Cirque Du Salahi: Be Careful Who You Trust by Diane Dimond Read Free Book Online

empty land,” Michaele said. “And I realized no shopping, no restaurants, no high fashion anywhere close-by. But I was okay with that.” She smiled and bobbed her head as she delivered the last line as if to say she realized she’d finally found the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

     
    Their wedding took place at the grand St. Matthew’s Cathedral in the heart of Washington, DC on November 1, 2003. The nation had come to know the Cathedral as the backdrop of the dramatic 1963 salute of little John-John Kennedy to his father’s casket as it was driven away to Arlington Cemetery. But on this day, the Cathedral was packed with one thousand happy guests. Michaele wore an elegant long white satin dress with spaghetti straps and a floor length diaphanous veil. Tareq was in a white tuxedo and each of the thirty bridesmaids and flower girls carried a small white bouquet. Artful arrangements of white calla lilies were scattered along the massive marble alter and outside, after the Catholic mass, the newlyweds released white doves. Speakers included Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and the Ambassador to Ireland Margaret Heckler. Grammy winning artist Claude McKnight sang for the happy couple and their guests. Naturally the lavish reception took place at the Oasis Vineyards.
    No matter what the mothers of the bride and groom were thinking that day, a video of the event confirms everyone seemed happy—for the moment.

     
    In addition to their daily wine tastings, Oasis Vineyard hosted a few special events each year. The younger Salahi couple wanted to expand that. But strict local zoning laws limited the number of events each winery could have to just twelve per year.
    “If you had your extended family over for Thanksgiving dinner,” Michaele explained, “that was considered one of your ‘events’ for the year. It was crazy! Fauquier County was like the old movie, Footloose, ” Michaele continued, “It’s as though none of the leaders wanted anyone to have any fun!” Tareq and Michaele banded with other vineyard owners, lobbied politicians in Richmond, and ultimately got the law changed.
    Tareq also joined in another fight, first started by a feisty seventy-something Virginia winemaker named Juanita Swedenburg, who believed it was unconstitutional that wineries were not allowed to ship product direct to consumers out of state. It would become a five year long legal battle which wound up at the U.S. Supreme Court. By all accounts, Tareq worked hard buttonholing every politician and bigwig he knew to convince them what was good business for the commonwealth’s wineries was good business for everyone in Virginia. A month after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of direct out-of-state sales, Tareq threw a massive red carpet party at Oasis Vineyards. The VIP guests were welcomed by founding father look-a-likes: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The guest list included high ranking state and national politicians and ambassadors.
    Tim Kaine, then serving as Virginia’s Lt. Governor was unable to attend the five hundred person party but made sure to videotape a special message to be played at the event.
     
Tareq and Michaele, this is Tim Kaine, just to say congratulations to you guys and I wish I could be with you today. It was a great ruling for the Constitution, but more importantly for wine, when the Supreme Court ruled that direct shipment across state lines was something that should be allowed. I know Oasis Vineyard has played a key role in growing the wine industry in Virginia, and this recent ruling will help you do an even better job. I know Governor Warner and I and a lot of other Virginians gather in thanking you for your role in the Virginia wine industry in celebrating this great Virginia tradition begun by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. And as we get ready to go into the commemoration of Virginia’s 400th Anniversary, the growth of our wine industry that you guys