Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Anthony Quinn's Weekly Tuesday Cleveland Park Wine & Spirit's Store Email Of August 23rd, 2016 : Read & Enjoy It : Goodbye Summer Olympics, Thank You Alicia Keys!


Alicia Keys Blows Me Away This Morning, Wears No Makeip ...


Inbox
x

Cleveland Park Wines via icontactmail3.com 

4:49 PM (14 minutes ago)
   
      
Cleveland Park WineCleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine
Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits
 
     IT'S COME LATE @ Night With The Almost Full Moon Over Three Days And The Coming To A Close Of The Fabulous Summer Olympics In Rion De Janeiro, Lovely Early Mornings Starting Then, How Many Of You Were Privy To This Phenomenon?!?      HOW MANY OF YOU Got a chance to enjoy the Summer Olympics In Rio De Janeiro, Brasil? We sell fine beer, fine Cachaca, and fine wines from Brazil here, all quite perfect for this heat that has softened some with temperatures last night dropping to 65 degrees I think? I was out in the yard enjoying it, sipping fine wine and taking it all in, wonderful experience, a treat that I enjoyed thorooughly and was so thankful for.
 
     I JUST LEARNED this morning, too about the Indian custom called Raksha Bandhan, a celebration between brother and sister that just happened this weekend where a bracelet is exchanged between the two and gifts are exchanged. I like that, harmony and peace withing the family and between siblings is key. Symbolically now I extend a bracelet out to both my brothers, Eric and Larry and thank them for being them and for being a part of my life, enriching it as they both have. Thank you.
 
    I WAS BLOWN AWAY THIS MORNING reading in the Washington Post newspaper's Style section that Alicia Keys does not wear makeup anymore. I really enjoyed the article, recommend you all read it if you have a chance. Basically I take from it that Alicia wants to know herself better as she really is and not as what others expect or want her to be. I like that : honesty, transparency, accepting all and not excluding or hiding anything. What a brave and gutsy concept, I applaud it wholeheartedly, recommend it wholeheartedly. 
 
     I BRING UP ALICIA KEYS and her not wearing makeup as it has a relevance where wine is concerned, too : let the grape shine forth that creates the wine, do not feel that you always have to embellish it and add so many additives to it, let it shine in both strength and weakness as it really is, as I feel it really should be : honest, transparent, standing on it's own ' natural grapeness ', nothing more, nothing less, except when combined with food as that also may add much. Cheers.
 
     I AM NOW a ' big fan ' of Alicia Keys, not for her music that I do not know but for her stance on
 ' no makeup '. She is revealing to herself and also to the world who she really is : bravo Alicia, you have a new fan, and not for the music alone, but for appreciating that you are leading the way for many of us to shed our many guises and coverings that hide who we really are.
 
     LET US LOOK at the wine and see what it truly is for better or for worse, for being a living thing like you and me, having ups and downs, good moments, bad ones, changes and evolutions, joyfulness, exuberance, sadness and hard times, beauty and ugliness, strength and weakness : uniqueness, too!
 
     ALICIA, I WILL enjoy watching you on ' The Voice ' as I did two night's ago after the closing ceremonies of the summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. How spectacular was that, and the young lady that sang so beautifully afterward, and that chose you as her coach, wow, I was blown away and smiling from ear to ear, inside and out! A great portent to many more exciting and great moments to come as we also celebrate the strengths and weaknesses, the honesty, purity of our voices themselves, judged just for that, not for their packaging : original, fine, wonderful thinking and approach all of this : I celebrate it all as we do here at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits every day with you.
 
     I AM INSPIRED this morning as I start my week here, a great feeling. Much to talk about today from Gluten-free Marzen Spanish beer, to four ' new ' half bottles of dry wine, to Pumpkin beers appearing now on the scene, to Hawaiian rum with Coconut, a miracle ' milagro ' of Tequila, to a ' new ' French orange liqueur, to some ' new ' local ale infused with peaches in one, blackberries in anothe ( both from Virginia ), , an ' traditional - classic ' style Argentinia Malbec : so much, so little time, so here goes ...
 
