Tuesday September 17th, 2013 Here In Cleveland Park N.W. Washington D.C. 20008!

Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits

GREAT CHANCE TO COME TOGETHER here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits as the cool weather and rain of today are the perfect foil for us all to get together here ...   THAT'S FROM a store email I wrote and posted 2 years ago on September 20th, 2011. Seems like a lifetime ago. How things have changed. I posted this email on our Facebook page for you all to read and to see how things have evolved since then : always good to have some perspective on our lives.      I WANT TO GIVE A GREAT BIG " Shout-Out / Let's Make Some Noise " For Our LOCAL LEGEND in the spirits business here in Washington D.C. : to LINDA FERGUSON that worked at Forman Brothers distributors that became National, that later became National-Republic where she is now and retires at the end of this month. Everyone that has ever done any spirits business with these three distributors over the years knows that Linda Ferguson has been like the mother, the savior, THE ONE that made many things happen, many deals complete, many orders ship and arrive in one piece and as intended  - on so many instances that no one can count them. I know this first-hand because I worked at Forman Brothers back in 1995-1997 and she was the glue of the operation, the face of the company, the kind and gentle and professional person in the link that never lost her temper, never despaired, worked and worked until it happened if at all humanely possible.   I THANK YOU LINDA for all of us. We will miss you, you will be sorely missed. Come by sometime with your lovely daughter and say : hello ". You are always welcome. You helped us all a lot here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits over the years. Thanks! You are a rare gift to us all, you are a wonderful person.   I WAS DEVASTATED YESTERDAY with the news that my wife brought home to me about the senseless killing and loss of lives at the Naval Yard here right in our backyard. That was then compounded by watching the early evening news with the flooding in Colorado. Later I saw footage in Mexico, too. As my friend said to me : " I'm overwhelmed. " Me, too. I was touched to see a woman helping in Colorado in one of the neighborhood's of Denver where people could still drive to helping out.   SHE SAID THAT she had been surprised by all the help that was given her during Hurricane Sandy on the Jersey shore, and this was her way to try and pay back that generosity shown her. The comments that I heard in that footage from those there in Denver was that they could not believe others would help as they did. So positive, so assuring.   I HEARD ALL THIS LATE YESTERDAY as I had been out trimming and cutting away all the exuberant and lively growth from plants and shrubs, bushes, flowers and trees : from all the lush and tangled masses of butterfly bush, green shrubs with no name that I know, to holly bushes and trees, ornamental and invasive grasses, Crepe Myrtle bushes, and more. Oh, the Virginia creeper and the other not-so-desirable creepers were thick in the butterfly bushes and the overgrown azaleas!   THERE, IN THE THICK of these bushes and vines I felt like I was in Brazil's Amazon with a machete hacking away at everything to find the light and blaze a trail! I did enjoy this and have all my scratches and bruises to show as badges of this valiant effort that I have undertaken this year, It's all paying off slowly. Glad to be in the thick of things like this.   AS I TOLD MY WIFE over the dinner I grilled outside for us I knew that working hard like this in our yard grounded me and kept me younger : and certainly attached and involved with life : may I say : real life?!?   I ALSO FELT very much in the thick of things here in Cleveland Park as many of us met at the Cleveland Park Library on Thursday night to discuss the four proposals of what to do , or keep the same, about our strip out front of parking spaces on our access road. Tempers, emotions, voices and facial expressions were all intense and flared and it was an intense meeting with strong opinions from everyone for about two-and-a-half hour period. Everyone has an opinion, many expressed parts of them, it was quite emotional.   WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK about the space that is a block-long here in front of our stores : our access road : should it stay the same or be changed? I did see a number of our customers there. People did show up for this meeting, people do care. I was pleased to have been there for this.   I WANT TO WELCOME Anna and Adam from Australia to our neighborhood. They were here this weekend shopping with two of their Aussie friends. Anna is pregnant she and I spoke quite a bit about the current wine market here for Aussie wines. It was nice for me to meet them and to have a chance to hear what they say? They are concerned as sales have been sluggish from what they hear because of YELLOW TAIL they believe? I said I thought it was more because of big companies like FOSTERS that had made the change, especially considering the strong Aussie dollar and the weak American dollar?   ANYWAY, we are delighted to be keeping the wines of Australia alive-and-well here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. We just added some and that feels so good. Come by and buy some Aussie wines the next time you need a bottle. I spoke of WEST CAPE HOWE ( go to :www.westcapehowewines.com.au  for more infor mation ), VINACEOUS, HAY SHED HILL, LONGVIEW, HUGH HAMILTON, DOMAINE TERLATO & CHAPOUTIER, and more : ALL alive and selling here!   BUT WHAT'S SANTOS GOT BREWING FOR US in ALE, BEER & CIDER ?! :        1) " Weiss Principal " Ale from the PEAK Organic Brewing Company, an Imperial German-Style Hefe-Weisse Wheat Ale ( On Special for $6.99 a 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottle, 8.6% alcohol by volume, USDA Organic, go to : www.peakbrewing.com, Portland, ME ) :  " Double IPA meets HEFE-WEISS -  Weiss Principal is the international love child of a Hefe-Weisse and an American Double IPA. This unfiltered wheat beer employs a traditional German Weiss yeast, providing engaging banana and clove flavors. ... "        2) " Tart Of Darkness " Sour Stout Aged In Oak Barrels By Famille Rue THE BRUERY 2013 edition , unfiltered , bottle-conditioned ( $21.99, 750ml bottle, 7% alcohol by volume, Orange County, Placentia,  CA. Go to : www.TheBruery.com for more info ) : " Tart of Darkness is suitable for aging up to three years when cellared properly. Best stored and cellared around 55F. Ideal serving temperature is 50F. Please pour carefully, leaving the yeast sediment behind in the bottle. ...  With a toasty aroma and a tart finish, this sour black ale is a contortion of style and flavor, creating an unexpected delight. "        3) Orange Shandy Limited Release from LEINENKUGELS Brewing Company - Five generations of family brewing history ( On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 12 Fl. Oz bottles, 4.2% alcohol by volume, The pride of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin since 1867, go to :www.leinie.com for more info ) : perfect for this beautiful weather here now. Enjoy!        4) Premium Pils , a Belgium original, from ESTAMINET ( On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, since 1797, produced, brewed and bottled by Palm Breweries NV/SA, Steenhuffel, Belgium. Go to : www.palmbreweries.com for more info ) : fun and exciting and great packaging, too! Black, gold, red and white : makes me want to rip the enclosed 6-pack shiny box open and have a beer right now! Can you resist this when you see it ? I do not think so. Cheers.        5) " Long Strange Triple " Belgium-style ale, bottle-conditioned, from the BOULEVARD BREWING CO. . " the Smokestack Series " ( On Special for $11.99 a 4-pack of 1ounce bottles, 9.2% alcohol by volume , Kansas City, Missouri ) : " Well, the first days are the hardest days, says master mechanic Trip Hogue, one of our first employees. We gratefully dedicate this rich, golden Triple ton all those that keep on playing in the band . " As Jerry Garcia sang : " What a long, strange trip it's been ... "           CIDER :        1) Sidre Brut Tendre from France and from Eric Bordelet ( $13.99, 5% alcohol by volume, Sidre demi-sec, go to :www.ericbordelet.com for more info ) : this blew Michel, Danielle, Santos and me away : it's wonderful, so rich, so dense, so filling, so apple-fleshy and lingering and INVITING! AMAZING apple flavors here : a MUST-TRY for all of you.     HEY RAVI! What You Have In Liqueur / Liquor For Us This Week?             LIQUEUR :        1) Premium Limoncello Lemon Liqueur " Giola Luisa " from Sorento, Italy ( $24.99 a 750ml bottle, 30% alcohol by volume, go to : www.golimoncello.com for more information ) :  THIS is PERFECT for today as it is so beautiful outside and we can all enjoy some limoncello from Sorento, Italy where it originated! What a treat for this beautiful weather of ours today.            LIQUOR :        1) Unblended AMERICAN Whiskey Small Batch from MICHTER'S . Est. 1753 ( $46.99 a 750ml bottle, 41% alcohol by volume, from Bardstown, Kentucky ) : " We are proud to offer you our unblended Small Batch American Whiskey. In the Michter's tradition hailing from one of America's first distilleries, this whisky is made from highest quality American grains and matured to the peak of perfection in bourbon-soaked white oak barrels. It is then further mellowed by our signature filtration . " TRY SOME - what quality, later tonight, as things cool down and it's quite brisk outside : this will warm and cheer and steer you nicely as you prepare to call it a day and catch some zzz's...        2) " Tierras " TEQUILA Autenticas de Jalisco, ANEJO Hecho en Mexico, 100% Agave ( $39.99 a 750ml bottle, 40% alcohol by volume , Mexico ) : " ANEJO is a small batch Tequila made from carefully selected Blue Agave , grown on the Authentic Lands of Jalisco from where it obtains it's richness. Aged in oak barrels for more than a year, it is processed in the traditional way and bottled at " La Autentica " Distillery located in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. " I LOVED IT, loved them all, so smooth, so fine, no burn, no bite, SUBLIME and also organic, too. WHAT A TREAT.        