Morgan Hartman With PICARDY Winery's ( Pemberton, Western Australia, 2005 ) Owners Dan & Jodie Pannell :Their Visit To Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits

I'm glad that in this picture above I got such a nice picture of both Dan and Jodie. It was great to have them here at Cleveland Park and to taste their current releases with them. It's always helpful to have a chance to taste with the owners and winemakers and to have them right there if you have any specific questions to ask them. I know I was really impressed with their Chardonnay on this visit : of all the wines it was the most evolved to my palate and the most ready to drink. Dan makes with his father wines that age slowly and gracefully and that really do benefit from waiting and not rushing to drink them immediately. I like that : I like it a lot. Be patient and you will be so well rewarded for your patience that you will not believe your taste buds' content when you finally try these classic, traditional-style wines that are made to complement the foods that they are served with and not replace them ( the foods ) entirely.



Here's a bottle before Dan ( in the picture below ) that he has already signed. Is this one for Matt and Janice? I can't read the writing on the bottle unfortunately : can you?




Here I take a picture of Dan and Jodie Pannell and Morgan Hartman and Theresa Morrison. On the round tasting table at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits I have put out some of the PICARDY wines that we had for sale at the time. Looks like a bottle of the PICARDY Chardonnay was open along with a bottle each of the PICARDY Pinot Noir and the PICARDY Shiraz.




Dan gets ready to either open a bottle here or sign one : which is it?!




Here Dan is signing a bottle of either their PICARDY Pinot Noir or their Shiraz to both Matt and Janice while Morgan laughs at something or some comment that one of us made. We have so much fun when the owners and winemakers join us like this. I always try and pull my customers into these spontaneous meetings like these. In this case Matt and Janice just happened to be at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ) at the right moment in time. They are such lovely people and really do love wine. They were probably going to share this with their son or with their relatives out in California is my bet.




This is a picture that was taken also by Theresa Morrison I believe of Dan And Jodie with our good customers Matt and Janice. I'm sure we had just finished tasting whatever wines that Dan and Jodie brought ot sample of their PICARDY wines.




It's great to be in this group picture with Dan, Jodie, Morgan and myself. Theresa Morrison featured in one of the other group pictures before probably took this picture of the four of us. Thanks Theresa. I guess you came to show me some of your excellent South African portfolio that you sell through Boutique Vineyards ( your own company )?





Enjoy these photos that I took when Morgan Hartman brought Dan and Jodie Pannell to visit us at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits back in late 2005 or early 2006: I have to check the dates. In the meantime I'm going to download the pictures and go from there. It's been wonderful selling thier wine over the years : I loved my visit with Chris Pigott of Country Vintners last February 2008. We had a blast times ten if not more. It was enough to write an entire book filled with stories. Our visit to PICARDY where we saw Dan and Jodie and got to met their two children ( a young boy and an even younger girl ) was very special.

I will write more as I add these pictures. TONY

Pierre de Benoist of DOMAINE A. Et P. VILLAINE, Burgundy Visits/Tastes " New " Releases At Cleveland Park Wed. Feb. 25th, '09 W/ Jody Jackman

This was another great tasting opportunity for me ( 25/02/09 - this is how Pierre wrote the date for me on his guest page, in the French style ) : serendipitous and totally one that I welcomed with outstretched arms. I simply had to see the labels peripherally as I zoomed by putting last minute touches on things on the store's wine floor, adjusting whatever displays needed a tweak here, saying " hello " and addressing any customers there, asking them after welcoming them if they needed assistance?

It's a full-time job that never stops and always flows together and becomes quite busy and demanding at the drop of a pin or the pouring of a wine glass with some " new " wine. I don't mind, I reveal more of myself and my abilities as well as learn in these active, complex moments of ours at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-363-4265 www.clevelandparkwine.com sales@clevelandparkwine.com ).

It's all in good fun. sport and learning as one goes along. I call it my -our moment ( s ). These are ours or mine alone and I simply chose to share them and make them as special as I possibly can. I've gotten more sincere and more focused on this as the years have gone by. So this is the environment in witch I finally met Pierre de Benoist of DOMAINE A. ET P. DE VILLAINE ( 2, Rue de la Fontaine, 71150 Bouzeron, Burgundy, France +33 (0)6 75 22 28 10 contact@de-villaine.com.