     AND REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS SAVE on your wine purchases here on Wednesdays : Three Ways To SAVE BIG :
 
     1) Buy any bottle of 750ml bottles of  still or sparkling ) wine On Sale or not ( except Moet & Chandon , or Veuve Clicquot champagne )  costing $19.99 a bottle and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker price.
 
     2) Buy any six bottles of 750ml wine, ( still or sparkling ),  size at any price ( except Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot champagne ) and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices      3) Buy any 12 or more bottles of still or sparkling wine ( except for Moet & Chandon or Veuve Clicquot champagne ) and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.
     SAVE BIG EVERY WEDNESDAY here at Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits, : call if you cannot come, we do deliver in Washington D.C. where it is legal for us to do so. Call : 202-363-4265.
 
 
     BEER, CIDER, From Santos Rivera :
 
     1) CoCoNut PorTer from the MAUI Brewing Co. 4-pack On Special for $10.99 a 4-pack of 12-ounce cans ( certified made on Maui, Hawaii ), with 6% alcohol by volume : " CoCoNut PorTer .... like Hot Chicks on the Beach ' reads the cans, made me laugh just now with surprise.
     We just got a call from Sam a customer asking us if we had it, he was so pleased to discover we did and will be right down for a 4-pack : perfect summer drinking!
 
     SUMMER and being ON VACATION or relaxed and comfortable is not over until after Labor Day weekend! Celebrate, enjoy this time to refresh, feel alive, feel loved, feel in touch with yourselves, rejoice as long as you can, I am, and thrilling to it so much.           Pumpkin Beer Here So Early :
 
     2) ' Night Owl ' Pumpkin Ale from ELYSIAN Brewing Company, Inc, Seattle, WA. On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, : " Brewed with over 7 lbs. of pumpkin per barrel, roasted and raw pumpkin seeds, and spiced in conditioning with nutmeg, clove, cinammon, ginger and allspice. ... unflitered and may contain sediment Alcohol 6.7% % by volume ".
 
          TWO ' New " Local Beers :
 
     3) Virginia Blackberry Belgina-style white ale with fresh Virginia blackberries from HARDYWOOD Park Craft Brewery, from their Reserve Series, On Special for $10.99 a bottle, with 6.8% alcohol by volume, from Richmond, Virginia, ... one of our customers called up looking for this last week and was ecstatic that we had it on our shelves, and come to get some that same day. Love that.
 
     4) Peach ( Crafted By RVA ) Tripel, an Abbey-style ale refermented on peaches, from the Reserve Series of the HARDYWOODPark Craft Brewery in Richmond, Virginia : glad to have it, too on our shelves. Come try some out for size, fit and feel!
 
          ONE Gluten-Free Beer From Spain :
 
     5) Marzen DAURA 100% natural ingredients lager beer from  Tradicion DAMM Cervecera , crafted to remove gluten, On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles. We are thrilled to have this here as we know that is is really good and many of you are happy to have it as a choice available. Cheers.
 
 
          THREE From Jagir : Liqueur, Liquor :
 
     1) JB CAMBIER ( L'Original COMBIER Liqueur D'Orange ) triple distilation, triple orange, from France's Loire Valley town Saumur that is there on the Loire river, $37.99, with 40% alcohol by volume, ... make a CAMBIER Margarita, what fun, how perfect for this lovely weather we are enjoying now.
 
     2) Leyenda ' Milagro ' Tequila, 100% De Agave, Reposado ( we also have the Silver On Sale for $26.99 a bottle ,  and the Anejo On Special for $36.99 ) On Special for $26.99, GREAT SAVINGS, thrilled to have these at these prices as Milagro led the way for fine Tequilas here all the way back to the early 1990's! These are excellent, and now at these prices ridiculous values, too!
 
     3) The Original KOLOA Kaua'i Coconut natural coconut flavored Hawaiian rum , distilled and blended on the Garden Island of Kaua'i , Imua Hawai'i $39.99 a bottle, with 40% alcohol by volume, really quite tasty, and perfect to enjoy now as it will envigorate you, energize you, delight your tastebuds, and create even more fun conversation, smiles, grins, some smirks, laughter, too.
 
