Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine

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

" E " 4 Earth! " Day " 4 Day, " N " 4 Night!

I'M TRYING TO SOUND NEW HIP AND ORIGINAL and intriguing here so that you wonder what I am saying and open this email! I wrote and posted this old store email shown below on April 20th, 2010! Seven years later I am still aware of all of this!

IT IS EARTH DAY on the 22nd! It should be every day and evey night : without our earth we are nothing as we cannot exist yet anywhere else but here on this incredible earth of ours. What a treat, an honor, a privilege, a delight, an adventure, magical, wonderful, special and mystical, too!

SO : We devote this whole week to talking about, acknowleging, appreciating, working to make and keep a better, cleaner, less-poluted, more healthy earth, planet, land, seas, skies, streams, lakes, oceans, mountains, hills, caves and more! What a paradise we have in many places, others we need to work on, and here we have many products that celebrate , embrace, work towards, do, participate, and share products that celebrate and disturb our earth as little as possible : yah!

Hope everyone had a great happy Passover or Easter. Sunday sure was beautiful, it was nice to be outside much of the day for my family, we enjoyed the flowering and blooming shrubs, azaleas, dogwoods, redbuds, wygelias, and so much more, as well as weather that made it so easy to enjoy all of this.

IT WAS ALSO Spring Break for many and so many of you rushed past us, back and forth, heading to the National Zoo. What a sight that is to behold.

I WILL MENTION three products here that make me think about our earth and planet : one beer, one liquor, and one wine. There are many and so you should come by and we will show you others as well. Here are the three I will mention in this weekly Tuesday store email :

IN BEER : THREE from MAINE BEER Company : From Freeport ...

What We Are All About :

" From day one, doing things right , no matter what. Taking care of our Earth and all of its creatures. Always trying to make better beer. "

1) Our Happy, Hoppy Amber Ale, " Do what's right. Smile! " On Special for $7.99 a bottle , a 1Pt. .9 Fl. Oz. bottle, , with 7.2% alcohol by volume, : " On a rainy fall day in 2009, my five-year-old- daughter Zoe and I were wandering the streets in Bar Harbor and stumbled across the Whale Museum. Zoe loved it. It put a smile on her face. Hopefully our ale will do the same for you. " And we will all have a whale of a good time, too! Cheers!!

2) " Another One " India Pale Ale " Do what's right. Drink this beer fresh. " On Special for $7.99 a 1Pt .9 Fl. Oz. bottle,, with 7% alcohol by volume, : " Another One IPA and Weez use the same hops but different malts. The result- Another One is very light in color and Weez is very dark. Each however allow the hops to shine out front. " I need to know more about Weez, Gee Weez, enlighten me please!?!? Beer-talk is not the same as wine-talk, they overlap at times, but ohhhh so different.

3) " Peeper " Pale Ale Do what's right. Drink this beer fresh. , On Special for $7.99 a 1 Pt .9 Fl Oz bottle, : " After a few years of home brewing in our garage, my brother and I decided we should open a brewery so that we could share our beer. In 2009 we started with a one barrel system and worked on a single recipe, over and over, until Peeper was born. And now we have enough to share. Cheers? "

Check these out. We also have MO.

In LIQUOR :

THREE From TIRRAS " Organic "

1) Blanco 100% Agave USDA Organic Tequila, On Special for $26.99 a bottle : great to make a really fine Margarita, or to sip all by itself.

2) Reposado , On Special for $29.99, again smooooothhh and clear and focused and sun-bright! I would love to sip this all on it's own, no need to do anything, just enjoy the pristine pure purity here!

3) Anejo , On Special for $34.99, I love the extra depth and layers offered here, extra skins of flavor, a treat as each layer is another flavor that registers on my tongue slowly opening and revealing it's special charms.

I tried these years ago with my friend and rep Eddie Ofori and have loved them ever since, recommended them many hundreds of times, and always had praise from the customers that tried them.

Cheers!

In WINE :

1) " Nature ' wine from Portugal, a 2012 dry red from PACO Dos CUNHAS De SANTAR, estate-bottled, est. 1609 ( real history and tradition here ) , $11.99, a dry classic, old-fashioned red blend of 50% Touriga Nacional and 50% Tinta Roriz, yes.

This starts with the funky, earthy, barnyard-straw-hay-drying-warm-pungent bouquet that hits our noses quickly and that lingers and permates all our senses rapidly! It is a bit of a shock! The taste on the palate is the opposite and more welcome and soothing and so great when combined and paired with a meal.