Jody Jackman our fabulously attentive, professional, beautiful rep from Winebow had called and asked if she could come by with a wine owner to taste his wines? I think she spoke to Mike Martin my wine-buying partner at Cleveland Park. He immediately told me her message to which I consented without blinking an eye. All wine-makers and owners are invited no matter who they are or what they make. This is essential to me : they may come by with an appointment or not and I / we will try and see them our the day's particular activities when they come.

In the case of Jody and Pierre it was a little bit later in the day as the store begins to get busier and buzz with more busy bees wanting to finish their shopping and to get home and relax and enjoy whatever they collected/produced along the way. So my time with both Jody and Pierre was a bit more fragmented. But, as I said, the minute I saw the wine bottle labels from the corners of my eyes I knew that I was in for a treat!

I met Pierre and shook his hand and said " bonjour " immediately to welcome him to our store. I told him I knew of his wines, I told him that I had sold his family's wines, that I knew of their reputation, of their excellence and fame with the connection of the DOMAINE DE LA ROMANEE CONTI, etcetera ( having been for years " Parkerized " ... ) and he smiled quickly and responded. I did not quite hear him so I cannot record it here. It was something about the association of the two.

I have over the years sold a lot of his fabulous Aligote white made with this once to referred to grape as the " poor man's Chardonnay ". This one from VILLAINE clearly matches many a Chardonnay if not surpassing a number of them in both quality. taste. character and value. I would not use this one for making a kir for example but would opt to drink it along with an excellent meal. That is where it will reveal more of the full range of it's various flavors : with a meal to bring it out/ flesh it out and give it color and shape and definition as an artist would by adding paint to a blank white virgin canvas.

This particular Aligote 2007 white burgundy was quite flavorful and broad in all it's flavor profiles. It had weight, some gravitas and a lot of taste that had edge and spice and mineral and even dried herbs and honey? I liked it, but it was a mouthful of taste to be reckoned with and my mind and guts and seven senses would need to be gathered more closely together to better focus and appreciate the nuances and blasts from this lovely white Aligote.

I told Pierre this as I continued to appear and leave almost as quickly helping customers. I also had to get my camera and a white page for Pierre to write on later ( as well as my poster for him to sign like all the other wine owners and wine-makers ). I would snap a picture, taste, ask a question, be whisked quickly away by a call on the phone or the request/question of a customer. It was a bit harried.

I called Mike over or stopped him dead-in-his-tracks as he passed us by and alerted him to the real quality of these wines I was tasting. When hearing the words : DOMAINE DE LA ROMANEE CONTI he stopped immediately and got himself a glass to taste. There are some things that simply must be tasted and acknowledged! You just cannot pass everything by and wait for a better, more convenient time. Sometimes you just have to drop everything and taste : this was such a time.

Here are the pictures that I took of Pierre de Benoist's visit to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. Pierre comes from DOMAINE A. Et P. De VILLAINE, Burgundy France ( 2, Rue de la Fontaine 71150 Bouzeron Tel : +33 ( 0 ) 6 75 22 28 10 contact@de-villaine.com.

I was tasting with one of the special " Redel " wine-tasting glasses. They look different than all the rest and they do work well. I've been using one of these now for the last two week's or so and liking it.

Pierre poured me some of the Chardonnay 2007 Cote Chalonnaise " Les Clous " and I warmed immediately to it's softer, more gentle, more rounded flavors that were also lighter and less-demanding on all of my tasting faculties. Overall it was simply a more flattering wine and one that I could immediately drink and enjoy with or without food. It had less edge as well and the fruit of the Chardonnay was brighter and more like pure sunshine captured in this wine, floating in and all around it. I liked it and will consider buying some for the store. I must buy the Aligote because of flavor and value : and so I will also buy some of the Chardonnay with any money left over after buying the Aligote! Decisions, decisions : tough choices to make in these most trying times.

The next two wines were both red Pinot Noirs : 1 ) the Bourgogne " La Digoine " Cote Chalonnaise 2007 and the 2 ) Mercurey " Les Montots " 2007, also from the Chalonnaise but in this case all from the area of Mercurey and not a blend as with the Bourgogne above of possibly Rully, Montagny and Mercurey Pinot Noir fruit.

I liked them both quite a lot. They had plenty of flavor and taste and weight and style and polish and finesse. They were both also quite bright red, toasty-berry in flavors and taste. Both were rounded and very appealing : the Mercurey simply had more weight and depth than the Bourgogne " La Dogoine ".

