SAVANNAH CHANELLE Vineyard, LOUIS MARTINI Vineyard, LONG Vineyard, DIAMOND CREEK Winery, HAVENS Winery , LOLONIS Vineyard @ Cleveland Park /2005- 06

We always have fun activities 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 on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines and on Twitter at : cpwinespirits ). These were some of the earlier ones when I was just in 2005 starting to use a digital camera system which I had fought tooth and nail for years!

This was from our 2006 Big-Theme Holiday Pinot Noir FRom Around The World Wine-Tasting at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. Pictured here is owner Michael Ballard of the SAVANNAH-CHANELLE Santa Cruz Mountains winery that was formerly called CONGRESS SPRINGS and which my father and I had once visited and had a wonderful tasting and a luncheon looking out into the valley below.

John to the left pictured above is a very talented chef and food book writer.

Pictured on the right above is Michael Havens of the HAVEN'S Winery that made the excellent Merlot and the delicious red blend called BOURICOUT ( ? spelling ). He has since sold his winery to Billington Imports that folded unfortunately. We have some of the last of what Michael and his with Kathleen made, the 2007 vintage of Napa Merlot bottled by Cameron Hughes and On Sale for only $14.99 a bottle! What a grand deal this is!

Importer Roy Cloud pictured above on the left is the president of his import company called Vintage 59 and he brought Michael Havens to our store in Cleveland Park. Thanks Roy. Jae our great customer is also pictured above.

Michael Martini of the LOUIS MARTINI winery is pictured above to the left and talking to John on the right that writes beautifully about food and has published several books.

Our customer Ian holds a bottle of Michael's LOUIS MARTINI Cabernet Sauvignon in the photo above.

It was a great weekend wine-tasting with Michael Martini pouring lots of samples of his Cabernet Sauvignon reds as well as his killer older special bottle of Zinfandel, too. Michael also plays in a band with two other band mates ( the wine-maker at FERRARI CARANO and one other ). I'd love to hear you play someday Michael.

One of my watercolor word-writings above about wine and exchanging stories : two of my favorite topics along with art and family.

All our wine-makers and wine owners are asked to sign out posters. This is one of them above. See the red ladybug above? That's where Maureen the owner of LOLONIS organic California wines signed. Cheers Maureen! You are due for another visit really soon.

Look at this old bottle of LONG VINEYARDS Cabernet Sauvignon above and below from 1987 I believe? It sure was delicious. Thanks John and Zelma.

This bottle of DIAMOND HILL was still amazing even though it was so old. It still shone and pleased and with a meal was really quite the show-stopper. That's my shadow above as I snapped this picture out on our back deck in full sunlight. Cheers and stay-tuned for more. I will be adding more as I am able. Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn

From 2005-2009 : @ Cleveland Park Wines In Wash. D.C. N.W. : Many Wine-Makers/ Owners From The U.S. Visit, Taste & Become Part Of The Cleveland Park

Enjoy these, still more to come.

Extended Family : the headline should finish.

Enjoy these photos, cheers, and feel free to comment and share your stories and ideas and tell us who you recognize and know. Thanks, Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn.

Getting To Washington State's Wine Country When Working For Forman Brothers Distributing, 6/25/98

Here are my first observations leaving Washington D.C. with the wine group from Forman Brothers Distributing Company back on June 25th, 1998. Seems like a very long time. This was just a year after my father had passed away. Cheers, TONY


" And so begins the transition into cruise control, that state-of-mind or more accurately non-state-of-mind where the body reclines, the eyes close, head leans back and action slips into non-action, motion deceases, and one prepares to shed the old mode, like a beatle shedding it's outer skin - like a rebirth of sorts : there's a chemical change too : it happens in the soft recesses of the brain and gets synaptically transferred - immediately to all corners of the body , near and far - one opens their eyes that now sparkle, that exude energy - because the body is now rested and ready to serve the mind - the feelings. The World is theirs. " As Barbra Sreisand sings : " Why settle for just a piece of sky?! "

" Some people say it's the knowledge - knowing that there's nothing you can do about it that helps you relax and achieve that state of mind. " Written on plane ( United ) headed to Seattle, Washington State Thursday morning, 6/25/98 Anthony Quinn


I wrote again :

" The idea of a thought is curious. A thought generally has a very short life span. You think the thought and then it's gone. So many thoughts, you're aware of some of them and some you thought but you were distracted so the thought occured but it did not register consciously. Where do thoughts live?!
How do you harness them?! The harnessed thought is avotal - like building blocks - one after the other - one thought leads to another and slowly you connect them - tenuously, sometimes in a firm, solid structure. The remembering of the thought, the recording of the thought. The ability to remember the original thought in its unvarnished state - that's the key. How to do that with the daily distractions?!? That's the task to overcome! " Written on United Airlines plane en route to Seattle, Washington State, June 25th, 1998, Anthony Quinn

I again wrote :

" Traveling - the art of - relaxing - opening yourself to possibilities - leaving your stereotypes behind - reaching out - embracing others and new options - letting yourself - allowing yourself the luxury of stepping out of your normal routine ... you've got to change your mind set - for something new to happen. You've got to suspend some of your standard objections - realize that they are there, but try and see the larger picture and how you can benefit immensely from the new experience - how refreshing it can be!

How it - the experience can stay with you for a very long time - enriching you now and for many years to come. I love to travel. I change myself - remember myself - try and openly embrace - face each and new development - bathing myself so to speak in it - luxuriating in it! " Written on Thursday , June 25th, 1998 on an United flight to Seattle, WA. A. Quinn

" Wheeler-Dealer - non concealer ! That's my name ! "


" Take-Off! We're airborne in a small Being [lane that seats nine people including the pilot! We're passing through the clouds - John Linette - Giovanni - is up in the cockpit - he's terribly afraid of flying!