schiller-wine: May 2026

"Sundowner Wines" at the Washington Wine and Cheese Seminar/ American Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) presented by Annette Schiller Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours American Wine Society

Pictures: Sundowner in the Caribbean. See: From Marigot Bay in St. Lucia to Saint-Pierre in Martinique - Amazing 2 1/2 Weeks on the Catamaran Sailboat "Wanderlust" in the Caribbean, with Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst (April 2026)

Inviation

Dear wine friends,

I invite you to join me next Tuesday, May 19th at 7.45 pm when we taste some delicious summer wines.

On our very first trip to South Africa I learned about the “sundowner” tradition: After a drive through the bush you stop, put a nice tablecloth on the hood of your car, get some nice wine glasses and a cooler out of the trunk and a delicious wine. You sit, sip and watch the day go by and the evening coming.

Coming home we started to continue this tradition - not every day when it is too busy and when there are a zillion things to do - but occasionally we sit on our front porch or on our deck in the back yard and celebrate a sundowner.

The days are getting longer and the evenings are getting warmer. The idea of a sundowner becomes more appealing. I chose 5 excellent wines:

3 Whites:

2023 Chardonnay, Pouilly-Fuissé, Domaine Sangouard- Guyot, Burgundy

2025 Sauvignon Blanc / Semillion, Château du Clos du Prévot, Bordeaux

2024 Riesling, Weingut Balthasar Ress, Rheingau, Germany

1 Rosé:

2025 Rosé, Vallée des Pins, Vignobles Foncalieu, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence

1 lighter Red in case you crave a steak and you start to put on the grill:

2024 Schiava, Kellerei Kaltern, Alto Adige

As usual we will have two cheeses and baguette from Calvert & Woodley. This is a 30 $ tasting.

Looking forward to have a sundowner with you next Tuesday.

Annette

Washington Wine & Cheese Seminar, American Wine Society DC Chapter

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WHERE & WHEN WE MEET: The Seminar meets at 7:45 PM every Tuesday (except for July, August and the weeks of December 25th and January 1st) at St. Patricks Episcopal Church at 4700 Whitehaven Pky, between Foxhall Road and MacArthur Blvd.

No reservations are required.

SNOW DAYS: Classes may be cancelled due to inclement weather based on the decision of St. Patricks Church and Day School. Cancellations will be announced in the Mailing List as soon as St. Patricks make the decision.

Bread and Cheese

5 Wines

Tasting

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In Saint-Pierre, we never went to a restaurant for dinner but all the time had dinner on the boat. Twice, however, we took our apero in a beach restaurant/ bar which was just in front of our mooring buoy. Ernst provided us with dinghy boat shuttle service between the beach and Wanderlust.

Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst Tremann: We're a German/American family from Munich who decided to ditch the rat race and sail the Caribbean. Join us as we explore on our catamaran "Wanderlust!"

Annette and I took up the invitation and joined them for 2 1/2 weeks, from Marigot Bay in St. Lucia to Saint-Pierre in Martinique. They were already beyond the mid of their trip and on their way back to the home port of Wanderlust, in the British Virgin Island.

During our trip, I posted regularly on facebook about our wonderful experience. This posting on schiller-wine blog puts all the individual facebook postings in one place: From Marigot Bay in St. Lucia to Saint-Pierre in Martinique - Amazing 2 1/2 Weeks on the Catamaran Sailboat "Wanderlust" in the Caribbean, with Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst (April 2026)

I, Annette, so much enjoyed this boat tour. I always felt very much home in the water: I love the seas, bobbing waves, swimming, tropical weather, raw nature, and this boat tour provided all of this. Living on a sailboat makes you aware of how much humanity depends on nature, and how small we are in this universe. You cannot sail without wind, you cannot live without fresh water, you cannot see without light, you cannot cook without some source of energy. Being together with our daughter, son-in-law, and two grandkids age ten and eleven in this relatively confined space was such a joy and taught me once again that teamwork and respect for one another are the most important skills for living in harmony and to overcome daily challenges. I felt honored to be part of this close-nit, adorable family for a delicious moment.

Les Trois-Îlets in Martinique (france-voyage.com)

In south-west Martinique, on Le Diamant peninsula opposite Fort-de-France Bay, the coastal community of Les Trois-Îlets offers a most pleasant environment, traversed by the Coves Road (Route des Anses). Before going to relax on the famous Mitan Cove beach or taking a walk along the marina docks at Le Bout headland, take a little tour of the typical town of Les Trois-Îlets, where you can visit the church where the future Empress Joséphine was christened. Then you can go shopping at the covered market or enjoy a stroll along the pleasant seafront.

There are also several places of interest to visit in the area. You can't miss the Pottery Village and its brickworks, in operation since the 18th century. Visitors and holidaymakers love the pottery workshops, arts and crafts, and gift shops. A little further along, towards Rivière-Salée, the Cane House (Maison de la Canne), based in an old distillery, welcomes you with its museum dedicated to the history of sugar cane, with a permanent exhibition entitled "A land, a plant, a people". You can also see temporary exhibitions as well as an area with exhibits about the rum-making process, before heading off to explore the lovely park with its old steam locomotive. Deep in the countryside of Les Trois-Îlets, at the edge of the forest, lies the Savannah of Slaves (Savane des Esclaves), a two-hectare park where you can learn more about Martinique's past and traditions. On a guided tour through the peaceful gardens, you'll see an old-fashioned village with traditional huts. You can learn about the history of slavery in the Antilles, see how local products like manioc flour and cocoa sticks are made, and discover the beneficial properties of Caribbean plants.

