I will always say that getting together with people, breaking bread and sipping wine is what life is all about.

Of course when Jessup Cellars selections are involved; let’s just say it doesn’t get much better than that!

Our evening began with a structured tasting. To start with we served the exceptional “Red Drinker’s White Wine,” also known as Jessup’s absolutely stunning 2010 Chardonnay. We had a few “red wine only” drinkers in attendance and easily made converts out of them after their first sip! I have said it before and I’ll say it again…don’t miss this one!

Next, we swirled the newly released 09 Zinfandel which performed flawlessly.

Then off to the 08 Yolo Petit Sirah (which never disappoints). It is so big and inky…the smokiness in this wine is captivating…

The 08 Table for Four, as I have stated before, is always a knockout. A truly charismatic offering that is a hands down winner every time! Perfectly balanced with very well rounded edges.

Then came the curve ball; Manny’s Blend. In my prior tastings I have never introduced the Manny’s Blend. It was perfect timing I guess because the 08 Manny’s Blend wowed our guests! While this offering is mostly dry, it has a slight bit of residual sugar that gives it a distinctive “jamminess.” Even thought this wine made a short appearance, it was the discussion point for most of the remainder of the evening.

On to appetizers!

First out were Vegetable Stuffed Mushrooms that were delightfully paired with the 2010 Chardonnay followed by Eggplant & Tomato Bites paired with the 09 Zinfandel as was the Bruschetta.

Then came the sit down…Citrus Vinaigrette Green Salad followed by our main course of masterfully prepared Stuffed Flank Steak complemented with Potato, Speck and Leek Parcels and Pancetta-Wrapped Asparagus with Citronette.

The Chardonnay was paired with the salad course and Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus. We paired the Table for Four and Petit Sirah with the Stuffed Flank Steak and Potato, Speck and Leek Parcels.

Every dish we had up to this point with each wine pairing was truly top shelf.

As if it couldn’t get any better…dessert was the final chapter and OMG!!!!!!

The very best home-made Crème Brule EVER!!!! Impeccably prepared in every way and to every degree. Paired spectacularly with the Jessup 06 Zinfandel Port.

Accompanying this dessert course was also a light chocolate mousse Swiss Roll with dark Chocolate Ganache.

A big shout out to “Chef Dan” and Diana Pelletier for hosting at their home and for all the fantastic food prepared by the attendees. And a special thanks to Phil for the most amazing Crème Brule (which we are all still talking about).

This evening could not have happened without Jessup Cellars and their absolutely beautiful wines and excellent pairings throughout.

My close friends have been referring to me these last 9 months as Mr. Ambassador (etc)…I’m starting to think I will miss that a little as my Jessup Ambassadorship has come to an end. I’ve enjoyed writing and communicating to you all over the past moths. Who knows, maybe I will get invited back for another go round in the not too distant future…never can say goodbye!

But until then always remember to get out there and go wine tasting!!!!!!

CHEERS!

Certainly not our last wine dinner, these are too much fun!!!!!

Get out there and taste wine people!!!!!!
What do I mean? Well, I believe people need to taste more wine.  Shortly after getting into wine many years ago, a known winemaker shared the secret to a good palate with me.  He advised that I TASTE, TASTE, TASTE.  Like anything, to get good requires lots of practice – or just doing.

Whenever possible, taste wine.  Go to wine bars, attend tastings, get together with friends and open several bottles, or just get together with a loved one and pop the cork on something special.

And most importantly…form your own opinions about wine.  Stop looking at scores, reading tasting notes, asking wine store clerks or choosing a bottle based on the label. Sure wine critics are useful.  But all these critics know is what appeals to THEM…what wines THEY like…they have no idea if YOU will like the wine or not. Try to find stores offering tastings and taste the wine before you buy it…it is the best way to ensure you will love your wine!

Ohhh…one more thing – wine should be fun…remember not to take it TOO seriously!

I learned a TON being involved with the Jessup Cellars Ambassador program and I will continue to learn (and enjoy) thanks to this relationship. As we prepare for the final Jessup Cellars Wine Tasting and Dinner (as an Ambassador), I reflect back to our very first event. We had some of our closest friends who assisted in preparing a phenomenal menu to pair with Jessup Cellars’ most amazing wines. The result was enlightening and educational.

When foods are paired with perfection to flavors, the end result can be an incredible experience…and in this case it absolutely did not disappoint.

In a about a week’s time from now I will share in our last “arranged” Jessup Cellars Wine Tasting and Dinner as an official Ambassador. With that, there is a bit of sadness as I have truly enjoyed the experience from the start. It has been both fulfilling and informative. Met many new people along the way and have enjoyed every second of it! The Jessup Family has opened their arms to their new extended family and for this I am personally grateful. I will appreciate our relationship for many years to come.