I had leftover leg-of-lamb just now with wild rice and fresh asparagus shoots, and this ' Nature ' would have been wonderful, a real treat!With 14% alcohol by volume, from DAO, certified organic by SATIVA, I highly recommend this Portuguese red : a winner, a classic, a great value, too!

" New & Exciting ! "

1) Vigilant Navy Strength Gin , On Special for $31.99 a bottle, with 57% alcohol by volume, this is local from D.C.'s Ivy City, from JOS. A. MAGNUS, and has been with us two weeks or so now, come check it out. We love the regular strength Vigilant , all made by Nicole Hassoun. Cheers!

2) MEZCAL JOVEN Produced for Ilegal Mezcal, Colleccion Privada, from Oaxaca, Mexico, $49.99 a bottle, this is back once again after having not been available to us for awhile. Special edition, 3058/ 4320, Lot 45. Come check it out!

3) LOT No. 40 Single Copper Pot Still Rye Whisky, $48.99. with 43% alc. ... : " This rye whisky is distilled in small batches using D. MICHAEL BOOTH'S simple recipe developed by his forefather, JOSHUA BOOTH, seven generations ago. "

Come try it.

4) Stonefly India Pale Ale from SAUCONY CREEK, adventurous beers crafted fresh from far, to pint! On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, Brewing Co. from Kutztown, PA. Yes!

5) 2013 Graves de Vayres, from CHATEAU CANTELAUDETTE, mis en bouteille au chateau, chateau-bottled : On Special for $15.99, down from $21.99 a bottle! Classic, balanced, flavorful, a real treat, fruit-forward, a great red Bordeaux blend to enjoy with your meals now, a great cheese or a red meat, something midly hot-and-spicy, yes!

6) 2015 Beaujolias 100% Gamay grapes from southern Burgundy, from QUATRE SAISONS, $19.99, from Claire & Fabien Chasselay, made from old-vines Gamay grapes on 15 acres, using native yeast, aging in huge casks, with 13.5% alcohol : this beaujolais rocks with extra flavor and taste, from Vintage 59 Imports! Yes, si si oui oui oui oui OUI!

7) 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky from OLD FORESTER, $51.99 a bottle, with 90Proof, this is supremely smooth and a extra layer of silk, spit and shiny polish, too! Yes!

8) Beach Plum Gin Liqueur Small Batch Distilled from GREENHOOK GINSMITHS, $51.99, with 30% alcohol by volume, makes me wonder if these peaches come from just inland from the Outer Banks where we vacation?!? Sounds so tempting, the color is that deep cheery cherry deep PLUM color, yes!

9) Finest Kind IPA from SMUTTYNOSE Brewing Company ( immediately begs the question if it is the best of it's kind, or is rather kind to the tongues and palates of those that want a softer IPA, or both ?!? ) , On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack of 12 ounce bottles with 6.9% alcohol by volume, from Hampton NH. Come try this and clue me in , please!!!

10) CKOKLAT Imperial Stout brewed with Chocolate & natural flavor added, from the SOUTHERN TIER and from their Blackwater series, On Special for $8.99 a 22ounce bottle, with 10% alcohol by volume, :

" The Polol Vuh, the sacred book of the Maya, unfolds a complex web of mystery around a beverage known as xocoatiWe're not surprised that ancient hieroglphs depict chocolate being poured for rulers & gods. Cacao is a mystical bean "

Come check this ask, ask Santos as he gets these for us.

WOW, what a lot going on, really love all this excitement, I really do.

WEEK'S TASTINGS :

Friday, April 21st, 2017 ( 5-8PM ) :

Sotiris Bafitis will be here to try some of his fine Greek, French, Spanish and Italian wines with all of you, from dry red, rose to dry whites, too! Join us, never any charge.

Saturday, April 22nd, 2017 ( 2-6PM ) : Talking to Dan to come and pour an assortment of both Robert Kennedy's fine Italian wines to those of Dan Terrasa , his Bordeaux wines like the ....

1) Chateau CANTELAUDETTE Graves de Vayres 2013 Bordeaux red , that I wrote about already above ,... and,

if all works out, we have Alice Bonaccorsi owner-winemaker of her own Azienda Agricola ALICE BONACCORSI here making a quick cameo appearance to say " caio e a presto Tony! ", and we may also taste her two reds :

1) ROSSORELATIVO Sicilian Rosata 2011 100% Nerello Mascalese, a real treat, $32.99 that drinks deliciously like an elegant dry red with style, ebulance, joy, energy, rythym, tempo, good acidity and light layers of spice, earth, warmth and texture and tactility soooooo, on the palate! Yes! With 14.5% alcohol by volume, a winner.

2) CRUCIMONACI 2008 V.Q.P.R.D. Etna Rosso Sicilian 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Cappucio , $47.99, with 14.5% alcohol by volume, it reminds me of really special amazing red Burgundy from France, si si oui oui oui oui oui! Love it!

AND we will taste her dry white, too, and Etna bianco made of the Carricante and Catarratto indigenous grapes!

AND , remember that Robert Kennedy will have owner-winemaker Marianna here of her own PIETRAVENTOSA winery in Pulgia, Italy here to taste her two Primitivo reds as well as her Primitivo dry rose, ESTROSA, $19.99, from Murgia, a 2014 now, we will taste the 2015 then, from Giola del Colle, with 13.5% alcohol by volume. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

SAVE ON WINES here every Wednesday, always TWO WAYS to save UP to 20% OFF, and ONE WAY to save 15% OFF. Call and ask either me, Tony, or Chris more about this. Be sure and place your orders and pay on Wednesday to SAVE BIG. Call if you cannot come : 202-363-4265. Cheers!

Thanks again for all your support, you all are magnificent, beautiful, wonderful individuals - people.

COME TASTE both this Saturday, what an amazing treat. You might even meet Alice herself, that would seal the deal for you all Robert assures me! I still have to meet Alice, I love her wines, really I do : special and wonderful in every sense of taste smell, color, look, bouquet, texture, anything!

WHAT FOLLOWS BELOW is an old store email I wrote and posted on April 20th, 2010. Read and enjoy it, too, if you have time! Cheers, TONY 4/18/2017

You may be surprised from now on as perhaps I have gotten into too much of a sure-thing and you already know what that is and so don't feel it necessary to check what I spend the better part of a Tuesday writing here for hopefully your benefit.

    ALL IS GOOD and we do have some pretty great brut/brute/tasty/authentic/original and VALUE wines as well as beers and spirits. Ravi, Santos, Chris and I are always on the look-out for something either    " new and exciting " or of   " true value "   or both combined into one for your drinking enjoyment and ease on your pocket book! There seem to be still some really great values for us here in the Washington D.C. area.

     WE NOW HAVE CLEVELAND PARK two/three and six bottle cloth carriers. Buy six bottles and get the 6-bottle carrier on your first six bottles and remember to bring it back with you when you come to shop here so that we do not have to charge you a nickle for a bag.

     WE HAVE A " New " TONIC 4-Pack called " Q " Tonic ( $7.99 a 4-pack ). It's got 60% fewer calories than other tonic waters, is lightly sweetened with organic agave and made from handpicked Peruvian quinine. It's made with all natural ingredients, with 85% lower glycemic index rating and no high fructose corn syrup.

     THE WEATHER MAKES ME WANT TO TAKE A LONG LUNCH BREAK and sample some of these suggestions/ recommendations to follow :

BIERES/ CERVESAS / BEER : Santos sez -

1) " Consecrator Doppelbock " Beer from BELLS ( On Special $16.99 6-pack, 12-ounce bottles, brewed and bottled by BELL'S Brewery, Inc., Comstock, MI 49053 www.bellsbeer.com, 8% alc. by volume ) is " a traditional doppelbock fermented with an old world lager yeast. Reddish brown in color, with a mild hop profile. " It's full-bodied beer with a lovely elegant malty lingering taste in the finish.

2) Weissbier Hefe Weissbier from FRANZISKANER ( $7.99 12 oz. bottles, 6-pack, ) is brewed and bottled by SPATEN-FRANZISKANER-BRAU in Munich, Germany. It's nice to have back once again and I look forward to trying it as I like the SPATEN beers very much already.

3) Gluten-Free Amber Ale ( All Natural Discovery ) from GREEN'S ( $6.99 1 pt. .9 Fl. Oz / 500 ml bottle, product of Begium, 6% alc. by volume, ) is " new and exciting "! " Green's Ales are brewed and bottled by DeProef Brouwerj, Lochristi, Gent, Belgium. Green's Ales DO NOT contain any of the following : Wheat and/or Barley, Crustaceans, Eggs, Fish, Peanuts, Soya beans, Milk, Lactose, Nuts, Celery, Mustard, Sesame seeds, Sulphur dioxide and Sulfites ".

ALSO : GREEN'S " Quest " for $6.99 a 500ml bottle is also available ( no wheat, nor barley, all natural ).

4) Imported William's Pear SIR PERRY ( $9.49 4-pack 500ml cans, pear cider, 6% alc. by volume, product of England ) is new and exciting and probably delicious now as it warms up considerably.

LIQUOR From Ravinder Sharma Is Charmant :

1) Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from FOUR ROSES ( $42.99, distilled and aged by FOUR ROSES distillery , LLC in Lawrenceville, Kentucky, 750ml, 50% alc. by volume ) is " new and very exciting ".

2) 12-Year Old Rum Vieilli pendant 12 ans ( aged for 12 years ), this Ron Rhum from EL DORADO ( $24.99 750ml bottle, 40% alc. by vol. ) id=s made in Guyana and we are pleased to have it here.

3) Blanco Tequila 100% de Agave from LUNAZUL ( On Special for $20.99 , 40% alc. by volume, www.lunazultequila.com ) is also brand new and very exciting for us with a great reduction here in price.

WINES Selected By Chris & Tony :

WHITES : 4 -

1) FETEASCA Regala, dry Romanian white ( $10.99 ) tasted this past weekend here by Mattof Suprex. Delightful, refreshing.

2) " Acrobat " 2008 Oregon Pinot Gris ( $13.49 ) is unbelievably refreshing and well balanced for this great price.

3) " Katz, Gentile " soft dry white Alsace French white blend from KLUR ( $21.99 ) is unbelievably magnificent and a treat to drink with or without food.

4) Dry Vidal Blanc 2008 ( $11.49 ) from New York's Finger Lakes region and made by STANDING STONE is a great outdoors white when you grill and serve some nicely-seasoned warm-weather foods that may be casual or fancy. This dry white Vidal will stand up to lots of flavor in your meals.

SPARKLING : 1 -

1) M. LAWRENCE " Wet " Sparkling Wine sec/dry ( $22.49, 1350 of 2508 bottles, batch #5, 12%alc. by volume, www.lmawby.com, produced and bottled by L. MAWBY , Suttons Bay, MI ) is named after this quote that is on the bottle label : " Hooded copper eye, bolf fruited cologne, rich favoured flesh, not sweet, not dry - but wet she is ". I don't know about you but ....

ROSES : Dry, 5 -

1) " Vitiano " from FALESCO in Umbria ( On Sale for $9.99 ), 2008 is a blend of five grapes I believe that includes Cab and Merlot and Sangiovese and this bottle is showing fabulously now. It's a real treat : needs to open slowly like a red as it is often over-chilled.

2) LA BASTIDE SAINT DOMINIQUE 2009 ( $10.99 ) from France's Vin De Pays De Mediterranee ( estate-bottled ) has got great color and great flavor extraction. Nice.

3) 14-18h Greek Peleponnisos 2009 dry Agiorgitiko rose ($15.99 ) has a great deep, dark and intense color - almost like a light red, and it sure does taste great as it warms and opens in the glass : just like the Vitiano. Jody Jackman had both open this past Friday.

4) Vieilles Vignes / Old Vines dry Bourgogne FRench Pinot Noir rose ( $21.99 ) from the DOMAINE DU CHATEAU DE CHOREY is a study in understatement and elegance and finesse, starting with the refined color and into the middle taste and the lingering , silky-smooth finish. It's a marvel of efficiency and subtlety ...

5) CHATEAU " Les Valentines " 2009 Cotes Du Provence ( $24.99 ) ( estate-bottled ) has just become a favorite of owner Florence at Lavandou restaurant down the block from us and already there have been requests by our customers to buy some. So voila ! it's here now and we are thrilled to have some. Only two cases as it's very limited in availability. Don't delay , come get some now before it is too late.

REDS - Dry, 9 -

1) Cahors 2006 Malbec/Tannat dry French Red Blend , " Tradition " ( $13.49 ), from the CHATEAU DE GAUDOU is finally back in stock by popular demand. We had Justin taste this out the other day with you all and we sold-out and have been waiting patiently for more. It's finally here again and well-worth the wait.

2) " Les Boudalles " red 2009 dry Rhone blendfrom the DOMAINE BRUSSET ( $13.99 ) literally blew me away the other day when I tasted it. I re-tasted it several times to be sure I really loved it and I did and so I can't wait to try it once again. It's so vibrant and lovely and charming and pleasing all-in-one to my famished/thirsty palate - a BIG YES to this one!

3) St. Nicolas De Bougueil 2007 100% Cabernet Franc from FREDERIC MABILEAU ( $19.49 ) in the Loire Valley of France is classic, balanced and focused and flavorful Cabernet Franc at it's best and in this case perhaps most attractive form/outfit, too?

4) " Pojo Del Ruspo " 2005 ( $15.99, great year ) Sangiovese/Sangiovetto Grosso grapes from BARBI in Umbria, Italy, is showing really well now, medium-to-light-bodied and such a great choice with many warm-weather meals. The owners have been here and it's always sold well for us. Great to still have the 2005 vintage here.

5) STEELE " Old Vine Zin " 2007 from the Pacini Vineyard in Mendocino County has never been more seductive and pleasing as this 2007 : and it's only $17.99 a bottle. What a deal! Jeff was just here tasting it with you all : he's Jed Steele's right-hand man and has worked with him since 1985.

6) " Bench Rock " 2004 dry red Washington State red blend from OKANOGAN ( $18.99 ) is medium-bodied, quite lean and a bit angular and spicy and best with food. We bought extra to get the Spice under $20 a bottle and Chris Barker really wanted to have some on hand to sell to you all. It will be great at a barbecue.

7) 2007 ( great southern Rhone vintage in France ) Lirac from Eric Bonnet of the RESERVE SAINT DOMINIQUE estate( $19.99 ) is still very young and needing another 3-6 years of cellaring in my opinion. It's a shame to drink it now as it will clearly be so much better later. Drink this property's excellent Ventoux red 2009 ( $13.99 ) that I have already mentioned while you wait for this Lirac to mature gracefully.

8) ARIZONA STRONGHOLD " Nachise " dry red blend of mostly Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah and Mourvedre from Cochise County, Arizona ( $28.49 ) is drinking beautifully once that it has an hour or more to open up and show it's mettle. Medium-bodied and balanced and quite a lot of lilting, breathing, moving nuances that will rock your cares away. It's worth the money. Try it on for size when you have a tasty meal next time with grilled white meats, game, and well-seasoned meals that includes peppers, too ... Great label as well.

9) ARIZONA STRONGHOLD 2008 " Mangus " dry red 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Sangiovese/ 9% Merlot from vignerons/wine-makers Eric Glomski and Maynard Keenan in Arizona's Cochise County ( $28.49 ) was my personal favorite of the two ( as I believe it was also Chris Barker's ). I really liked the more tightly-knit flavors here and I am thrilled to have it as well as the " Nachise" Syrah-based red. These will be fun discoveries for many of you and I think that you will be delighted to have tried them just as we were. Cheers!

ALSO : WE JUST HAD ARRIVE the BECHMEN Estate 2008 Syrah, $27.49: the BECKMEN Grenache dry Rose 2009, $22.49; the BECKMEN Le Bec Blanc 2008, $22.49 : as well as two new Spanish reds from Spain's Toledo/La Mancha region - the PINUAGA La Sendra Merlot/Tempranillo, $11.99 and the Nature Tempranillo 2007, $13.49 a bottle. Both owners have been by and tasted these with us over the last few weeks and it's great to finally get them here to our store. These are also amazing " new " additions/vintages to our store as we have already enjoyed selling the BECKMEN California wines from the Santa Ynez Valley. I really loved all of them : they are really excellent, focused, balanced and they never lose track of the grapes from which they started always keeping the spotlight on them and center stage! Nice!!!!

WEEKEND TASTING ( Includes our " Mini-Big-Theme French Wine-Maker Wine-Tasting this Saturday from 307 PM ).

Friday, April 23rd, 2010 ( 5-8 PM ) : Ronnie Miller of the Robert Kacher portfolio will be here to taste the dry Pinot Grigio and Torrontes white of Argentina's INACAYAL winery ( Both $13.49 ) as well as France's Loire Valley Touraine dry whit 100% Sauvignon Balnc ( $14.49 ). Three dry and flavorful whites for you all to enjoy!

Saturday, April 24th, 2010 : Two Events : France & Japan -

- 4-7 PM : Our Mini Big-Theme French Wine-Maker/Owner Tasting with two from Bordeaux, One from the Loire Valley and One from the Champagne district. This will be grand - twenty or so wines to taste and enjoy and evaluate. Come and take your time and talk to these Frenchmen and women and learn and enjoy.

ALSO : Jack Mulhern will come and pour the TYKU Liqueur, a Soju and a sake and explain them all and tell you how to enjoy them in mixed drinks and all by themselves. He really knows his stuff and it will be great to have him here explaining this big new world in Japan...

JOIN US / NEVER ANY CHARGE / Bring family, friends, neighbors, business associates ... everyone is always welcome here.

FOR MORE INFO/ MORE UPDATES ? Go To : www.clevelandparkwine.com, chatwine.blogspot.com, chatart.blogspot.com and chatpoetry.blogspot.com. Cheers and see you soon and thanks for everything! TONY