Bralvin Imports, A Specialty Brazilian Wine Import Company To The United States Hosts 2nd-Part Of 3-Part Launch Of Company @ ILDA Club ( northern VA. ), Monday, Sept. 10th, 2012

Anthony Quinn speaks to other wine personalities at the 2nd-part launch of Bralvin Imports at the ILDA Club in northern Virginia, in Annandale at 8900 Braeburn Drive, 22003 on Monday afternoon, August 20th, 2012 when Brazilian foods were paired with Brazilian wines and the portfolio of " new " Brazilian wines was exhibited for everyone to see and comment on. The wines on the table and available in the United States already for drinking are : CASA VALDUGA, LIDIO CARRARO and MIOLO and Laurent Donchegay ( pictured on the far right in the photo below ) and Anthony Quinn ( gesturing with his hand in the photo above ) purchased these wines to taste with the food prepared by Elisabete from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The food and wine pairings were excellent and both played off each other and it was a great event to continue in our pursuit, a small import company, Bralvin Imports, specializing in Brazilian wines ( and everything Brazilian! ) with a big vision, great plans, volumes of enthusiasm, experience and daring enough to be the first to take on this challange of really introducing these excellent Brazilian wines to those living in the United States that are still completely unaware of their excellence and their existence. We welcome you all to join in on this fabulous adventure and journey of ours as we anticipate both the World Soccer Cup and the Olympics to be held next in Brazil. Cheers e obregado a todos . Que vinho esta em no copo / what wine is in your glass?!?

Pictured above in the photos ( from the top down )

1) A picture of the BOSCATO Wines, Nova Padua, Caxias Do Sul

2) Anthony Quinn ( left ) and Brazilian Gustavo ( on the right ) from Recife, Brazil  toast with some of the MIOLO Chardonnay that smelles a whole lot like a white Burgundy but is still a bit tight now and best with food.

3) On the red table above are spread the wines that Laurent Donchegay and Anthony Quinn ) partners of Bralvin Imports )had shipped back from their 10-day trip in late June, 2012 to Brazil's wine country on their mission to visit the great wineries of Brazil.
The wines on the table ( from left to right ) : 1) CASA FERDINANDO ZATTERA ( Caxias Do Sul,  2) PIAGENTINI, TORO, X DECIMA ( from Caxias Do Sul ),  3) DOM CANDIDO (  Vale Dos Vinhedos ), 4) DOMNO ( just outside of the Vale Dos Vinhedos ),  5) CORDILEIRA SANT'ANA in Campanha ). These are truly some amazing wines and they make great sparkling/ espumante wines as well as dry red, white and rose wines and use grapes that spread the gambit from the more famous ones of Merlot and Chardonnay to the typical ones from Brazil like Bordo, red, Niagara white, Gros Manseng white, Moscatelle white sparkling, Touriga Nacional red, Ancellota red, and  many more like Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and so on... something for everyone, in all price ranges.
Come on Monday, October 15th, 2012 when we open all these bottles. Stay-tuned for more info about this 3rd Part of our Bralvin Imports specialty Brazilian wine unveiling. Cheers.

The wines were shipped back with the help of Paula Valenti and Barbara Ruppel of Wines Of Brazil. Muito obregado Paula e Barbara!

Cheers, Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn


" Doing Thai " Eladio said to me. " Not going to be fancy, a friend of a friend ... " he continues. Eladio said : " Around twenty." Eladio answered when I asked him what he wanted to spend. I already knew that with " a friend of a friend " that it had to be more about tasty and flavorful to match the flavors of the Thai food. I sold Eladio a bottle of our 2007 Merlot from the CASA VALDUGA winery in the Valle Dos Vinhedos, $19.99 just south of the wine capitol of Bento Goncalves. I told him that it was flavorful and dry like a good bottle of French Bordeaux or even an Italian Friuli or Veneto dry red, as the ancestors of CASA VALDUGA are either from Trentino or Veneto, Italy. Eladio seemed pleased and he mentioned the World Soccer Cup  in Brazil. So, now all I have to do is wait to hear from Eladio. Cheers, Happy New Year Eladio. Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn  1/12/14

The 2nd-Part Of 3-Part Series BRALVIN Imports Launch Of Monday, Sept. 10th, 2012 - 1-5PM - A BIG SUCCESS!Bem Vindo E Obregado A Todos

The 2nd-part of a 3-part launch of BRALVIN Imports that specializes in Brazilian wines exclusively from the six-wine-producing areas of Brazil on Monday, September 10th, 1-5PM, at the ILDA Club in Annandale, northern Virginia and only a 45 minute drive from Washington D.C. was a huge success.