As stated in my 2011 year-ending Blog, I have joined Jessup Cellars’ Wine Club going forward and look forward to receiving my first shipment in March; tasting the new wines then stocking up on all my favorites to enjoy year round.

I learned the 2010 vintage of Jessup Cellars Chardonnay has just been released so we are looking forward to that as we missed out on stocking up on the AMAZING 09, which was one of those “WOW” wines.

“He who hesitates is lost…” (Not this time!)

As the menu is prepared for our final installment, wines selected and properly paired to flavors of the dinner, there is an excitement that accompanies this preparation (at least for me). It may be my finishing touch as an official Jessup Cellars Ambassador but certainly will NOT be the last.

(This is just too much fun!)

Taste wine and taste often!

Happy Wine Tasting!

Cheers!

I never understood this idea, and am even more perplexed in realizing this is probably a fairly old thing. According to my sources, the heart-shaped cheese hails from France. The French are pretty traditional about their food, especially cheese, which leads me to believe this notion has been around for a while. I can only imagine, a century ago, a lonely French cheesemaker pining for the lovely maiden that frequents his cheese shop. Unable to summon the courage to tell her how he feels, he whips up a heart-shaped Camembert and presents it to her, hoping his intention is loud and clear. Ah, l’amour. I personally have never tried a heart-shaped cheese. But for those of you willing to take the plunge, there is plenty to chose from that would pair nicely with a glass of Jessup wine: Coeur de Berry, Coeur d’Arras, Coeur d’Avesnes and a few American versions as well. Remember, you can always get out your heart-shaped cookie cutter and take it to any cheese you like (maybe you’ll get points for being creative too).

There is still time to take advantage of the 
Valentine’s Day Gift Pack | Jessup Cellars!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

CHEERS!

There are, however, a few gifts that might make my wine country life more complete if I were lucky enough to have that dream come true. Here are just a few items that would be on my wish list:

• Joe Montana’s House in Calistoga. So what if it’s $49 million? The photos are incredible and for that much money it must include hang-around time with Joe and a big crew to take out the garbage.

• A pass that allows me to cut to the front of the line at Taylor’s Refresher without anyone getting mad at me.

• Speed bumps on the road in front of my house. Warning signs of mudslides, oil spills or nails in the road might do the same thing; I am flexible.

• Delivery of pastries (including those English Muffins, yum!) every day from the Model Bakery. A cappuccino, too, while we are at it.

• An instant populated wine cellar. Easily accomplished if each winery in Napa sent me just one bottle care of this blog. I promise to try it and share with my friends and family.

• A magic stop light that, once activated, would allow me to stop all surrounding traffic in order to make left hand turns onto Highway 29.

• An exorbitant offer from someone who is just driving by our house and decides they want to buy it. Then we could have a family meeting so that we could respond with an emphatic, “No!”

• The miracle wine glass repair sphere. No matter how badly shattered or chipped the wine glass is, stick the pieces in and voilà; a new expensive-looking glass.

• Karma signs out in front of the house. Instead of saying, “No Winery this Lane” or “Tasting Hours 11-5,” the karma sign would tell potential visitors whether you feel like having them or not. The sign could flash, “Sorry, Not Today,” or “Lucky You, We are Here and Feel Like It, So Come On In!”

• Every winery selling out of all the wines that they want to sell.

OK, so this list is similar to one I compiled not long ago that included motorcycles, a case of La Tache DRC and a date with Sandra Bullock. Probably not going to happen. No, NOT going to happen and I am glad for it (well maybe not the DRC part).

We are all in our own special place and that is a daily gift.  Remember that when in Napa, you are in a place that people come from all over the world to experience the gifts the Valley has to offer.

All I want is time — time with my family and friends, time to spend in wine country, and the satisfaction that this is all I need.

Cheers!

2011 was filled with many new experiences and my Jessup Cellars involvement was clearly the brightest star in its center. Through this relationship I was given the ability to share not only my own personal love for the Napa Valley and what it has to offer but also being given their vision of what they see “in the business”. These experiences will last a lifetime….I am very lucky in this regard.

I look forward to a continued strong relationship with these tremendous people and also to enjoying more of their fantastic wines year in and year out! I am joining the Jessup Cellars Wine Club in January 2012 and I encourage all of my readers to do the same.

Since my professional life has made it difficult for me to post my regular blog here during the normal cycle in the last few weeks with the other Jessup Ambassadors, I felt strongly about writing one more before the end of 2011.

Below is the culmination of some reading and a bit more researching I did surrounding the health benefits of wine (since I like to enjoy it so much). I found it fascinating, I hope you do too!

Health Benefits of Wine

Many claims about the health benefits of wine have been made by medical experts and touted by the medical industry. How true are they?

