Italian Tuscan/Piemontese Wine Selections Of Liz O'Brien's/ INDIGENOUS, Feb 2010, W/ LA SPINETTA, CIACCI PICCOLOMINI Wines

I love this name INDIGENOUS! Yes! Let's focus on indigenous grapes : let's



keep as many of them as possible alive and healthy and center stage! Cheers Liz for this grand name and noble mission/thought/focus ... I'm " on board " with you on this all the way, really I am. I seem to have devoted my wine life/career to this mission. too.




This was another wonderful and serendipitous wine-tasting for me of wines that I love. It was great to revisit both the LA SPINETTA and the CIACCI PICCOLOMINI dry. classic Italian-style wines of the Piemonte and the Tuscan regions. We have sold both over the years and we currently had the 2007 CIACCI PICCOLOMINI IGT Toscana Rosso dry Tuscan red on our shelf at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 ) where I have managed the fine wine department for almost ten years exactly. What a marvelous trip this has been now with almost forty years of enjoying and expounding the virtues and the magic of wine.




In the picture above managing partner of INDIGENOUS Selections is pouring a glass for Kate Clugston ( her family owns GOTHAM winery just outside of Adelaide, South Australia and I invited her to taste along with me instead of just having her wait ). It's always nice to include everyone that we can so as to make it a more pleasing moment for all involved.




It looks like we were able to taste six out of the seven wines listed on the tasting sheet on February 17th, 2010 at around noon-time I believe. Two wines from CIACCI PICCOLOMINI and four from LA SPINETTA : all reds except for the last which was the silky, elegant, velvet-gloved-textured LA SINETTA Moscato d'Asti Biancospino 2009 sweet dessert-style Piemonte wonder of wonders. No wonder that everyone practically falls in love with this Moscato.




Arielle Monaco knows that I love these wines and she smiled the minute I started to wax poetic over their virtues.

She poured me the 2007 CIACCI PICCOLOMINI IGT Toscana Rosso which got the ball rolling nicely. It's quite smooth, bright ; showing beautifully with great toasty dark berry/cherry flavors showing in this medium-to-light-bodied red that certainly gets the appetite alerted and stimulated all in one. Where's something to nibble on? I liked it and am glad to have it one our shelf as it is well-constructed and balanced wine that sells for around $15 I believe. I will check the price when I am in the store. Today I am home and enjoying the sunshine and the rest from selling another bottle of wine : just thinking about enjoying another one!




Liz then poured me some of the CIACCI PICCOLOMINI " Montecucco " 2006 ( $33 approximately ) that really got me describing it in excited terms. I was now airborne and smiling from ear to ear. I wrote quickly as not to forget the more immediate " markings " of this delicious dry, classic Tuscan red : " great, musty and earthy nose - love the nose! the taste, too. Lovely tannins - a winner ! " The tannins must have been pretty soft and there more for accent and definition. I'll have to taste it all over again but the next time with Chris Barker that was off this day. He really missed some excellent Italian reds.




I could see from the get-go that Liz is totally committed to these wines as she described them as if they were dear family friends or neighbors. I tried to listen as much as I could to her talking about them and a tape recorder would have been great here as I was busy snapping away at these pictures of which only a very few are downloaded so far. I was also being cajoled and scolded and rewarded and teased and entertained by these dry. classic reds that just get me started like so many catalysts with so many tangents for me to be off on : and off I was almost non-stop. Sorry Liz : you will have to come once again and speak about all of these wines. Let's organize an in-store wine-tasting here in Cleveland Park the next time you visit. You can tie it in with visits to the Italian restaurants so close to us : DINO, SORISO, TWO AMYS, PESTO ...



Here I am using my artistic flare and trying to capture the top of the bottle in the wine's red reflection along with that of our ever-present and bold ceiling lights. I got it, too : subtle but there.




Here in the glass above I am tasting the LA SPINETTA Langhe Nebbiolo 2007 that is all or mostly declassified Barbaresco? I can't remember exactly. but before I drank that I was tasting some of the LA SPINONA " Il Nero di Casanova " 2006.

I wrote of this " Il Nero " 2006 : " wine of softer tannins, like a chord ( musical ) it lingers on the palate. Good balance. It's a blend of 5% Colorino and 95% Sangiovese. Medium-to-light-bodied, it needs food. Good acidity, good sharpness and definition of tar, tobacco and leather." These are all the things that I like so very much. It will sell for around $25 a bottle when we get it.




I am posting many of these pictures out of order and this one above is of the scrumptious LA SPINETTA Moscato d'Asti 2009 that we will get this Wednesday, March 3rd in just two days. Look at the bottom of my glass with the Moscato crystals. It looks so solid and so appetizing to me.

As you can see by the picture below that I was inspired to amplify the pastoral/pastel-palate of colors in this charming landscape on the Moscato d'Asti bottle of LA SPINETTA. You should be drinking some as you look at this picture.

Next Liz poured me some of the LA SPINETTA Barbera D'Asti " Ca di Pian " 2006( $28 or so approximately ) and I wrote : " Great individual interpretation of the Barbera. It works on so many levels. Leather, tar, tobacco - ripe sun-dried/shriveled fruit that reminds me vaguely of Amarone almost. " I really liked it especially as it stood out from the crowd of many Barberas that I have tried that do not have either this unique taste, character or personality all in one. It's worth searching for and trying to see how it fits you?




I need to download more of the pictures that I took to show the wonderful labels of these reds. I just can't seem to find the time these days. But don't worry, I will later this week as I intend to post this blog later today and then add the pictures once back at work this week.

Anyway, Liz then poured for me some of the LA SPINETTA Langhe Nebbiolo 2007 that really impressed me to no end. " Deep earth, cave- center earth fruit in the nose. Great smooth mouth-feel, soft dusty-dry tannins. Lovely and smooth enough to drink while watching the Winter Olympics! " They had just started in Vancouver, Canada and I was going home each and every night and watching them and not staying caught up with all these blogs that I still have now in their draft form. The Winter Olympics just ended last night and so I am now frantically dashing about, typing away like one possessed trying to get some of these wonderful, serendipitous tastings at 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 have now managed the wine department in our nation's capitol for ten years and still going strong : still feeling more alive and passionate about wine and about expressing myself creatively and artistically than ever before!

Liz O'Brien said that this Nebbiolo was mostly if not all declassified Barbaresco and so that at $33 a bottle or so instead of $60 plus dollars for Barbaresco this is an amazing bargain. I agree. I will make plans to buy some really soon with Arielle Monaco. It was and is a very special wine.




Then as a parting gift and something special to be treasured and savored Liz poured me some of the LA SPINETTA Moscato D'Asti Biancospino 2009 that is pictured above with the label, too. I wrote simply " Great middle, good finish : love the " surge " in the middle ." It's like riding a really fine wave to the beach with a spectacular ride before your body hits the sand. It catches you completely off-guard. The start is nice but it does in no way or shape or form prepare you for the stunningly bright and defined and 3-D middle that has so many clear and well-defined highs and lows and everything in between that you are simply swept up and along for a very special ride as if your tongue was the surf board and you were riding above and along on and with it and with this Moscato d'Asti 2009 from LA SPINETTA. I shared with both Arielle and Liz that perhaps it felt like the intense high or relief that someone might feel after confession?




In closing my tastings at the store I really like taking pictures of those involved as to capture and save and later savor the moment all over again! It was great and I think it shows in our expressions here as if there was ever any doubt about that.




By the way, this makes me get really excited about the inventory-reduction of Italian wines that we will be receiving in the store in tow days on March 3rd, 2010 and that we will open and taste with our customers as our two-day 20% off on twelve ( 12 ) or more bottles of still ( non-sparkling ) wines will run on Wednesday and Thursday ( March 3rd and 4th ) and include any of these wines as well as any that are currently in stock.

For more technical information about Liz O'Brien's( Managing Partner ) INDIGENOUS portfolio of wines go to : 1215 SE 2nd AVE. STE 101 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 Tel: 954 530 4021 Fax: 954 206 2229 Liz@indigenousselections.com www.indigenousselections.com.

Thanks Arielle, Liz and Kate for such great company and such great wines. We'll have to do it all over again it was so much fun and the wines were so good. Come get some of both Arielle and Liz's wines as well as those of Kate ( GOTHAM South Australia bottle pictured here in her hands ; as well as the PUPPETEER ) wines Tuesday and Wednesday this week. That's tomorrow and the next day and you may take advantage, too of the great 20% still-wine sale that I mention above on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Cheers, TONY

Gaston Williams ( Commercial Director ) of FINCA El ORIGEN Visits Cleveland Park Wines, 2/16/10, Tastes Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec &Torrontes

This was an unexpected surprise this past Tuesday when Gaston Williams, the commercial director of FINCA El ORIGEN visited 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 in our nation's capitol.

This was just after we experienced first-hand our " snowstorm of the century " here in D.C. metropolitan area. It was something else and still we are reeling from it and there are still many evidences of it just outside our door that will probably remain easily for another two or so weeks and even more.




Steve our rep for Republic-National Distributors had Gaston Williams with him. Steve was bust talking up front at our register with Ravinder Sharma our spirits buyer and I was coming out of our offices in the back in search of things to include in our weekly store email that I write and post each Tuesday late in the afternoon when I spotted Gaston looking carefully at some of our bottles of wine. He was looking rather intently and I also saw Steve up front and putting two and two together I figured that he might be someone from a winery that Steve was taking around on his daily calls? I was right. I introduced myself and we started-up our conversation pretty much immediately.




Gaston told me who he was and I said that I would love to try his wines. I also mentioned quickly that we had just recently sold out of his FINCA El ORIGEN the past week with the snowstorm and everyone being off from work as well as the " wee little " fact that it had just been written up in last week's Wednesday wine-review in the Washington Post's food-section by writer Dave McIntyre.

Ours was the only D.C. store listed as carrying it and so we simply had to have some and we got it into the store just before the snowstorm hit us hard on that Saturday and then again on the following Wednesday. See, all this ties-in together and makes for an interesting story.




Gaston liked the fact that we already represented the Malbec and I quickly took him over to our shelves with the Argentina wines and showed him the Torrontes white. After this we were off up to the center of the store where our tasting table is and I asked him to put whatever he wished me to try there. I cleared off quickly my desk in our office and rejoined Gaston with my Reidel tasting glass and my trusty Canon digital camera that i used to take these pictures.

Pictured above is the store front earlier on this sunny Tuesday morning here in the Cleveland Park neighborhood where we have a block-long row of store fronts. I will have to include a couple of the snow outside before I really conclude this blog entry of mine.




Being an artist I take many pictures and some are really planned and fine-tuned while others are quite accidental as this one above that I like anyway looking up to the front of the store from our tasting table. I like it : it give some urgency and vibrancy of colors - all of which speak of action and energy and desire-fire ... hope you enjoy it and think of it when you next visit our store.




I believe that this may be the very first picture that I took of Gaston after he poured for me some of the Reserva Torrontes 2007 white ( we have the 2008 on the shelf now but tasted the 2007 ). He quickly jumped into his spiel of the wines and spoke about the region fro making the Torrontes being another ( Valle Del Cafayate, Salta ) and not the Mendoza area that is so famous now to many of us.

I listened and I snapped away at my digital pictures here. I enjoyed this 2007 Reserva Torrontes. I thought it was focused and well-balanced and quite fresh and bright on the palate. And for $10.99 a bottle I found it to be a sound value as well. I am surprised that they forgot to open the 2008 for me to taste as they borrowed a bottle of it from our shelves? You should have let me taste both Steve, even if the wine was not chilled for the comparison.

I like having new arrivals like these FINCA El ORIGEN that Steve tasted first with Mike Martin that worked with me at the store for ten years before just leaving on Christmas Eve, 2010 to return to Rochester, New York where he is originally from.

Mike bought both and it being cold and the winter the red dry 2007 Reserva Malbec sold a lot and the white 2008 Reserva Torrontes just a bit. Wait until it starts to warm up and we will begin to see this situation even-out if I am not mistaken.





I like the color of the Reserva 2007 Torrontes white here in these two pictures that frame Gaston through my Reidel tasting glass. I like taking these types of pictures that show the various hues of a wine's color as well as those that are involved with it's sale whether it be Gaston the Commercial Director or the owner or the wine-maker. I also like getting pictures of the wine with the wine labels on the bottles from which it just came.




The Reserva Malbec was again well-focused and balanced : medium-bodied, not too tannic, some nice toasty berry fruit in evidence with some elements of spice and texture and again well-worth the money at $10.99 a bottle. I can see why our customers have already asked to buy it by the case in the previous weeks. I guess that it has been 3-4 months that we have now sold the FINCA El ORIGEN.




I take lots of pictures : these are but just a few. I want to capture the moment artistically as well as help to frame a time shared around wine that tells a bit of the story of the wine along with that of those involved in the moment. It's a bit like being a historian as well for me. It's a reference that is visual and that may speak on other levels apart from the many written reviews of wines that already exist.




These pictures are there to add to the existing written prose and reviews and hopefully to inspire people interested in wines to come to our store to buy them in Cleveland Park as well as to their own neighborhood stores. We all share you customers out there and these pictures showing the brilliance of the color of the wines will maybe encourage you on your next visit to inquire about them - even by name ...




I also like there to be pictures for the individuals pictured ( it shows them hard at work ) as well as for the wineries to enjoy now and later as an addition to their already existent visual and written sales tools.

As you can see from the picture above Gaston likes to talk with his hands. I have included several of those here for you all to enjoy. I do like the composition of this one above which has both the larger images outside the glass as well as the smaller ones within. My hand holding the glass is also there as well as the reflections from the Reidel glass. I think there is some really good energy in this picture as well as the shadings of lights-to-darks.




This picture of Gaston above with the color of either Reserva 2007 Malbec or Reserva ( was it a 2006 or a 2007?) Cabernet Sauvignon above also captures his watch with the time on it and for us thus providing another piece of the puzzle once the picture is enlarged on your screen.




Gaston's on a roll here as he speaks some more with his hands about this red. Was it the Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon? Was it the Reserva 2007 Malbec? I know it was not a Reserva Bonarda or a Reserva Sangiovese or a Reserva Merlot as he did not have any of those with him to taste.




The picture above is a completely orchestrated one by me where I hope the cork reveals the name of the winery as the label is not visible here. I do like it on our wooden tasting table and all the richness of the wood-strips that vary in shades of tans and browns and cheery woods ...




I did not correct the picture above and straighten it out so as to stimulate the brain /a waken it/ make it question the direction that the wine is being poured?!?




Here I am listening to Gaston explain the philosophy of his winery. I think that the owners are from Italy and not from Argentina? Is that what you told me Gaston?




Sometimes the flash should not go off and I forget to turn it off and yet I still get some interesting compositions like the one above.




Again Gaston is speaking strongly and with animation of hands here above. I take them not knowing exactly what will turn up. I lower the camera and point it upwards towards the subject and the strong ceiling lights above. This was the subject ( Gaston ) is not self-conscious and aware that I am recording a moment with him and the wine/ glass / bottle all being my prime objective. Point and click and I just hope for the best. I always get some fun and original and un-staged photos this was : some working better than others and yet almost all of them revealing something interesting and completing a bit more of the puzzle of the moment...




Too much reflection and dilution from the flash and yet interesting as the picture above falls into distinct and separate areas that are all held together here and still draws one into them. You cannot easily read the wine label as I would have liked and the idea of the crescent moon and the bright sun are all here along with a blurred garnet red color-light-infused ..




I love the picture of the red wine in the glass above by the bottle of wine. It almost looks like the wine's earlier fermentation as the grape juice started to become wine. All those large bubbles on the surface are so inviting, aren't they?!?




Here in the picture above Steve did not want to be recorded for some reason. I am not sure why. I liked his suit, tie and jacket - herring bone, I believe and told him so ...




I always like to get a picture of myself with those that visit and taste their wines with me. Thanks Gaston. Come again sometime and let's have you do an in-store wine-tasting for our customers : perhaps on your next visit to Washington D.C.?

I can't remember what I thought of the Cabernet Sauvignon? Many times I prefer it to the Malbec. I like selling the Cabs from Argentina. After all, it was the Cabs that put Argentina on the international radar screen way before Malbecs were ever mentioned or known.

I learned from Gaston that by law there only has to be 85% of the Malbec in the bottle if it says Malbec on the label. What was the other 15% here? I cannot remember.

I also hear that Argentina is bottling more Malbec than they are producing? If this is true what are they using? I expect that it is the Bonarda grape as that was until recently the grape I was told was the most planted there? These are all interesting questions at a time like this as the Malbec grape of Argentina has soared to international popularity and recognition with most of our customers asking for and saying that they enjoy Malbec very much. Are they indeed drinking Malbec or Malbec with Bonarda or Sangiovese or even Tempranillo? I say this because it does make a difference as what you use to make a final blend dictates the final taste and flavors.

My point is not to create trouble here but to help those tasting a wine to better understand what it is that they like and what the grapes are and in what blend and proportions? With everyone interested today in the grapes used and less in the regions from where they are coming I find these to be valid points of conversation.

I also like letting everyone know -reminding them - that the Malbec grape comes originally from France and particular the Lot region where the town and area of Cahors is ( the famous Cassoulette stew of white beans and either pork or lamb comes from this area ) where they were once called the " black wines of France ". That's when they were really tannic and in need of many years of cellaring before being drunk. When we had more time to wait and were rushed less I suppose?

Purists of France tell me that the only " real " Cahors are those made from 100% Malbec. I respond : " So then the Cahors with mostly Malbec and some Merlot and some Tannat are not real Cahors "? That's interesting to me and I would like to know more about this. I have tasted both styles and like them both. I think that they both may be called Cahors wine and that it would simply be nice for the back labels of the wines to tell us more information about what grapes are inside each bottle.

I also think that there is plenty of room for both French and for Argentina Malbecs. There are already some from California and there may be more soon from South Africa, too. Unfortunately the French ( and I love most all-things French ) have been very slow to realize just how much wine business they have let the rest of the world steal from them as they forgot to play this more modern game of enticing/alerting.informing and pleasing the international world of thirsty wine consumers that has been enjoying wines now for many years - and nor French as they have simply to their detriment failed to keep up. Sad and they are now trying to change this as in another week or so there will be a French Malbec trade show here in Washington D.C. I hope to go, really I do. But my added thought about all this is : " Is there a show for the Public, too"? There should be if there is not. Get the public excited about French Malbec : there is no time to lose and lots of ground to make up quickly!!!!!

I told Chris Barker that now works with me that I am proud that we have sold-out all our French Malbec and need to order more for Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits this week. It's now Sunday, February 21st, 2010 and tomorrow when I am back in Washington D.C. at our store I will order some more French Malbec as we cannot be out having really gotten a good flow going with our customers that will surely be back asking for more really soon

The only Mabec from France that we do have is the " Rolls Royce " version of the 2004 DOMAINE LE CEDRE " LE CEDRE " that I believe we sell fro $67.99. I've already sold some : come and experience the ultimate in France as well as the ultimate in Argentina : especially while Malbec is so hot!

And to the Argentina producers I say : " Please put on your back labels that the Malbec grape came/comes from France and Cahors and that it is blended together in Bordeaux French reds ( even though the percentage may only be 3-5% ). For that matter also tell the consumer that the Torrontes grape comes from Spain as well as the Tempranillo : and let them know that the Bonarda grape comes from Italy.

Promote the history and " origen " of the grapes as well as the current situation. We may live in the current but we are all sums of our past and history and origens ...



Gaston wrote in our guest book before leaving : " Antonio - Congrats for your special spirits, hobby ans sense of humor!! Cheers!! " Thanks Gaston, it was a great pleasure to meet and to taste with you.

For more technical info on FINCA El ORIGEN go to : Washington 225, Dorrego, 5519 Mendoza, Argentina ( 54 261 ) 45 27769 / 4524902 gwilliams@fincaelorigen.com www.fincaelorigen.com ).

Cheers, TONY

Alessandro Furlan Visits Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits & Tastes Degani,, Andrea Oberto, Verbena & Montedelma Wines

It's a beautiful day here in our nation's capitol with the temperatures in the high eighties and a nice breeze, clear baby-blue skies - and people stopping by the store here in Cleveland Park to taste Alessandro's wines. Here are some of the pictures.

I will add more later about these four tasty wines that Alessandro tasted with our customers. We've had a great time here and there are lots more pictures to show that.

It's now later on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 at 11:28 PM and I want to add a few more notes to this tasting of Alessandro's at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 , sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com Tel: 202-363-4265.

We tasted four Italian wines tonight. We started with my personal favorite the NV ( non-vintage ) Brut sparkling wine from Franciacorta that hugs up to the Swiss alps. It's called MONTEDELMA ( $42.99 ) and I love the concentration yet also the froth, the cream, the taste that's immediate balm to any palate wounds. Just like liquid sunshine filtered through these Chardonnay grapes almost as if they had been soufleed- amazing really.

The DEGANI Valpolicella 2007 ( $14.49 ) which is made from a lot of the Corvino grape is an elegant, fruit-driven red that's medium-to-light-bodied and showing wonderfully now with no real bite or bitterness/ sharpness at all. It was a huge hit tonight : perhaps the biggest.

It was still beautiful this late afternoon around 4:30 P.M. when Brennan Downey showed up with Alessandro to drop him off before leaving. It was great to finally get Alessandro back to the store. It was still very much a beautiful afternoon with loads of bright sunshine and heat and still a refreshing breeze now and then. It felt good to look out our front windows and see the day of light and the new red awning and how it filtered, too through it : all a bit mesmerizing!

Funny, yesterday on my day-off I had gone to the annual Michael Downey portfolio tasting with many of their Italian winemakers and owners. I enjoyed that immensely : it was my favorite Michael Downey portfolio tasting yet . I think now I have attended three of them. I already blogged about one here on this site so you can use the search engine to find that one to read. I will also include a story of yesterday's with some of the gazillion pictures I took while there.

I started that tasting with the MONTEDELMA Franciacorta sparkling wine and I loved it immediately. It set the tone for the rest of that tasting : what a grand start! I tried wines with Alessandro ( three of these that we tasted tonight ) as well as the ANDREA OBERTO 2007 Dolcetto, $19.99 with Fabio Oberto, son of Andrea Oberto. He was standing at the station right to the left of Alessandro and so it was easy to taste through those wines including two Barberas as a Nebbiolo and two Barolos. I was snapping pictures like crazy and showing them to both Alessandro and Fabio. It was all a bit crazy as I had moved back behind the tables to stand next to Alessandro. He was pouring for people on the other side of the table where I should have been and I know I was providing a difficult distraction for him.

Alessandro did say when I spoke to him tonight that he loved my infectious enthusiasm and that it was contagious and that people noticed and warmed to it both there and tonight at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits where I manage the wine department with the help of Mike Martin.

The ANDREA OBERTO Dolcetto D'Alba 2007 had a bit more of an edge of lively, accented acids as well as a bit more spice backbone that made this medium-bodied wine much more of a food wine for me and less of one that I could sip all on it's own. I did like the balance and am happy to have it : and it, too sold quite well tonight.

The VERBENA 2007 Rosso di Montalcino was the surprise for me tonight : I was expecting it to be more tannic and closed. Remember, I had just sampled all of these and more the day before. I don't remember it being as fleshy and bright red, toasty-cherried with not a lot of bite. It was quite delicious, and that was within thirty minutes of having opened this bottle. I hope that they all open this quickly if people are going to cheat and drink these earlier than they should be. That's just my opinion, however that most people don't wait the required amount of time and drink them way too early. It was delicious tonight and with the right food would have been quite impressive.

Alessandro and I have known each other for about twenty-six years or so. He came over from Friuli where his father Franco Furlan has a very good winery with the same name. Over the years I have sold many cases of FRANCO FURLAN wines. We became friends as we worked together and as he charmed both my wife and my mother that think he is wonderful. I wrote about his excellent wines a few years ago with his family that he named " Pra di Pradis. I took a bottle of the dry Tocai white to the Outer Banks and so the blog is here on one of my other sites like the one called Qynothna.blogspot.com I believe. I loved those Pra Di Pradis wines : they were all so special.

Now Alessandro is helping other Italians market their wines here in the U.S. like Fabio Oberto. I don't believe that he is making any wines currently , but I may be wrong. We did not get much of a chance to talk this visit : it was a lot of business and the pleasure wrapped-in in business because of the wines and their high quality!

You're on a roll Alessandro and we do have to do dinner at our place here in northern Virginia on your next visit which I hope will include on evening with us where we can enjoy some wine and food together and not be thinking about selling it just then. What do you think? Caio Alessandro .... it's now 12:09 AM on Wednesday morning here at home in northern Virginia as I type these last words ( April 29th, 2009 ) and post this blog again. Cheers, TONY