Assembled for viewing with the intent to taste at the 3-rd part of a 3-part series was a grouping of wines , the likes of which have never been seen before in one place here in the United States ever before. That is simply because many of the wines were from smaller producers that have not as yet worked the United States wine market. This is changing now in leaps and bounds with the help of Bralvin Imports.

Some key players in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area gathered together to brainstorm and lend their many years of experience and expertise to the three principles of Bralvin :Laurent Donchegay, Anthony Quinn and Katarina Zubber. Laurent's wife Elisabete from Sao Paulo was also there as she had prepared some of Brazil's most classic appetizers and they sure did complement the wines we served from CASA VALDUGA ( Reserve Merlot ), LIDIO CARRARO ( Reserve Merlot and Chardonnay ) and MIOLO ( Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and their Brut espumante/sparkling wine. We served these because they are what was available to us to show now. We thought of including the rep from the SALTO winery but he never returned our email unfortunately.

To promote " all things Brazil " we have to stick together in this odyssey/adventure. It's not easy. No one knows the wines of Brazil yet and we are thrilled to include these excellent wines I am also very excited to be able to say that I represent these wines at the store that I manage in Washington D.C. in the Cleveland Park Northwest neighborhood called Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 , anthony.quinn@clevelandparkwines.com, also on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits and on Twitter @ cpwinespirits, and check out my other blog : chatwine.blogspot.com ).

As a matter of fact we had our local rep from Winebow Selection Imports , Jody Jackman pour the LIDIO CARRARO merlot ( $13.99 ) the Saturday before , the 8th of September from 5-8PM ) for our customers to taste and buy. The merlot is also being poured by the glass at the IL PULPO restaurant on our block. So, as you can see we are promoting Brazil and starting to make some serious inroads, step-by-step with each day. Very inspiring, gives us all lots of hope and promise as we remember the closing ceremonies of the Olympics in London, England this past August and Brazil's presence with Pele himself and looking to the next Olympics in Brazil, as well as the World Soccer Cup, too.

We will add the pictures from both our events here shortly. They are downloaded, just not transfered here yet. Hopefully I can finish this by the end of this morning? We will see, running out of time already and it's only 8:10AM now on this cooler September Friday morning, the 14th, 2012! Both events have been quite instructive, productive and inspirational, too. There's a really good feeling accompanying all of this. Everyone is listening attentively and giving Laurent and myself plenty of room to explain and outline parts of our broader vision and how to accomplish it. Thanks guys.

Since I have been in the Washington D.C. wine business now for more than 30 years I have made many contacts and friends and had a whole lot of really positive business events and sales with many people. As one of the more successful importers of wine to the United States once told me ( Robert Whale of his own Robert Whale Aussie and Kiwi wine imports ) at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits, I paraphrase now : " Tony, you seem to have not burned many of your bridges over all these years and that's a real accomplishment in this business ". I try Robert to keep all my doors and windows open as you never know when your paths may cross again and when you may need each other's help and advice. Better to work together in a proactive, positive way as you move forward and along.

We had mostly people in the business come to both events : importers, wholesalers, brokers, a rep from Transo transportation, too. We needed to share our innovative, a bit daring venture and vision and get some current input from those intimately involved today in the U.S. wine business. Many of those invited came and really did give us plenty of time to share our vision and purpose. They did comment and offer their opinions and advice, too.

Those that did attend had much encouragement for us. We wanted to see if they were interested in working with us in some manner or fashion? This represents a great opportunity for many and we are able to fashion it and make it a reality for many as this business of wines being solf here in the United States will explode over the next five to ten years and become both a reality and a big success. Mark our words on this : we do know what we are talking about. My thirty-plus years in this business does enable and prepare me for much of what we are facing and will face as we continue to proceed steadily forward each and every day,

We will start by representing the wines of : 1) BOSCATO ( Nova Padua, RS ), 2) CASA FERDINANDO ZATTERA ( Conceicao de Linha Feijo, Caxias Do Sul, RS ) , 3) CORDILHEIRA DE SANT'ANA ( Estrada de Palomas, Sant'Ana do Livramento, Campanha, RS ) , 4) DOM CANDIDO ( Vale Dos Vinhedos, Bento Goncalves, RS ) , 5) DON GUERINO ( Alto Feliz , RS ), 6) DOMNO ( Garibaldi , RS ) 7) CAVALLERI ( Vale Dos Vinhedos, Bento Goncalves, RS ), & 8) PIAGENTINI and X DECIMA ( Caxias Do Sul, RS ).