 
          WINE From Chris and me, Tony :
 
           FOUR  Half Bottles :
     1)  2015 Sauvignon Blanc , Sonoma County, from MATANZAS CREEK Winery, California, $11.99. We tried with our local rep Jade and really liked it, and decided to add this size for convenience to you all, as many of you travel constantly and have expressed interest in this size 375ml bottle. Cheers.With 13.8% alcohol by volume, this is bright, fresh, livel, with a splash of cheers, too.
 
     2) Pinot Grigio 2015 from ITALO CESCON, $9.99 a bottle, from Veneto, Italy, also an award, a bronze metal from DECANTER magazine in 2015, that award means something. Refreshing, bright, tasty and smooth as can be.
 
     3) Chardonnay dry white 2014 from Piave, Italy, $9.99 a bottle, from ITALO CESCON, with 12% alcohol by volume, this wine really speaks to me, I like the extra flavor and taste and gravitas! 
 
     4) Merlot 2013 from Piave, Italy dry red Italian, $9.99 a bottle, dusty-dry, a lighter-bodied, flavorful red that is best when chilled 30 minutes and served with any meal, indoors or outdoors,
 
     NOTE : These ITALO CESCON make for great gifts, whether in a half bottle here at $9.99, with 12% alcohol by volume, or in a 750ml bottle, $14.99 ( the 750 has a Pinot Nero here but not a Merlot )... and the packaging is brilliant for gifts as there is always a small bit of the vine hanging from the neck of each bottle! Come see for yourselves.
 
 
          FOUR More 750ml Bottles :
 
          TWO Pinot Noir 2014 From Chile :
 
     1) Pinot Noir 2014 ' Birdnest ' Casablanca Valley, Chile, $16.49 a bottle, with 13% alcohol by volume. This is new, tried it within the last six weeks, Pinot Noir that really tastes like Pinot Noir with a bouquet that draws you in and makes you want to sip.
 
     2) Pinot Noir 2014 from Chile's Maule Valley, the Reserva of PUNTI FERRER, $12.99,  with 13.5% alcohol by vlume, is spicier, fuller, warmer, less finesse, more power, great value, too for everyday drinking. Chill both for 30 minutes : they can always warm up to the proper temperature but they can never chill down to it on their own. Be refreshed, engaged, stimulated when you drink wine. Cheers.          
           ONE ' Old-World-Style ' Malbec :
 
     1) Malbec 2011 from Mendoza, Argentina, " Our hand-picked grapes at vineyards adjacent to the Andes, create the best expression of Argentina. " I know, I was there, I walked in the vineyards with Valentin and his brother Edoardo back in 1995, On Special for $11.99 ( a crazy-low price ) for this mature, flavorful, earthy, rustic, barnyard of an expression of the Malbec grape that is best when served with food. Drink and enjoy it at the meal. It is fully-mature and shows great on the day it is open, within the first three hours, it does fade after several hours after being open : drink up! Enjoy, what value. Great with grilled meats, cheeses, pate, smoked meats. NOTE : I also walked the vineyards with Nora Favelukes if any of you know her? From the Billington Import days.
 
 
          NOTE : I just got a LIKE on our Facebook page post where I took pictures of Omar that is ' new ' here as of a week+ now, as he worked on our spirits' shelves and winemaker Michael Hoefken liked it. Michael helps to make Leo HILLINGER Secco dry sparkling Austrian Pinot Noir rose. We sell the magnums at $37.99 a bottle. Cheers Michael, good to hear from you.      ALSO :
 
          TWO From Germany -
 
 
     1) Blanc De Noir, 2013 Spatburgunder Trocken of On Special for $9.99 a bottle, regularly $14.99, from KOSTER-WOLF Weingut, with 12.5% alcohol, an incredible Pinot Noir dry white where they remove the skins before the yeast eats them and the red color falls into the grape juice as it ferments. This is amazing, what a great summer refresher with body and character, from Germany's Rheinhessen, region, what a treat, really like the mouth-feel, the grip, the saturation on the tongue that bathes it so completely, wonderfully. I am a big fan of this dry white.
 
     2) 2012 Riesling Spatlese Hatenheimer Wisselbrunnen Trocken Rheingau, from SCHUMANN NAGLER, On Special for $19.99, regularly $24.99. Both Chris and I really liked this, so lively, extroverted, sparky and splashy-elegant-elegance, love it so,... medium-bodied, good rich Riesling fruit in the middle range, long finish, the acidity kicks-in at the end and makes you want another bite of food, another taste of this impressive German late-harvest Riesling. Cheers, with  12% alcohol by volume.
 
