...
Cleveland Park Wine Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine
Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and
spirit
LIFE IS PLUTO, life is taylor swift , life is ' bastille day ' today!
LIFE IN THE HOT STICKY FAST LANE , and SO stopping to remark, to smile, to
listen, to hold a loved one's hand, ... IS ESSENTIAL ...
COME TONIGHT to taste with me 2 french wines :
1) Mas ' las cabes ' 2011 Vin de pays des cotes catalanes dry white and ...
from Domaine gardies, jean gardies is the vigneron ... $16.99 a bottle, ,
only 15 hectares, with 13.5% alcohol by volume ...
2) Mas Belles EAUX ' Les Coteaux ' dry red French Languedoc, 2011, 13.5%
alcohol by volume, a 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre blend in
Caux, Chateau Belles Eaux ...
COME TASTE WITH ME if you are not glued to your t.v. looking at images of
Pluto or at the Taylor Swift concert tonight in the baseball stadium! We
are here and ready to ' rock-and-roll ' with you over the wonders and the
delights and the pleasures that are these two dry French wines from the
Southwest of France.
BUT HEY, the news is filled with so many things today I had to escape to my
backyard with my daughter's cat that wants to be outside and that allows me
to hold it and we have our shared moment of Zen this way. The cat stays put
and loves being outside and we both chill and the variety of flowers and
colors all in bloom or starting to be is pretty wonderful and peaceful.
CP WINE & SPIRITS should be a place where you can come and escape for just
awhile as well. Come join us anytime.
BEER & CIDER From Santos Rivera :
1) KRONENBOURG 1664 La premier Biere Francaise Brassee avec Savoir-Faire
depuis 1664 , On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, with only
5% alcohol by volume might just be the perfect choice today if you are
celebrating tonight the 14th of Juillet! Light enough, sure is refreshing,
and it will be enjoyable with this humidity that refuses to blow away!
2) ' Cuivre ' unfiltered Anno 2015 Anniversary, from THE BRUERY Famille
Rue, brewed and bottled by ... and 100% of the ale is aged in bourbon
barrels, $32.99 a 750ml bottle, with a whopping 16.2% alcohol by volume.
WOW! Check this out, and take a walk on the wild side ... that adventurous
side anyway ...
3) 25 Santiago Abbey-Style Ale 1 Pt. .907 Fluid ounce , 500ml bottle, with
7.5% alcohol by volume ... from MATEO & BERNABE and Friends, hand-crafted
beer : this 25 Abbey-style ale is brewed with pink peppercorn, cinnamon,
and nutmeg, and Estebe Salgado the owner/president of Tradewinds Specialty
Imports will be here to pour it and the ' other two ' that we sell. He came
to set a tasting with Santos for Friday, July 24th, 2015 from 5-8PM. Join
us for that, no charge. This will be a treat. Come taste all three with
Estebe, and see what this Spanish excitement form La Rioja, Espana is all
about!
CIDER :
1) Alcoholic Ginger Beer Imported Bt CRABBIE'S , Raspberry , $9.99 for a
4-pack of 12-ounce bottles, with 4.8% alcohol by volume, this is really '
new and exciting ', and with this humidity-damp-WAVE going on for more than
a month now this will be utterly refreshing and even inspiring to our taste
buds?!?
2) Original MAGNER'S Irish Cider imported 500ML 4-cans, with 4.5% alcohol
by volume, On Special for $8.99 , imported from Ireland. Try some if you
have not already. With no artificial sweeteners, no flavorings, naturally
gluten-free. This all rings This is yet another way to relax and get
through all the rapid-changes we are seeing and hearing all over the world
from China to Cuba to Iran and Afghanistan to the Outer Banks with at least
7 shark attacks if not more by now!
JOHN From GREEN HAT Distillers here in Washington D.C. delivering their '
first-ever! ' CAPITOLINE white, 18% alcohol by volume, and rose, 14.5%
alcohol by volume ( more like a lighter red vermouth ) local, D.C.-Made
vermouth's! WOW : this is really exciting, very limited availability as
they start this up, but we have some for you all now, SO : do not delay,
come get some while you can, BOTH are $27.99 a 750ml bottle. "
Capitoline is made by hand in small batches in an attempt to make a drink
both delicious on its own and in cocktails. Use as you would your favorite
vermouth ... "
COME CHECK these two new vermouth bottles!
NEWS FLASH : Just happening here as I type:
Robert just brought some delicious Hawaai vodka in a delicate transparent
turquoise-bleu ( it is the 14th after all! ) that is organic and the bottle
shape is FABULOUS, I said to our customer, and I never say this : " I would
buy it just for the bottle! I LOVE it, and the taste is silky, satiny
smooth, too : we would sell this organic liter round bottle ( nothing like
it I have ever seen- stay-tuned for the picture I will post soon ), and
here is Robert to say a few words : " Distilled from sugar cane and deep
sea mineral water that is desalinated. Distilled 8 times to remove all
impurities. Clean, fresh and the bottle makes a great gift or beautiful
decorative piece when finished" Thanks Robert, we will have to include this
in one of your tastings here with us when you taste your wines, too.
Cheers.