We were able to line up all our samples of these bottles and to show them to everyone that attended and explain how we came to have chosen them as well as to say that on Monday, October 15th, 2012 we will open them all and share them with a larger group of those interested as we complete this initial 3-part series as we launch BRALVIN Imports here in the United States that will focus exclusively on promoting the wines of Brazil.

This is all very " new " and very exciting indeed. Follow us and our progress and if you are interested call us and let's see if there is anything that we can work on together?

Contact us at : anthony@bralvin.com, T ( 800 ) 617-9202, Cell : ( 703 ) 424-0093, Fax : ( 800 ) 517-9491.

" Que Maravilha! Sera um evento maravilhoso. Sucesso e muitas felicidades! Estaremos torcendo por voves " writes Fernanda Zattera a couple of days before our event.

We write : Bom vindo! Fazer uma diferencia!

And Patricia Carraro writes : " ... para ofercer vinhos que expressam todo o potencial do terroir Brasileiro com identidade propria, baseda em uma filosofia puriste. Convido a todos amantes do bom vinho a ter uma experienca comos vinhos ... ".

Cheers, obregado a todos! Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn

Stay-tuned for much more ...

Bralvin Imports ( www.bralvin.com -Only Wines Of Brazil!) Has It's 2nd-Part Of 3-Part Series Events Tomorrow, Monday, Sept. 10th, 2010 : JOIN US!

Come To Our 2nd-Part Food & Wine Pairing Event @ ILDA Club/Pool

Everyone Welcome : Just call to confirm you are attending :800-617-9202/ 703-424-0093 / Fax : 800-517-9491

You may also email me at : anthony@bralvin.com

ILDA Is located at : 8900 Braeburn Drive, Annandale, Virginia, 22003
( Take from 495 Beltway either exits of Little River Turnpike or Braddock Road. It's another five minutes at most once you exit off of 495.

From 1-5PM and includes Brazilian wines as well as some special/ typical Brazilian food

We want to give you a taste of Brazil and get your appetite and interest ready for much more.

You are welcome to come with others, too. This is our chance to talk with many of you and discover if any of you are interested in coming on board with us as this must be a group effort. We will promote all things Brazilian and not exclude things. We want to give you all as many opportunities as we can. With both the Olympics and the World Cup Soccer games coming to Brazil we feel that this is a great chance, privilege and opportunity to be proactive and invest in one of the top five countries of the world that is experiencing real growth and coming quickly into it's own on a national as well as international arena.

This is just the start and we start with some really excellent wineries such as :

1) BOSCATO Vinhos Finos( VRS 314 - Km 12,5 Nova Padua, RS ),
2) CASA FERDINANDO ZATTERA ( Conceica da Linha Feijo, RS 1990 ), just outside of Caxias Do Sul ),
3) DOM CANDIDO ( Via Trento , s/n Vale Dos Vinhedos, Bento Goncalves, RS ),
4) DOMNO Rodovia RST 470-sn(Garibaldi, Rio Grande Do Sul ) ,
5 ) CORDILHEIRA DE SANTANA ( Estrada de Palomas, Livramento, Campanha - close to Uruguay ) and ...
6) PIAGENTINI, CORDON D'or, X DECIMA and TORO ( in Caxias Do Sul )

Please do join us - we have so much to share and the sooner we start the better!

Enjoy these photos that I took and have included here of Laurent and my really special wine tour for ten days in some of Brazil's best wine country. We have only scratched the surface so far but it has already yielded an enormous amount of hidden treasures with promise on so much more to uncover and reap and share and experience together with you we hope, as well with the world-at-large outside that does not even have a clue about any of this.

REALLY, we are pioneers here and the timing could not be better. Join us and learn more.

Brazil is a wonderful place and holds many special places in my heart and I am thrilled to be a part of Bralvin Imports ( www.bralvin.com T. 800-617-9202 ) that is specializing in the importing of wines from Brazil. It is the only company that I know of that is specializing in the imports of Brazilian wines : only wines from Brazil - the very first of it's kind. This is very exciting, it is very cutting-edge, it is a risk and a challenge of great proportions!

Above you see a picture of one of the signs announcing the vineyards to those of you traveling in the beautiful Vale Dos Vinhedos, the valley of some of Brazil's excellent vineyards and wineries. It was late June, 2012 when Laurent and I were driving here on our way to one of our appointments and I took this picture along with all the rest included here. We drove in a small, compact Fiat sedan that drove like a tank and was also stick-shift. Fortunately for me Laurent was kind enough to drive the whole trip and permitted me to take my pictures along the way, make many notes on paper as well as in my head and organize and compose myself to handle the tastings and many questions necessary to ask about what we were tasting and about what the wineries were offering us if we were to start doing business with them and importing their wines to the United States?

We visited Clovis and his wife pictured above. It was our first vineyard to see and it pretty much set the stage for us as we started off tasting some really wonderful wines from Brazil right there and there. I loved them, Laurent really enjoyed them : and we were now off with Clovis, Ines his wife, Ann his assistant that speaks really good English and does sales and marketing for BOSCATO to a galloping start! Wow, this was pretty amazing, really quite amazing and a whole new and fascinating and wonderful world was opening up to me / to us right here an now in late June, 2012 as we started tasting these BOSCATO reds and whites.

Here we are all pictured above with a glass of the delicious, balanced, flavorful dry Chardonnay with such a luminous and reflective golden color. What a great food wine with everything in focus and with plenty of personality and finesse and polish, too. It was a great way to start thing off at their winery and tasting room with there in Nova Padua outside of Caxias Do Sul where they are fourth and fifth generation Italians from Veneto ( maybe some from Trento, too ? I will ask Clovis ) that still speak fluent Italian in this beautifully small and quaint town nestled nicely into rolling foothills there not far from the bigger wine town Bento Goncalves and the Vale Dos Vinhedos. BOSCATO is a hidden gem that everyone needs to discover, It's at the end of a long winding road that takes you through a slice of Brazil that is a dead-ringer for the scenes my daughter and I saw three or so years ago in early October in Tuscany, Italy! Also reminds me of the original trip that I took to Italy and was in Veneto itself and visiting a small family owned winery in Valpolicella with Chris Pigott, David Bryant Geoff Tracey and Randy King.

The picture above is winding our way to the CASA FERDINANDA ZATTERA winery to meet and taste with Ruy and Fernanda Zattera and to learn more about them and their wines.

Me and my handy camera above recording all of this excitement as we drove through Brazil's wine country in late June, 2012 when it was winter and still warm and beautiful. What a treat - what an experience : so much color and warmth and pleasure even in Brazil's winter! We loved it, really we did.

Laurent in the picture above tastes with Fernanda and Ruy some of their special red Bordo that they make. They are supposed to have been the very first to make red wine using the Bordo grape variety.

Laurent and I will champion this red grape variety that I knew really nothing of called Bordo. I will say that Milton Sebbem, Cossius Reis and Rodrigo Trevison( obregado voces para todos generosidades )that were the very first to greet us at our Hotel Vittoria Dall'Onder in Bento Goncalves where we stayed recommended immediately that we try some Bordo red and some Isabel I think? Yes, I wrote them down - uvas of the region.

I loved all the pastel colors that we saw everywhere here in southern Brazil as we drove away from the town of Porto Allegre headed to that of Bento Goncalves. Warms my spirit, soul and heart to the core. Nice.

Ruy Zattera ( Technical Director of the CASA FERDINANDO ZATTERA family winery , 4th and 5th generation ) speaks constantly with his broad smile that never leaves his face, as well as with his hands! I liked that, too very much. Obregado Ruy!

Brazilian wine labels in a very popular Brazilian Italina-pizza-food-inspired restaurant in the town of Bento Goncalves a couple of blocks away from our hotel. Both Paula Valenti and Barbara Ruppel of the Wines of Brasil suggested that we go there. Loved seeing a wall as we entered plastered with wine labels from Brazil! That. too was quite a wonderful inspiration and a great slice of the Brazilian wine history. Cheers.

Was this Tainara above seen through the red glass of wine that had poured it for us earlier at the Vittoria Dall'Onder hotel? I think so.

Just look at that : my view from my window of the Vittoria Dall'Onder hotel : the town of Bento Goncalves on a winter's day : what a color display!

I used to have two V.W.'s in college back in the early 1970's. They were white and old and tattered and loved and worn when I got them ( 1967-1968 ) and not bright and shiny and yellow like this one but they worked and they got me and my friends to Florida and back on Spring Break. Again, beautiful colors everywhere in Brazil. Barbara Ruppel told me that perhaps when the Italian immigrants from Veneto/Trento Italy came to Brazil this was a way for them to add / keep some color and hope in their lives? Sounds good to me. I warm to colors like these constantly. It was what made me fall all over in love with Brazil once Laurent and I drove away from Porto Allegre and we stated to see these pastel colors everywhere : on buildings and machines and people and hanging to dry from clothes lines and on the quaint bus stops that dot the country roads as people head up from sea level and up into the hills and mountains of some of Brazil's best wine-grape-growing-producing regions.

Love these borders to all these vineyards. What are the knotted trees that are close to the ground and provide a border between rows of vines and road? they were everywhere we drove.

Again, more bright color for us in the Vale Dos Vinhedos and a sign , too that we were either on the right road or not as we wound or way to our various vineyard destinations.

Look at all that green in winter in Brazil! Which is more spectacular : the rolling hills and the valley here or the cloud formations?!? Tough call : together they are spell-binding. Should have stopped and admired for awhile before driving on. No time, always had an appointment as we had so much to do and so little time with only 10 days and a whole world of Brazilian wine there for us to discover.

Steak - red meat, frites and black beans and rice and a good bottle of Brazilian red and Laurent and I were pretty much in heaven. Here Tainara pours a glass for us to enjoy.

Looking out from the MIOLO winery in the Vale Dos Vinhedos I believe. Pretty spectacular and what a beautiful day it was, too : late morning I believe?

Can anything be more spectacular than this? I took it on a walk I took by myself in the town of bento Goncalves in Brasil's winter on a beautiful morning before Laurent and I went off on another wine adventure. Inspiring like all of Brazil. Cheers.

Here Laurent and I were at the restaurant called Churrascaria IPIRANGA Carnes Selecionadas ( Edison J. Santin 54-8124-7185 Restaurante Gobatto Ltda Rua Olavo Bilac, 200 - 54 3452-3278 www.churrascariaipiranga.com ). We had a great lunch and discovered the wines of DUNAMIS as their international rep, Manuela Oltramari that speaks excellent English was pouring at the time. We ordered a bottle of the Merlot she was pouring as we entered the restaurant I believe? Excellent - and a great choice for the meats as it was medium-bodied, balanced, bright and refreshing. Obregado Manuela.

'

There was a morning fog in the mountains here as I rose one morning.

I loved my fresh mango slices each morning when I rose for breakfast - and Laurent loved his papaya : ten days in a row - what a treat that was.

Laurent, merci d'avoir conduit chacque journee pour nous en Brazil! Merci beaucoup pour ca.

So much to absorb in Brazil. I think this was on the outskirts of Port Allegre? What a beautiful day it was, Sunday, half way through our glorious trip.

This was what greeted us as we entered the Churrascaria IPIRANGA for lunch. Nice to see so many Brazilian wines gathered together in one place.

It was great to see Candido Valduga himself pouring and explaining his family's wines to these visitors as his son Roberto and his winemaker Mr. Paris tasted us on the wines as well. It was June 22nd, 2012, a Friday morning here in the Vale Dos Vinhedos.

I got to have my black beans and rice in a shopping mall the one Sunday morning as Laurent and I drove back to Porto Allegre to look for special requests to bring back from his family. It was quite good, too this plate. I took so much, only ate some of it. Felt bad as I had been a bit wasteful.

We passed this as we left Porto Allegre and I must believe that it is being built for the Olympics? I think so.

We leave you with the flag of Brazil above. I do not know the two others? Can anyone leave a comment here and tell us more about them? Cheers ...

Come to our grand event at ILDA Club tomorrow from 1-5PM on Monday, September 10th, 2012. You are all welcome. If you cannot come write us, email us or call us and find out more and how it all went. Cheers, and as Fernanda that is unable to come wrote me : " Que Maravilha! Sera um evento maravilhoso. Sucesso e muitas felicidades! Estaremos torcendo por voves tambem ". Obregado Fernanda.

And Patricia Carraro of LIDIO CARRARO wrote some inspiring words, too that apply to her wines as well as many from Brazil in my opinion :

" ... para oferecer vinhos que expressam todo o potencial do terroir Brasileiro com identidade propria, baseda em uma folosofia puriste. Convido a todos amantes do bom vinho a ter uma experencia com os vinhos da LIDIO CARRARO e descobrir a beleza e a expressao dos nosotros vinhos! " Abracos, com carinha ...

You should also read Fernanda Mari Zattera's book on wine that I have already blogged about here on my chatbrasilwine.blogspot.com site. Check it out. We will soon have copies in English according to Fernanda. I have enjoyed reading her copy in Brazilian and have my trusty dictionary for those words I do not already know and there are many of them. Oh well, always something to strive for. Language is a wonderful thing and I wish I could speak them all because that is a big key to getting along and really understanding and appreciating.

Cheers and see you tomorrow!

We are on the edge of something truly inspiring and important. Come along with us on this glorious and fruitful adventure. You will not be sorry, only if you do not come along. Cheers, bom dia, ola, e obregado para todos! Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn

P.S. I realize that I have not finished this as I have many more pictures to include here of the other vineyards and I feel bad I do not have the time now. I will include them when I write about this 2nd-Part Wine-Food Pairing Event and tell you all about it and what happened and more. Till then cheers... TONY