The Pagerie estate, located within the territory of the municipality, is famous as the birthplace of a famous figure in French history: Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, aka Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon Bonaparte's first wife, was born there on 23 June 1763. The Pagerie museum, entirely devoted to the empress' memory, is based in an old 18th-century plantation house and tells the story of Joséphine's life through a collection of letters, autographs and other rare period objects.

Bela Beach (wanderlog)

Highly recommended, Bela Beach is an outstanding establishment that offers delicious food and a wide selection of cocktails. Located in the north, it is a must-visit destination for those looking to enjoy the beach at Saint Pierre. The restaurant boasts a perfect holiday atmosphere with friendly staff and fast service. Additionally, they provide wifi for their customers' convenience. With its amazing view and frequent waiter check-ups, Bela Beach ensures a memorable dining experience.

Saint-Pierre (Fodors)

The rise and fall of St-Pierre is one of the most remarkable stories in the Caribbean and one of its worst disasters. Martinique's modern history began here in 1635. By the turn of the 20th century St-Pierre was a flourishing city of 30,000, known as the Paris of the West Indies. As many as 30 ships at a time stood at anchor. By 1902 it was the most modern town in the Caribbean, with electricity, phones, and a tram. On May 8, 1902, two thunderous explosions rent the air. As the nearby volcano erupted, Mont Pelée split in half, belching forth a cloud of burning ash, poisonous gas, and lava that raced down the mountain at 250 mph. At 3,600°F, it instantly vaporized everything in its path; 30,000 people were killed in two minutes.

Like stage sets for a dramatic opera, there are the ruins of the island's first church (built in 1640), the imposing theater, and the toppled statues. This city, situated on its naturally beautiful harbor and with its narrow, winding streets, has the feel of a European seaside hill town. With every footstep, you touch a page of history. Although many of the historic buildings need work, stark modernism has not invaded this burg. As much potential as it has, this is one place in Martinique where real estate is cheap—for obvious reasons. There is now a recommendable small hotel on the bay, Villa St-Pierre, as well as ferry service between the town and Guadeloupe. A restoration/urban renewal project has been started by architecture students, with strong input from the residents, historians, sociologists, and city planners, as to how to beautify this historic port with such a tragic past.

St-Pierre has 15 of the 30 classified historical monuments on Martinique. The active phase of the Great Saint Pierre Project is about to begin with the primary purpose of remaking the town into what it should never have ceased to be, a town of history and art, and the heart of the northern coast. What is immediately noticeable at the entrance to St-Pierre are sculptures completed by island visual artists that are being referred to as totem poles.

April 18

We ended up in a beach restaurant for a drink, which is just in front of Wanderlust. Chris, Viatrix and Ernst, who had stayed on the boat,  came over to take us back to the boat.
 

April 21

Apero, including a swim, was at the beach restaurant and bar close to our boat.
 
The sunset was spectacular, again. 
 
From Marigot Bay in St. Lucia to Saint-Pierre in Martinique - Amazing 2 1/2 Weeks on the Catamaran Sailboat "Wanderlust" in the Caribbean, with Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst (April 2026)
See: From Marigot Bay in St. Lucia to Saint-Pierre in Martinique - Amazing 2 1/2 Weeks on the Catamaran Sailboat "Wanderlust" in the Caribbean, with Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst (April 2026)

Related Postings on schiller-wine:
  
From Marigot Bay in St. Lucia to Saint-Pierre in Martinique - Amazing 2 1/2 Weeks on the Catamaran Sailboat "Wanderlust" in the Caribbean, with Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst (April 2026)
 
Bison Steak Tartare from Canada with a Madiran Rouge from France at Gaspar Brasserie Française in Montreal, Canada, the Largest City in America, where French is the Primary Language (April 2026)

Apero at Chateau Mygo and Dinner at Doolittle's Restaurant and Bar, Marigot Beach Club and Dive Resort, Marigot Bay, St. Lucia - Amazing 2 1/2 Weeks on the Catamaran Sailboat "Wanderlust" in the Caribbean, with Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst (April 2026)  
 
Apero at Chateau Mygo and Dinner at JJ's Mangrove Dockside, Marigot Bay, St. Lucia - Amazing 2 1/2 Weeks on the Catamaran Sailboat "Wanderlust" in the Caribbean, with Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst (April 2026)

"Plateau du Pêcheur" and "Vin Blanc en Pichet" at Restaurant La Marine in Les Trois Îlets, Martinique - Amazing 2 1/2 Weeks on the Catamaran Sailboat "Wanderlust" in the Caribbean, with Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst (April 2026)  

Apero, Dinner, After-dinner Drink on the "Wanderlust" - Amazing 2 1/2 Weeks on the Catamaran Sailboat "Wanderlust" in the Caribbean, with Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst (April 2026) 

Dinner at L'Ilôt du 
Bout Restaurant/ Bar in Les Trois-Îlets, Martinique - Amazing 2 1/2 
Weeks on the Catamaran Sailboat "Wanderlust" in the Caribbean, with 
Chris, Cornelia, Viatrix and Ernst (April 2026)