Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Today's Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits Weekly Tuesday Store Email WRitten & Posted By Me ( Anthony TONY Quinn ) , July 30th, 2013 : Last Day Of The Tour De France! Enjoy! Beautiful Weather & Low Humidity Today Here In Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area

COME TO Cleveland Park Wines & FULL Experiences, Random, Planned, Serendipitous, Calculated-For-Your-Ultimate-Pleasure, Experiences Of Joy and Warmth and Caring and Thought, of Heart and Soul and Music, Of Art of Sound and Opera, Of Fury, Of Piano and of Guitar, of TASTES and Character , of plates of Pure Flavors and Experiences you have earned and fully deserve and that we alone recognize and offer up freely to YOU! Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits You need to come and see what all the fuss is about. Have you been made aware of it? Have you heard? What has been shown you already? Do you need to rethink everything or just part of your strategy? The time is YESTERDAY and really, if it must be said, it was five yesterdays' ago, seems already like a lifetime. doesn't it?!? RUN, do not walk, do not stop at GO, COME directly to Cleveland Park Wines & Experiences! Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits 3423 Conn. Ave. N.W. D.C. 20008 I HEARD MORE this past week from you all about the mandatory furloughs and how it is effecting you. We here @ Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits are working to bring more of our costs down to help you get through this difficult time. Let us know if you are effected and we will do whatever we can, one-on-one, situation-by-situation, working together with you to lessen your financial loads where we can by offering you ways to save and still enjoy what you like. THE TOUR DE FRANCE ends today at the Arc du Triumph on Paris' famous Champs Elysees and that's inspiring and wonderful and still an incredible event and show of strength and perseverance, of character and resolve and fighting and racing, pedaling, steering, climbing, turning and continuing on ... I LOVED WATCHING THIS yesterday on t.v., the rush, the swoop, the dash, the bike swaying back and forth, the seemingly effortless thrust forward of the bikes, the light metal and steel, the helmets, the BRIGHT colors, all the endorsements BLAZONED everywhere across the bikers as the sped past us and the cameras that captured them so close and so well. I saw all this and was swept up into it and felt so positive from it all. IT WAS GREAT INSPIRATION for me to get back outside and continue to work in our yard and to be outside on an absolutely gorgeous, low-humidity, bright, breezy, fresh and brilliant baby-blue-skied day. I had so many errands to run and one was at the grocery store where I heard several of the employees talking about how rare this day was here in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. One lady announced: " I've got my bathing suit and as soon as I'm out of here I'm off to swim at the pool! " I LOVED hearing all of that, so true to real life. I CAN IMAGINE that here at the store Michel, Ravi, Luis and Santos were having a similar conversation?! I felt very lucky and blessed indeed to have been fortunate to have been off on such a day. I resolved to appreciate it fully and to not miss out on one glorious second outside. Mission accomplished. IT SEEMS THAT TODAY is starting off very much as yesterday did. I loved my drive to work earlier and I am all set to get this weekly store email written and off to you all in record time today. WHAT TO DRINK ON this TOUR DE FRANCE finish?!? There are many choices indeed? I have not heard much talk about any of this and will include some ideas here. The wonderful thing is that racers come from all over the world to compete in this annual event and so the world of beer, cider, liquor and wine is open to us for choices. WHEN I LIVED IN FRANCE back in the seventies I was there for a number of these finishes at the Arc de Triumph. When I took my family to France for a two-week visit back in 2002 we were there and had to fight the traffic coming into the city to see our friend Marco Riminelli and to get to his apartment. We came in through Saint Cloud where my mother used to have an apartment so many glorious moons ago. SO I KNEW that way a bit better, and we did make it in one piece, and we did find parking for our rented SKODA. Both my wife and I remarked that on some of the jerseys worn by the racers that SKODA was plainly visible as sponsors. And being a stick-shift I had a hard first day getting into the small villages of Normandy when we first landed and had to navigate the round-abouts and not burn the engine up as I shifted from neutral to first. I should have practiced some first, the Autoroute there was a breeze and I was caught unprepared. Oh well, I am a better person for that experience I am sure. 2002 WAS A HEAT WAVE for that period of time in Paris when the Tour De France ended. I heard that there will be a lot of rain today? I wish all the riders well today as that can be even more challenging with rain. SO : WHAT To Drink? What BEER ? 