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