Ils sont tous les deaux tres flatteure et challereuses. Quels robes en rouge tendre et brillants et sublimes : comme je suis contents avec les deux. Je peux les porter avec moi au lit et boire aux femmes qui ajoutent la couleur, clarite, belle vie et presque tout ma raison a vivre et a etre ... merci mes femmes toujours autour de moi qui me donnent la force et l'esprit de continue a manger la vie comme je le fais toujours. Et avec les vins rouges comme ce Bourgogne "La Digoine " et Mercurey de DOMAINE A. ET P. DE VILLAINE je suis presque a paradis, moi ... merci infinement ... femmes, La Nature. les bons vins, l'art - tout m'inspirent d'etre beaucoup foux et content de vivre et d'ertr la pour tout les experiences de cette vie incroyable ...

I will buy one of the reds for the store as well. I know Jody that as you walked out of the store this evening with Pierre that I told you to send us some. I cannot now remember what I told you so that it will be a very pleasant surprise when it arrives with the rest of the order this week. It may be today in fact, my day-off.

It's now Monday ( 11:58 AM, just before noon here in northern Virginia ) and the whole Wahington D.C. metroploitan area is buried or covered in a thick four-inch or more blanket of fluffy, billowy white snow off of which the sun is now shining and making so reflective and bright. It's March 1st or 2nd, 2009 : I have to go check! I should know but I'm happy in my bliss not-knowing on my day-off. I do believe that it is the 2nd, 2009!

I have more to add and to write but now I will proof and send this as I'd like to share the story and the pictures with you all. I'm feeling quite inspired having seen the excellent show on Pompeii and all it's art treasures yesterday with my family at the Smithsonian's East Wing ( go to my " About Me - View my complete file " on the title page here and click it so that you may scroll down to my blog called : chat art " and click that on to read about my Pompeii inspiration in art and wine ).

I think the pictures came out quite well. At first I think I had pictures of Pierre wondering to himself where I was going with all these photos? I don't blame you Pierre, I do take things pretty much by " orage " / storm! That's just my way but I do hope at last that you finally enjoyed yourself and this experience that was ours and which we enjoyed together with Jody and Mike.

When I asked you to write something for us in our guest book this is what you wrote Pierre " " Tojours enjoie, toujours chalereux, un grand merci pour cette belle degustation. La prochaine se fear a Bourgogne au milieu et avec l'Ane des vins du Domaine. Bravo et vive le Bourgogne libre ".

Je suis d'accord avec toi Pierre. J'adore les vins du Bourgogne : j'adore la France et je gards des souveniers fantastiques de mes jours dans les anness soixante-dix la-bas a Paris quand mon pere etait chef des Passports a l'Embassade Americain a La Place De La Concord et pas loin de la magasin : Caves de la Madeleine de l'anglais Steven Spurrier. Cette experience ma' enrechisait ( enriched me ) comme pas beaucoup des autres! Excusez-moi pour mes fautes d'autograph ici

And Jody, thanks for blowing both Pierre and me un bisou/kiss. That was nice, et quel sourire de toi : your eyes actually sparkled! Gotta love that : I sure do. Et toi Pierre, qu'est ce que tu pense de cette foto ici ou Jody nous envoye un bisou tout les deux?!?

Merci encore pour cette visite et degustation a Cleveland Park Pierre a Washington D.C. le capitaux D'Aux Etats-Unis et la ville ou beaucoup des Francaises habitent continuellement et qui me rendre souvent visite pour mes conseils!

Cheers et Sante et a la prochaine notre nouveau ami. TONY

Bize LEROY Burgundy Red-White Tasting April 19th , 2007 With C. Rolland In Washington D.C. Outside Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits

My rep from Constantine, Marci Weinstein was nice enough to invite me to a special tasting at a local D.C. restaurant, a cafe-bistro across from the Ford Theater. I cannot now remember the name of this popular restaurant and am sorry for that. I will include it at a later time. I had never been before and I do like to visit the restaurants that I still do not know. It was held upstairs and I was on a really tight schedule I am sorry to say.

Of course the real draw for me was a chance to try some of the LEROY white and red burgundies. I rarely if ever get a chance to try these types of wines and so I make every effort I can to get to them. I am really glad that I did in this case. Even trying just one or two would have been worth the effort ; but to be able to try nine ( 1957-2004 ) was spectacular, really! Five whites and four reds with the tasting handled by Monsieur Rolland that works for LEROY and I believe that was living in New York city when he conducted this tasting.

Proper glassware was readily available as was the whole Constantine staff ( minus Gus, where were you Gus? ) on-hand to help and facilitate anything that might be wanted/wished-for. Of course Marci was there and she greeted me immediately and got me started after introducing me to Monsieur Rolland.

There were two tables spread along the wall that faces out onto the street with us the tasters looking at the wall and with the bar behind us. Off to my left were tables spread with food which I never had a chance to enjoy because of time. It was a nice touch I am sure, however for those with more time on their hands.

I did not have my camera and so had to rely on my powers of observation and so they went into overdrive as did just about everything else for me. I started with the whites and then worked my way over to the reds. Monsieur Rolland was the only one pouring so he had to spread himself quite thin at times to pour and explain quickly each and every wine that was being tasted. He did it quite well, too as memory recalls now on Monday, January 26th , 2009 here at home in northern Virginia on a cold winter's day at 12:09 PM nearly one and a half years later.

Luckily I have my signed by M. Rolland tasting sheet where I also scribbled quickly my notes of each wine. I will have to be careful separating them and not confusing them now. It sure is nice to have things like this on paper to help. It was quite the event and it did seem like they had a good turn-out ; not exceptional but enough considering how much wine they had on hand and really only one person pouring and explaining.

We started with the 2004 Puligny Montrachet " Les Charmes ", $130 a bottle : I noted " " Grand yet youthful, so good. Buy? Good, full, thick body, young, tight, zesty, columned ! Great citrus , minerals ".

We continued with the white 1999 Meursault 1er Cru " Blagny " , $160 a bottle : I wrote again : " It had just been opened, this bottle by Monsieur Rolland. It needs to open, tight ... great smooth finish ". I needed to go back to it later but never did. I simply did not have enough time.

Then we tasted what had caught my curiosity and intrigued me from the very first : the 1997 white Bourgogne Blanc, ( $32.00 a bottle ) that was now ten-years-old! I wanted to see what it tasted like and see how fresh or how tired, how much like nuts and sherry it might taste like now with 10 years of bottle age. I simply wrote : " Still really nice ! " It was still fresh and bright and not oxidized at all!

I then proceeded on to the 1996 Meursault 1er Cru " Les Poruzots " , and for some reason do not have any notes on that. There's no price on the sheet next to it either. Perhaps it was not tasted after all.


Then it was onto the last five reds.

The 1999 Bourgogne Rouge ( great year ) , $40 a bottle , I wrote : " Lovely . toasty fruit in nose. Rich, deep - very well-made, still tight ( even after eleven years !?! ) ; needs food ". It, too was not showing any fatique or oxidation from extra bottle age.

The 1999 Chorey Les Beaune , $120 a bottle , I wrote : " Earthy, gamy , wet, good mouth-feel. Sophisticated, smooth finish ; fruit in the oak - married : a food wine ".

The 1996 Volnay 1er Cru " Santenots ", $185 a bottle , I wrote : " racy, smelly barnyard bouquet in-check - one bolt of welcome lightning, great mouth-feel . Full yet muscular, not lean/ fit, not lean, well-toned - like an athlete ".

The 1990 Maranges , $130 a bottle , I wrote : " still kicking! Great complete - thick , not variegated mouth-feel/taste ". Reading this now I do not know what I meant exactly by the word " Varieagated "? Oh well, I do love a mystery. I do know that I found the wine both perplexing and attractive at the same time. It challenged me a lot this Maranges did.

The 1957 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru " Les Cazetiers ", $1,500 a bottle , I wrote : Great every which way ! Hanging so nicely - open at 1 PM / I tasted at 3:30 PM - a 50 Yr-Old that exercises and knows how to live when the time's right ". This wine was in great shape after all these years and still not tired and past all it's charms and tricks and pleasing qualities, no way!!!

As I see from my notes everything seems to be in health-terms : exercising, being fit, being muscular and lean and athletic. This was and still is a phase that I enjoy, even now. All about staying fit and with these older wines it is nice to see / marvel - wonder even at !

So many people today are subtly and tirelessly, too bombarded/assaulted/threatened within a hair of their lives ( ? ) to believe that all things today must be young things, new things, virgins for all intents and all purposes! What lunacy! What has happened to us as a people?!? Are we all lemmings walking blindly into the ocean to our deaths?!? Are we all mostly-dead already, even before we hit the water? I certainly hope not.

Bize Leroy has held the bar high indeed with these excellent wines of hers. She's forced us all to take a second look, to retrace our steps, to pause and actually think ( what a novel idea : to use one's own brains and not always rely on another's including that of the internet?!? ). I know, I know : these are harsh words indeed and I am sure I will be held accountable ( or in contempt ) for them now and actually called to task someday. More than likely, however, I will be simply dismissed as beating something to death that we all know is true and should just bloody-well stay silent about.

All I want to say is that at one point in time it was alright to make wines that like us, would age gracefully with time, grow into themselves, their own wines skins and what juice was contained within each and every unique one of them. They would slowly reveal their charms to us / to themselves ( to the world ) - with appeal, with class, with intrigue and some entertainment, too. More effort would be required on our parts ( with of course so many more rewards, too - for the patient, for those that feel strong enough in their own skins to wait, to test-taste, to smell, to see, to have unfold ) : and that's how it was once and should be once again.

That's not a bad thing : it's an absolutely glorious/divine thing and we should embrace these moments- rare - wholeheartedly and with enthusiasm, curiosity, un-perceived notions and innocence. I mean : what will be will be. That's exciting in and of itself. And how will each of us internalize/externalize our reactions -emotions - gut and mind interactions with these tastes, young and old as they start by our smell and then pass to our palates and tastes, and then their relationship to whatever foods might have been served alongside with whatever company they might find themselves in, surroundings, too?

This is all pretty complex, amazing, wonderful stuff that has to almost be broken down into smaller parts to be appreciated. It takes skill and daring and confidence that whatever will be will be and we are along for the ride to add our imprints somewhere to IT all : our moment, the only one we can really know, shared with whoever else is around us. Wow, I really enjoyed these forty five minutes or so quickly tasting these LEROY wines. I did not give them the time they needed. This was a real mistake on my part, I know. I am sorry for that. But I am not sorry for the experience though be it limited.

I think that I really loved that last 1957 1er Cru " Les Cazetiers " Gevrey Chambertin. I should have, too for at $1,400 or so for each and every bloody glorious bottle this was indeed the drink of kings and gods and the filthy rich. My taste was about $75 a glass - my glass : thank you LEROY. And if I had not been pressed for time to get back to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 , Tel : 202-363-4265 ,, www.clevelandparkwine.com sales@clevelandparkwine.com ) to sell more wine I would have lingered, had some food, spoke a lot more, time-permitting on both our parts - with Monsieur Rolland. We could have then continued to converse in French and my imagination and love of all words whether English or French would have at least catapulted me into the stratospheres of wine-appreciation ( especially burgundy ) and made me write and conjure even more images to record now.

As it was, I was pressed for time and so what I recorded here no how does justice to the event and to the wines. The restaurant looked like a bistro or a cafe : it was cozy, relaxed and comfortable. It was a great back-drop for these fabulous burgundy wines that revealed all their strengths, weaknesses - power, glory, frailness's, grape skin pimples, blemishes, untouched with any man's makeup to prettify or glamorize. You got what the land, the water, the soil and the sun and all the minerals and influences of nature as a whole had to impart or give the vines, roots and grapes during these different growing seasons.

These nine wines ( four whites and five reds - I've revised looking at my notes more carefully now ) are reflections of a complete respect by the pickers, crushers, fermenters and final winemakers involved in their production. There were no cheap theatrics or abstract flare and flash and expensive fireworks to detract one's attention from their complete authenticity. These are as real as wine-expressions ever get/ can get. This represents the ultimate goal I believe. Make of them what you will : give them the utmost time possible that you can give. Don't approach with a lot of information : simply let the wines and their flavors, characters, personalities wash over and bathe, rejuvenate, ignite, comfort, excite, entertain and with time - - blow you away! Wow, they did me ; and would have so much more if I had not been in such a rush.

In the end I could only afford to buy for our store both the red 1999 red burgundy( $39.99 ) and the white 1997 burgundy ( $32.99 ). They both sold well, almost immediately. I did order more and that was good. We were lucky to get whet little bit that we got. I only wish that it had been more.

I have had a bit of trouble with my notes as I have already said. On the 1999 white Meursault 1er Cru " Blagny " I wrote : " Fabuleux ! Opened yesterday ". And I crossed it out. I guess my question is : what wine had been open since yesterday, was it the same Meursault he later opened a fresh bottle of? Oh well , it's a mystery. Perhaps Monsieur C. Rolland remembers? I have his card somewhere and will have to find it and contact him.

As I quickly said my " good byes " to Monsieur Rolland and Marci and rushed out into the street I could not forget where I was as I passed the Lincoln Ford's Theater and sped to my car. What would Abe had thought if he had been there by my side tasting these burgundy " gems " from LEROY in France. I like to think that he would have enjoyed the experience just as he would have enjoyed previous play experiences at the Ford Theater before meeting his final, serendipitous curtain call there.

There sure were lots of tourists everywhere soaking up this past history and probably oblivious to the wine joys happening there so close to them and yet for all intents and purposes like they never happened. Isn't that what a whole lot of life is really about? Seize your very own moment. After all, it is all that you will have and can ever hope to have and enjoy to the full limits of your abilities. Cheers, TONY

Funny, as I have sat here to proof this before sending I went up to let our dog go outside. I got the mail and there on the top is a card announcing " The President's Own " United States Marine Band : Lincoln Portrait ( Monday, Feb. 16 at 7 PM ) at the music center at Strathmore. Colonel Michael J. Colburn, conducting this Living History 2009 Concert " www.marineband.usmc.mil. Interesting that I should see this right before finally posting this blog? Go hear the Marine Band if you have time and get yourselves some LEROY burgundy, too. Sante et merci Bize. A lan prochaine, bientot , j'espere.

Jennifer Price With KLUGE VINEYARDS, Charlottesville, VA. Here Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 Tasting Her Two Dry Brut Bubblies, : WOW ! SUPERB ROSE!

     It was great to have Jennifer Price here ( tasting me on the " new " releases of KLUGE ESTATE Charlottesville, Albemarle county, VA. ) last Wednesday, November 5th, 2008. She came bearing two dry, excellent Virginia bubblies and I really enjoyed both but was really impressed, intrigued, hood-winked with the dry 2004 rose that spoke to me of fresh cranberries and even pomegranates. I loved this bit of pomegranate in the taste. Where does it come from ?!? Is it only me ?!

      The more I tasted it the more remarkable and unique that I found it to be and with Thanksgiving just around the corner I found it to be an undeniable bubbly to buy and promote at $28.49 for the holidays. For more information please contact Mike Martin or me ( Anthony ( Tony ) Quinn ) at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Conn. Ave. N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 202-363-4265,, sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ).

     We also currently have half bottles of the KLUGE SP brut 2004 , $24.99 when you want a bit more weight and bite to your taste. They are sold-out at KLUGE so if you like this size come by soon.

     For years now we have represented also a full range of the KLUGE and ALBEMARLE bottlings of both red Bordeaux blends as well as the excellent dry, crisp, lively Viognier. The half bottle of dry red ALBEMARLE " Simply Red " 2004, at $10.99 is a great way to try the KLUGE reds and see what you think. It's elegant, bright toasty cranberry flavors with splashes of cherries, too. Nice : medium-to-light-bodied! The 2002 KLUGE " New World " red Bordeaux blend at $36.49 is excellent when you are sitting down to a meal and you really want something a bit more refined and special.

     We also have some half-bottles ( 375ml ) size of the CRU aperitif wine, $14.99 and not only is in a snappy package and presentation : it's delicious , too. It has so many levels of flavors to draw the palate towards it's way of thinking/ view of life/take on things. Unique and a nice was to ease into a comfortable, complete enjoyment of the moment and the state of just " being ".

     One of my favorite stories about KLUGE is that years ago when the two young men that work in the tasting room came to taste here one weekend with our customers they brought two gift baskets. I still use the white coffee mug that I got in the gift basket, along with the UVA one given to us by our daughter there at Charlottesville, VA. it is one of my very favorite coffee mugs. I think of KLUGE each and every time that I enjoy a cup and remember that nice tasting where the KLUGE brut bubbly stole the show! Claude Thibaut had made that special " cuvee " and we sold every bottle because for $30 it rocked and everyone that likes bubbly was lured/ensnared by it's freshness, brightness, pure liquid Virginia ( Charlottesville ) sunshine and energy and joie de vivre! Cheers. Come see us sometime again to do another tasting. Perhaps you owner Patricia Kluge will be willing to come by some time and say " hello - bonjour " ?!? That would be something nice, something to look forward to.

     Cheers, Happy Holidays to one and to all !   TONY