 
     NOTE : I read on Facebook yesterday a post by @OlivierLotterie of @VineyardBrandsImports that shared the sad news of the passing of a D.C. wine legend, Ruth Bassin. I was so sorry to hear this, I knew her from my experience with her in 1999-2000 when I worked with Ruth, Mark, Joe, Avery, Tom, Steve, Charlie, Betty, Woody, and more : we were a good team. I am happy for those fine shared experiences! Thank you Ruth, will miss you. You are a fine lady and always smiled when with me and treated me well. Cheers! @RuthBassin @HeartsDelightFoundation for more info, the services are here on Macomb Streets, at the corner of Macomb and Mass Avenue at the synagogue there, Hebrew Synagogue I think it is called if you want to go and pay your respects to her. Cheers.
 
 
          ONE Fine Rioja Dry Red :
 
     1) ' Otonal ' Crianza 2009 dry red mostly Tempranillo Spanish Rioja from BODEGAS OLARRA, On Special for $19.99 a bottle, regularly around $25. Our local rep Brian Armstrong had this open for you all here this past Saturday. It sure is a tasty, flavorful, mature, open and complex medium-bodied red to enjoy with a meal. It is showing really well, enjoy indoors or outdoors with a meal, many tapas would be great here, chill it thirty minutes to forty and let it both as well as the food flavors rip together, sing their melodies, strut their stuff, ruffle your tastebuds nicely, too.
 
 
          ONE From Italy, A Moscato Sweet :
 
     1) Sweet PINK Moscato grape wine, a 2012 Moscato rosa from MOCHETTO, della Venezie, with 7% alcohol by volume, this is sweet and tasty, but not too sweet, chill well for a couple of hours, or even put in the freezer for thirty minutes and enjoy ice-cold, On Special here for $9.99 a bottle, what a deal, really nice. Cheers!
 
 
     WEEK'S TASTINGS :
 
 
     Wednesday, August 24th, 2016 : ( 5-8PM ) -  We have John Peters here to pour two of these wines NEW AGE , made by the Valentin Bianchi family, an off-dry red and an off-dry red, $10.99 a bottle On Special, come taste these two  here tomorrow :  as well as the  2011 Malbec On Special for $11.99,  and the sweet Pink Moscato, from Venezie On Special for $9.99 ... join us : 5-8PM, free tasting, everyone always welcome!
 
     Friday, August 26th, 2016 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Narayan Campbell here to pour , maybe some Over The Mountain, maybe some SLENT, maybe some SPIENKOP, all from South Africa, and we may even do some of the fine wines of TANGLED TREE in the plastic bottles that are perfect for trips. I LOVE the SPIENKOP Elgin 2013 Riesling On Special for $29.99, regularly $32.99,  with 12% alcohol by volume, what a great dry, complex, multi-layered treat it is : WONDERful, so full-of-wonder-and-taste-and-mineral-and-dry-Riesling-Fruit-explotions, too!      Saturday, August 27th, 2016 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Graham Isaac coming here from the Country Vintners Imports to pour a selection of wines from around the world :
1) a dry Spanish rose made with the Monastrell/Mourvedre grape from CASTANO, $10.99, delightful and refreshing , ...
2) Sauvignon Blanc from California from HONIG Cellars, $19.99, so rippling and bright and forward in flavors, ...
3) Zinfandel from California from ANCIENT PEAK, $19.99 a bottle - flavorful, immediately impressive, nice to sip, even better with a meal, ... and the ...
4) dry white French MONT GRAVET Blanc, $9.99 a bottle : dry and pleasing, will cajole your taste buds to pay attention and enjoy the flavors in the wine!
What a great tasting, so many different taste sensations here.
 
THANKS For Everything, you all are the best!
 
COME SEE US, keep the vacation vibes strong and healthy and going! Keep relaxing and celebrating life wherever you can, so important to both our mental and physical health! Cheers,  TONY
 
SCHOOL HAS STARTED, good luck, in Virginia it does not start until after Labor Day.  TONY

No comments: