DEMOCRACY Vineyards' " Velvet Revolution " Reserve 07 With Mark One Evening Late In Annandale, Va Late : This Red Is Superb! Cheers ...

The other evening I got a call from Mark our neighbor saying that he wanted me to try a bottle of Virginia wine that one of his work colleagues made : and would I be interested in trying it? I said something like : " sure, come on over " and he did.

We were all outside enjoying a nice evening out back on our deck and a late dinner as matter of fact. Other neighbors had come over just before Mark's call ( I think this all happened Monday, June 15th, 2009 if I am not mistaken ). We chatted and so the meal that I had just prepared on our grill waited for us.



I love this atmospheric picture that I captured here with only the flash of my Cannon camera and candlelight of both Mark and the bottle of DEMOCRACY Vineyards' " Velvet Revolution " 2007 Virginia red blend.

It was dark by the time that Mark joined us and we had pretty much finished dinner and were just relaxing outside. These pictures were taken mostly by me after my wife and daughter went inside. Mark and I were just chatting and catching up on each others lives and enjoying this bottle of 2007 DEMOCRACY Vineyards " Velvet Revolution " Reserve blend of 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Chambourcin, 25% Tannat, 12.5% Petit Verdot and 12.5% Merlot.




I'm trying to see the color of this DEMOCRACY Vineyards red blend. Perhaps when you enlarge the picture on the screen more of the actual color will be visible? I'm hoping this is true. It;s still an interesting photo anyway.




I can't wait to try the white wine from DEMOCRACY Vineyards and find out what the blend of this wine is? I hope it's an equally interesting white blend just as is the red. I get to try it in two days, on Thursday June 25th, 2009 if I am correct?

Stay-tuned for more really soon.




I was immediately intrigued by the blend of this wine : Chambourcin and Tannat and Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in a bottle of Virginia wine : this I found compelling and fascinating, really.

We are selling now the Doug Fabbioli red Chambourcin that Doug makes at FABBIOLI CELLARS in Leesburg, Virginia. Doug was nice enough to come to our store a couple of months ago to taste his wines with our customers, The Chambourcin red is excellent and sell for around $19 a bottle I believe. I've blogged here about his tasting if you are interested.

Above we have Mark enjoying the bouquet of the wine.

I love the flame of the torch behind me in the picture above : what a bright flame of yellow light on a pitch-black background!






I didn't pick up on the fact that it was made in Charlottesville : that came later inside the next morning when I looked more closely at the label. It says " Monticello, produced and bottled by Virginia Cellars, Charlottesville, VA.

I was immediately impressed when I tried the wine : it had good balance and taste and flavors : a real wine made with strengths and weaknesses. I liked it's authenticity from the get-go. This was clearly a wine made to go with food and made in a traditional style ; just trying to make a good bottle of wine. Whoever made it succeeded in my opinion and I shared this more than once with Mark.

In the picture above I am totally relaxed and pleased with this wine and being playful for Mark and the camera.






I love to take these more artsy pictures and I always hope for the best results. Often I get some really good ones, too. Sometimes most of the image works but not all of it. In this case might have his eyes closed in one here but I still really enjoy the feel and the mood that it sets.

It was a nice time to talk openly with Mark about life and to wax poetic and unwind to the full extensions of our inner chords, just as if we were yo-yo's and free ( flung-spun-out ) to do exactly that before being summoned back to face whatever music awaited us. The being " set free " motion as we left the hand of reason and responsibility and order was exhilarating and liberating, even if only for a brief period in time.




How did they arrive at this red blend? What were the options available to them? Will they do the same blend next year or will it change? So many questions ...





Here I'm clowning around again for the camera and for Mark. It's been a great evening and day and I am am feeling no pain and no inhibitions. Mark is amused and pleased both I believe.

My blue t-shirt was given to me years ago by my mother that she bought when she went to the Caribbean and it says in white lettering : Life is too short to drink cheap wine ". Thanks Mom, I have always liked both the color and the sentiment of this gift from you which I still wear and enjoy having.




I am hoping that the owners and perhaps the winemaker of this " Velvet Revolution " 2007 Reserve Virginia red ( as well as a white I am told ) will be able to come to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ) where I manage the wine department and be our " special guests " when we have our second monthly " Big Theme " Wine-Tasting Celebrating both the Fourth and the Fourteenth of July : Our July 4th and France's " Bastille Day " : our two days of Independence.

It will be on a Wednesday evening from 5:30-8:30 PM at our store in Cleveland Park N.W. Washington D.C. We will pour about thirty or so wines from the U.S. and from France. Everyone is welcome : no need to call - the more the merrier. Please join us if you can make it.


Not that you can tell from these angles of the pictures , but I am wearing my Jed Steele cap that he gave me. Thanks Jed.