LIQUEUR / LIQUOR From Jagir/Malkit :
1) Pineau Des Charentes from PIERRE FERRAND , Gognac, Franc, $33.99 a 750ml
bottle, with 17% alcohol by volume, this is an intensely flavorful,
demonstrative, Pineau-Forward experience to enjoy today on Bastille Day! It
packs a real herbal, cognac-spirit taste that works on many levels, thick
and dense, tasty and best with some finger-foods : your choice, what a
treat!
I drank some Pineau des Charentes from the Cognac region last night at
midnight, under the stars, under the clouds, calm and serene and wet and
everything being somewhat weighed-down by the constant rains. I drank an
aged Pineau, and it was simply wonderful, I loved it, it was a pure
pleasure and delight! WOW! Too bad the whole neighborhood was not up
celebrating with me : now that would have been a real glorious,
fantastique-magnifique celebration, vraiment, really!
2) Overaged Malt Whisky distilled In Scotland, made by the French, by
Michel Couvreur, $60.99 a 750ml bottle, : " vatted from various over 12
y.o. whiskies traditionally ennobled with sherry oak casks and bottled in
our French Burgundian caves. " From Meldrum House, Old Meldrum, Scotland,
and also from Le Molet, Bouze les Beaune, Bourgogne, ... a collaborative
effort, with 43% alcohol by volume, what another grand treat for us all!
3) 1738 Accord Royal from REMY MARTIN Fine Champagne Cognac , $59.99 a
750ml bottle, with 40% alcohol by volume, : " This unique Fine Champagne
Cognac is a special blend created to celebrate the reward of excellence
bestowed on Remy Martin by King Louis XV, of France, in 1738.
4) Grape Vodka From France From CIROC Distilled 5 Times , $38.99, with 40%
alcohol by volume, this reminds me of a version of grappa, or Marc de
Bourgogne! Tasty, flavorful, packs a punch!
ONE OF OUR CUSTOMERS last week was almost in tears of joy at discovering
that we have green olives, the ones made by SANTA BARBARA Olive Company,
$4.49, for a 4.2 Oz. bottle, he said that he had already gone to stores
looking for them and no one had any! Anyone except us, now that makes us
feel good. Cheers!
WINE By Chris and Tony :
1) " Le Rose " from MAS LAVAL, $18.99, Vin De Pays De L'Herault dry rose,
an elegant and flavorful dry blend of both the Mourvedre and the Cabernet
Franc grapes! This is fun, I love the color, that is the gateway to desire
to want to take one's first sip!
2) ' Le Rose ' from Chateau D'ANGLES , the Classique 2014, $19.99, with
13.5% alcohol by volume : a dry and flavorful, smooth, bright taste of
Mourvedre, Syrah and Grenache grapes! Comes in a beautiful Bordeaux-shaped
frosted bottle, I like it.
3) 100% Pinot Noir Loire Valley dry Sancerre rose,, 2014, from Eric Cottat,
$26.49, ... refined, dry, great strength, resilience, timbre, taste and
tells quite the tale here of Sancerre and goat's cheese and the wonderful
blown-glass that the local artists make and sell up on the hill of
Sancerre!
WEEK'S TASTINGS :
Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 " Bastille Day - Night ' here from 6-8PM with
me! Join me, taste these fine French wines of the Southwest of France!
Wednesday, July 15th, 2015 ( 5-8PM ) : Taste with Erin Weaver some
fine wines from her Lanterna portfolio : TWO Whites, ONE Red : all dry :
1) Vinho Verde Portuguese dry white LAGO Cerqueira, $12.49, I liked it
immediately. It has 10% alcohol by volume and I love both the label and the
taste and think that the label and the taste make a great impression and a
fun ' splash ' to excite and please, tease and soothe us, too : I smile
from ear-to-ear when I taste this.
2) ' The Loop ' Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, this
Certified Sustainable 2014 dry Sauv Blanc , 13% alcohol by volume, brings
something new and refreshing to our taste buds. Come see and taste and tell
us how dry it tastes, how much ripe fruit you taste, what type of fruit you
taste, and if you taste that classic ' gooseberry ' taste or not?
3) 2012 Red Mountain Lemberger dry and lighter, balanced and really
fresh and taut and resilient and pleasing, this KIONA Vineyards Washington
State red, $16.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume impressed Chris and me so much!
We both loved it. " Kiona " is a Yakama Nation word that translates as '
brown hills.' Go to : www.kionawine.com for more info. It is the second
Lemberger dry red after the SHOOTING STAR Blue Franc / Lemberger from Jed
Steele that we usually carry.
ORANGE MAY BE THE ' New Black ', but in wine Idle is the ' new Orange ! '
We just received the phenomenal 2014 Grenache Blanc, $27.99, ... come check
it out!
Friday, July 17th, 2015 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Iason, Sotiris coming to
taste an assortment of their fabulous Greek wines and we will try and help
Greece get along further as they go into an austerity mode for awhile! Come
taste fine Greek dry reds and whites, and discover what Greece offers us
all! Learn about the indigenous grapes of assyrtiko, malagouzia, athiri in
white wines, as well as Xinomavro, and Moschomavro for the dry rose and the
dry reds!
Saturday , July 18th, 2015 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Robert Kennedy here to
pour an assortment of excellent dry rose wines made from the Frapatto and
the Primitivo grapes, as well as some ' high-end ' Aglianico dry red, some
sparkling Lambrusco as well : we will see exactly tomorrow as he comes
through. Usually he is the first person I see on Tuesday morning, so we
will get our act together by tomorrow and have a blast as we always do with
Robert! Great to have Robert here, he is always welcome as he brings so
much to the table and offers us all so much as the wines speak for
themselves beautifully.
THANKS for everything, you all are the very best, la creme de la creme as
they say in French. Come join me tonight, let's taste some excellent French
wines together tonight.
FOLLOW US on Twitter at : cpwinespirits and also at : wineenabler.
LIKE US on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits.
VISIT US on our ' new design ' web page at : cleveland park wines
CALL US for deliveries at : 202-363-4265.
WRITE US about any concerns at : tonythewineguy@gmail.com
THANKS AGAIN for your continued patronage in these extremely challenging
times for us all. We greatly appreciate that.
BUT HEY, THERE'S STILL MORE :
THE 6-Bottle Wine Samplers are ready now and delicious hot-weather wines
that will excite, refresh, relax and ignite passion and conversation and
laughter and big smiles, too : as well as delighting the foods you serve
with them.
A $20 SAVING from $91.99 a 6-pack to On Special $71.99! You get :
1) A dry Greek rose DIOFILI Siatista Winery dry rose blend of
Xinomavro and Moschomavro - lovely!
2) A New York State 2013 Riesling from INFLUENCE Wines with 11.5%
alcohol by volume, numbered bottles, we tasted this here recently with
Andrew Stover and you all, a delightfully refreshing, outdoors white to sip
and smile and unwind!
3) Chablis 2009 from the Chateau De Fleys, a mature 100% Chardonnay
from the town and region of Chablis in northern Burgundy that offers a fine
wine to enjoy now with your meals, seasoned meals, flavorful, even some
with a bit of heat. Lovely. GREAT DEAL : enjoy tonight on Bastille Day!
4) Costires De Nimes 2014 dry rose from the CHATEAU LA TOUR De BERAUD,
with 13.5% alcohol by volume, had this open here this past Saturday and it
is so soft and elegant, so pleasing, an easy wine to sip that slowly grows
and grows and gets a bit fuller and richer, lovely!
5) Cotes De Provence 2011 from ESTANDON, it has a softer spice taste,
and the fruit flavors are so pleasing now as everything has integrated into
a seductive and intriguing taste : great with a meal, casual or fancy.
6) Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 from LEGADO in Mendoza, Argentina, 13.8%
alcohol by volume, has been a favorite of many of our customers, and we
were fortunate enough to get some back and are including it here for more
of you to discover! We also have the Cabernet Franc that they make. This
would be great when you grill a meal, or have a flavorful or well-seasoned
meal. It is balanced and classic in style, and slow to open and reveal all
of its charms. Your average bottle cost this way is $11.99 instead of
$15.33 a bottle, that is a bottle savings of $3.34. Cheers!
WHAT FOLLOWS BELOW is an old store email that I wrote and posted on
Tuesday, July 15th, 2015 , read and enjoy it and check it out, and check
with us on current pricing and availability.
to our AUSTrIAN TASTING from 5-8PM with Klaus wittauer and andrew stover.
no charge, everyone always welcome! bring family and friends ...
What Can We Do to make the very most of our time while alive and well and
able to communicate, share and learn and experience and discover for the
very first time?!
I Say Go Ahead and try things on for size, fit and feel and throw away your
connection with the internet and all the information that it has. Yes, I am
not crazy, I just want you all to have your own experiences and come away
from a moment having lived it as much on your own terms and not with so
much information already there that came from the internet and others that
you can not have your own real sense of discovery and revelations, your own
hit-or-miss, you own leap and fly and jump and fall and scrape of your
knees -
or not
- but on your own terms, realized by you and your own efforts : that may be
mostly good with some bad, or even mostly bad with some good. Whatever it
may be, let it be your own, let yourself be proud that you engineered and
navigated and steered and directed things by yourself : your sense of
accomplishment and discovery will multiply so very much so this way. Scary
but so worth the fear and the stress that comes from uncertainty!
When You Taste Tonight with Klaus and Andrew close your eyes and pause,
hold a taste of the wine in your mouth, swallow a part of it, and wait and
see how the rest of the wine remaining will magnify and brighten and stir
and start and become bolder and more pronounced.
Most Of All, NEVER BE IN A HURRY, do not rush the experience, move your
tongue around your moth, stretch it out, hold your breath, try and let the
wine reach you - and you reach it - so that you have a better sense of one
another. You will see, you will actually taste how very much more of the
wine that you actually taste this way. It's pretty amazing, it's a real
discovery for most, a real revelation!
Try Not And Be Self-Conscious as you try the wine slowly and focus on it
and you and how you are both experiencing the other? It's not rocket
science, it's pretty wonderful and pretty basic and quite the discovery as
your palate and taste buds will seem to come alive : become real Kodak
moments for you : focused and clear and vibrant, distinct and tasty and
special and unique and intriguing and puzzling and even profound ...
Klaus And Andrew And Tony ( me ) are here to help you but not to rob you of
your own individual experience. You are steering the boat, the vessel, the
plane, whatever, your taste-buds, most of all, and we are only here to help
facilitate that for you, the rest is all on you our brave friends and
customers! That's the way it should be, always.
And If You Do Not Like Something that is perfectly okay because the only
way to navigate this world of tastes is to depend, to befriend, to get to
know, to get to trust, to become comfortable with, and not to fight your
own taste-buds and your own impressions! That is how you will navigate the
world and enjoy it more than not. Trust in your own impressions, and NEVER
say that you do not have a good taste or method of evaluating and
appreciating and that others know so much more than you. They only know for
their own palates, not for yours. Yours is yours and specific and wonderful
to you, so accept and learn it and go with it!
I Am Feeling The Pain Of My - Our Mother, of the pain and suffering of
getting old and seeing my mother as well as the mothers of many of those
closest to us getting older and more fragile and frail and worn and beaten
down by life and just living.
I Was So Pleased yesterday to, with my brother , remind our mother that it
was France's Bastille Day and to hear her sing in French La Marseillaise (
spelling? ) , and to hear her voice sound so rich and warm and inviting and
beautiful. It was a special moment, a ' private concert ' for my brother
and me , and a moment that will stay with me now for a very long time. I
wish that I had had my recorder to have recorded this! Oh well, I have the
memory now embedded deeply within. Our mother would have toasted with some
Madame Dupont Pays D'Auge Calvados apple brandy or some Poire William from
Marie Brizard if we had had some handy yesterday. That will have to wait.
So To All Parents And Loved Ones Of Ours I want to have you all join me now
in a " Big SHOUT-OUT " for them and may they rally and be comforted and
strengthened and encouraged and loved by all of us as they continue
valiantly on living and enjoying and being a part of our families and life
and this wonderfully complex, puzzling and amazing world that is ours!
Bring Them, If They Are Able TONIGHT to enjoy some fine Austrian Wine here,
Tuesday, July 15th, 2014 from 5-8PM with Klaus, Andrew and us here at
Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits!
Made a French kir yesterday some aged, old,
forgotten-yet-AMAZINGLY-still-fresh-and-lively-and-KICKING-Framboise-Raspbe
rry-Liqueur-from-SALAMANDER that I acquired perhaps almost two years ago?!?
It made a FABulous French kir that was slightly sparkling and tasty and
delicious for my wife and me yesterday at the end of a long and eventful
day for the both of us. It was our small and private celebration at home of
Bastille Day, a joyous moment for us.
I Recommend Highly that all of you come and get some MATHILDE Liqueur
Framboise from us in the 375ml bottle size, $12.99 to make either a
non-sparkling kir or a sparkling kir Royale ... and we recommend that you
buy some dry French wine like the CHATEAU LES ARROMANS Entre-Deux-Mers
2013, $11.99, or some sparkling PIERRE LAROUSE Alscae sparkling wine, $9.99
a bottle : both dry and refreshing and nice to drink on their own, and
marvelous when you add some of either the MATHILDE Framboise-Raspberry, or
some of the Creme de Cassis : both at $12.99 a bottle.
But Hey, let's Also give a Big SHOUT-OUT for Palena that we loved by coming
and buying and toasting with a half-bottle of the BISOL ' Crede
'Valdobbiadene Prosecco that was originally slated for them and not us.
Franceen our local Vias rep tasted me on the full 750ml bottle the other
day and I loved it, remembered enjoying two bottles of it at Palena years
ago with friends at dinner there as we relaxed and enjoyed an extended
lovely meal there before the expansion ...
We Have The Last Two Cases : 24 Bottles of the 375ml BISOL ' Crede '
Valdobbiadene Prosecco for you all to enjoy while they last On Special at
$13.99 a bottle, they were originally $19.99 a 375ml bottle : so save,
enjoy and relax and feel expansive about life as you sip Italian Veneto and
think of all the glorious meals you had at Palena thanks to Kelli and Ann
and Frank and the excellent staff and sous-chefs that have worked there
over the years : so many , not enough space to include them all here
unfortunately ...
TUESDAYS :
1) BUY ANY sparkling wine bottle over $20 a bottle and SAVE 15% OFF the
marked sticker price ( except for VEUVE CLICQUOT ).
2) Mix six or more bottles and save 10% OFF the marked sticker prices.
3) BUY 12 or more bottles of sparkling or still wine and SAVE 15% OFF the
marked sticker prices.
Includes Port, Sherry, Marsala, Madeira, Sake.
WEDNESDAYS :
1) BUY ANY Still Wine over $20 a bottle and SAVE 20% OFF the marked
sticker prices.
2) BUY SIX or MORE bottles of still ( non-sparkling wine ) and SAVE 15%
OFF the marked sticker prices.
3) BUY TWELVE OR MORE non-sparkling wines and SAVE 20% OFF the marked
sticker prices.
INCLUDED are Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala and Sake.
MIX THINGS UP. Have fun, get more of what you want this way. spread out
your experiences, too.
SAVE , SAVE, SAVE MORE @ CP WINES!
ALES - BEERS From SANTOS :
1) " Strawberry Wheat " from LANCASTER Brewing Company In Wilkes-Barre, PA
( On Special a 6-Pack for $9.99 12-ounce bottles , ) is new and exciting
and Santos just brought it to me really pleased to have it as people have
been asking for it!
2) " Hard Ginger Beer " from LEWIS OSTERWEIS & Sons - ' this might just be
the root of all good ' ( On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles,
4.2% alcohol by volume, brewed by the Saint Louis Brewery, LLC MO and
Stevens Point WI ) : " A refreshing , unfiltered concoction with a generous
dollop of ginger flsvor for a surprising wallop of Snap." Oh yeah!
LIQUEUR - LIQUOR From Malkit & Jagir :
1) Belmont Farm Virginia Whiskey - the ' Kopper Kettle ' , a
handcrafted single estate " Grain To Glass " ( On Special for $30.99 a
750ml bottle, 43% alcohol-by-volume 86 Proof ) : " Matured in apple wood
and Virginia white oak " Established in 1988, from the Millers : WE distill
our Virginia Whiskey in an antique copper pot still. The unique character
of our whiskey is produced when the grains grown on the farm are patiently
distilled and then aged using our double wood process ... "
2) London Dry Gin from HAYMANS Family Gin Distillers with 10
Botanicals ( $29.99 a 750ml bottle, 47% alcohol by volume, product of
England ) : distilled from 100% grain spirits using ten carefully selected
botanicals, since 1863!
3) Basil Flavored Organic Vodka from SQUARE ONE USDA Organic ( $32.99
a 750ml bottle, 40% alcohol by volume, certified organic by Oregon Tilth,
from Rigby, Idaho, go to : www.squareoneorganicspirits.com for more info )
: " The garden-fresh basil aroma mirrors the delightful earthiness of basil
on the palate. Clean and bright with a soft hint of white pepper and citrus
... " Come check it out, we have people asking for it by name these days
... love that.
FOUR LOVELY WINES TASTED here yesterday on Bastille Day :
1) Dry 2012 Sancerre 100% Sauvignon Blanc Loire Valley from the
DOMAINE CHEZATTE ( On Special for $20.99 a bottle , 12.5% alcohol by
volume, go to : www.domainechezatte.com for more info ) : we tasted this
Stephane and loved the bristling dry and fresh and mineral and
complex-developed quality of this tasty, distinct Loire Valley white : no
wonder everyone LOVES Sancerre white wines. Cheers.
2) Cremant Sparkling Dry White From France's Loire Valley, made by the
CHATEAU PIEGUE , a dry Brut ( On Special for %19.99 a bottle, 13% alcohol
by volume, ) : made from 50% Chardonnay and 40% Chenin Blanc and 10%
Cabernet Franc grapes. So lovely and dry, flavorful and distinct : I love
it each time I try it! Only a few bottles left, come get some while you
still can.
THE Next Two Tasted By Jim Reeves :
3) Cotes Du Luberon " Les Luquets " from GUYOT, southern Rhone Valley
( $11.99 a 750ml bottle, 2012 ) ... what a deal for a well-balanced,
flavorful red, chill slightly twenty minutes or more and enjoy now ...
4) " Les Essaims " Cotes Du Rhone 2012 dry red from GUYOT ( $12.99 a
750ml bottle, 13% alcohol by volume ) : with a bit more body and weight,
how different the two red southern Rhone wines are here from GUYOT, and yet
they are from the same year, just shows how ' terroir ' makes a difference
when making wine, respecting it, letting it speak for itself and show it's
true individual character, style and personality. Which did you prefer last
night? let me know as I was not here.
MORE WINE :
1) ' Ice Imperial ' French Champagne from MOET & CHANDON ( On Special
for $62.99 a bottle, regularly $69.99 a bottle ) : Yes, I think that they
want you to put some ice-cubes into it to chill it, make it more lively and
less-sweet. Is that possible? Sounds like brilliant marketing to me and we
are trying a case to be ' hip-and-happenin'-here ' for everyone. We will
have to schedule an in-store tasting of it to get us all caught-up to
speed. It's new, let's see what we think? I am keeping an open mind on this
one. The packaging is lots of shiny white with some black and gold ... ice
imperial ... on verra, vamos a verre ... we will see ... would have been
nice yesterday, one day late Jimmy ...
2) Japanese sake from Eikun, Water Junmai Ginjo Shu LORDS Premium sake
( $29.99, 15.3% alcohol by volume ) : I was really impressed, this will
give you a real sense of why there is so much genuine excitement for
premium-quality sake from Japan : it's quite extraordinary, and impressive
... you need to try some, beautiful label and cobalt-blue bottle ...
COME TASTE the Austrian wines :
From : STRAUSS, STEININGER, NETZL, STEINDORFER, HILLINGER, BAUER,
TEGERNSEERHOF, ...
Learn About Grapes & Styles : Scheurebe/Samling, Chardonnay, Gruner
Veltliner, Laufrankisch, Riesling, Zweigelt, Pinot Gris, Red Blends, Pinot
Noir ... Beerenauslese, Sekt sparkling, rose, red and white, dry-t0-sweet,
sparkling and non-sparkling wines, ... and the various regions of Austria
as well ...
WEEK'S TASTINGS :
TONIGHT : Tuesday, July 15th, 2014 : with Klaus Wittauer and Andrew Stover
: the wines of Austria.
FRIDAY, July 18th, 2014 ( 5-8PM ) : Jody Jackman of Winebow Imports will be
here to taste a selection of fine wines that include the CATENA Argentina
Cabernet Sauvignon to celebrate further Argentina's Day of Independence, as
well as some CLEAN SLATE German dry Riesling, and others , too ... Join us,
never any charge. Come see what Jody has in stock for us.
SATURDAY, July 19th, 2014 ( 2-6 PM ) : Come taste with Andrew some more
Austrian wines, some American wines, some Italian wines, too : a
melting-pot with Andrew Stover from 2-6PM!!
ALSO : Taste Abita beer from 1-4PM with Brendan Cahill, 4 types -
strawberry, amber lager, Seersucker Pilsner,... for Mardi Gras in July!
SUNDAY, July 20th, 2014 ( 3-7PM ) Taste BEEFEATER London Dry Gin
THANKS for everything, join us tonight : have to send this now, Follow us
on Twitter at : cpwinespirits, LIKE us on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wine
& Spirits and JOIN US TONIGHT, and thanks again for all your support and
belief in us! TONY
What Follows Below Is My Store email that I wrote two years ago on Tuesday,
July 17th, 2012. Read it if you have time and see how things have changed-
stayed the same!
LIFE IN THE HOT Fast lane in Cleveland Park N.W. Washington D.C.
Just look outside or stroll up and down Cleveland Park and soak in the
sun as it pelts down and strikes us square between the eyes and try and see
the balance of things clearly so that you may maximize the pleasure of as
many moments as possible. We are here to help you do this.
The heat can be disorienting : so can the brightness of these sunny,
baby-blue skied days as we plod along and try not to shrivel like the
grapes left outside to do so in the Valpolicella region of Italy that
results in the Amarone dry red wines and some of the very best wines made
anywhere in the world!
STORIES, TIPS & RECOMMENDATIONS to best survive this intense heat,
haze, humidity and pounding sunshine :
This intense heat that we are experiencing here now reminds me of
walking the hillside vineyards years ago Azienda Agricola LA GIARETTA with
the owner and our small group of five men on a wine-adventure to visit
these sites where some of the greatest wine in the world is being made. We
have some of the lesser-known, lesser-spoken-of Recioto della Valpolicella
Classico 2005 ( $39.99 ) LA GIARETTA in stock. It is even denser, even
thicker and lusher and darker in hues and riper than the Amarone that
everyone knows and loves. It comes in a 500ml bottle, 14% alcohol by
volume, for this very reason : you drink it more slowly, you let it lavish
it's concentrated sweet raisin and spice and toasty-roasted flavors that
come from the mostly Corvina grapes ( some Molinara, Negrara and others,
too ).
I AM RELEARNING PORTUGUESE. I spent my early years of 2-8 in Brasil
and we are now selling so many Portuguese wines. More than ever before : we
have three shelves devoted to Portuguese wines in the store and not just to
the Vinho Verdes either that we stock up front and sell for less than $10 a
bottle. We just got back the more flavorful, thicker-richer-denser,
fruitier version of a Vinho Verde - the Colheita 2011 ENCOSTAS DO LIMA
Branco Meio Seco ( $9.99, 10% alcohol ) also has a lovely slight sparkle
and it will taste great inside or outside and not go directly to your head.
Enjoy it!
SPEAKING OF PORTUGUESE and Portugal and Brasil we even have the MIOLO
wines of Brasil and I have heard through the grapevine that the 2008 MIOLO
Family Vineyards 100% hand-selected Merlot, 13% alcohol by volume, is a
very fine vintage and made in the southern Vale Dos Vinhedos region. I was
given a sample bottle by our local rep and I can attest myself to liking
very much this dry, firm, fruit-forward Saint-Emilion style of Merlot that
we sell here for $16.99 a bottle. You should check it out sometime : it's
really a wonderful surprise and a delight.
I LIKE TO DRAW and as a result I like to connect the lines, especially
between the Eastern and the Western hemispheres. The lines, too are so
often blurred today as many of our customers do not know that many of the
grapes came from the Eastern Hemishere and were brought here by immigrants
from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany, France and so on. I have learned by
looking at the MIOLO web page , for example that many of the people that
settled in the Vale Dos Vinhedos were from both Veneto and Trento, Italy.
IT ALL CONNECTS SOMEWHERE and this seemingly large world of ours is
connected in so many wonderful ways and so I can start speaking about Italy
and Portugal and naturally get to Brasil and to Uruguay that we have
supported in a big way for many years now. I am sorry that Abel Sauza our
Uruguayian connection has moved to Florida. We do have, however a really
fine dry red Tannat that is a grape that originally comes from France's
Madiran southwest not that far from the French-Spanish border.
WE HAVE A REALLY EXCELLENT 2007 dry Tannat Cerro Chapeu " Amat "
Tradicion Carrau ( $29.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume, desde 1752 ; I got to
meet the owner recently at a trade wine-tasting of the Downey imports )
that is pretty amazing and well-worth the money if you want something
special. You can start with the MIOLO Family Vineyards 2008 Merlot ( $16.99
) as it is fleshier, rounder, brighter and more fruit-driven and then pass
to the " Amat " BODEGAS CARRAU Tannat 2007 that is both earthier, more
spicy and with more developed flavors with more oak, too. I ask the
question, too whether this Tannat is made from 100% Tannat grapes or is the
law there for only 75-85% of the grapes necessary when listed on the
bottle? So much to learn, so much to know, so better get cracking!
THESE ARE TWO WINES made not that far from one another and yet they
are so stylistically different and yet for my palate both are really quite
excellent and memorable examples of the grape variety and where they come
from and I would be delighted to drink either or both along with the bottle
of the Recioto della Valpolicella Azienda Agricola LA GIARETTA 2005 (
$39.99, 14% alcohol by volume, 500ml bottle ) to finish off the meal. I
would have a bottle of the ENCOSTAS DO LIMA Vinho Verde Colheita 2011almost
as a palate-cleanser/refresher at this same meal to give a break between
the wines and the courses and to thus also add accent and the proper
attention to each and every wine here as well as the accompanying foods.
FUNNY, and something that caught my attention immediately, the one and
only time that I saw the epically long and interesting-fascinating wine
movie called " Mondo Vino " it both started and ended in Brasil. I will
have to watch it again as I do not remember if any mention was made of any
specific wineries there or of any specific wine region. I have to assume
that they were filming in the Vale Dos Vinhedos? That makes sense from what
little I know. It also makes me really curious as I wonder if one of the
people involved in the filming was from Brasil or not? It all deserves more
attention and I will be renting a copy of the movie to watch again.
ANOTHER THING THAT I NOTICE as I connect all the dots is that all
these wines are 14% alcohol and less and I like that as especially with all
this extra heat and humidity and beating-down sunshine the lower alcohols
are so much easier to both enjoy and to absorb. You not only enjoy them
better while you are drinking them with your meal but you also probably
feel a whole lot better later as a result of this , too as there is less
alcohol ( and in better balance with the other components of the wine ) so
as not to got to your head so quickly and leave you with a pulsing headache
as well. All good if you ask me.
STAY-TUNED FOR MUCH MORE INFORMATION and many more choices on these
wines as here in the United States and here in Washington D.C. very few
people know that they even make wine in either Brasil or Uruguay.
IT'S SO HOT and the haze and the humidity is holding us all down as we
walk along this stretch of Connecticut Avenue N.W. here in Washington D.C.
People walk a little more quickly as if trying to escape the pounding and
that is completely understandable.
I JUST HAD TWO YOUNG LADIES come to the store and look into our
refrigerator with cold sparkling and still wines. When I asked them if they
needed any help the one asked me if we had any really deals on cheap white
wines? I responded that we had deals on some " inexpensive " white wines
and immediately showed them the bottle of ANJOS De Portugal Vinho Verde (
$8.99, 9.5% alcohol by volume, with a slight sparkle for refreshment ) is
made from the indigenous grapes of 40% Arinto and 30% Trajadura and 30%
Loureiro.
I TOLD THEM IT WAS THE BEST THING to drink now with all this heat and
humidity and I told them that was so because of the lower alcohol and the
slight sparkle. They objected immediately to the lower alcohol and I said
that they would have to trust me and report back to me if there were any
problems on there day-off and as I would be here all day. I told them my
name as well. So far they have not been here and so I hope that all is
going smoothly and as planned. Vamos a ver ...
BUT HEY, BEER & LIQUOR IS REFRESHING, TOO In ALL THIS HEAT, HAZE, HUMIDITY
:
BEER From SANTOS -
1) IPA from FLORIDA BEER , Indian Pale Ale " Swamp Ape " ( $9.99 a
4-pack of 12 Ounce bottles, 10% alcohol by volume, Melbourne, Florida,
www.floridabeer.com ) : " Firsthand accounts describe an intense beast with
a potent aroma and bite. ... Or proof that brewing with five distinct
varieties of hops creates an unbelievable, relentlessly hopped India Pale
Ale? ... ".
2) Beer called : Lobster Lovers Beer with quite the sensual/funky
label ( $10.99 a 6-pack of 11.2 Fl. Oz bottles, 9.5% alcohol by volume,
Aiko Importers Inc, Mount Pleasant SC, www.aikoimporters.com, from
Rinkuskia, Birzai, Lithuania ) : " Has life ever snapped at you? Grab it by
the claws! ". I rarely ever, hardly never would I say this BUT I might buy
this six-pack just from the art on the label. How does the label and the
taste relate? Is there a correlation between the two : imagined or real?
The power of suggestion is intriguing and I might just have to buy this
from the label. I do have a really good sense, however, that this will be a
great summer/hot weather beer to help get through, past and away from the
heat and the haze and the humidity that dogged me through the day. Worth
checking out. Come by this Lithuanian beer and enjoy the taste and telling
stories about what the label might mean or suggest? Cheers.
3) Wheat beer, unfiltered, since 1989 from the BOULEVARD BREWING CO. (
$9.99 a 6-pack of 12 Oz. bottles, Kansas City, Missouri bottle-conditioned
) : " Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Beer is a lively, refreshing ale with a
distinctive cloudy appearance. Bottle conditioning gives it an
extraordinary depth of flavor and makes for a beer that tastes fresher,
better , longer. If you wish, gently swirl the last inch or so before
pouring to enhance your experience of this traditional beer ".
LIQUOR From RAVINDER :
1) Imported THREE OLIVES Vodka 1.75ml ( On Special for $25.99, 100%
neutral grain spirits, distilled from grain, 40% alcohol by volume , from
England ) is one of the tried-and-true vodkas that has stood the test of
time and all the recent competition and represents one of the great deals
today here. GREAT VALUE, really fine vodka.
2) Whipped Flavored French Vodka from PINNACLE ( On Special for $13.99
a 750ml bottle, 35% alcohol by volume, PinnacleVodka.com ) has got a real
following with both our customers and our bartenders. WE sell out of it
regularly. How do you like to serve it? On the rocks? Share your ideas with
us.
3) Tequila Gold SAUZA made from Fresh Blue Agave Gift Set with SAUZA
non-alcoholic Margarita mix ( two bottles, each 750ml bottles ( On Special
for $13.99, just blend the two together ) to make your very own
SAZA-ritas!!! Cheers!!!
4) Vodka with natural flavors of CUCUMBER, from SKINNY GIRL ( On
Special for $19.99, 30% alcohol by volume, Deerfield, Illinois, 75.8
calories, 0 carbohydrates, 0 Fat, 0 Protein per 1.5 fluid oz.
skinnygirlcocktails.com ) is new and exciting here at Cleveland Park. Come
try some. Various flavors available. Inquire with Ravinder.
WINES From MICHEL Et/E Tony :
WHITE :
1) The FURST Gewurztraminer 2010 ( $19.99 , 12.5% alcohol by volume)
from Kientzheim , Kaysersburg ( Haut Rhin ), Alsace, France is round and
full and generous and smooth, bright and rounded and has a wonderful and
refreshing mouth-feel and is a delight to sip with or without food. It
showed beautifully this weekend when Chris Bartha tasted it with our
customers for Bastille Day! Highly recommended.
ROSE : Dry -
1) " La Clape " Classique 2011 dry rose blend of 80% Mourvedre, 10%
Syrah and 10% Grenache, famille E. Fabre ) from the CHATEAU D'ANGLES is
drinking like another velvety, bright, fresh, rounded, generous yet toned
dream that on the very-first-taste is wonderful and pleasing and easing to
one's palate! Again, tasted by Chris on this past Bastille Day and highly
recommended. Only 13.5% alcohol by volume, info@chateauangles.com.
REDS - Dry :
1) Vinho Regional Alentejano from Portugal, this " LOIOS " from J.
PORTUGAL RAMOS ( $9.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume ) is named for the Loios
monks that dominated this region. Fresh and bright and forward and a great
wine to chill slightly and to enjoy even with all this pounding hear, haze,
glaze, humidity and heavy sunshine. Great for a picnic, too with the
easy-to-open Stelvan closure.
AND WHEN ALL IS SAID & DONE :
2) Pinot Noir " Terrazze " Italian Pinot Nero TENUTA MAZZOLINO from
the Provincia Di Pavia ( $16.99, 2011, 12.5% alcohol by volume - low
alcohol once again, easier on our systems ) is an absolute pleasure and
delight to drink with or without a meal as we return to from where we
started this email : Italy! You can enjoy this Pinot Nero/Noir even in this
humidity and heat. Chill it thirty minutes and enjoy it even sitting
outside here on Connecticut Avenue N.W. in this really hot summer weather.
It is worth this $17 a bottle and more. The Frenchman that makes it in
northwestern Italy really knows what he is doing. Cheers, sante, salute!!
WEEK'S TASTINGS :
Friday, July 20th, 2012 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Arielle Monaco of the
Country Vintner coming to taste some great Italian as well as Aussie wines
: LA GERLA Rosso di Montalcino: Chianti Classico, too - both reds ... and
then two whites from Australia, one from western Australia and one from
South Australia. Something for everybody.
Saturday, July 21st, 2012 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Mark Congdon of J.W.
SIEG Imports here with the national sales rep of JULES TAYLOR of New
Zealand to pour the three wines that Jules makes : the 2011 Marlborough
Sauvignon Blanc ( $18.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume, www.julestaylor.com ),
the 2010 Pinot Noir ( $23.99 ) and the Pinot Gris 2009 ( $18.99 ) ; all
from the Marlborough region.
JOIN US FOR BOTH TASTINGS : NEVER any charge, everyone is always
welcome. Bring a guest. Bring an acquaintance, bring some high expectations
with you and surprise yourselves and meet some other really interesting
people here. Cheers.
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, we love selling to you: we love meeting you for
the first time and sharing tips, stories , observations and
recommendations. That has been what this whole email has been about.
Hopefully you have enjoyed it and learned something, too. Thanks again.
WE DELIVER FOR FREE here in the D.C. area on deliveries for more than
$30. Call us at : 202-363-4265. Read more about us at :
www.clevelandparkwines.com. Follow us on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines
& Spirits and on Twitter at : cpwinespirits.
OUR DOORS ARE ALWAYS OPEN FOR YOU during our business hours. Let us
know what we may better do to help you.
CHEERS, 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/
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment