four Courses ) at the Ristorante Piccolo at 1068 31st St.
in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, Oct. 21st, 2014 with Sylvia Casali there herself
to conduct this extraordinary wine and food pairing of some of our favorite
Italian wines, all that are here in the store and on our shelves. Come talk to
Robert here tomorrow, Tuesday when we taste some of them with you and give you a
' sneak preview ' into this phenomenal opportunity! Wow, I cannot wait. I will
be at the dinner myself. We have the PERLA Del GARDA Brut sparkling 2008, the
TENUTA CASALI Palazzisa 2012, the Baruccia 2011, the Quartosole 2010, what a
fine line-up, come check this all out. Thi is special indeed, and the cost is
phenomenal for what you are getting. You do have to add tax and gratuity onto
the $55 per person charge for the meal. See you there!

I HAVE MANY WINES to speak about, the store has filled up with grand specials on
...

2) 1)   COSTE MANCINI  Terre Di Chietti 2012 Pecorino dry indigenous Italian
white, with a lovely creamy accent of nut and honey and yet completely dry and
smooth, abd On Special now for only $9.99 a bottle ...

3) the ROHCO BLANCHIS Collio, Friuli Pinot Grigio 2012 On Special for $12.99 a
bottle - wow, so much flavor and taste, incredible deal, wonderful : ... and
the

4) Bodegas Iranzo 2011 organic dry red blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50%
Tempranillo is On Special for $10.99 a bottle, is bright and pure and fresh and
100% FRUIT-FORWARD and balanced, and I LOVE IT, absolutely love it, and at
$10.99 a bottle it's a steal and good for you, too. Cheers, ...

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, come taste and check out what we have and SAVE BIG here
at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits. Thanks, gracias, grazie, merci again .
TONY

Anthony Quinn's Cleveland Park Wine And Spirits' Tuesday Store Email Of October 5th, 2010 : Creme De Lys , Navarro Correas Claude Thibaut's VA. Sparkling ' Fizz ' , Ribolla Gialla Sparkling Italian, Duca Carlo Guarini Primitivo From Salento, Hugh Hamilton's The Ratbag Merlot Aussie Dry Red 2007, Asso Tuscan Dry Red 2009, Simonnet-Fevre 2006 Pinot Noir, Riebeek Cellars Swartland South African wines, Pravis Muller Thurgau Italian White and More!

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

WE CAN HELP YOU MAKE Many Wine decisions

ULTIMATELY we do this without your knowing perhaps anyway as you come and
we ask you if you need any help, and when you say " yes " we make suggestions
that may or may not agree with you at the time. We try and listen really
carefully to you all as it is such a personal choice whichever wine works or
does not for each and every one of us. We all have to pay attention : to try
and understand the event, the mood, the occasion, the people involved: mush
easier said than done. But it's all fun : all done in good fun ...   and fun we
have! Cheers!!

CLEVELAND PARK DAY this past Saturday here, October 2nd, 2010 from 1-5 PM
was a huge success any way that you call it. The weather was as drop-dead
gorgeous and beautiful as anyone could have ever imagined with clear clue
skies, hardly a cloud anywhere to be seen and warm and a touch of a breeze and
everyone in great moods from children and the Moon Bounces and Dunking Vats to
parents and their wines, eye-glasses and freebies to fitness-center deals and
chocolate croissants, activities for the kids tied-in with the National Zoo in
the front of Firehook Bakery; and all the wines, beers, liquors and liqueurs
that you could possibly ever want ( 7-8 of them in all I believe )!

IT WAS GRAND  and we also had cheeses that Ravi bought along with
crackers, baguettes from Firehook Bakery and pate and cheese from owner Dean of
Dino restaurant, too. It was a smash, and thanks for coming and checking out
our two blocks of activity this past Saturday that I know carried into the
evening at dinners at Dino, Sorriso, Palena, Lavendou, Ripple and more.

WE ALSO HAD guest owner/wine-maker Hugh Hamilton himself of the Hugh
Hamilton Winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia tasting his Scallyway unwooded
Chardonnay 2010( $18.99 ) and his Ratbag Merlot 2007( $18.99 ) with bottles
here signed for gifts to family and friends. Hugh who is a great friend now at
one point announced during his tasting here : " All roads lead to Cleveland
Park ". Thanks Hugh for that, really do appreciate such strong sentiment.

OUR 2ND BEGINNER'S WINE CLASS was another success I believe. I know that I
certainly had a blast tasting the six wines : 1) ARGYROS ATLANTIS 2007
Mandelaria-Mavrotragano indigenous grapes  Greek Santorini dry red( $18.490,
2) FAKUE Txakoli 2009 Spanish slightly-sparkling Getariako Txakolina white (
$23.49 ),  3) Alvarino indigenous grape variety dry Portuguese white Vinho
Verde ( best of the style , $14.99 , lower alcohol, too : 12.5% ),  4)
Sangiovese I.G.T. " Perlage " biodynamic from Marche, Italy ( $16.49),   5 )
Zweigelt indigenous spicy, pithy, earthy, mineral dry Austrian from Burgenland
Austria  from Leo Hillinger ( $19.49, 2009 ),  and the  6) dry Riesling (
minerals, brightness, freshness, crispness ) 2008 German Mosel from
DR.H.THANISCH - so bristling and yet so smooth and elegant and refined and
lovely- that's the word - lovely. JOIN US : Call or respond to this email and
tell us you want to come for the next Beginner's Wine-Tasting this Saturday,
October 9th, 2010 ( 11:30-1 PM, $10 for six more exciting wines ).

SO  MUCH GOING ON : SO MUCH to keep track of and yet it all SPELLS SO MUCH
FUN! HERE ARE SOME " New Revelations " TO EXCITE YOU :

From Santos  BEER / CIDER :

1) Certified Organic Ben Gleason's White Ale ( On Special for
$6.49/6-pack 12 fl. oz bottles, was $9.99 , wolavers.com , Otter Creek Brewing
Middlebury, Vermont ... since 1997) is certainly really exciting and new.

2) Pilsner beer Cervejaria PETROPOLIS " Itaipava ( On Special for $9.99,
6-pack 12 oz bottles, www.aidilwines.com ) is also certainly " new and exciting
".
3) " Old Thumper " Extra Special Ale from the RING WOOD Brewery ( On
Special for $8.99 6-pack 12 oz bottles ) is hand brewed and bottled by SHIPYARD
BREWING CO. Llc Portland , ME .
4) Cider ( $8.49 6-pack 12 oz bottles, made from freshly pressed local
apples, HARPOON 4.8% alc. by volume, MA and VT ) is another really exciting "
new " entry here for us in Cleveland Park.