The most famous claim is the French Paradox, which was commercialized on 60 Minutes in 1991. It was based on research conducted by Dr. Serge Renard from Bordeaux University, which is located in one of France’s main wine-producing regions. According to Dr. Renard, the French have a diet that is high in saturated fats, consuming 4 times as much butter and 60% more cheese than the average American (hmm, guess I might have some French in me?). But oddly, they suffer a relatively low incidence of heart disease compared to Americans. Dr. Renard attributed this to the ability of red wine to help prevent heart disease. (Another glass of Red please!)

Of course, there are other differences between the French and American diets. For instance, the French eat slightly less in a day than Americans do, and they consume 75% of their meals at home, while Americans consume nearly half of their meals outside the home, often at a fast food restaurant. However, subsequent studies have backed up Dr. Renard’s advocacy of wine’s health benefits. (Another glass of red please!!)

Red wine contains resveratrol, which has been shown to lower blood sugar and increase longevity in some animals, but not conclusively in humans. Both red and white wine contain antioxidants, which have all sorts of mildly beneficial effects, like improving brain function and reducing stroke risks. (Yet another glass of wine please!!!)

Additionally, numerous studies have shown a “U-shaped effect” when graphing longevity against alcohol consumption, in which moderate drinkers of 1 to 6 drinks per week were shown to live longer than either individuals who drank heavily or individuals who abstained. (I am ready for a glass of Port please!!!!)

Another report from 1998 shows that moderate wine consumption reduced the risk of stroke in test subjects. Beer and spirits did not produce a similar effect. The authors of the survey attributed this to the flavonoids and tannins contained in wine. (More plusses for wine!!!!)

While moderate wine consumption may be good for you, don’t look to wine on its own to counteract the effects of an otherwise unhealthy diet. Dr. Philip J. Goscienski points out that the French also consume more leafy green vegetables than Americans. Green vegetables are high in folic acid, which lowers blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks.

Like any alcoholic substance, too much wine can produce other negative effects, such as hangovers and liver damage. According to India Parenting, 5 glasses of wine a week has been shown to be optimal for enjoying wine’s health benefits, without overdrinking and suffering the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption.

Lucky for me I have learned how to avoid hangovers when drinking wine…the liver thing? Well so far so good.

A Very Happy and Healthy New Year to you and your families!

Raise another glass of red (or white) and say…….CHEERS!

“Zinfandel. The all-American wine with the all-American dinner.”

“Gewürztraminer, the natural match for turkey.”

“Why not try Beaujolais Nouveau? ‘Tis the season, and it goes with everything!”

The “What Wine to Pair with the Thanksgiving Meal” newspaper column is about as dried-up as grandma’s turkey. I’m not going to write it. Have whatever you want, because everything works at that meal (except Gewürztraminer). I think that what you have before and what you have after the meal is more important than what you drink with the meal itself.

Any good Thanksgiving should involve a lot of drinking. It’s the American way. But contrary to popular assumption, the drink doesn’t have to be American. After all, the Pilgrims we’re collectively honoring were more British than American. And if we wanted a real American drink, we’d be consuming hard cider on Thanksgiving, which was by far our country’s most popular and widespread alcoholic beverage until the industrial revolution.

In fact, because it’s such a big meal and we all end up eating too much, I propose a more European approach the whole affair. Thanksgiving should begin with aperitifs and end with digestifs. With dessert there should be dessert wine, and it should be consumed before coffee, not with.

Before dinner, just a bit to get the stomach juices flowing is always appropriate. Even though there’s football on, beer will fill you up. I suggest honoring our country’s French heritage with champagne or another sparkling wine. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, but something with bubbles always stimulates the taste buds and reminds us that we should be happy and celebrating. It says, “Sister, stop arguing with mom about how much cream should go in the mashed potatoes and be thankful for being together.” Try a nice non-vintage Brut, a lighter one like Perrier-Jouët, so you don’t fill up.

If you are not having champagne, try a Campari and soda while watching the game. First of all, love the red color of the drink – very festive. Second, it’s completely refreshing and the bitterness stimulates the appetite, getting diners ready for the meal. In Italy, Campari is served with only minimal soda water, a few ice cubes and a slice of orange in the drink. I tend to like mine more dilute, with more ice and a squeeze of lime. But it’s one of those things where you have to find your own balance.

After the meal, most people don’t go into dessert wines. But pumpkin pie, especially, is very wine friendly that pairs nicely with Moscato d’Asti, a light and lightly sweet sparkling wine from northern Italy. But other drinks work as well. A Sauternes can be wonderfully earthy and autumnal, in a way that seems to say “November,” the month when a lot of those grapes would be harvested. If you’re having pecan pie, try something nutty like a tawny port; maybe a Dow 20 Yr. old.