1) A HONEY OF A SAISON From BOULDER BEER COMPANY, a Malt Beverage Brewed With Honey ( On Special for $8.99 a 1Pt. 6-Fluid Ounce bottle, 11.5% alcohol by volume, from Boulder, Colorado, www.BoulderBeer.com ) : " A Honey of a Saison is a swarm of flavor and a stinger at 11.5% alcohol by volume. The French Saison yeast produces big, estery, phenolic aromas and flavors, while the Wildflower Honey from Madhava Natural Sweeteners in Longmont, CO, lends a spicy, sweet aroma with essence of dried fruits. Champagne Yeast is also used to complete fermentation and create a dry finish, and a strong malt bill imparts a rich, golden honey color to the ale ." WOW, I could not have reached earlier for a better beer to start this ball rolling, this liquid flowing to celebrate today : French Saison years and Champagne Yeast and Wildflower Honey, golden honey color : all to celebrate, all tasty, all adding their own character, all working together in team effort. I am thrilled. It must have been there in my thoughts as I reached for it. It's also easy to transport, one glass bottle, to keep it cold, easy to hold, a fabulous label, too of yellows and reds and browns, and a place that is mountainous and trying just as it was yesterday for all these riders to navigate on their second-to-last stretch. 2) HOG HEAVEN Dry-Hopped Barleywine-Style Ale from AVERY BREWING CO. ( ON Special for $9.99 a 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz bottle, from Boulder , Colorado, 9.2% alcohol by volume, The Holy Trinity of Ales, ) : " Or is it Hop Heaven? This dangerously drinkable garnet beauty was designed to satisfy the most zealous of hop devotes. Intense bitterness and the dankest of dry-hopped aromas are intertwined with a rich caramel candy-like backbone. Drink!" THIS HOG HEAVEN provides a great contrast to the HONEY OF A SAISON and BOTH are in glass bottles that are easy to hold, keep the cold and easy to transport. They provide two nice extremes and will appeal to a broad spread of tastes today. TO COMPLETE The Cycle We Also Have IN CANS : 3) Pumpkinhead " It Comes Once A Year! " from SHIPYARD ( On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack, from Portland, Maine, in 12-ounce cans ) : this is fun and seasonal and released now so early! get some NOW while you can as it disappears quickly once people know it has been released. Beat the rush. Come here early. Easy to transport, lighter, nice for picnics and when outside, don't have to worry as there is nor glass to break. LAST YEAR we sold-out quickly and we had many very unhappy customers! DO YOU HEAR that SHIPYARD! Make more, be there for more of your customers. Don't let us run out. Cheers. JUST SPOKE TO ALEX one of our customers about the wines of Georgia. He wants more dry white Georgian wines. He bought the COLOSSI Bianco ( $11.99 ) dry white to make a kir that he just recently discovered. KIR : THAT'S DRY WHITE WINE and a splash of creme de Cassis - a very famous French aperitif, so it sounds appropriate to add this here now. I mentioned that he might buy a bottle of the LES COSTIERES DE POMEROLS HB 34810 2012 Picpoul de Pinet, $8.99 , 12.5% alcohol by volume ( ALWAYS one of the best-seller-EVER-here @ Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits - EVERYONE almost loves this! ) and make a kir with it. I did mention to Alex the Tour De France. KIR ROYALE : I SHOULD HAVE mentioned to him making a kir royale that uses sparkling wine instead of dry white wine with the creme de cassis. That would be another great idea to celebrate the Tour de France today!OF COURSE with BOTH : you may substitute some Framboise/ Raspberry when you make either. It will be lighter this way and maybe more enjoyable if it is especially hot outside. I JUST TALKED WITH MICHEL that is off and at home now and he tells me who won the Tour De France! I will not reveal that here, I will let you all see or hear it on your own as that is pasty of the joy and excitement. I have two more to add here : and one of the ales/ beers mentioned are from the home of the winner: 4) FULLER'S " London Pride " Outstanding Premium Beer from Griffin Brewery ( On Special for $12.99 a 11.2 Fluid-ounce 6-pack of bottles, 4.7% alcohol by volume, www.fullers.co.uk , England ) : " Fuller's London Pride is an award-winning English classic premium beer, rich and smooth, with a good malty base and well-developed hop notes in the finish." Nice to enjoy with the lower alcohols as well. 5)TUSKER Finest Quality Lager Brewed and bottled by East African Breweries LTD. ( $2.49 a 12 Fl. Oz bottle, P.O. Box 30161-00100, Mairobi- Kenya , go to : www.eabl.com for more info ) : excellent and brewed in East Africa since 1922, that's almost one hundred years ago! HARD CIDER For The Tour De France : 1) Virginia Draft from BOLD ROCK Hard Cider , this hard cider ( On Special for $9.