The label of DEMOCRACY Vineyards reads on the side in small print : " Velvet Revolution Reserve commemorates the 1989 peaceful uprising of the people of Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the government imposed by the Soviet Union. The wine is a blend of Virginia varieties. Democracy starts with a bold vision and succeeds with bold action ".

Enjoy these pictures , TONY

Italian Winemaker Luca Paschina Of BARBOURSVILLE Vineyards ( Charlottesville, VA ) Stops By With Rep Jason To Say " Hello " And Sign Some Bottles

Here are some pictures I took of Luca Paschina's visit here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008, sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com Tel : 202-363-4265 ). Our BARBOURSVILLE rep Jason Tesauro ( Jason@BarboursvilleWine.com (434) 531-3761 and I had been talking about my meeting Luca sometime soon either at the winery or at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits.

I believe that Jason had invited me to a tasting or a luncheon that I could not attend and so he kindly brought Luca around afterwards. Thanks Jason. It's funny, it is now Friday, January 18th, 2009 and I have been cleaning my office space at the store. I came across am beautiful invitation in the form of an octagon that had been sent to me asking me to come to lunch at BARBOURSVILLE ( the Palladio restaurant ) on either Monday, March 13th, 2004 or Tuesday, March 14th, 2004. I am sorry to say that I did not attend. It was a luncheon and tour of the anciet grounds and winery with a vertical of the first seven vintages of BARBOURSVILLE'S Octagon.

I must have had something really important to do on that Monday my day-off to not have attended! Either that or I was simply insane or mad at the moment. Oh well, Jason and Luca : how was it? What gems do you have to impart and share with me now five years later about this wonderful chance of a lifetime? Catch me up to speed and please invite me again. I am truly sorry that I missed this Monday luncheon.

Jason has placed some wines here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits and I am happy to say that I had some bottles on hand conveniently for Luca to sign them for our customers. We have sold a variety of the wines including the Octagon and the Pinot Grigio, Viognier, the sweet Malvasia, the Chardonnay and the sparkling to name just the few that come immediately to mind.

We have some of the excellent " Phileo " ( there are three ways to say love in Greek , phileo means love for friends and special things. ) A long and cool fermentation is the secret behind the wine's effusively fragrant aromas, floral complexity and luscious sweetness. Great and best with desserts.

It's time to give the wines another try Jason. If you read this please call me at 202-363-4265 and let's arrange another tasting of current vintages. That would please me greatly, really.

My experience with the wines in the past is that they are really elegant, bright, well-made wines that really please and charm. I personally would like to see a bit more edge to them, a more pronounced quality that sinks or flies high and does not rest so nicely in that middle range of comfort and immediate pleasure. This is just my point-of-view of course. I know that the wines as they are sell really well and that often our customers that have tried them have nothing but praise.

Anyway, I'd like to see what they are tasting like now and to hopefully get to Charlottesville sometime soon to actually visit the winery. Jason, you have always invited me and I think it is time that to make my visit there a reality really soon. Especially now that my daughter is in Charlottesville at U.V.A. and in her fourth year.

I am sorry that I do not have the good pictures of you here Jason as you always dress really well and represent so well BARBOURSVILLE. Actually, I take that back Jason, there is a nice shot of you beyong Luca with your nice hat and vest - snappy. It's a good profile of you. We will include more later as I can scan them onto my computer as they were taken without a digital camera.

I look forward to our next visit with hopefully you again Luca as well as you Jason. Luca, we can talk about Piemonte, Italy while we are enjoying your wines. I think I got some nice shots of you in our store Luca. Was it 2006 I believe? I will find my notes really soon and include them and the exact dates of your visit as you both signed our/ my store winemaker/owner poster as well as our/ my guest book.

It's just a few days before the inaugural here in our nation's capitol and so I may not get to the rest of this blog until after the 20th of January, 2009. In the meantime enjoy this story and the pictures.

Go to for more technical infprmation : P.O. Box 136, Route 777, Barboursville, Virginia, 22923 Tel : (540) 832-3824 Fax : ( 540 ) 832- 7572.

Cheers and Enjoy. TONY

Owner/ Winemaker Chris Breiner of STONE MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS In-Store Wine-Tasting 3/17/07 : Returns Again 11/12/08 5:30-8:30 PM Join Us- Turkey Wines

It was great to get Chris Breiner of SPRING MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS ( managing Partner, winemaker , P.O. Box 7 1376 Wyatt Mountain Rd. Dyke, Virginia 22935 434-990-wine cbreiner@stonemountainvineyards.com ) to the store Saturday, March 17th, 2007 ( 2:30--6:30 PM ) to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Conn. Ave. N.W. Washington D.C. Tel: 202-363-4265 www.clevelandparkwine.com sales@clevelandparkwine.com ) to the store to taste his Virginia wines.

