By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts
Wednesday, November 7, 2007

If you've ever wandered the Smithsonian and thought, "This is great, but . . . where's the Barry Manilow exhibit?" -- well, trust us, the explanation is more complex than you might think.

OK! magazine, in a story echoed across the gossip-blog universe, reported this week that museum officials "recently returned" the kitschy, puffy-sleeved jacket the crooner frequently wore performing his 1978 hit "Copacabana" -- apparently, Manilow told the mag, they were offended by his making fun of it. "There's no sense of humor at the Smithsonian," he said.

Well, actually Manilow has been telling self-deprecating variations on this story in interviews for years. In fact, Smithsonian officials say, discussions about the costume ended a decade ago -- and the museum never actually took possession of the jacket.

When Manilow's tour was coming through D.C. back in 1997, his reps offered the jacket to curators for the pop-cult collection, which includes Judy Garland's ruby slippers and Mister Rogers's cardigan. Spokeswoman Valeska Hilbig says the museum was intrigued and was working to arrange the donation. But then Manilow gave an interview to The Post joking that the jacket "made me look like Big Bird on acid. It got me in a lot of trouble, and I'm glad to get rid of it."

The Smithsonian's reaction? "We wouldn't want to collect anything he felt uncomfortable with," Hilbig told us yesterday. Museum officials called Manilow's people to see if there was something else he'd be more proud to donate. "And we never heard anything else," Hilbig said. Manilow's reps didn't return a call for comment yesterday.

The saga of Northern Virginia's Oasis Winery was back in court yesterday morning -- and the vineyard, shuttered for a week, was back in business by mid-afternoon.

A "Falcon Crest"-style family feud between founder Corinne Salahi and her polo-playing son, Tareq, came to a head last week when a court-appointed receiver assigned to settle the dispute issued a "no trespassing" order and directed Tareq and his wife off the property.

Yesterday, Fauquier County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Parker scheduled a Nov. 27 date to consider three buyers vying to win the $4 million estate: Tareq Salahi, Tuscan Ventures (rumored to be a front for NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal, who spent much of the summer hanging around the place) and an unnamed third party who insiders say is a local businessman who plans to lease the vineyard in Hume back to Tareq.

After the hearing, court receiver Huntley Thorpe and lawyers for the warring mother and son sat down to work on a deal. Thorpe also reopened the winery under Tareq's management. Says his lawyer Paul Morrison: "Oasis is back in business."

Buyer: LaRon Landry

Price: $2.3 million

Details: The Redskins rookie recently picked up his starter home -- a 7,700-square-foot brick colonial in Leesburg with five bedrooms, 4 61/2 7 baths, and media, game and exercise rooms. The 23-year-old safety signed a five-year, $41.5 million deal with the team; now he's got a crash pad for brother Dawan (a safety for the Ravens) and any of his '07 LSU classmates who pass through town.

Engaged: Democratic operative Christine Pelosi, 41, and filmmaker Peter Kaufman, 47. She's the DNC member, former Hill staffer and adviser to/daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now on a book tour promoting her candidate how-to, "Campaign Boot Camp." He's the producer-son of director Philip Kaufman who collaborated with his dad on projects like "Quills" and "Henry & June." The San Francisco-based duo met at a dinner party, courted at Giants games; no wedding date yet.