RAVI'S Liquor and LIQUEUR :

1) Cherry Liqueur " Rouge " from Roi Rene of COMBIER ( $26.99, is from
Saumur, Loire Valley France and brand new and shiny and fun for us all here in
Cleveland Park.

2) Pink Grapefruit BELVEDERE ( $32.99 , from Poland, 40% alc. by volume,
) made by BELVEDERE is again " new and exciting " for us all here in our
neighborhood.
3) Old Tom Gin " RANSOM " Alambic Pot Distillation Herat Cuts Barrel
Aged for 3 to 6 months ( On Special for $34.99 ) , Batch No. 012, Bottle No.
1319 is handcrafted from naturally farmed grains and botanicals. It's 44% alc.
by volume (  88 Proof ) and brand-spanking new. I tried it : it's in it's own
league : flavorful and very distinct and got a great golden color like
sun-filtered cognac except that it's gin made in Sheridan, Oregon. There's so
much information on the label by the way that it could easily be the first
chapter in many a book. We should do some in-store readings from this label :
it would add and air of gravitas to any particular moment here in time.

Chris & Tony's Wines : Finally! I Can Breathe Again....

WHITES :

1) Chardonnay California 2009 CREME DE LYS ( $12.49 ) is one that both
Chris and I tried the other day with our rep Kelly and really liked. It's got
balance and finesse, flavor, style and brightness. Something very " new and
welcome " for us here in Cleveland Park.
2) Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2009 ( $12.49 ) called RUBUS is
another really exciting new California Chardonnay with even more body and
flavor and nuanced complexities that hold one's palate and then latch onto
their mind and imagination as they calm one's gut. Yes, si, oui, claro que si!
3) Chardonnay Swarthland " Collections " South Africa 2010 ( wow, so
joven, so jeune, so young! $6.99 so value-oriented, too! ) from RIEBEEK CELLARS
is another real treat and value for us to have here and be able to offer you.
Pretty amazing and dry and fresh for this low price.
4) Sauvignon Blanc Swartland " Collections " South Africa 2010 Sauvignon
Blanc ( $6.99 ) is another dry, great crisp and flavorful and refreshing white
to enjoy now and when the mood strikes.
5) " Malamatta " Collio Bianco dry white Friuli Italian blend Of Ribolla
Gialla and two other grapes lends great gravitas and flavor and intensity - so
much depth that your tongue can float on it's shoulders for hours daydreaming
of more great things still to come ... It sells for $26.49 and is well-worth
the price.
6) Muller Thurgau from PRAVIS " San Thoma " 2009 from Dolomiti, Alto
Adige, Italy, Lasino, at $16.49 offers so much extra layers of flavors :
several as in Mille feuille sort-of-idea and it's so well-carpeted that you can
stay a long time with it - ride on it's carpets of flavors, land softly, float
and fall into it, use it as a wonderful crutch to lean into and collapse
amongst as you enjoy your meals - many - as it will hold it's own with many
solid food flavors indeed.

REDS:

1) Pinot Noir 2006 from SIMONNET FEBVRE ( 1840) at $10.99 is a
great/grand/spactacular everyday value of French Pinot Noir from the Vin De
Pays De Mediterranee. Great value.
2) ASSO Tuscan red 2009 Sangiovese red blend from Italy at $10.99 is
another great red to enjoy now and in many situations except that it's from
Italy this time and a bit more concentrated and darker in color, too.       3)
Merlot 2007 The Ratbag from HUGH HAMILTON ( $18.99 ) sure is showing
beautifully these days and a treat : medium-bodied, fresh, bright, lively and
balanced and with great color extraction and toasty/berry-cherry flavors. NICE!
3) Dolcetto D'ALBA 2007 " Bricco " from MASCARELLO ( $29.99 ) is silky
bright elegant, refined, flavorful, SUPLIME red to take over to Dino restaurant
tonight for no corkage fee and an absolutely wine to treat you and all your
tired bones and muscles and senses, too. Wow, what's not to love here?!? This
is really fine wine - period.
4) Primitivo " Vigne Vecchie " from the DUCA CARLO GUARINI in Salento,
southern Italy( $21.49 ) is another "no-brainer " to take over to Dean at Dino
restaurant on the corner tonight and not pay any corkage and have an absolutely
sublime and sinfully great red wine with pepper and spices and earth and warm
sun overtones that will complement to a " T " many of his Italian dishes. It's
a guarantee! Trust me on this ... I know.

SPARKLING :

1) Virginia Fizz sparkling wine , $21.99 from Claude Thibaut is another
great bottle of local sparkling wine to enjoy with or without food. It's a true
delight. So smooth , so bright and lively and with rippling speed, finesse,
charm and sparkle - lovely!
2) Ribolla Gialla Vino Spumante Brut from Friuli, Italy is a sparkling
wine of charm, liveliness, brightness and appeal that won both Chris and me
over immediately. It sells for $26.49 and is a treat any way that you slice it.
Cheers,  TONY

WEEK'S TASTINGS :

Friday, October 8th, 2010 ( 5-8 PM ) : We will taste with Jody Jackman
an assortment of her excellent " new " wines that have just arrived here in the
store this past Friday.
Saturday, October 9th ( 3-7 PM ) : We have Kelly Bigel here from
Pinnacle Selections to taste some of her " new " releases like the CREME DE LYS
Chardonnay California 2009 ( $12.49 ) and the Cabernet Sauvignon " Collection
Privada " from NAVARRO CORREAS: this 2007, $15.99 is a real benchmark for
great, traditional-styled Cabernet from Mendoza, Argentina. JOIN US, NEVER ANY
CHARGE!

I AM SURE I have forgotten something but it will have to wait. Don't
forget that we have the BEGINNER'S CLASS this Saturday from 11;30-1PM if you
want to join us let me know by responding to me , Tony , on this email. It's
$10 a person for six wines and an hour-and-a-half of me.

ALSO REMEMBER : The next BIG-THEME Wine-Tasting on lesser-known U.S.
States ( Hawaii and Idaho and Arizona and Michigan and more ) has been changed
to Saturday, October 16th, 2010 here from 1-5 PM. JOIN US. NEVER any charge.
Cheers,  TONY

Once Again Tasting And Really Discovering This Time For The First Time The True Magic And Charm And Maturity And Appeal Of The GIRARD 1986 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon On Monday Night, September 29th, 2014 With The Steak I Grilled For My Wife And My Meal! Sublime This 1986, I'm Bowled Over!

The label has two acorns on it and this is the season for the acorns falling from the trees and being so perfect and beautiful : I love them, I love this bottle tonight, too! I am honored to be drinking and enjoying it as I am now , and have been for the last two hours or so. It still is pleasing, it still is exciting, it still is all there and not missing a beat, so consistently divine it is! Cheers!!

I am so impressed this time with this 1986 GIRARD Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ( ' produced and bottled by Girard Winery Oakville , Napa Valley , CA. table wine contains sulfites  ' reads the front label, sold at Bassin's for $13.99 a bottle, ).

I have tried the wine now five or more times and it has never tasted this silky or velvety or sublime, like a really fine aged wine, like one of the finest aged wines, with a touch of an intense bouquet that hits you immediately and with beautiful aged red ruby color that has some brown to it but not too much.

It's a treat, it's a real treat, it's world-class, I am amazed that a bottle of this age - 28 yr's old ) is still this fresh and this alive and this balanced, polished, refined, charming and together! Wow, bravo to the wine-making team back then at GIRARD Winery, you all did a terrific job, really a splendid effort on your part to achieve so much elegance, flavor, power, charm and appeal and balanced flavors that almost thirty years now are still delighting me to the max! I am enthralled, I am mesmerized, I am so ' under the spell ', I will enjoy it as I type, as I watch the show tonight ' The Voice ', and I am thrilled to have just scanned these pictures and included them here, using a flash light and shining it on the wine in my glass to hopefully bring it out more visually? That is the idea anyway, did it work?

So stay-tuned for more on this wonderful 1986 GIRARD Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as I still have six bottles to open and test and enjoy in whatever state they may currently be in when opened and asked to perform for our hungry and thirsty palates! Cheers, bravo GIRARD Winery!!  TONY   Monday night now here at home in northern Virginia on a fall and cool and beautiful day and night - perfect for this wine - September 29th, 2014 ....


he wine is more briary and woodsy and leaner and with less silk and fat on it's structure, and yet there is nothing missing, just a modulation, a shifting as the second sip turns more of the liquid into a soft and translucent red butter in taste that is filling in and the bramble and the sweet woods and the heat of the sun and the toil and the ardor of the vines and grapes are all expressed here so perfectly, with such harmony and honesty of expression. I am still amazed.

I am still bowled over with appreciation and awe and the magic and the mystery of what hits my tastebuds is still carrying me to new plateaux and new vistas and new realms and I am so pleased to be able to hop on with my thirsty taste-buds and all my senses and ' be taken ' where I may, willingly, appreciatively ... nice, really nice, glorious, in fact. It's now 10:46Pm and I am happy to add this here now before going off to bed.

If I were with friends I am sure we would polish the bottle off. As it stands now there is half a bottle left and I will finish it tomorrow. Cheers,  TONY


The color, too on this wine is still alluring ... calls to me ...

Rediscovering the Swartland South African Bush-Vine Hearty and Rustic Grapes Of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier ( Only 3 % ) In The BLACK ROCK 2004 Signed Bottle To Tony By Eddie That's Caked In Brown Mud In Our Shed Outside Today, Monday, September 29th, 2014 ... Wow, How Did It get So Muddy?!?

Just a little while ago reconnecting with BLACK ROCK that was signed to me, TONY by Eddie it looks like way back when I tasted it with Eddie. it's a 2004 and it is from Swartland and is a dry blend of 75% Chenin Blanc, 22% Chardonnay and % Viognier, made mostly from bush vines that can survive in this rugged territory by the sea where the ancient Swart Renoster - Black Rhinoceros  - made this region famous as it is largely unspoiled. I wonder how my bottle got so caked in mud? Did it come this way from South Africa? Did Eddie bring it all caked in unspoiled Swartland South African mud? And if he did , or if she did, how did they get past our US customs?!? I think I got it this way out in my shed where I still make red and white home-made vinegar in the small barrels that then French chef Alain Planche gave me when he cooked at Le Rivage on the waterfront not far from the Jefferson memorial and just off of Mains Street. Remember?!? Anyway, I think the mud is fitting and so I leave it for authenticity. I ask Eddie to come back with a fresh bottle so that we may see what the current vintages taste like? Is that a deal eddie?!? Cheers and thanks for this, love it, love reconnecting like this. I scanned these two pics just now. Hope they reve some of this dry blends' flavors?!? TONY 9 / 29 / 2014

I just took another picture to show the word " Eddie " and I also poured what was still in the bottle to show, can't be sure that it is the original wine, I do make my own home-made vinegar, so it may not be the original wine, all brown and smelly and funky and murky, the ' authorship ' of it is in question, but fun to show all the same. Cheers, it's interesting to see what I get by scanning a bottle and shining a flashlight down onto the liquid to illuminate it even more, or so I hope. The jury is still out on that as I experiment. Cheers,   TONY

Discovering the Joys Of The 2004 LAUGHING JACK Limited Two 2004 Barossa Valley Shiraz Earlier This Evening At Home On Our Back Deck With My Wife And Daughter And Our Two Neighbors : Having Everyone Really Enjoy This LAUGHING JACK Shiraz : That Was The Icing On The Cake For Me!

Drinking LAUGHING JACK " Limited Two " 2004 Barossa Valley Shiraz Alc, By Volume 16 % 750ml now with my wife and daughter and neighbors Katarina and Matt. The bottle was a gift when I went to Australia in 2006 was it? I went with Chris Pigott , then of the Country Vintners Imports that paid with his own money, free miles program, to have me fly with him to Australia to see WEST CAPE HOWE, LONGVIEW, PICARDY, TALIJANCICH, and LOOSE END and also GIBSON wineries in both Western Australia, ( oh, also HAY SHED HILL in Margaret River ), and we had a blast! Nick Stacey took us to a FABulous wine shop in Perthe and the owner insisted on giving a bottle of the LAUGHING JACK 2004 to each Chris and me, only two barrels produced. I thank everyone because tonight on our deck out back my wife, daughter and two neighbors all really liked this 2004, and that is huge as my wife and daughter mostly drink white wine! Wow, I am thrilled to be able to have told them all this story and to have had all four enjoy this delicious, still young, yet quite approachable Shiraz today, Sunday, September 28th, 2014. Now it is time for dinner, a pesto that I made from our own garden Basil and will have more to say on all of this really soon! Cheers, TONY 9 / 28 / 2014

John Richard Lay and Eric Platt of Pacific Prime Wines As We Taste The Fine Kiwi NZ Wines Of SIEFRIED, MAIMAI, FORREST & More @ Cleveland Park Wine And Spirits In Cleveland Park Northwest, Washington D.C., 20008 From 5 To 8PM, No Charge, Free Tasting, Everyone Always Welcome ...

TASTING of the Kiwi New Zealand wines today with Richard Lay :

 1) SIEFRIED, Nelson New Zealand ...

  2) MAIMAI , :

    a)  from Hawke's Bay , the Chardonnay, 2012, $16.99,  and the  

    b) Syrah dry red 2011 also from Hawke's Bay, $21.99 ...

  3) FORREST Estate,  Pinot Noir 2012, Marlborough, $26.99 NZ,   AND, introducing ...

 4) a ' new ' surprise dry Sauvignon Blanc that I fell in love with two weeks ago trying it with the owner himself, from the producers of the ' Sparklin' Savie ' Sauvignon Blanc that so many of you already know and love ...

JOIN US, never any charge, you are all more than welcome to come and join us here with neighbors, family and friends, let's make a BIG DEAL of all of this ...

 Friday, today, September 26th, 2014 from 5 to 8 PM ...    TONY

My Anthony Quinn Cleveland Park Wine And Spirits' Store Email Of Monday, September 22nd, 2014 Starting With Nora Faveluke's Visit Of QW Wine Experts Based In New York City, With JUlian Inarra Iraegui Export Manager Of PROEMIO Wines, We Spoke Of CATENA Wines, Nicolas Catena, Range Restaurant, The Best Temperature To Serve GUIGAL's Condrieu Dry Northern White, And Much More ... Enjoy!

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

- OH WHAT FUN!

So much to share... like Nora Favelukes' surprise visit just now with Julian
Inarra Iraegui the export manager, bottle buyer, decider of what and how much to
bottle, and so much more for PROEMIO Wines in Argentina ... this is what we
wrote and posted an hour ago or less here on our Facebook page, Cleveland Park
Wine & Spirits ... go and see the pics we took using Julian's phone that he sent
me asap ..

I cannot get it to work the copying and the pasting and am frustrated not being
a computer person, so go to our Facebook to read more about this.

I have known Nora Favelukes now for many years and she lives in New York City,
the ' Big Apple ', and I want to g see her sometime there to discover some of
New York that she can show me I am sure!

She is with Julian Inarra Iraegui ( it's a Basque name according to Julian, and
I am not to blame him as he had nothing to do with naming himself when he was
born, even though it is hard to write and remember the spelling of! You are off
the hook Julian, do not worry, it's on your business card and so I look at it
while I type, no problem!

Loved having Nora and Julian visit as I would not have seen Nora at all if I had
not switched schedules today with Chris to be here on this drop-dead, gorgeous
day which is normally my day-off as many of you know. I am so thrilled to have
seen you Nora, really I am!

Our Trip Nora to Argentina in 1995 with Billington Imports was one of the best I
have even been on ( a group of perhaps 12-14 ), and I tell everyone every chance
that I have that you gave 120 % of yourself to make it a great trip, and it was.
We had a magnificent visit at CATENA just as the annual harvest celebration was
beginning there in the town of Mendoza.

We arrived in the town of Mendoza and were pretty much immediately whisked off
to the park with the great open-air stage and we took our seats there with one
of the younger Catena's and her small daughter and her daughter's friends , and
we had meals packed in bags for us to enjoy while the spectacle of dance and
music and lights and sound and merriment, pure joy and relief and gratitude all
unfolded there with so many performers, right before our spellbound eyes. It was
amazing, it was wonderful.

We were there to visit both the CATENA winery in the northern area of Mendoza
and also to there to visit VALENTIN BIANCHI in San Rafael in the southern
region. We did both, too : and were the better for it all, being wined and dined
and made to feel special and like royalty and with the food, the wine, the
company, the good cheer, the country and the warmth and the joy all around us,
with owners and winemakers and Nora all so attentive and wonderful to us and
every whim and whimsy of ours. What more could we have ever wanted?!? Not much I
can still say to this day, not much at all.
What I remember after this twenty-plus flight to Argentina was a certain amount
of fatigue and nervous and excited energy and wanting and expectation and
hunger. The bags were a start, but a weak start and more was needed. More,
muchas mas did , in fact come later when we got back into the town of Mendoza
and around midnight or so found a restaurant, took our seats outside by the door
in a long rectangular table and ordered many delicious wines from Argentina as
well as much-need carne rojo / red meat : thick and juicy and succulent and
charred and steaming and delicious! Now we had arrived, now - ahora - the big
smiles covered all our faces and we were all brimming broadly!

The next day we were off to visit the CATENA winery and that was exciting. Nora
said it to me just awhile ago : that we were at the start, at the beginning of
some marvelous adventures for the wines of Argentina back in the 1990's. She is
right, too. Things were just starting to happen then. In the 1980's the wines of
Argentina were largely unknown and unappreciated. All true, it was a bit of a
struggle to get people's attention and to both open their eyes and their palates
to the splendors of Argentina's wines, imagine that now when the whole world
seems to be in love with them and with the Malbec grape that originally comes
from France's Cahors and Limoux region ( yes, we have both the Cahors of France
that blends Malbec, Merlot and Tannat often to make their dry red wines that
used to be referred years ago the the ' black wines ' of France ,  ...

as well as the ' Original ' Malbec , a 2012 from Anne de Joyeuse, depuis-since
1868 - from Limoux, France, south of Bordeaux and the Lot region where Cahors
is. This ' Original ' 2012 sells for $14.99 a bottle,  with 13.5% alcohol by
volume, and Certified Protect Planet By Bureau Veritas International ( BVQI ).
It is bright, balanced, fruit-forward, medium-to-light-bodied, and a treat to
sip by itself or enjoy with many a meal. Come try some, we have it on our
shelves now, and it is perfect for a drop-dead gorgeous day like today!

ANYWAY, when we went to CATENA the whole world then was in love with Cabernet
Sauvignon ( no one knew much about, ot talked much about, the wines made with
the Malbec grape, except for the ' black wines ' of Cahors that I have already
mentioned ) ; and the world was loving the dry and flavorful and complex white
Chardonnay that winemaker Paul Hobbs had helped them make at CATENA. This was
the news back then in 1995 when we were there, it was about this incredible and
tasty and complex and fine Chardonnay from CATENA made in Argentina that was not
at all until known for it's white wines.

No one knew yet about the Torrontes dry and aromatic and exotic/tropical-style ,
lively, bright whites that Susana Balbo would pioneer later ( with much dissent
from her male winemaker counterparts I am told ) at the time, and that has sold
marvelously-well since and prompted many of them to make their own similar
versions. It's called the CRIOS and we sell it here still.

Also no one knew then about the French indigenous dry white grape that was taken
there called the Saint Jeannet that we also sell now from ALLAMAND, called the '
Cuvee Saint Jeannet ", a 2012, $13.99 a bottle, that is, in fact a blend of 50%
Saint Jeannet and 50% Chardonnay, 13.7% alcohol by volume, that is flavorful,
tasty, unique and fun, and full-balanced and excellent with food in my opinion
than to drink on it's own.

We sell many Torrontes dry whites in all price brackets and the QUARA
Estate-Bottled 2013, $10.99 from the Vale de Cafayate, 13% alcohol by volume,
seems to be a favorite now for it's freshness, vibrant qualities, and real
balance and zesty taste, too.