I remember that I had a luke-warm first-tasting impression of them with David Enright our local rep from Grappoli Imports and I told him so. I remember liking the whites better. I also believe in letting the wines speak for themselves and I told David that if he could arrange for either the owner or the winemaker to come taste them with our customers that I would set it up. David agreed and soon Chris Breiner was scheduled on the calendar to taste his Virginia reds and whites.

This is what I wrote in the store email : " We have winemaker Chris Breiner of STONE MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS , VA. here to taste a selection of his wines. I really liked the whites - a Pinot Grigio and a dry Chardonnay. The red Petit Verdot and the Cabernet Franc are good reds to enjoy with food. All wines are more European in style with a nod of course to modern technology. Come see what you think. Get Chris to sign a bottle or two for gifts. NOTHING LIKE A PERSONALIZED GIFT, and NEVER ANY CHARGE for it ". I remember that I found the reds a bit too light and lean on my first tasting. I amended my impressions on the second go-round and found them to have filled out and become a bit more fleshy.

The tasting was a " hit " and we sold a number of bottles that Chris signed for our customers. Everyone was happy. The Pinot Grigio was a big hit, too. This is what Chris wrote at the end of the tasting in our guest book : " Tony, Very nice shop. I believe your attention to customer service and educating the people is wonderful. Look forward to my next visit. Come see me on the mountain! " Best regards, Chris.

We had a couple of our customers come after the tasting and speak about their really enjoyable visit to this winery up on a mountain going up a road that they said led to nowhere - and yet it did, and they finally arrived at the winery! I think they also commented on the view. I will have to ask them again.

Anyway, we are thrilled to welcome you back Chris this coming Tuesday, November 12th, 2008 from 5:30-8:30 PM to our monthly " Big-Theme " American Holiday Wine-Tasting where we will feature a number of local Virginia and Maryland owners and winemakers as well as a number of our favorite reps tasting other wines from New York, Ohio, California, Oregon and Washington State.

Join Chris and all of us at this tasting. Everyone is more than welcome. Bring a friend or two or three. For more info please call Mike Martin or Tony Quinn ( me ) and we will be glad to help you. Cheers, TONY

Owner Diane de Puymorin In-Person At Cleveland Park In-Store Wine-Tasting NOvember 3rd, 2006/ In-Abstensia W/ " Only Girls " 2007 Syrah October 21st,

It was great way back on Friday November 3rd, 2006 to meet owner Diane de Puymorin of CHATEAU D'Or et de GUEULES ( Tel : 04 66 87 32 86 Fax : 04 66 87 39 11 , chateaudoretdegueules@wanadoo.fr www.chateau-or-et-gueules.com Chemin de Cassagnes, Route de Generac 30 800 Saint Gilles, Costieres de Nimes, France ) and have her then taste an assortment of her " new " releases with Bobby Kacher. Ronnie Miller our Kacher rep brought her to the store. I loved her reds, all of them from the Domaine PETIT CASSAGNE on up. Diane stayed till she sold every bottle but one.

We always have some of her wine at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. Right now we have the very top of her line in magnums, 2004 , signed by her ON SALE at the ridiculously low price of $30 a magnum! We also have Diane's " new " Syrah 2007 release called " Only Girls " that I have already sold-out of and need to reorder!

I already blogged about this 2007 Syrah named " Only Girls " in a blog with the words " Confluence of Forces " or something like that. I drank two glasses or more little more than a week ago on Friday the 17th of October I believe all alone here by myself except for the " wee " little fact that, thanks to my wife, daughter and son I was listening " live " over the phone to Elton John sing and play with his band members at the new stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. I listened for about an hour or so and wrote a " live response - immediate " to the situation and to the " Only Girls " 2007 Syrah ( which I really liked that night and again on Sunday night - the same open bottle given to me by my rep. Ronnie Miller - and to Elton John. It was certainly a special hour for me and made me feel quite privileged and not quite so alone.

Here are the artsy pictures that I took on Monday after the concert on my day-off around 1-2 PM on our deck while everyone else was at work. It was beautiful and warm and sunny and I think I captured some really good angles of the bottle, label, INAO glass of wine, old-vines cork screw given to me years ago back in the mid seventies in Paris, France by my French etching instructor Joelle Serve. See what you think.

Cheers and enjoy. I will find the pictures I took of Diane in the store that Friday evening ( 5-8 PM ) just about three years ago in 2006 and include them later.

This is what Diane wrote after her tasting in the store that Friday evening :

" le 3 Novembre, 2006 Une super cave qui s'occupe aussi bien de ses clients que de les fournisseures. Un grand plaisir de pouvez voir mes vins selectiones par Bobby! Et apprecies par les Americaines. " Diane

A la prochaine. By the way, the 2007 Syrah tasted great with my food on both occasions : the first time with the steak while listening to Sir Elton John live over my phone, and the second time with the cheese my wife and I enjoyed two night's later. It was good all by itself, too. Plenty of character to this wine and yet very approachable. I'm looking forward to hearing what our returning customers at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits think. A bientot, TONY