3) AMERICAN Dry Gin from SMALL'S, Premium Extra Fancy ( $34.99, 43% alcohol by volume, 100% neutral grain spirits, Sheridan, Oregon, go to : www.localwinespirits.com for more info )  : " An Oregon spirit handmade in small-pot still batches using naturally farmed and wild-grown botanicals. Intensely aromatic from a complex infusion of juniper, orange, lemon, coriander, cardamon, angelica, caraway, start anise and raspberry. SMALL'S gin brings together a combination of recipes from the 19th century with obsessive distillation techniques and it's finest regional ingredients. .. "        4) Sloe Gin from PLYMOUTH ( On Special for $38.99 a 750ml bottle, go to : www.plymouthgin.com for more information ) : " A truly traditional English Sloe Gin , made to a recipe we first used in 1883, It's intensity and richness is the result of using high strength Plymouth gin which extracts the maximum flavour from the Sloe berries. " WINES From Michel & Tony :             WHITES:        2 Exciting Pinot Grigio Wines :        1) Pinot Grigio delle Venezie , 2012 from ZENATO , $11.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume, the current wines have that " bit extra pizzas " and acidity to energize-polarize them and make them very bright and very refreshing!        2) Pinot Grigio Unoaked 2012 from di LENARDO Vineyards , established 1878, Friuli, Italy ( $13.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume, Gonars, Italy ; go to : www.dilenardo.it for more information ) : there's a fullness, a passion , a pleasure, an instant-contact with your palate when this Pinot Grigio of owner Max touches it : unmistakable, so immediate, so overall pleasurable! Bravo Max!             OTHER WHITES :        1) Chardonnay - 234 , a 2012 Somontano from ENATE ( $15.99, 14% alcohol by volume, from Vinedos y Crianzas A.A.S.A., Salas Bajas, Spain, 100% Chardonnay ) : this flavor, balance, taste profile really impressed both Michel and myself. We are very pleased to have this current vintage of 2012 here once again. Cheers.      2) Viognier 2012 from CHARMUYO Estate in La Rioja, Argentina ( On Special for $9.99 a bottle - regularly $13.99 a bottle, ) : Fernando Valenti that poured this for you all this past Saturday ... it was a big success for those planning a meal that's flavorful and needs a dry white to stand up to bold flavors.   THERE'S A DISTINCT beginning taste here that's bold of sun-drenched nuts and a splash of vanilla, and then a touch of toast and a touch of tartness-even an accent of bitterness that will cut many flavors. It's bold, for an equally bold meal - something grilled, some eggplant, some Portobello mushrooms even before turning to the reds that they make, like the Reserva Tannat that we sell here for $19.99?   ONE OF OUR GOOD customers Andrea said of the Tannat Reserva from CHANARMUYO Estate that it would be great, as she's a vegetarian , with grilled tofu, grilled eggplant and grilled mushrooms like Portobello! Buy a bottle of each and start cooking and testing the two wines with these various flavors.        3) 2011 Riesling VQA Niagara Penninsula from CAVE SPRING CELLARS ( $16.99 a bottle, 11.5% alcohol by volume, Jordan, Ontario, Canada : go to : www.cavesspring.ca for more info ) : this past Friday when John Morrison poured it for everyone the comment was always something like : " Wow,  and ... I don't usually like Riesling, but I like this . "   WE SOLD MOST of it as it is showing so well : has some fruit but not too much for most. SOME DID NOT WANT any of the Riesling fruit, others wanted more of the Petrol-nose that the Riesling develops with more age : many found it perfect as it was! Thanks owner Tom, you make fine Rieslings, you and your Italian winemaker. Bravo.      4) Sauvignon Blanc 2011 from YORKVILLE CELLARS. made with organic grapes ( $18.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume, from Mendocino, CA. Go to : www.Yorkville Cellars.com for more info ) : Estate grown, from the Randle Hill Vineyard, this wine has a bit more weight and depth that you might expect. It's a really fine food wine as the dryness and the weight will make you start thinking about some food to accompany it.      JOHN MORRISON also poured this on Friday night and, again everyone loved it. We still have a few bottles here, some in the cold box. What a good wine this would be to start sipping outside before you move inside to your meal on this drop-dead gorgeous afternoon here now!             ROSE :        1) Petit Rose 2012 from Germany's WEINGUT FRIEDRICH BECKER in the Pfalz, dry, flavorful, $19.99, 11.5% alcohol by volume , from Schweigen , a qualitatswein ) : made from a blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 20% Portuguiser, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Dornfelder.   " IT SHOWS NICE FRUIT, lingering freshness, good balance and a mouthwatering acidity which makes this a great wine to enjoy on it's own or with a wide variety of dishes. "        2) Lagrein dry rose , made from the indigenous Lagrein grape variety, DOC, from KELLEREI CANTINA ANDRIAN, $18.99, 13% alcohol by volume ( from Italy's Alto Adige region in Terlano , go to :www.cantina-andriano.com for more info ) :    DARKER, DEEPER COLOR, this has a lot of weigh and flavor and again is best with a meal. Perfect in these evenings as it get cooler outside as the sun moves further away from us and eventually disappears from sight. The flavors here longer for a long time and stay with you until the sun returns, of course! Real flavor, real excitement here. Cheers.             REDS :        1) Monica , an indigenous dry red grape variety from Sardinia, from PALA, $18.99, 14% alcohol by volume, this 2011 really impressed Michel and myself. For more information on it go to :www.pala.it.        LOVED the toasty cherry, roasted berry flavors that are fruit-forward, medium-to-light-bodied, engaging and fun and make your palate follow along as not to miss anything! This is a really nice, special wine from Sardinia : a " new " taste sensation for you all, nice just to sip for awhile before the meal comes along. Great when you grill. Chill it slightly up to 30 minutes. PERFECT for today and this weather! FUN!        2) Cannanau Di Sardegna is another name for the Grenache grape. This 2012 from BRUNO ZANATTA, $16.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume, near Olbia, made from 100% Cannanau, it will remind you of a good southern French Rhone with it's own flavor twist and surprise. We loved it and ordered it immediately. It's a great food wine, and great now as things begin to cool down some. It will buttress and fortify you and your home, and you will be happy to be getting to know it and it's specific Sardinian character. Cheers!     WEEKLY WEDNESDAY : SALE :        - MARSALA,      - MADEIRA,      - PORT,      - SAKE,      - SHERRY and      - NON-SPARKLING Wine       : a   3-Part  SALE Of The Above :        1) BUY ANY Bottle at $20 or more of the above categories and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.      2) BUY Six Or More bottles of these same categories listed above and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.      3) BUY Twelve or More bottles of these same categories and SAVE 20% OFF on the marked sticker prices.        MIX THEM UP, have some fun, experiment, test yourselves and your palates and see what you like and can discover. Have fun! It's still an Indian summer and the weather is still beautiful so SAVE BIG HERE every Wednesday @ Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits.   IF YOU CANNOT COME respond to this email or call Michel Dumas or me ( Tony Quinn ) here at : 202-363-4265. Pay on Wednesday's and SAVE BIG !! Cheers.     WEEKEND TASTINGS :        Friday, September 20th, 2013 : we had a last-minute cancellation and so are now trying to get someone here. We have a couple of people we have contacted so we will let you know ASAP. For updates go to our Facebook page at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits , or call here and ask to speak to Michel or to me, Tony. Sorry. This just happened unexpectedly.        Saturday, September 21st, 2013 : we have Regis of Roanoke Imports here to pour some of his great selections from Italy ( Sicily with the Inzolia white and the Frappato dry red : BOTH from the VALLE DELL'ACATE vineyard pretty much assured ), the West Coast ) Gamay and Pinot reds, some white blends ), France ( the dry white blend " Selection Guibert " vin de pays de l'Herault, 2009 from the PONT DE GASSAC ( $16.99, 13% alcohol, I LOVE this dry white blend, so delicious, so pleasing to sip all by itself, go to :www.daumas-gassac.com for more info ) and more. We have to decide tomorrow. If you need to know call us at : 202-363-4265. Again, I will add the names of the wines, their web pages, and our notes later on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. Cheers.     FREE TASTINGS HERE, everyone always welcome. I AM SURE I HAVE FORGOTTEN MANY THINGS but it's time to send this email to you all early for a change! LIKE us on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits, and FOLLOW US on Twitter at : cpwinespirits and also wineenabler. Cheers, thanks for everything.   COME BY, Stop In, Say HELLO, chat for a spell. let's share stories and cry on each others' shoulders for the senseless shooting and lose of lives at the Naval Yard yesterday and all the water devastation in Colorado and in Mexico. Horrible.     TONY

Tuesday, September 10th, 2013 Store Email

I just added these pictures to my store email I wrote! cheets, sante a tous nos amis! Bouvez ces bons vins toujours! Anthony Alan Quinn 3/9/2026 Lundi soir chez Quinn a 8:09pm. N'aime resister des mauvaise choses! Tony

HAPPY YOM KIPPUR that begins at sunset this Saturday, September 14th, 2013!