Back in 1995 the Cabernet Sauvignon was king, and the CATENA was a real delight,
balanced, flavorful, best with food, and a great complement to a hearty steak
meal. We currently have the 2011 from CATENA, the ' High Mountain Vines ' that
we sell for $20.99 a bottle. It has 13.5% alcohol by volume, and for me it is
the better, the more balanced and tasty now bottle to enjoy from CATENA. I
always recommend it and am happy to have it here and to share with all those
that come in search of another Malbec.

From Cahors, France we also have the excellent CHATEAU Du CEDRE 2010 ( an
incredible vintage in that part of France for both Cahors and for Bordeaux ),
$29.99 a bottle, 13.5% alcohol by volume, tasty, beefy, earthy, pithy, perky,
great spice and flavors, and best with a meal, anything that you grill or that
is seasoned and marinated-well.

Nora and I also spoke of the Range restaurant, of Tom Clare, of Jeff Moshbach
and his wines of MANOS NEGRAS like the 2010 Pinot Noir that we have here from
Pategonia, Argentina, $21.99 a bottle, 14% alcohol by volume, the Red Soil
Select from Neuquen, Pategonia, Argentina. Nora, you have to arrange a trip to
Pategonia and take me! I have never been and that would be fun to discover as
well. It would have been nice, I told Nora, to sip and enjoy this or their
Malbec from Mendoza with our meal at Range restaurant and not some of the French
wines already on the list at Range a couple of weeks ago!

When I asked both Nora and Julian to pick up a bottle and hold it Julian picked
up the bottle of the ALPAMANTHA Estate Malbec , a 2010 from Mendoza, Argentina,
$27.99, 14% alcohol by volume. He knew the wine and I told him that the owner of
this organic property in Argentina, Andrej Razumovsky had tasted it here with me
years ago with Dan Terrasa of William Harrison when Dan picked him up at the
airport and whisked him right here where we have continued before and since to
sell Andrej's fine wines now for years. Gracias Dan, Andrej e Julian, glad to
draw attention to it once again. It's so balanced and fruit-forward and a
delight to enjoy now with a meal or age even longer.
So : thanks Nora and Julian, you gave me the start for today's store email on
this beautiful Monday, and I thank you very much for that, I really do. Thanks
also for the FABulous trip in 1995

BUT HEY, there is more to Cleveland Park than just wine. What do you have for us
today Santos ?!?

WHAT FINE BEER and ALE Santos?

1) Sucks Brown Shugga' Substitute Ale from LAGUNITAS, 1 quart , 32 Fl. Oz
bottle, On Special for $8.99, from Petaluma, California, 8% alcohol by volume,
... what a fun treat, great label, bottle and packaging, too : along with really
fine ale!

2) Punkin Ale from DOGFISH HEAD, a " full-bodied brown ale brewed with real
pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice cinnamon & nutmeg" This 4-pack On Special for
$10.99 a 4-pack, 7% alcohol by volume, a 2014 vintage, in 12 Fl. Oz bottles is
available here now in limited quantities. Come get some while you still can.

3) Pumpkin Ale  U.S.A. Finest Selected from BLUE POINT Brewing, Long Island
Brewery, On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, ... a malt beverage
brewed with pumpkin & spices. Get some soon, we will be out pretty soon , as
always, buy some now, put it away, and enjoy when the time is right for you ...

AND From Jagir and Malkit we have in Liquor :

1) Gin distilled & bottled in Alaska by BRISTOL BAY, On Special for $28.99 a
bottle, 90 proof, in Wasilla, Alaska, made by a small, independent company
located at the foothills of the Alaskan Range , using ultra pure glacier water
and the finest grains, too!

2) Imported Vodka made with Bison Grass added at BAK'S in Zubrowka, Poland, On
Special for $22.99 a 750ml bottle, " rich in authenticity with an intriguing
flavor. " It's 40 % alcohol by volume, this is the real thing, come by and
experience it for yourselves. Excellent anytime that you want to add any apple
taste with vodka, really complements the flavors in an apple. Cheers.

3) Anejo Superior Rum from BRUGAL in the Dominican Republic, On Special for
$19.99 a bottle of 750ml size, it is double-distilled, aged in oak casks for
extra balance and smooth flavors, and I LOVE the rich, deep color that the oak
barrels give it, makes me feel good, draws me closer, makes me want to linger
and taste and take a sip or two or three or four ...

4) Beach Plum Gin Liqueur from GREENHOOK GINSMITHS , $51.99 a bottle 750ml size,
30% alcohol by volume, from Brooklyn, ... the base being cane sugar. " Enjoy our
Atisan Gin Liqueur inspired by the traditional,English Sloe Gin " says Steven
DeAngelo.
5) The Peat Monster Blended Malt Scotch Whiskey from the COMPASS BOX Whisky Co.
, $58.99 a 750ml bottle, with natural colour, non-chill filtered, 46% alcohol by
volume, ... is ' new and exciting. " Come check it out, come try some ..

SALE of up to 15 % and 20 % Tues/ Wed.!

SAVE TOMORROW, Tuesday up to 15% on sparkling wine and on Wednesday, save up to
20 % on still/ non-sparkling wines, same as every Tuesday and Wednesday! Cheers

Four more wines :

1) Vinho Verde Dry white Portuguese wines from SANTOLA, $7.99 is a perfect
wine for this warmth and sunshine, love it, love it a lot!

2) Sweet Cabernet Sauvignon from California, a fruity , delicious red to
chill and enjoy anytime, with or without food, $10.99 a bottle, no tannins , no
acids, just ripe, pure fruit of Cab Sauv! Yeahhhh!

3) Blanc De Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2012 from Moldova, tastes of pure ,
fresh, barely fermented Cabernet Fruit and richness, ripeness and sunshine and
is a delight to sip anytime, with or without a meal, $11.99 a bottle, 13%
alcohol by volume ...

I am prompted to write about this Moldovan Cabernet white now as I just tasted
with Stephan Murray-Sykes  a bottle of cloudy, unfiltered dry white Cabernet
Sauvignon in a Bordeaux bottle, the CHATEAU le QUEYROUX Blanc de Noir 2013 that
was delicious and which we will sell, recommend here at $34.99 a bottle. So fun
and exciting, so utterly different and unexpected, too! There is always a first
time, even for me after more than thirty years ...

4) 2013 Pinot Noir from New Zealand called the BETTER HALF ( referring to
the husband of Jules Taylor that makes this . ) Jody Jackman our loved Winebow
rep tasted this with our customers here a couple of Friday's ago. Chill it
thirty minutes and enjoy it now in this unbridled sunshine of this
almost-perfect Monday ...

5) Late Harvest Hungarian white sweet blend of grapes, a late-harvest  half
bottle, $16.99, that Andrew Stover poured here this weekend, 11.5% alcohol by
volume, that was so amazing, so wonderful, so distinct and balanced, flavorful,
edgy, I loved it all over again having already written about it and loved it at
the beach on the ' super moon ' night in early August. Cheers, enjoy!