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, 4.7% alcohol by volume, easier to enjoy with the heat of the summer, from Nellysford, VA. Go to : www.boldrock.com for more info ) : " This smooth and distinctive Hard Cider combines its apple heritage with superb drinkability. ... Virginia Draft is perfect anytime anywhere... " NEW & EXCITING here in Cleveland Park. This is a " Must-Try " for you all. Hard cider is a very hot category today! BUT HEY LET"S LOOK @ LIQUEUR/ LIQUOR, Too From Ravi : 1) Guava Rum From CRUZAN Premium Cruzan rum from the island of St. Croix, with natural Guava flavor ( $14.99 a 750ml bottle, 21% alcohol by volume, go to : www.cruzanrum.com for more info ) : " In 1760, a sugar mill began crushing cane at the current site of the Cruzan Rum distillery on the island of St. Croix. Since the early 1800's, the Nelthropp family has lived on and been an integral part of this legendary island's rich history." I like the taste of Guava, check this out. Perfect for this hot weather! 2) Cherrykran from ABSOLUT Country Of Sweden , a Vodka with Cherry, White Cranberry & Plum flavors ( On Special for $19.99 a 750ml bottle, 40% alcohol by volume, from Ahus, Sweden, go to : www.absolut.com ) : Just add cola! Cheers. 3) Vermouth PERUCCHI GRan Reserva from Montana Perucchi - the ULTIMATE in fines, distinctive, elegant and polished Vermouth ( $19.99 a bottle, from Badalona, Spain, from LA REAL CASA ESPAGNOLA, since 1886, 15% alcohol by volume, 1 LITER bottle, ) : YOU HAVE to TASTE IT to BELIEVE IT! Wonderful, highly recommended, both the sweet red and the dry white : both are here for you try on for size, fit and feel. Cheers. NEW! Exciting!! 4) Single Estate TEQUILA OCHO 100% Puro De Agave Tequila Anejo, hecho en Mexico LOS CORRALES Vintage-Dated 2010 ( On Special for $59.99 a 750ml bottle, 40% alcohol by volume, Mexico ) : " Ocho is a one of a kind tequila : A departure from the traditional objective of distilling which delivers " complexity of character " instead of " consistency of character ." This is accomplished by featuring a single estate. Taste it and see/ taste/ experience what all the BUZZ is about now. It's very special indeed.The altitude of Los Corrales is 2166 m with deep, red soil ... " light and broad, not deep, earthiness and subtle oak persist on the finish." A MUST-TRY. 5) SKINNY GIRL Vodka with Natural Flavors " Bare Naked " ( On Special for $19.99 a 750ml bottle, 30% alcohol by volume, Deerfiled, IL. USA , go to : www.skinnygirlcocktails.com for more info ) : " ... Skinny GirlBare Naked is low in calories and contains no added sugar. Become a " fixologist " and make your favorite guilt-free cocktail " writes Bethenny Frankel. Cheers, we also have the Cucumber-flavored vodka here for you all. Ravi says that both sell really well. AS YOU MAY HAVE READ or seen on our Facebook page at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits that I am trying to convince Bethenny that it would be in her best-interest to come here and do an in-store tasting! We will see, you never get anywhere if you do not make the initial effort with follow-through. Cheers. WINE By Michel & Tony : TWO FINE VALUES - 1) Sauvignon Blanc 2011 from the WINE MEN of GOTHAM ( $8.99. 11.5% alcohol by volume, from owners Bruce and Kate, Adelaide 5000, SA , go to : www.gothamwines.com.au for more info ) : both Bruce and Kate have been here doing tastings of their wines that have done so well here over the past years. The Wine Men of Gotham are doing really well now . especially with tough times and more people having to take extra furlough days. Cheers. Dry, crisp, bright and refreshing. 2) Shiraz / Grenache 2011 dry red Aussie blend from the WINE MEN of GOTHAM ( $8.99 a 750ml bottle, 13% alcohol by volume, ) : this is a 75% Shiraz and 25% Grenache dry red blend - this drinks really nicely, balanced, distinct, flavorful. Thanks Bruce. I always thought that you named these wines because you were the Bruce in Batman! I did not think it was after the Gothamites - the villagers of Gotham, England! IF, as I hear an Englishman won the Tour de France earlier than this could also be a great homage to him and to England? What do you think Bruce and Kate, will you sign-off on this idea of mine now? I hope so. DRINK GOTHAM, we have the GOTHAM label here, too at $18.99 for the 2009 McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.9% alcohol by volume... that has always impressed me, now even more than before as it continues to evolve in the bottle to near-perfection! Cheers. 3) Syrah 2011 from CHANARMUYO Estate, Argentina's La Rioja region. Both Michel and I love this because it is fruit-forward, balanced, tasty, broad and very appealing and Balanced most of all, not to mention On Special for only $9.99 a bottle, 14% alcohol by volume. Go to : www.chanamuya.com.ar for more info. Thanks Estebe, thanks Fernando for pouring it here this past Saturday afternoon for all our customers. MORE WINE FROM Michel & Tony : THREE From Franceen & Vias Imports : 1) Pinot Grigio 2011 from Trentino, Italy from MASO POLI ( $22.99 , 13.5% alcohol by volume, go to : Maso Poli for more info, on Facebook at Maso Poli ) : it does not get much better : distinct, mineral and citrus flavors, structures, monuments to taste and depths that plumb the soul and character that defines the human spirit! This is magical, really a wonder, a work of art, so much here. WOW! Did I say WOWWWWWWWWWW! 2) Teroldego Rotaliano dry red 2010 from LECHTHALER, Italy ( $17.99, 13% alcohol by volume, ) was opened and taste here this past Friday by Franceen Kahng pf Vias Imports. I LOVED it, absolutely LOVED it! What grace, what finesse, what delightfully , ultimately wicked flavors and stories it spun seductively and seemingly unaware of it's effect or what it was doing to play with my senses. It amused and very much pleased me. I THINK IT SHOWED magically this past weekend, and I HIGHLY, highly, HIGHLY recommend, RECO(me-to-you)MEND it. Great wine, great everything : completely balanced, medium-to-light-bodied, like a Pinot Noir with a splash of Grenache thrown in for good spice and measure. 3) Sicilan Nero D'Avola dry red blend from COLOSSI, this Rosso 2010 ( $11.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume ) was also poured here this weekend by Franceen. It, too has all the character and flavor and taste, the energy and presence to delight and to cajole, to reach out and make a very positive impression without any doubt on our palates. It showed beautifully here this past weekend and it's a delight to enjoy with the idea that it will complement ultimately one's palate and marry really well with some food, too. Cheers. 4) 2008 Chianti Colli Senesi dry Tuscan red Sangiovese blend from VALDIPIATTA ( On Special for $13.99, from Tenuta Valdipiatta, from Montepulciano, Italy ) this wine from owners Guido and Miriam is a pure delight to drink with or without a meal. Sure to please, sure to entice a smile from you, sure to draw your avid attention, you will be pleased. Highly recommended, too! 5) " Velvet Revolution " 2011 Virginia Monticello dry red Reserve Blend of 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Chambourcin, 25% Merlot, and 25% Petit Verdot , $19.99, 13%% alcohol by volume, was poured here two weekend's ago by owner Jim. It impressed me even more than the first time I tasted it. IT WAS THEN fruit-forward and very rich and pleasing on the palate. ALL those flavors have intensified, grown and expanded to become EVEN MORE and I like that, I like it a whole lot as the vines are still very young and it shows the tremendous promise here with this 2011 and with all the following vintages. Made by Michael Shaps, owners Jim and Susan are on a fine roll these days. Recommended. I WANT TO WELCOME Matilda from England here to our store as well as to Cleveland Park. She's English and came here a bit earlier looking for a good local white wine and I showed here both the STONE MOUNTAIN VINEYARD and the DEMOCRACY VINEYARD dry white Viogniers, BOTH at $19.99 a bottle. SHE PICKED the DEMOCRACY for it's name, I gave her two Virginia road maps with a list of many of the Virginia wineries on it with addresses and phones, emails, times of operation, ectetera that I am sent yearly - thanks - and I just have to wait now and hear if she likes it or not? I DO KNOW THAT in England that in London, for example that they have readily embraced the wines of Virginia. What great music that is to these ears. WELCOME Matilda! WEEKLY WEDNESDAY 3-Part Sake-Port-Sherry-Marsala-Madeira-Still/Non-Sparkling Wine SALE : 1) BUY ANY bottle of These above and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker price. 2) BUY ANY Six Or MORE of the categories listed above and SAVE 15% OFF the marked sticker prices. 3) BUY ANY TWELVE ( 12 ) of the categories above and SAVE 20% OFF the marked sticker prices. IF YOU CANNOT COME BY call us at : 202-363-4265 and we will help you, Pay on Wednesdays and SAVE BIG on non-sparkling wine purchases. Cheers. Ask for Michel or for Tony. WEEKEND TASTINGS : Friday, August 2nd, 2013 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Scott of Monument Imports to come and taste an assortment of his FABulous California, French, Italian, Croatian, Kiwi wines : to be decided tomorrow. Call if you want to know what we have decided. Or check us out on our Facebook page at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. Saturday, August 3rd, 2013 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Chuck Waldman of Robin Cellars here to taste some of his small West Coast wineries that over-deliver for the money, and provide us all with some really exceptional taste experiences when we thought we have already tried or experienced it all : we have not! JOIN US for both, NEVER any charge. EVERYONE always welcome. THANKS For ALL that you do and mean to us. Without you we could not exist and be open to serve, help, and suggest things to do you. Have a great day and enjoy this beautiful weather. Thanks again for all your belief and support in us. It's mutual. TONY CHECK US OUT ON Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits and FOLLOW US on Twitter at : cpwinespirits and also at wineenabler.

There Is Nor Respect For Boundaries In Businesses As They ALL Become EVERYTHING to EVERY CUSTOMER So That No One Has To Go Anywhere Else / What's Wrong With This?!? EVERYTHING, That's What : READ On!!

I attended a local ANC Meeting in Washington D.C. where there's an agenda to discuss many issues and often the crowd gathered is allowed to ask questions at some point. The meetings draw on and on and on and on and your brain starts to atrophy and you begin to wonder if you will ever be able to discuss your concern? This is how it happened awhile ago when Wallgreens wanted to get a Liquor license for one of their stores to sell beer and wine. They had their lawyers there and finally they were allowed to state their case to the public gathered. The lawyers for Walgreens said that they had had requests to sell certain beer and certain wines and that they were applying for a license to sell both so that they could be more to their customers. The lawyers asked basically, and I paraphrase : " What's wrong with that? Is there anything wrong with wanting to be more to their customers? It's a nice concept, it's a considerate concern, yet the bottom line is that it's ultimately self-serving and it does not respect the boundaries that have been established for years that define stores and their identities and what and what not they sell. It's an old concept, it's been crumbling now for years, and recently it's been crumbling at lightning speed in our current " Me " society where it is all about the individual or individual corporation. I listened patiently and wondered when it would be my turn to speak, that I had waited there patiently in the local police precinct and wanted my turn / my say. Well, it finally came, I finally got a chance as I was addressed by name by one of the several council members there. She simply asked : " Tony do you have any comment? " Of course I had a comment, I had been turning this over in my mind now for days , and even more intently for the last few hours. I said simply to the lawyer : " Well then why don't we sell some drugs to make up for the business that we lose by Wallgreens selling some beer and wine? " You would have thought I said something insulting and mean because to see the expression on the lawyers' faces was priceless. It was like I had crossed their boundaries of what may and may not be done or said. I continued : " For that matter, why don't we sell everything that a customer wants so that we can be everything to every customer : and so the customer does not have to go anywhere else anymore?!? Wouldn't that be good for our customers? " At that point the room was silent and it was awkward and I was thinking quickly where to take this further? That's when one of the council members decided it was time for them to vote on the measure before them. They took a vote, they, too were tired of being there and had families to return home to like the rest of us. I made my point but legally they did not have any grounds on which to deny their support of Wallgreens selling both beer and wine. So they ultimately gave their consent and the meeting continued onto the next issue to discuss. I got up and walked out, I had spoken my peace, I had said what needed to be said. So now Wallgreens sells inexpensive beer and wine and it hurts our bottom line as we are only a traditional, classic beer, liquor and wine store as they were set up decades ago. We suffer as do all the similar traditional beer, liquor and wine stores. Our boundaries have been crossed and invaded by well-paid lawyers and our businesses have all suffered as a result. We are still in business but we are struggling like never before. It's tough, it's bit hard : it's what I always refer to as " sobering ". I think that's an ironic thing to say in our environment - it does not quite seem fitting somehow : and yet it's dead-on fitting! We have been here for many years before Walgreens, and if we have anything to say or do about it we will be here for many more. It's been great to support our community here. I have done it myself now for about fifteen years and feel good and sleep well at night except when I hear and see again in my dreams and thoughts those Walgreen lawyers that send a shudder through me. Might is not necessarily right if not yielded without care and respect for traditional boundaries that have worked for many years before and deserve their space in the context of our busy lives. Cheers, Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn 7/30/13