BY THE WAY, DID YOU ALL KNOW that on the Teddy Roosevelt Bridge , driving to work each day from Virginia that I see on the edge of the Bridge to my left with the Kennedy Center as a backdrop, a " living GREEN " Washington Monument! YES : it's true. Right there, growing before our eyes all summer long is a wondrous, fun and spirited,  shooting upwards tendril vine , a most-certain climbing green vine that quickly grew to cover up the lamp post that became it's anchor, it's grounding for such a living spectacle of sun-loving green growth! I loved being a witness to this and wonder if anyone else has noticed and made the same connection? 

 

FROM MY DRIVER'S SEAT I could see both this living . changing yearly " alive " green  Washington Monument, right to the left of the now scaffold-covered " original ". What fun, what life, what splendor, what a monument this all is to being alive and reaching out for the essential embrace of our sun that keeps us all alive and gives us the unique ability to thrive, stretch our arms and wings, to climb, to reach for so very much. Cheers.

 

 

PUMPKIN BEERS GALORE, GINGER BEERS, TOO, GINS POPPING UP ALL OVER, HARD APPLE CIDERS FINDING " New " EXPRESSION : this is a great time for so many categories, the sky's the limit, really it is today as we all scramble just to keep up, just to keep our heads above water. That's a challenge these days as many of you already know. I have to say that I welcome this challenge as it certainly keeps me feeling quite alive and younger, too. 

 

TODAY : The " New " LANDSCAPE is much more than wine and that is something that becomes painfully obvious to me each and every day! I have to try and keep up with all of this, and I welcome writing this weekly store email as it really does help me.

 

AS YOU ALL COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD we try and have at least something from your home , wherever that may be. I wish that there was a better system in place to help us. We get requests for things like Chinese wines, for more plum wines with the plums inside the bottles, for the wines of Uruguay, or Peru, and of Chile, too. That's just scraping the surface, believe me.

 

TWO YOUNG LADIES from Hungary, one named Anna came in search of their country's wines and were very disappointed that we did not have any good Bull's Blood. We will soon, that is one situation that Michel and I have been working to solve and should have nipped in the bud by the end of this month.

 

WE TALK WITH YOU , OUR CUSTOMERS and explain that we need more help from our suppliers, brokers, importers, wholesalers, reps to bring more of these things to our attention. For example, I know that Ethiopian Honey Tej wine must still be available? I know that the Ethiopian restaurants here must be selling it? SO, if that's true, why aren't the wholesalers calling us, too : and asking us if we would like to buy any? That would be nice, we would order it.

 

WHY DON'T THE EMBASSIES work more closely with us all, their Commercial Sections could call us in the store and restaurants to alert us to what is available to us and to you? That would be a " big help ", really it would, hint- hint ...

 

SPEAKING OF EMBASSIES, yesterday the Embassy of Uruguay had a major wine-tasting from 1-5PM , including the excellent wines of CATAMAJOR,  STAGNARI, ... and , I hope, BODEGAS CARRAU & BOUZA? We carry the BODEGAS CARRAU and the BOUZA ( 2011 Tannat Reserva, Montevideo, $23.99, 15% alcohol by volume, www.bouza@bodegabouza.com ,  ALSO : bouza@bodegabouza.com, Tel : 598-2323-7491 , Chacras del Sur, S.A., INAVI 287 ), we used to carry both the CATAMAJOR and the STAGNARI wines, lots of Tannat and Tannat Reserva. That's the French red grape variety Uruguay has adopted as their own, and done very well with it. The grape comes from France's Madiran region and is the grape with the highest amount of natural Resveratrol, and thus been very much in the public's eye since 2006 when many studies were released as to the benefits to all of us of Resveratrol.

 

AS A MATTER OF NOTE :  We carry the CHANARMUYO Reserva Family Wine from La Rioja, Argentina : the 2009, $19.99, 15% alcohol by volume, from the Valle De Chanarmuyo, go to : www.chanarmuyo.com.ar for more info. Big, flavorful, a fine food wine when you grill outside in this late summer of ours. Enjoy, stay healthy.

I WANT TO GIVE A " Big SHOUT OUT " TO YOU ALL : for all that you do to help us keep Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits well-stocked. Because of you largely we have the diversity and the variety that we offer you. By so often coming back from trips with wonderfully-enriching experiences that you want to keep alive and healthy, you come in search of products that we have or try and get for you. Together we make a real difference, and for that I want to " MAKE SOME NOISE " for you all! Cheers , thanks, obregado, merci, gracias, prego ....

 

 

SO : Let's Talk SOME ALE & BEER & Cider, Too : From Santos :

 

     1) Scotch Ale from McEWAN'S ( On Special for $10.99 a 4-pack of 11.2 US Fl. Oz bottles, 8% alcohol by volume, since 1856, WELLS & YOUNG'S Brewing, Bedford, UK, MK40 4LU ; go to :   www.mcewans.co.uk for more info ) : glad to have this here for you all, what a treat. Cheers.

 

     2) Pivo Beer Stoljetna Tradicija, Okrunjeno Kvalitetom , since 1854, from KARLOVACKO ( On Special for $3.99, 500ml bottle, 5% alcohol by volume, product of Croatia, go to : www.karlovacko.hr for more information ) : what fun, we also sell wines from Croatia. People's eyes light up with the mention of Croatia. How many of you have been there? Please do comment at the end of this store email and let us know. Cheers.      3) Organic Chocolate Stout from SAMUEL SMITH'S Brewery ) $4.99 a 1 Pt. 2.7 Fl. Oz bottle, 550ml, 5% alcohol by volume, Tadcaster, UK USDA Organic, ) : " Brewed with water from the original brewery well sunk in 1758, the gently roasted organic chocolate malt and real organic cocoa used in this ale impart a delicious, smooth and creamy character, with inviting deep flavors and a delightful finis - ...  ".

 

     4) " Old Thumper " A Beast Of A Beer  from RINGWOOD BREWERY ( On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack of 12 ounce bottles, 5.6% alcohol by volume, brewed by SHIPYARD BRewing Company, LLC. in Portland, Maine,  ) : brand new from what I can tell, looks FIERCE with the wild boar on the two labels as well as on the gold bottle top! Taste it, enjoy, and be protected as you do by a local wold boar, that's the message I get from this. What do you think, any of you tried it yet? Cheers.
     5) Pumpkin Ale from SCHLAFLY Special Release ( $12.99 a 6-pack, 12 Fl. Oz, brewed and bottled by The Saint Louis Brewery, LLC, St. Louis, Missouri, go to :www.schlafly.com for more info ) : " Schlafly Pumpkin Ale blends the spices - cinnamon, nutmeg and clove ) of the harvest with full-bodied sweetness for a beer that tastes like pumpkin pie . "  NO WONDER then, that this Pumpkin Beer is so very popular each year here. Cheers.

 

 

OUR FAMILY FRIEND is on a two-week trip to Peru and our thoughts and prayers go out to her for a safe and wonderful trip and journey. I have contacted our good friend Melanie Asher that, with her sister, makes their very own Peruvian Piscos : the MACCHU PISCO, $23.99 - and the topflight " La Diablada " , $39.99.

 

THE " LA DIABLADA " : " is named after an Andean spiritual dance reenacting a legendary fight between anges ( angels ) and demons, and just as the dance strives to achieve perfect harmony , this blend achieves a sumptuous balance of bold , sweet aromas and spicy round flavors." I agree, the Pisco Sours that you made the other weekend with your Aunt Rosa here were sublime Melanie, the very best.Go to : www.macchupisco.com for more info on these two fine products from Melanie that she is now making in Lima, Peru. See you when you return Melanie. Cheers.   We have both here in stock now for you all. What a treat, a fine Peruvian Pisco Sour to make you dream and feel free and good.

 

MORE LIQUOR & LIQUEUR From Ravi :

 

     1) Sambuca Superiore liquore from CASTELLO MIO ( $21.99, 750ml bottle, 38% alcohol by volume, family-made since 1898 ) : " Ignite your evening with the cool, rich taste of CASTELLO MIO Sambuca Superiore... "

 

      2) Espirito Puro Da Natureza  Ypioca RUM TOUCANO from Brazil ( On Special for $24.99, 1 liter, 40% alcohol by volume , since 1846, ) : " Carefully aged for a shimmering taste, versatile  Ypioca TOUCANO makes ordinary rum cocktails take flight! Try it where rum is not typically used - for there the Adventure Truly Begins! ... TOUCANO is born of the first flavorful crush of sugar cane. " I've enjoyed this at home now and can attest to it's very fine flavor and taste. Top-notch : glad to find a local distributor for it here - FINALLY! Enjoy.

 

     3) Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from SPEAKEASY ( $30.99 a 750ml bottle, 47.2% alcohol by volume , distilled in Kentucky, bottled in Bardstown Club Distilling Company, Bardstown, Nelson, County, Kentucky ) : Original Sour Mash Bourbon. Try some. Cheers.

     4) The Original GORDON'S London Dry Gin ( $11.99, Est. 1769, 4-% alcohol by volume, in a plastic bottle, lighter, easier to travel with, won't break ) : " The World's No 1 International Gin ... the original ". I have a new respect for it as it was featured in the second-to-last James Bond movie that I saw with my son. That must have cost the people of GORDON'S several pretty pounds, for get the pennies! GREAT VALUE. Try some again as if for the very first time. Who knows, Daniel Craig might be there in the same restaurant or bar when you ask for it " shaken, not stirred " ... Cheers everyone.

 

     5) Island Spiced Caribbean rum with Coconut liqueur & natural spices, with Truvia sweetener , by MALIBU 70 Calories ( On Special for $14.99 a 750ml bottle, imported Caribbean rum, go to : www.malibu-rum.com for more info and recipes ) : Try this one :  with your favorite zero calerie mixer, like diet cola or sparkling water for a light, fresh drink. Cheers.

 

 

WINE From Michel & Tony : 

          WHITE :

 

     1) 2011 Sauvignon Blanc  from South Africa's Swartland region, made by RIEBEEK CELLARS ( $7.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume,  ) : what a delightfully engaging crisp and dry white wine, and what incredible value, too. Great outside with shellfish, goats' cheese, salads with a fine mustard vinaigrette, oh yeah. Nice on a boat, a sail boat would be ideal, anchored, the sun in full splendor, you there at the edges sipping wine, feeding each other some goats' cheese, or the goat and cow version that's a bit firmer and won't fall into the water as might the goats' cheese if the boat rocks, with you there I feel most certain that it will! Cheers.

 

     2) Viognier 2012 from Argentina's La Rioja region, from CHANARMUYO, $On Special for $9.99 - regularly $13.99, this 13% alcohol by volume dry white is quite engaging , quite the listener, will hear  your concerns, and help you to deal with them as you have a moment to enjoy with family and friends with a meal somewhere close at hand. It's bright, it's fresh, it's flavorful, it's firm with flesh but well-balanced and tastes really good in this 90 degree weather of ours now. Go to :www.chanarmuyo.com.ar for more info. Cheers.

 

     3) Sauvignon Blanc From New Zealand's Marlborough region, this TEN SISTER'S dry white, 2011, is showing beautifully now , reminds me of nice Sancerre that is fruit-forward, bright, still steely but less so than some, smooth, sits so elegantly on one's palate, a delight ( On Special for $13.99, regularly $16.99 a bottle, 13% alcohol by volume, go to : www.TenSisters.co.nz for more info. Cheers.

 

     THIS WEEKEND ON SATURDAY afternoon I was " waxing poetic " as is my serendipitous artistic nature and I started to talk to Sara and her husband about the indigenous two grapes found in the ADOLI GHIS dry white mainland Greek mineral-laden wine : the Lagorthi ( 70% ) and the Aspoudes ( 30% )  blend - that they had the unique capability with their root systems that are so ancient to still grown from them tendrils that reach out, burrow the soil and rock around the roots, grow Peacock-like, colorful plums that fan and thus air the roots themselves and provide them both with some color and some more room to breathe and expand. I was waiting for some reaction. I was about to continue this description, to say that the roots that are living have their own language. That when they speak of the vines above they refer to them as being " down under " and in the dark, so-to-speak. I would have , too. But I did not want to continue wi thout admitting that what I was telling was just a story to draw attention to these two delightful grapes from Greece that Sotiris said are not used for any other wines that he knows about. SO : the morale of this story  : always remember the two indigenous grapes - Lagorthi and Aspoudes, that they have fine tendrils with Peacock feather-like fans to illuminate these roots and bring color and life to the grapes they eventually grow " down under ". It's all depends on one's perspective or point-of-view. Cheers.

 

     4) 2011 Dry Greek white blend of indigenous grapes called Lagorthi and Aspoudes ( read above ) that produce this magnificent dry white Greek wine , the ADOLI GHIS that, when less chilled is rounder and fuller and softer on one's palate. When chilled it is leaner, sterner, more firm, less fleshy, with higher levels of acids and minerals to taunt and tease and ultimately please one's palate. We sell it for $21.99 and are almost sold-out because of our Greek wine-tasting here this Saturday with Sotiris Bafitis that was a grand success! What a treat, what a wine. Thanks Sotiris. After your tasting Michel came up to me and complemented your fine selection of Greek wines as perhaps the best available to us? I agree, excellent job.

 

     5) 2012 Pino & Toi dry white Veneto white, a refreshing and flavorful wine by MACULAN that's a blend of three grapes : Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Tocai " get it?!? It sells for $10.99 a bottle, 12.5% a;cohol by volume, from Breganze, Italy : it's charming, it's delightful. Jody Jackman poured it here this past weekend. Thanks, grazie Jody e a presto! 

 

          ROSE :

 

     1)  2012 Cape Rose from RIEBEEK CELLARS in South Africa's Swartland region ( $8.99, 13% alcohol by volume, est. 1941, 100% Pinotage dry rose ) : " Abundant and distinctive flavours of fresh strawberries and ripe cherries with a crisp dryness on the palate will be charming at many an occasion. .. enjoy a glass on its own or pair with seafood and light meals with smoky flavours. "

 

     2) Dry Greek rose blend made from the 85%  Xinomavro and 15% Moschomavro grapes in this 2012 from DIOFILI at the Siatista Winery ( $14.99, 13% alcohol by volume ) : made from 70 year-old vines this is spectacular and so fresh and bright and " friendly " and right. It was a big hit this weekend when Sotiris poured it. Everyone loved it, even those that usually do not like rose wines Heard that as frequent refrain as people grabbed a bottle and walked away with it. Cheers.

 

 

          REDS :

 

     1) 2011 dry red Piemonte Barbera red from Italy, from BRICCO Del TATI ( $8.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume, go to : www.briccodeitati.com for more info ) : " ... we make this delightfully fresh Barbera. We make it for ourselves, friends, and family. " Mary Beth & Manu. It's a beauty : so lively, so bright, such a tasty treat to enjoy with many a meal year-round!

 

     2) La Cappucina " Madego " Biodynamic ( made with organic grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenere ) , this Veneto dry red blend 2011, On Special for $11.99, regularly $14.99, estate-bottled medium-to-light-bodied red is fleshier, riper, ,more fruit-forward, and easier to sip from the first sip than the past vintage. it's a great price now. Chill slightly and serve inside or outside, with many a grilled or well-seasoned meal. Andrew Stover tasted us on it recently and we gave him an order immediately once we tried it. Excellent.

 

     3) 2011 Chianti Colli Senesi from the TENUTA VALDIPIATTA ( $16.99, 14% alcohol by volume ) : made in Montepulciano from their grapes this 2011 is perfect hot-weather dry red. medium-to-light-bodied, chill thirty minutes to focus  and firm-up and energize these toasty cherry-berry flavors that are quite polished and still young. This is perfect outside with many a meal. Love the colorful label, too. It's a well-balanced wine where the tannins and acids are softer and allow the fruit and accents of spice to find true expression. " Enjoy with hearty and red sauced pastas, red meats, game, roasts and aged cheeses." It will fill-out more with time.

     WED HAVE ENJOYED selling a whole lot of the excellent vintage 2008 of this Colli Senesi up until last week when the last bottle was sold. AS A MATTER of interest one of our customers this Saturday stopped me to tell me what a big success the 2008 VALDIPIATTA was : he and his friends loved it. What more can any wine ask?!? That's success, that's pure enjoyment and satisfaction, and all for only $16.99 a bottle. Thanks for tasting it here this past weekend Jodi.

 

     4) 2010 1005 Agiorgitiko dry Greek red from the MITRAVELAS ESTATE ( $25.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume ) is seriously serious, tasty, great classic Greek wine to enjoy with a meal. Take a sip, close your eyes, lean your head back and swallow " in steps ", not all at once, move the liquid around your mouth with your tongue. hold your breath shake your head ever so slightly, pause, reflect : let the wine charm you as you charm it : what a tactile, wonderfully personal, unique experience, swallow and smack your lips to get whatever acidity there is and taste the finish now for a very long time. Thanks Sotiris for tasting this here this past Saturday. What a wine.

 

 

     WEEKLY WEDNESDAY 3-Part Non-Sparkling Wine, Sake, Port, Madeira, Marsala, Sherry SALE :

 

       1) BUY ANY BOTTLE of the above for $20 or over and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker price.

 

       2) BUY ANY 6 or more bottles of the above and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.

 

       3) BUT ANY 12 or more bottles listed above and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.

 

     MIX THEM UP, get a variety. Call us here at : 202-363-4265 if you cannot come and either Michel or me ( TONY ) will be glad to help you.


WEEKEND TASTINGS :

 

     FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th, 2013 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Boutique here to taste an assortment of their fine California wines I believe? I think we will make it all about the west coast and with wineries like COMPASS, DREYER, YORKVILLE Organic CELLARS and KENNETH VOLK. Ohhhh what fun! Cheers. Just tasted some really fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from KENNETH VOLK, but might have to use their dry red Negrette or dry white Verdelho ( $21.99, Paso Robles, " Pomar Junction " vineyard, 2010, 14.4% alcohol by volume, for more info go to : www.volkwines.com ) instead?!? We will decide this all tomorrow.
     SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th, 2013 ( 2-6PM ) : It's Yom Kippur at sunset! : we have Fernando from Tradewinds Specialty Selections coming to pour the ESTATE Series from CHANARMUYO, all four On Special for $9.99 : as well as perhaps the Reserva Tannat and the Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, both selling for $19.99 a bottle. Cheers.

 

     JOIN US : Always Free, Never any charge!

 

     

 

 

 

I KNOW I HAVE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING but it is time to send this email. Thanks for all your support and please join us this week for all our many store specials. There are MANY ITEMS on DEEP DISCOUNT in all categories. Come see for yourselves. You are always welcome and we are always happy to serve you. Cheers,  ... LIKE us on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits and also follow us on Twitter at : cpwinespirits and also at wineenabler. See you soon  TONY

 

Anthony Quinn's Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits 1st Week Of September, 2012 Store Email Written & Posted Then, Enjoy : Happy Tuesday 3rd, 2013 Today!

Cleveland Park Wine Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine
Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits

IT'S THE HARD WEEK AFTER LABOR DAY WEEKEND

IT'S ALWAYS SO HARD FOR EVERYONE MENTALLY on this week that follows our Labor
Day weekend as many take their last swim in their neighborhood pools, lifeguards
return to school or go off to college and for many students to start school
whatever grade they may be in. I was witness this weekend to this spectacle and
even with a grayer day many young children were playing merrily to their hearts'
content in our pool, even waiting patiently, feet dangling over the edge of the
two diving boards for the bell to ring letting them know that they could once
again dive and jump into the pool water on this last day. As I said in last
week's email : everyone was squeezing the last drops of joy and relaxation and
summer that they could before this Tuesday morning!

LET US HELP YOU make this process less painful than it has to be. You simply
have to see it as another opportunity, a chance, a challenge and something to
look forward to as hard as it may seem now.

AS YOU KNOW NOW, we have our " weekly Wednesday 3-Part Still-Non-Sparkling-Wine
SALE again tomorrow . September 5th, 2012 :

1) BUY ANY 6 Or More Still Wine Bottles ( whether On Sale or not ) and SAVE
another 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.
2) BUY ANY  Still-Wine BOTTLE over $20 and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker
price.
3) BUY ANY 12 Or More Still-Wine Bottles and SAVE 20% OFF the marked
sticker prices, whether On Special already or not.

SAVE BIG @ Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits

IF YOU CANNOT COME call us and we will take your order over the phone.CALL
: 202-363-4265, ask for Michel or Tony.

YOU CAN ALSO respond to this store email and give us your order over the
phone. Include a phone number and we will call you if you like?

WE DELIVER for free here in Washington D.C. if your order is over $30.

WITH THIS SALE IN MIND I will continue to mention some of the GREAT DEALS that
we have for you all here now:

DRY " Value " Rose :

1) Garnacha / Grenache ( the red grape in the red Cotes-Du-Rhone wines from
France that many of us LOVE ) dry rose , 2011 from Spain's Campo de Borja and
made by ZA ZA ( On Special for $8.99, 14% alcohol by volume ) is a delicious
warm-weather wine to enjoy pretty much anytime, indoors or outdoors, with or
without food. We bought the very last of it and there is perhaps four cases
available here now? Call us ASAP to order some. You won't be sorry. GREAT VALUE.
With the additional 20% OFF tomorrow the bottle price gets to $7.19.

3 DRY Red & White VALUE French Burgundies :

1) Bourgogne Blanc Reserve Chardonnay 2009 ( great vintage, 13% alcohol by
volume ) from PIERRE ANDRE. Er normally sell this dry 100% Chardonnay white
Burgundy for $25.99. We now have it On Special for $20.99. Buy it tomorrow and
get 20% OFF the red sticker price and pay only $16.79 a bottle.

2) Meursault dry white Burgundy 2009  ( On Special for $44.99, regularly
$53.99 a bottle, a great vintage, 13% alcohol by volume ) from  PIERRE ANDRE au
Chateau de Corton Andre is another steal for you all to consider when you want
to really treat yourselves or a friend . With tomorrow's still-wine sale of any
bottle over $20 the price comes to $35.99. That's a GREAT DEAL for this vintage,
this famous village of 100% Chardonnay wines and from the really good house of
PIERRE ANDRE!

3)  Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes De Beaune " Les Forges " 2009 ( Great vintage,
On Special for $21.99 , regularly $26.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume ) from PIERRE
ANDRE au Chateau de Corton Andre is another GREAT VALUE. With tomorrow's
additional 20% Off this marked red sticker price the bottle is $17.59. This
again represents a fabulous value to you all for some really fine, elegant,
polished and refined bright red/toasty-berry-flavored 100% Pinot Noir! You can
buy some of this and enjoy it now or put it away to when the wine will have more
time to age and be really spectacular. It's good now, it will be much better in
another 2-5 years' time. Patience is something worth having as you will be
handsomely rewarded for your not rushing.

2 Dry Red French Bordeaux Great Values :

1) Chateau FLEUR De RIGAUD Bordeaux Superieure " Cuvee Prestige " 2009 (
great vintage, On Special for $13.99, regularly $16.99, 13% alcohol by volume )
is estate-bottled ( mis en bouteille au chateau ) and that may be enjoyed now
and over the next four or so years. No need to wait forever to enjoy this bottle
as it will age some more and improve but with food it may be enjoyed
immediately. As the weather cools it will be especially nice. With tomorrow's
20% OFF the marked red sticker price the wine comes to : $11.19 a bottle.

2) CHATEAU CHEVAL BRUN Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Famille Riviere 2009 ( a
great vintage, On Special for $29.99, regularly $39.99,  13.5% alcohol by volume
) is another real gem that we have here for you. This is one to put away for
awhile and not rush into. This would be nice to find or uncover again in 4-6
years' time. With tomorrow's additional 20% OFF the red sticker price the wine
comes to : $23.99 and that's a GREAT PRICE for a Grand Cru Saint Emilion from a
great year and a really fine producer that has visited here and tasted with you
all at least twice over the years. Do you remember meeting Pierre? Come and get
some of either of these dry red Bordeaux wines from the fabulous 2009 vintage.

BEER By SANTOS RIVERA :

1) Aged Pale Ale ( Aged in oak casks ) :  PETRUS " The Key To Heaven " (
$4.49 a 7.3% alcohol by volume, 11.2Fl. Oz bottle,  from BAVIK is a product of
Bavikhove,Belgium , www.globalbeer.com, ) : " Petrus Aged Pale is a golden
blonde ale brewed using the purest spring water, selected malt varieties and the
finest hops. The unique aroma and taste is created by maturing in oak barrels
for over 20 months ". Love the concept and Petrus sure is a famous red Bordeaux.
Do they gets their casks from Chateau Petrus? That would be something now
wouldn't it?!!?

2) Strawberry Belgium's Finest Lambic Beer from TIMMERMANS ( $4.99 a
11.2Fl. Oz bottle, 4% Alcohol by Volume,, anthonymartin.be, from Itterbeek,
Belgium, since 1781 ) is a great size and so easy to take wherever you want to
enjoy pretty much anytime. We all love strawberries, right?! Check this out,
it's a nice treat for this early September.

3) " Fat Jack " Double Pumpkin from SAM ADAMS ( On Special for $6.99 a 1
Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottle, 8.5% alcohol by volume, ) is : " pleasantly plump and
satisfied, At Sam Adams we love experimenting. This series of limited brews
represents some of our favorite small batch creations ".

4) " Adoration " from OMMEGANG Brewery, a Special Winter Ale ( On Special
for $15.99 a 1 Pt, 9.4 Fl Oz bottle, 10% alcohol by volume, from Cooperstown,
New York, ) is a ale brew of Coriander, Cardamom, mace, grains of Paradise sweet
orange peel. A true Belgian-style Dark Ale, this is a part of the DUVEL family
of fine ales. " Pour slowly as to not disturb the yeast sediment, but with
enough vigor to create a luminous head and release the spicy bouquet". Get it
now while you can and put it away for the cold weather that will surely follow.
Product of Belgium.

5) Grande Reserve 17 Dark Ale on Lees from UNIBROUE ( $13.99 a 1Pt. 9.4Fl.
Oz Bottle, 10% alcohol by volume, aged in French Oak, from Chambly, Quebec,
Canada , www.unibroue.com ) is " ale brewed with spices, aged with French oak,
and with natural flavors added. ... and inspired by the great Belgian brewing
tradition of Trappist monks established over the centuries ... ".

LIQUOR & LIQUEUR From RAVINDER SHARMA :

1) Bitter Truth Old Time Aromatic Bitters, Ideal as a cocktail flavoring (
$18.99, 200ml bottle, 39% alcohol by volume, ... www.domaineselect.com, from
Wolfratshauser Str. 21 e, 82049, Pullach, Germany ) is " new and exciting "
here. Come check it out, there are two other flavors/ styles that we also have
in stock here. Cheers.

2) Tequila Rose Strawberry Cream liqueur ( $19.99, 750ml bottle, Western,
MO, ) : Try mixing  a DOUBLE CHOCOLATE Rose that is 1 Part Tequila Rose
Strawberry Cream Liqueur with 1 Part 360 Double Chocolate Vodka and add ice,
shake and strain before serving. It's a plastic bottle, too which is very
eco-friendly to our environment and easier to carry on picnics and outings.
Cheers.

3) Sambuca Secolare Liqueur from CAFFO , a natural liqueur with real elder
& Anise distilled ( $14.99 a 750ml bottle, 42% Alcohol by volume, made in
Italy,  www.caffobeverages.com, Limbadi, Calabria, Italy ) : " Serve our unique
southern style Sambuca neat with 3 coffee beans for good luck, in a special
martini, or as a compliment to your espresso. Flavor and color are natural ".

4) Single Malt Scotch Whisky " The Major's Reserve, seductively smooth,
fruity and rich, this GLEN GRANT was established in 1840 and is still going
strong ( $36.99 a bottle, , Rothes, Speyside, 40% alcohol by volume, Scotland )
: " The Major's Reserve displays a light golden color with a soft bouquet of
delicate apple note. This superb Single Malt offers a fresh and vanilla palate
with a slightly dry and hazelnut finish ". It's also a GREAT VALUE! Come and get
some while the price is only $36.99 a bottle.

WINES From MICHEL & TONY :

2 Dry Whites :

1)  Sancerre dry white 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley's town
and region of Sancerre that seems to never fail to deliver, and to DELIVER BIG.
That's why everyone loves Sancerre like they do. This half-bottle ( 375ml bottle
, On Special for $11.99, regularly $14.99 ) 2010 is mature and flavorful and
wonderful and we only have a few cases left. Come and buy a case tomorrow and
only pay $9.59 a bottle when you take 20% OFF the red sticker price.

2) " Ship Of Fools " 2010 dry white blend of 50% Pinot Blanc, 45% Pinot
Gris and 5% Pinot Noir ( $18.99, 13% alcohol by volume, www.cgtwines.com , from
the Chateau Grand Traverse, Ltd, Traverse City, MI ) is a flavorful and tasty
white that will taste great with many meals now. Drink something fun and
exciting and that will please and surprise you both. Support one of the States
that is not so well-known for it's wine but should be when you try this white
blend. A treat. Cheers.

WEEK'S TASTINGS :

FRIDAY, September 7th, 2012 ( 5-8PM ) : WE have Jody Jackman back after a
summer break and she will taste from her extensive category of wines and we
would like to include 2 that we have here already :  1)  Sauvignon Gris 2011 dry
white Chilean wine from COUSINO-MACUL ( $14.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume,
www.cousinomacul.com, - fun and a favorite of ours ), as well as the  2) Dry
Rose from the WOLFFER ESTATE in Long Island, Sagaponack, NY, $16.99, 11.5%
alcohol by volume, www.wolffer.com ) that uses the Merlot and Cabernet
Sauvignon grapes to make this I believe? We will find out more on Friday when
Jody is here. JOIN US, NEVER any charge. Everyone is always welcome.

SATURDAY, September 8th, 2012 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Dimitri Courbet here from
Nice Legs to pour some of his family's excellent dry red and white wines from
Moldova, as well as some from Oregon, California and maybe even Washington
State. We will see. Call us for more info and ask for Michel or me ( Tony ) and
we will fill you in as we are still working out the details tomorrow.

COME FOR OUR SALE of STILL WINES tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 5th, 2012 and
inquire about our weekend wine-tastings. Buy some of these great wines I have
written about above and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices. What a great way
to save here and have both everyday wines as well as some great special wines,
too.

TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE of our three-Part Still-Wine SALE above. If you cannot
come please call us ( 202-363-4265 ) or respond to this email with your orders,
questions or requests. Let's work together. Cheers.

MORE WINES FOR YOU ALL :

2 Dry Reds :

1) Salice Salentino Riserva 2008 from CANTELE ( $13.99 a bottle, 13%
alcohol by volume, www.cantele.it, from Guagnano, Italy in Puglia ) : is made
from 100% Negroamaro grapes, is a D.O.C. wine, the flavors are really
well-balanced with softer tannins and acids so the fruit pulls everything
together and the taste is so satisfying!

2) Monferrato Rosso 2007 From SULIN ( $17.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume, ) is
a blend of the grapes I believe with a lot of Barbera in it. Brennan tasted the
Barbera when he was here this past Labor Day weekend and we enjoyed that very
much. Too bad we could not open this as well as I would have loved to have tried
them side-by-side. I know that this dry rosso 2007 is fuller and more robust and
flavorful. It probably also needs a meal. From Italy's famous and fabulous
Piemonte region this is a well-focused, firm and tasty dry red Italian blend. I
did try it back in March of 2012 and that is why it is here. I really liked it
then and will probably like it even more now that it has another several months
of bottle age since my taste buds last crossed paths with it. Cheers. Thanks for
the excellent Saturday wine-tasting here with you Brennan from 2-6 PM.

1 Top-Flight Dry Sparkling Wine :

1) Brut Cava Gran Reserva Spanish sparkling wine from BOHIGAS ( $26.99,
12.5% alcohol by volume, www.TradewindsSpecialty.com ) is a really handsome,
class-act dry bubbly when you want to really celebrate well, don't want to spend
a lot and want to feel like a millionaire as you sip this smooth-flavorful and
dry Spanish Cava that will certainly make you hungry for an assortment of tapas.
Cheers!

I KNOW I HAVE FORGOTTEN MANY THINGS but they will have to wait! We are now
on Facebook and you can see what I have added there. Also check out :
www.clevelandparkwine.com and chatwine.blogspot.com for more pictures and
articles about what has been happening here recently. Cheers and thanks for all
your business.   TONY

Please visit our website below for more information, events and specials, and
our calender of wine tastings!

[1]www.clevelandparkwine.com

If you have any orders, suggestions or questions, you may e-mail us at
[2]sales@clevelandparkwine.com or call (202) 363-4265.

References

1. http://www.clevelandparkwine.com/
2. mailto:sales@clevelandparkwine.com

Anthony Quinn's Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits Store Email Written & Posted By me, Tony Today, Tuesday, August 6th, 2013 : Read It & Enjoy! Cheers et Sante a Tous!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Cleveland Park Ales.Beers,Ciders,Liqueurs,Liquors,Waters& Wines!

FORGET? FORGOTTEN? The Pace Continues at such an intensity that our blinders are all and in place to protect us from being bombarded with too much information that we cannot possibly absorb. SO : Let me share with you a story to start this email.   IT'S ABOUT ELSA, it's a bout one of our customers that we have known for years like so many of you. It's time to put names to so many of your faces. This is the face of Elsa. She's such a wonderful character and I met her years ago here and we always spoke of the VALENTIN BIANCHI " Elsa's Vineyard " dry red Malbec, and sometimes even of the " Elsa's Vineyard dry Chenin Blanc. How many of you know and remember these wines? It goes back awhile, it really does.   WITH MY OWN " Bottle Age " I like to share some perspective, some history, some of the " then " to get to the " now " of today. I hope you do not mind, I hope you enjoy and can use this information as you navigate through the myriad that is today's wine and food scene here in Washington D.C.? ALWAYS please feel free to ask me for any clarification on anything that I write about.   I WOULD LOVE to hear more from you all so that we may all do our jobs better in these difficult times where every sale is important to us from the smallest to the largest. So please do comment , no inquiry or comment from you will not be welcome. As a matter of fact, any comment or inquiry from you today is a reason for celebration as today, so many push the LIKE button , or not, and my constant question when I see that something is LIKED is : " What is ' liked ' about it?!? " . SO : let's celebrate more and share more and please tell us what you LIKE or LIKE-NOT( ! ) about what we are doing or failing to do for you?   BUT BACK TO ELSA, I did not know that this fine, beaming, sparkling-eyed lady's name was Elsa. It would not have mattered, except it is always nice to know a customer's name. It helps break the ice when we can address you all by name and not use the ancient old terms of " Governor " - Herbie used to say that , or " Buddy ", or " Sport ".   I SIMPLY KNEW ELSA and who she was and then I began to know her daughter, too that shops here as well when she is home. Now I am getting to know Elsa's daughter's boyfriend-fiancee as well. It's all one big-glorious family here.   THE " Elsa's Vineyard " Malbec was THE FIRST Argentina Malbec to come here to Washington D.C. Wow, that's something, that's a bit or real history for us all.   BACK THEN " Malbec " WAS NOTHING here in Washington D.C. back in mid-to-late eighties. No one knew of Malbec back then except for the " Black Wines "  of France's Lot region south of Bordeaux where the Malbec was wither used 100% to make these dark and inky wines that required a whole lot of patience and cellaring-time before drinking.   I USED TO HAVE many conversations with my father when we lived in Paris, France back in the early seventies about the " black wines " of Cahors which is both a picturesque town and region as well. We started buying our Cahors at the local Nicolas wine stores and then started to patronize Steven Spurrier's Cave De La Madeleine before the earth-moving-wine-changing-landscape wine-tasting of Steven's back in 1976 when California and French wines were tasted blind.   SO ELSA would always ask me for the " Elsa's Vineyard " Mendoza, Argentina dry value-oriented Malbec that we sold forever for $4.99, them $5.99, then $ 6.99 a bottle : get the picture. It was a great quaffing dry red from Argentina and it sold really well.   ALFREDO BARTHOLOMAUS and NORA FAVELUKES of Billington Imports beat the pavements here and around Washington D.C. and placed and sold well this " value " dry red Malbec, and " value " dry white Chenin Blanc.   " Elsa's Vineyard " was named for the daughter of owner Valentin Bianchi in San Rafael, Mendoza, in the southern part of Mendoza. I was there. I was wined and dined by the Bianchi family and met brothers Roberto and Valentin, their parents, their " other " brother, but I do not remember ever meeting Elsa and that saddens me as I did walk down and photograph her vines named after her.   I TOOK PICTURES with a camera with film in it, not digital. I had rolls of film and I took them to a store to have developed and I was like a giddy child waiting breathlessly for them to be developed so that I could see the pictures I had once taken in both Mendoza and in Buenos Aires, Argentina.   BACK THEN in 1995 Malbec was still relatively unknown. It was the Cabernet Sauvignon that was " king " back then with the NAVARO COREAS " Collecion Privada " that everything was once measured against : always the Cabernet Sauvignon. The whites were relatively unknown back then.   IT TOOK PAUL HOBBS that used to make the wines of SIMI WINERY in California to go to Argentina and to make at CATENA the oaky and buttery marriage in a Chardonnay that made people look to Argentina for more than Cabernet Sauvignon. ALL OF A SUDDEN, besides the BUZZ over the red dry Cabernet Sauvignon there was also tremendous BUZZ over the dry Chardonnay of Nicolas Catena. There was no buzz yet over the Malbec grape. It was still being developed and pretty much in the shadows.   THE BUZZ would also soon come on winemaker/owner Susana Balbo's dry and aromatic and floral Torrontes that we still sell really well today. She was the lonely female Argentina winemaker working alongside many men winemakers : together this group brought Argentina wines to where it is today. According to Susana that spent some time here with us at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits, everyone discouraged her from making her version of a dry , floral white Torrontes, and yet once out it sold fabulously and everyone had to make a similar version and follow in her footsteps!   NOW the BUZZ for the Malbec grape has come along, and it's still very much with us today. So VALENTIN BIANCHI and their " Elsa's Vineyard " Malbec were way ahead of the crowd and deserve to be remembered for blazing the trail, being THE FIRST to introduce their Malbec to us here in the United States back in the mid eighties. Gracias Valentin, gracias Elsa e Elsa, e Alfredo e Nora e todos involved in getting the ball rolling here so many years ago when the wine scene was so very different.   GRACIAS ELSA our good customer for being here last week and tasting with Jim Reeves and taking a picture and posting it on our Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits Facebook page. I have been meaning now for a week to share some of this story and am now finally doing it here in today's Tuesday weekly store email. Thanks for giving me this platform to share some of the history of wine here in Washington D.C. Northwest as I have seen it unfold and grow, brands coming and going, trends appearing and disappearing, brands and grapes becoming discovered and then forgotten over the last thirty-plus years. What a glorious trip it has been.     BUT HEY, IT'S TIME to give Santos and CERVEZA, ALE, BEER and CIDER a chance here now :          1) " Noble Rot " Ale Brewed with Grape Must and with grape must added from DOGFISH HEAD ( On Special for $10.99 a 1 Pt. 9.4Fl. Oz Bottle, 9% alcohol by volume, Milton, Deleware, www.dogfish.com) : " Off-centered ales for off-centered people. We brew this unique, sorta-saison with a little help from our friends at Alexandria Nicole Cellars using botrytis-infected Viognier grape must. This ' noble rot ' magnifies its complexity and long finish. " Cheers.        2) RUBAEUS Pure Raspberry Ale from FOUNDERS Brewing since 1997, Brewed For Us ( $13.99 a 4-pack of 15 IBU'S, 5.7% alcohol by volume, www.FoundersBrewing.com , Grand Rapids, MI. ) : " Malt beverage fermented with raspberries. " Packaging made from 100% post-consumer recycled content brewed and bottled by founders brewing CO. ... Crack it, pour it, love it ...        3) Double Dark Abbey Ale 1128 Phoenix Ardet Nec Consumitur from GRIMBERGEN ( On Special for $14.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 6.5% alcohol by volume, Belgium ) : " GRIMBERGEN Double is a rich, dark Burgundy ale with a white head. Double has undergone two fermentations which give this ale a chocolaty, toffee taste with a brandy-like finish. "     RAVI: What LIQUOR & LIQUEUR Have You?!?        1) Passion Fruit Triple-Distilled Vodka from SMIRNOFF , No. 21 Recipe ( On Special for $13.99 a 750ml bottle, 70 Proof, distilled from premium grain, USA ) : last week we had lots of requests for Passion Fruit products and we " came to the rescue " with this SMIRNOFF. Come check it out : something must be going on, Passion Fruit must be hot now! What have you all heard? Cheers. It's here for you now. Come check it out.        2) Rum Cream from CRUZAN :  a Rich Cream Liqueur with natural flavors ( $14.99 a 750ml bottle, since 1760 - who remembers that far back? What were you all doing in 1760 in a previous life? Drinking CRUSAN Rum we are sure! This is 15% alcohol by volume, go to :www.cruzanrum.com for more info, Deerfield, Illinois, USA ) : " We combine the finest quality ingredients and rich traditions of master blending to produce our creamy, smooth, and distinctive flavor. Enjoy! "        3)  Single Malt Scotch Whisky of Glendullan, since 1897, THE SINGLETON 12 Year-Old ( $42.99, a 750ml bottle, 40% alcohol by volume, Keith, Banffshire, Scotland ) : " Matured for twelve years, aged in sherry & bourbon casks, ... perfectly balanced, naturally rich and smooth ... from the heart of Speyside, we make it slowly ... in a unique balance of European Sherry Oak and American Bourbon Oak casks ... " Go to : SingletonGlenullan@consumer-care.net for more valuable information.        4) KINKY Liqueur Get Kinky!  ( On Special for $19.99 a 750ml bottle, 17% alcohol by volume, go to : www.kinkyliqueur.com for more info , Princeton, MN ) : Enjoy over ice, with lemon-lime soda or in your favorite kinky cocktail. ... a naughty fusion of super premium vodka distilled 5 times with succulent mango, blood orange liqueur and passion fruit. " Cheers!      WINE From Michel & Tony : So Many!             WHITE :        1)  100% Insolia 1012 indigenous dry white from VALLE DELL'ACATE in Sicily ( $11.99, 12.5% alcohol ) is an absolute delight to drink now in this weather. It's so bright, lively and refreshing and is guaranteed to make you feel pretty good about things, brighter about life and yourself and your present surely, too! WOW!        2) IGP  Dry White Blend , this F Cotes Catalanes 2012 from the DOMAINE FERRIER RIBIERE , $13.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume is showing so well that tomorrow we will have it open for you all to sample and enjoy here after work. Come taste and let's talk about what foods it will complement most. Cheers.        3) Roussanne 2011 indigenous dry French grape variety best-known in France's southern Rhone valley where it is often blended with some Marsanne and even some Grenache Blanc and Clairette and others, too. Here it's from California's southern region San Luis Obispo, from TOLOSA Winery   ( $18.99, 13.2% alcohol by volume, ) and it's bright, crisp, so amazingly lively and bright at fresh and engaging : PERFECT hot-weather white, a treat! Tasted here by us this past Saturday and it sure does show well : what a wonderful liquid conversationalist!        4) 80% Pinot Blanc/ 20% Pinot Gris " Caprice " off-dry white wine from MATELLO and Oregon's Yamhill-Carlton district ( $23.99, 11.8% alcohol by volume , McMinnville, Oregon ) : so smooth and creamy and full and pleasing on the palate. No bite or edge, just a lush magic carpet ride of flavors as you step onto John Kay's Magical Carpet and take flight into the stratosphere of taste and comfort and pleasurable flavor sensations ! Oh, say can you taste all of this?!? Give it a try. As MATELLO writes : " Cricket or Frog / which makes the perfect sound / for a summer night " ... Go to : matellowine.com for more palatable suggestions.        5) HUGL Weine dry Gruner Veltliner from Austria, this 2012 is NOW AVAILABLE in the 750ml size bottle, $9.99 a bottle, 13.5% alcohol by volume : ALWAYS delivers for the money. Cheers.        6) I Basalti  2012 dry white Italian Soave from the CANTINA Di GAMBELLARA using the Gambellara indigenous Veneto grape variety ( $7.99 a 750ml bottle, 11.5% alcohol by volume, go to :www.cantinagambellara.it ) : " Soave Basalti is named for the Basaltic outcropping on which the golden garganega grapes that make this wine are grown. ... using Pergola trellising ... goes best as an aperitif or with fish, salad or chicken dishes." LOVE it, love it's low price, too : bone-chillingly refreshing and DRY!          7) COCOCCIOLA Indigenous dry Italian white from the Abruzzo region, this Terre Di Chieti I.G.T. TERRA VALSE from the CANTINA FRENTANA, 2011, 13% alcohol by volume, was tasted here this last Friday by Scott Calvert of Monument Imports , at $17.99 is an utter delight to enjoy, to feel really good, to be pleased, to be entertained, to be storied ( as in this white tells you it's story as you sip it ), and the flavors AMPLIFY as you continue to let it weave itself in and out of your senses. Cheers. A fine hot weather food wine to be enjoyed thoroughly outside.              ROSE :        1) Chiaretto Classico 2012  Mostly Corvina Grape Dry Rose Blend W/ Molinarra, Negrara and other grapes, too that make fine Bardolino red wines from MARCHESINI  ( $13.99 a bottle, 12% alcohol by volume, from Italy's Veneto region in Bardolino by Lake Garda ) : NOTHING is any nicer for the humidity because it refreshes, cuts through the air and creates a lovely breeze all by itself that serves to move things along around us, and catch us up in it's motion-commotion! LOVELY.      2) Rose MARTINEZ LACUESTA 2012 dry Spanish Rioja ( $10.99, estate bottled, 13% alcohol by volume, a wonderfully rich and pleasing dry Tempranillo blend - a treat, also a very fine value for everyday enjoyment!        3) TROIS AMIS dry rose 2011 from France's Vin De Pays Du Grad ( $8.99, 13% alcohol by volume from Route Des Vins Imports, ) is both an amazing deal as well as an amazing wine. It was still good after two-weeks' being open. And on the first day it was pure sunlight filtered through the grapes just picked -that's how fresh this dry inexpensive rose is! GREAT VALUE.          RED :        1) Sangiovese from Italy's Romagna region, this " Le Vigne Nuove " from DREI DONA , this Forli Rosso ( $13.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume, www.dreidona.it ) is showing really well and when combined with a meal the liquid-music sounds it makes plumb the depths of our soul and settle really nicely in the pits of our guts. The real true experience, one not to be missed. Thanks, grazie Enrico that is the owner, and Regis our local rep for Roanoke Imports.          2) Tempranillo from Spain's Ribera del Duero region from MARQUES DEL CAMPO ( $17.99, 14% alcohol by volume, sustainable viticulture and grape-growing , from Burgos, Spain ) : there is good body and weight here, the wine is still young, best with a meal, don't rush it : needs to be cajoled to reveal more of itself.        3) AR GUENTOTA Old Vine 2009 Malbec from Arentina's Lujan de Cuyo in the Mendoza region, this BELASCO DE BAQUEDANO dry red is made from 103 year-old-vines. Still very young, may be enjoyed now but it will continue grow magically and spiritually into it's next five-to-ten-to-fifteen years of life. No need to rush this. Made at 3.346 feet above sea level and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels :  " Ar GUENTOTA means " Cuyo's soul " in the language of the Huarpe Indians , the first inhabitants of Mendoza river valley's Cuyo region. It was the spirit of those people, who with great respect, effort and persistence, achieved an alliance with the dessert to create the oasis that thrives today." Wow, this is impressive, this is wonderful, this is special indeed. BUY, store away, wait patiently, respect this wine, let it grow and develop slowly.        4) Petite Sirah 2010 Barrel Select from Napa Valley, $37.99 a bottle, 14.5% alcohol by volume, www.elysewinery.com ) : big and full-flavored, dusty-earthy dry, needs to age more, best with food, a real treat for us to discover here as so many of you are in love with the Petite Sirah grape, and this is a nice one to buy and to lay away if you can and drink in another 3-7 years! Get some now!               THREE From TORBRECK , Barossa Valley, Australia:        1) 2004 " Descendant " , $105.99 a bottle, 14.5% alcohol by volume, www.torbeck.com , by David Powell ), 92% Shiraz, 8% Viognier ), gown & made by TORBRECK Vintners, Roennfeldt Road, Marananga, S.A. Cheers.      2) 2003 " The Factor " Shiraz , $106.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume, www.torbreck.com.      3) " RunRig " 2003, $203.99, 14.5% alcohol by volume,  95% Shiraz, 5% Viognier.     WEDNESDAY 3-Part Sake, Port, Madeira, Marsala, Sherry, Still-Wine/Non-Sparkling Wine SALE :        1) Buy any wine above for $20 or More a bottle and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker price, whether on sale already or not.      2) BUY any 6 or more of these , solid or mixed of existing store inventory and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices.         3) BUY any 12 or more bottles of these categories listed above and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices.        Call Michel or Tony if you need assistance at : 202-363-4265. Cheers.          THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. We appreciate it all! Please LIKE us on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits and also follow us on Twitter at : cpwinespirits and also at : wineenabler . Take care, and thanks again,   TONY

Some Of The Many French Wine Owners/ Wine-Makers/ National Sales Reps/ Etc. That Have Come To Cleveland Park Wines, Wash. D.C. 2000-2011! Salut!

Take A Good Look : How Many Do You Know/ Recognize?!? This has been so much fun.

Here are just a few of our favorite moments inside and outside of Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 2000-2011 ) that includes also the restaurants of Lavandou Provencale restaurant down the street from the store on Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. as well as at Proof restaurant across the street from the National Portrait Gallery. Enjoy these pictures. I will write more as time permits. Cheers, TONY

This batch that I have downloaded here is pretty much from 2005-2006 I believe. I have so many more pictures that I will have to include them here in various blogs. Please feel free to comment and add any of your thoughts, stories or observations. Cheers and enjoy all these smiles and antics and varied French personalities : the wine world's " rock stars " if you will. I love it, really I do. Hard to contain my joy and excitement most of the time. But then you that already know me already know that. Cheers and keep on scrolling down.

Wine owners and wine-makers are always signing their bottles for our customers at the store. This is a given. You can buy the wines perhaps anywhere but you can't buy them signed or signed right there on the spot anywhere. Just an extra point of contact. I like this so much better than telling people to buy the wines becomes of some number score that they received. So much more real for me. The points and scores and numbers are so abstract to me. I just don't buy into that.

Who does not like Saint Veran and Pouilly Fuisse when they are really well made?!?

Look at that absolute joy and pleasure written all over these two faces above. That's contagious. It was on this evening, too at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com, anthony.quinn@clevelandparkwine.com, also now on Facebook at : ClevelandPark Wines & Spirits and also on Twitter at : cpwinespirits ) back in 2006 I believe.

Anyone a big fan of Sancerre? That's a clue to who the gentleman above is?

Arya Campbell is the beautiful American young lady pictured above ( she makes her own jewelry and her family makes wine and owns a winery, too : Reds, Che, Counterpoint , Laurel Glen , California ... ) between these two dashing French men.

Lavandou restaurant by candlelight anyone? Without flash would be more accurate. Provides ambiiance, don't you think?!? Sante!

Pictured above is the Ben Giliberti that used to write the wine articles for the Washington Post newspaper's Food section each Wednesday. He's a big lover of the French Margaux, Bordeaux wines.

Any of you recognize Marc in these two pictures?

Who does not love Chateauneuf-du_Pape ? I do, I do ... these whites and reds were superb with the food at Proof. I liked the wines a whole lot. They shone brightly there.

I used to work with Serge at Wines Limited years ago.

Champagne or sparkling Virginia bubbly made from Virginia's oldest Chardonnay vines in Monticello anyone?!? We have the 2006 vintage at $41.99 a bottle and the N.V. brut that just came back again yesterday ( Thursday, Oct. 20th, 2011 ) for $30.99. It was served at the White House for the visit of the Indian Prime Minister a couple of years ago when the Salahis crashed the party : remember?!?

Here are some of the many fun French people that have come through our doors from 2000-2011 at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. Enjoy, cheers, TONY