TASTINGS THIS WEEK :

Friday,  September 26th, 2014 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Eric Platt here to taste
some superb New Zealand wines of SIEFRIED, FORREST ESTATE, perhaps even the '
Sparklin' Savie Sauvignon Blanc, their Pinot Gris perhaps, their excellent
Sauvignon Blanc?!? So many choices, join us ... never any charge.

Saturday, September 27th, 2-6PM : We have Kelly Burgess here of the STELLAR
ORGANICS wines of South Africa to do a tasting of little sulfur, none-added
during the wine-making process, etc,... Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot and Pinotage
reds, and maybe a Chardonnay, too?!? Will see, have to talk with Andrew Webber
our local rep for them tomorrow.

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, call if you need a delivery at " 202-363-4265, follow us
on Twitter at : cpwinespirits, LIKE us on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wine And
Spirits ... cheers, happy Monday!   TONY

Anthony Quinn's Cleveland Park Wine And Spirits' Tuesday Store Email From September 24th, 2012 I Believe? Enjoy! On : VALDIPIATTA Tenuta Tuscan Wines, GSM " Seven Of Hearts " Dry Red Blend 2011, Domaine Bellevue Sauvignon Blanc Touraine, Loire Valley, Forrest Estate New Zealand 2004 Dry Riesling And More!

Cleveland Park Wine Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine
Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits
SCRAMBLING - OH WHAT FUN! So much to share with you all. This beautiful weather
is contagious and puts a broad smile on my face. We have some special treats for
you all here that I will mention from Michel Dumas, Ravinder Sharma, Santos
Rivera and me - Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn.

I WANT TO " Shout Out " for Ravi that works our register, buys the spirits and
sells you all so many winning lottery tickets, too. Ravi is retiring and going
to India to spend a month, maybe more. He's here until October 15th, 2013 : so
if you have not yet said your " bye byes ", this is the time.

RAVI MAY BE BACK TO WORK, he may not : that remains to be seen. It's all up to
him. We love having him here and will sorely miss him, all that he has done, all
that he has meant to us and the many of you that have gotten to know and love
his broad grin and beaming smile. He has added so much to the daily fabric of
our lives. he has solved many problems, his level-headed approach to many
situations has been a real saving grace that we will remember, grin at, and
miss.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE 20 years?!? That's a mini lifetime, a mini-marriage, a real
chunk of both time and change. Ravi : the stories you can tell, the things that
you have seen pass through this long rectangular space. So much life, so many
marriages, celebrations, birthdays, reunions, partings, returns, births and
deaths. You could spend another twenty years writing all these stories down,
emailing them, tweeting them, blogging and pod-casting them.

THINGS CHANGE and life and business and communities, neighborhoods all go on,
keep changing and morphing, the characters and the players, the observers, the
landscape, city-and-neighborhood-scapes all continue to adjust. We as humans try
and adjust. It's hard when you figure into all of this things like the fact that
we have one week to establish a budget and pass it for our government to
continue functioning.

THE THINGS THAT SUSTAIN US , nourish us, provide us with comfort and order and a
certain calm and joy - like Ravi - have stayed the same. He has been here weekly
for all of you, for us : we have weathered together many a storm. We are
grateful for Ravi's service to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits as well as to our
fabulous Cleveland Park neighborhood.

THANK YOU RAVI,gracias, merci, prego, obregado. You are always welcome here!
What will we ever do without you?!?

SO : HAVING SAID ALL this about you Ravi I will start out with your spirits and
talk about them first. Santos you will follow Ravi in today's store email.

WHAT HAVE YOU FOR US RAVI :

LIQUEUR :

1) Asian Pear Eau De Vie from SUBARASHI KUDAMONO, Pear Brandy ) $49.99,
375ml bottle, 49% alcohol by volume,  go to : www.winesofsubarashi.com for more
info, Ashford, CT ) : " celebrates fruit at it's finest : fresh, clean,
flavorful. Select Asian pears from the Subarashi Kudamono orchards create a
liveliness and intense fruit essence. "
ALL SO TRUE : we have tasted it here now twice and it is so bright and brilliant
and subtle and elegant and refined.
A little bit goes a very long way. What a great way to welcome sleep and a good
rest for a day well-spent!

LIQUOR :

1) " Tombo " Shochu / Soju Spirits distilled from Barlet ( $14.99, 24%
alcohol by volume, product of Vietnam ) :
" Once known as the dragonfly islands. Japan is steeped in history and
traditions of the powerful Samurai who often emblazoned their armor with the
dragonfly symbol. Tombo is a reflection of their courage and strength. Enjoy the
elegant strength of Tombo on the rocks, with a splash of cool water or mixed in
your favorite cocktails "
GO TO : www.tomboschochu.com for more info.
MY WIFE asked me if I knew about this? I said I did and that we sold it.
She forwarded an email onto me saying that there was a push to have it become
even more popular here than vodka, that it sells really well all over the world.

MY RESPONSE was that I doubted it would do as well here, and that the people
selling it to us had really dropped the ball as this is the only one we have.

WHERE are all the others?

WHY have we not seen them yet? Where's all the push and advertising here to
boost sales?

WHY have we never been approached to do an in-store soju tasting? Many
unanswered questions. Only time will tell. Come check this out!

WHAT DO YOU ALL KNOW? Please share with us. This is something worth taking a
much closer look at, don't you agree?

2) Genever Style Gin from GENEVIEVE / Essay 0-SSG-GM-1 ( $54.99. 47.3%
alcohol by volume, established 1993. San Fransisco, from ANCHOR Distilling Co.
Go to : www.anchordistilling.com for more info ) : " Genevieve Genever-Style Gin
is an offshoot of our research into the history and evolving production methods
that led to modern gin. ...

The earliest gins, however- which came to be known as ' genever ' ( or ' Geneva
gin ', or ' Hollands gin ' or ' Schiedam-style gin ' - were a very different
product.

To be sure , juniper berries and other botanicals are used in both styles, but
17th-century 'genever ' gin was distilled in primitive pot stills from a grain
mash.

Genevieve is our attempt to re-create this ancient and mysterious gin style. ...
"   TOO MUCH to type, come read the label, come buy the gin and try it! Cheers.

3) THE TYRCONNELL Single Malt Irish Whiskey  10 Years Old & Finished In
Port Casks ( $81.99, Est. 1762, Riverstown, County Louth , go to :
www.tyrconnellwhiskey.com for more info ) : " Initially matured in American oak
and finished in port casks to impart further depth and flavour creating an
inviting single malt with a deep antique copper colouring. ... a silky sweet
taste of rich fruits, honey and spice with a beautiful lingering oak finish. "

4) Tres Agaves TEQUILA Blanco/ Estate-Bottled ( $36.99 a 750ml bottle, 40%
alcohol by volume, Jalisco Mexico,  go to : www.tresagaves.com for more info ) :
" ... Since it does not age in oak barrels, Blanco Tequila simply reflects the
clean, herbaceous character of blue agave. "

5) Grappa Elevata in Barili di SASSICAIA / Tenuat San Guido & Jacopo Poli (
$59.99, a 375ml bottle, 40% alcohol by volume, Poli Distillerie Schiavon (
Veneto ) Italy ) : MARCHESI INCISA DELLA ROCCHETTA.

6) ZING ZANG Not HJust Another Bloody Mary Mix ( On Special for $8.99 a 1/2
Gallon, 1.8 Liter plastic bottle, go to : www.zingzang.com for more info ) :
Come make the Classic Zing Zang Bloody Mary - 4 Parts Zing Zang, 1 Part of your
favorite vodka, Pour over ice, stir, add squeeze of lime and garnish with a
celery stalk. Cheers.

NOW FOR YOU SANTOS : Beer, Cider & Ale :

1) Virginia Draft BOLD ROCK Hard Cider ( On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack of
12-ounce bottles, 4.7% alcohol by volume, from Nellysford, VA. ) : Made by Brian
Shanks!

2) Pipeline Porter with 100% Hawaiian Kona Coffee Seasonal Release  from
KONA Brewing Co. ( On Special for $8.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 5.3%
alcohol by volume, go to : www.konabrewingco.com for more info ) : " Pipeline
Porter is full bodied with a rich, smooth, dark roasted malt flavor. "

3) Amber Ale from PEAK ORGANIC Brewing Company (On Special for $9.99 a
6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, from Portland, Maine ) : We just did a PEAK ORGANIC
Beer tasting here this past Friday and I loved the smooth, creamy, flavorful
taste of this Amber Ale. The other night I showed it to our customer Susan and
her eyes lit up! She said that she vacations there and she picked up two six
packs and put them on our counter to pay immediately! Yes!

4) Creme Brulee Blackwater Series from SOUTHERN TIER Brewing Company (
$9.49, 9.5% alcohol by volume, from Lakewood, New York , go to :
southerntierbrewing.com for more info ) : Very dark in color, full body, medium
bitterness : great with organic vanilla ice cream, cheesecake. What a fun treat.

5) " Bacchus " Belgian Ale from the CASTLE BREWERY ( On Special for $7.49 a
12.7 Fl. Oz bottle, Van Honsebrouck, Belgium) treat yourselves!

6) " Four Witches " 2013  Black Saison The High Gravity Series from NEW
HOLLAND Brewing ( $8.99 a 1 Pt. 6-Fluid Ounce bottle, from Holland, Michigan, go
to : www.New HollandBrew.com for more info , 8.92% alcohol by volume ) : " White
and dark roasted wheat join caramel rye and barley in a flavorful backdrop for
yeast character accentuated by mild spicing. Pairings : grilled or blackened
fish, jambalaya, mushroom sautees. "

WINES From Michel & Tony :

WHITE :

1) Sauvignon Blanc 2012  from California's Lake County, the Line 39 (
$10.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume, from CECCHETTI Wine Company , go to :
www.ceccettiwineco.com ) : consistent, fresh, bright, balanced and a phenomenal
value!

2) 2012 Sauvignon Blanc from France's Loire Valley, a Touraine " En
Lieu-Dit- LES JARRIERS " ( $11.99, from Aligny-Cosne, France ) : Both Michel and
I really liked this the other day. Over delivers for the money.

3) 2004 Dry Riesling from the FORREST ESTATE in New Zealand's Marlborough
region ( On Special for $14.99. regularly $28.99 a bottle, 12% alcohol by
volume, ) : presented to Michel and me by the owner John Forrest, this mature,
flavorful, dry Riesling is exceptional and drinking beautifully : buy several
bottles while you still can. No petrol nose, clean, brisk and razor-sharp acids
that ripple and delineate you to the core, to your foundation! Wow, I love it, I
really do : one of our very best sales ever.

4) " Charmed " Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2010 from California's JAQK
CELLARS ( $29.99, 13.9% alcohol by volume, go to : www.jaqkcellars.com for more
info ) : More taste, more body, more width and stuffing - yet bright and tasty
and really it does sparkle without any sparkle - all on the palate, a shindig of
shindigs here : and an amazing label, too. Great treat, great gift.

5) 2011 Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco Vigneti Delle Dolomiti from FORADORI (
$30.99 a bottle, 12.5% alcohol by volume, ) : we like very much the dry red
teroldego wines of Elisabetta, here is her white that also speaks volumes to us.
A flavorful dry white that is a great wine to pair with a meal. Has the body of
a red, the brilliance and lyrical quality of a white. Go to :
www.elisabettaforadori.com for more info. Both Michel and I loved it , all over
again, thanks Regis!

ROSE:

1) 2012 Touraine Dry Rose from the DOMAINE BELLEVUE ( $11.99, 13% alcohol
by volume, Loire Valley, France, ) : this is a great sipping dry French
medium-to-lighter-bodied rose. Many of you already love it - Justin, Zack and
many more ... and it just makes you feel good to enjoy a glass with or without a
meal. Great now as we are officially in Autumn! Cheers.

REDS :

1) Pinot Noir 2011 from California's REDTREE - the CECCHETTI Wine Company (
$9.99 , 12.5% alcohol by volume, go to : www.cecchettiwineco.com for more info )
made from 100% Pinot Noir and it tastes like real Pinot Noir : more elegant and
bright and not heavy in the least - a breath of fresh Pinot Noir air!

2) Petite Sirah Central Coast 2011, this LINE 39 dry California red from
grapes grown in the Central Coast ( $10.99 a bottle, from Bob Browman of
CECCHETTI Wine Company, go to : www.cecchettiwineco.com for more info ) : good
weight, good balance, a good taste, too : a treat for this price that sells
really well. Nadine loves it as do many of our good customers! Cheers.

3) " Chatte D'Avignon 2011 " Seven Of Hearts " GSM - Grenache, Syrah and
Mourvedre red blend from the SEVEN OF HEARTS ( $29.99 a bottle, Columbia Valley,
Washington State, 329 cases made, Dundee, Oregon, go to :
www.sevenheartswine.com for more info ) : a delightful, superb red blend of 35%
Grenache, 52% Syrah and 13% Mourvedre. Wow, double wow!

4) " Magnificat " Vigneto Singolo- Single Vineyard  Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from DREI DONA in
Romagna, Italy ( $42.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume, go to : www.dreidona.it for
more info ) : this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is a real delight : classic Italian
style dry red, I like it better than many of the Super Tuscan reds I try in this
price range. Regis, our local rep brought the 2009 for Michel and me to taste
last week and it was  showing really well, the 2007 is that much further along
in it's development. It's a food wine. Enjoy largely!

5) 2003 Vigna D'Alfiero Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano from Tenuta
VALDIPIATTA ( $62.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume ) : as good as any Tuscan wine can
be, the very top-level of classic, great Sangiovese-Sangiovetto Grosso grapes!
Guido the owner says it best : as great as any Brunello. The TOP TOP TOP! Great
present to yourselves. I brought a bottle back with me from Tuscany I liked it
so much! Cheers.

OUR FABulous 3-Part Non-Sparkling, Madeira, Marsala, Port, Sherry, Sake SALE :

1) Buy ANY  bottle at $19.99 or more from these categories above and SAVE
20% OFF the marked sticker prices.
2) BUY ANY SIX ( 6 ) bottles at any price from the categories listed above
and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.
3) BUY ANY TWELVE ( 12 ) or more bottles from these same categories and
SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.
MIX them up, get a variety and SAVE BIG on Wednesdays. If you cannot come
then call Michel or Tony ( me ) and place your order over the phone, or here by
responding to this email. We also deliver here in Washington D.C. where it is
legal. CALL : 202-363-4265. PAY Wednesdays and save. Cheers.

WEEKEND TASTINGS :

Friday, September 27th, 2013 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Keith of Vine Connections
here pouring the Argentina Susana BALBO wines that include the " Crios " series,
too. This will be fun, this will be a treat, Both Michel and I love the
Bonarda-Syrah blend, There's also the dry white Torontes and the dry rose, as
well as others. Keith will also taste the Malbec from LUCA as we have some of it
as well to sell. What fun! Join us, never any charge! Free to taste, only costs
you something when you buy a bottle! Cheers.

Saturday, September 28th, 2013 ( 2-6PM ) : we have Oscar Losama of the
Voila Selections Import Company of primarily French country wines to pour some
exciting wines that include dry red, white and rose, and maybe also a sparkling
wine from regions around France like Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Southwest France
and maybe the Rhone Valley , too? To be decided tomorrow. Call for an update or
just come by and taste with Oscar! Cheers.

I AM SURE I HAVE FORGOTTEN MANY THINGS and am sorry for that and will make up
for it soon as I get back into my regular emails. These are a bit shorter and do
not include as much as I would like and so I will add those things back in
starting next week. Sorry for any inconvenience. Check on us on Facebook at :
Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits, on Twitter at : cpwinespirits, and also at : wineenabler. Cheers and thanks for all your support! We appreciate everything you do for us , really! Enjoy this beautiful day : come and get something here and make it even more special than it already is!

CHEERS,   TONY

Nora Favelukes Surprises Me With Julian Inarra Iraegui ( a Basque name he says ) Of PROEMIO Wines In Argentina ( Export Manager ) Here At Cleveland Park Wine And Spirits On Monday Morning, Monday, September 22nd, 2014 Before They Go On With Their Business Of The Day! Gracias Nora E Julian!

I am here now with NOra Favelukes and Julian Inarra Iraegui from PROEMIO Wines and they are about to meet with tweo fine small wholesalers to get the wines that they just launched in New York a week ago ( " Everything is very fresh! " says Julian chuckling, " I have to be very careful! " more chuckles, Nora chuckes, too : : And I am delighted to see my friend Tony! " " At the end this business is about friendship and relations, isn't it beautiful? " says Nora ) : You bet it is is Nora! It warms my heart to see Tony, enthusiastic and full of positive energy. Tony and I sold Catena eons ago....pioneering times.....Salud Tony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello DC friends! here we are for meetings as Tony sayd. Hope to conquer you soon with our juices! salut

I copied and pasted this from our Facebook page that we just wrote awhile ago there while all three of us were together here at Cleveland Park Wine And Spirits on a drop-dead gorgeous day here in Northwest Washington D.C., 20008, in Cleveland Park a ' happenin' neighborhood! "

It was great to meet you Julian and to see you again Nora after all these years! Thanks for making our paths cross as you did here, what fun, so unexpected, so delightful, makes my day!! I do not even mind that I am here on my day-off as you have come to see me and I would not have seen you otherwise. It's a sign, a great sign, love it, love you Nora, always have!

Nora, great to talk about our trip to Argentina together back in 1995 when you were with Billington Imports and you brought Nicolas Catena to the United States and got his business started for him with Alfredo Bartholmaus' help of course. It always takes more than one, it's always a combined effort and one that is strengthened by the solid help and work of each member contributing.

I cannot wait to try these PROEMIO wines soon. You said Nora that I would be the first in Washington D.C. to try them, I am holding you to that. Cheers,  hasta luego mios amigos Nora e Julian ...   TONY

I added this at the end when I posted this on Google+ ...

Great to see you today Nora and to talk wine ,  Nicolas Catena, Catena Cabernet Sauvignon, our FABulous trip to Argentina in 1995 when you gave it 120 percent of your effort!,  Brazil, Tom Clare, Jess Moshbach, the MANOS NEGRAS Argentina wines, Range restaurant and serving the GUIGAL Condrieu white so cold I could not taste it - you said Nora that that is the way people like their wines today, Southern Imports, Barbara Ruppel, Valentin BIanchi, New York city, my portrait sketches, my art, my son, the gentlemen like Guilermo at the Embassy of Argentina, and so very much more, in such a short time : then I sketched you, two quick portrait sketces, what must Julian have thought of all this with photos and all?!? That's okay, that's life in the fast lane with Anthony Quinn and a great friend like you Nora! Gracias ... TONY  9 / 22 / 2014


I showed Nora and Julian these pics from way back when with Nicolas Catena ...

A Lovely Serendipitous Dinner At The Range Restaurant On Tues. September 2nd, 2014 With Tom Clare Celebrating The MANOS NEGRAS Argentina Reds Of Jeff Moshbach

This was a great and unexpected occasion for me to discover the restaurant RANGE here in Washington D.C., Northwest, and to celebrate Tom Clare of Opici Imports that invited me as well as Jeff Moshbach of his own Argentina red wines of the MANOS NEGRAS, the 2010 Pinot Noir dry and pithy red from Argentina;s Pategonia region, as well as the 2010 Stone Soil Select from Mendoza, Argentina. Too bad they were not served with the meal. We had to make due with the excellent French wine selections off the RANGE restaurant list instead. Oh well, I imagined what the MANOS NEGRAS reds would have tasted like with my appetizers and also with my smoked dish pork dish. Cheers, Anthony / TONY / Quinn  Thursday, September 17th, 2014

These are the pictures I took using Tom Clare's phone, thanks Tom! I appreciate you having invited me to come and join you and Jeff and the others pictured here from retail as well as from the Argentina Embassy as well. Cheers,  TONY