If you don’t like port, an off-dry oloroso sherry can serve much the same purpose with a nutty dessert.

Finally, after the meal, it’s time to kick back and watch the last game. This is where an after-dinner drink can be just the right speed as you loosen that belt and recline into the couch. Here’s where I like to go all American. While it’s not a classic digestif, it feels good to close a hard-day’s eating with a great bourbon. We could make a joke about the appropriateness of Wild Turkey, but I prefer something a little more handcrafted. Knob Creek is delicious with notes of vanilla strongly perfuming the aroma. And Booker’s (my personal favorite) has a nice spicy flavor.

Of course, don’t drink too much and too fast. These beverages are meant, like the lazy day and the opulent meal themselves, to be savored and contemplated. In fact, I like to savor and contemplate so much that I’m usually asleep by the fourth quarter.

CHEERS!

Wine can be an excellent accompaniment to a delicious meal, so it’s good to experiment until you find the suiting taste. In order to help you, I’ve devoted this blog to some advice about wine choosing.

Why is wine so important?

Wine has become a very important part of the meal (especially dinner), not only because it tastes good and in moderate amounts it’s very healthy, but also because an appropriate wine can enhance/upgrade the flavor of food. Wine cleans the palate area and zooms in on certain tastes while it counteracts the strong salty or bitter tastes. Actually wine can be used as any other spice.

Why is it so important to choose the right wine?

Even though we’ve said that wine can improve the taste of some foods, it can also ruin it changing it into a metallic, bitter or too sweet of a flavor. Some people dedicate their whole career to this art of paring a certain type of wine with food, having in mind the type of grapes it’s made from, the place where they’ve been stored, the age of the wine, etc.

Nevertheless, you don’t have to be a wine fanatic in order to choose the right wine for dinner.

What are the most important factors in wine choosing?

A good wine connoisseur can quickly detect all the flavors in a glass of wine and use them in order to perfectly match the food. However, for those of us wine novices, here’s some simple advice:

Consistency

A rough wine should be associated with strongly flavored food. Contrariwise you risk that the wine’s taste will overwhelm the food’s taste. For example, a strong merlot should be served with a very spicy lamb roast but never with grilled fish and lemon.

Flavor

Sweet wines go along very nicely with desserts and sweet flavored main courses, while wines that are a bit more acid and dry better accompany spicy sauces, salad dressings and salty food. Bitter wines counteract the bitter taste of sour foods. It’s also a good idea to make sure that the wines flavor is slightly stronger than the foods flavor. Otherwise the wine will seem a bit sour. For example don’t serve a very sweet desert with a semi-sweet wine.

Alcohol

Usually as a wine’s alcohol concentration is lower, the more appropriate it is to accompany a meal. Generally, it’s recommended you associate wines with foods that have the same characteristics (sweet wines with sweet foods, bitter wines with salty, spicy foods etc.). This also goes for the foods and wines color: combine white wines with white meat and red wines with red meat. Most of the red wines contain a bitter substance, called tannin, which best fits fat red meat (pork, veal).

Last two pieces of advice

Now that you’ve been familiarized with some of the basic food rules, we’ll let you in on a little secret: it’s okay to experiment every once in a while, even with tastes that theoretically wouldn’t match. There’s no strict wine rule, so don’t be afraid of experiments. Now follow the last two pieces of advice I’m going to give you:

Match the wine with your guests. You might think that a nice Riesling goes along with your seafood menu, but if your guests drink only red wine, they might not be too happy about your choice. So try to be a bit more attentive to the people that will be drinking the wine before you choose it.

Surprise mixes can be good. Like some cooks mix a pungent sauce with a sweet dessert, sometimes when breaking the rules it’s possible to get a delicious result. Don’t be afraid to experiment, especially when you tend to become a wine connoisseur.

CHEERS!

Our second hosted Jessup Cellars wine tasting and dinner was just last weekend. The venue was Prizzi’s Restaurant, newly relocated from Franklin Village in Hollywood, CA. Prizzi’s is now over the hill to Burbank, located in the Disney Building; a much larger location.

Droves of Franklin Village-ites from Hollywood are digging an underground tunnel to Burbank because their prized Prizziʼs has moved. Not really, but Burbank has earned a major coup with this premier Italian eatery. From 1989 when Prizziʼs was a hole-in-the-wall deli to its present incarnation as a full restaurant and bar, the distinctive, delicious taste of Prizziʼs has been the guiding constant through four decades of Italian cuisine.

The Willner family has been behind the scenes since the beginning. Brothers Larry and Barry run the day-to-day with an eye for superb service and flavor. As kids, they, along with their two siblings, grew up cooking as a hobby. Barry speaks fondly of their mother in the kitchen: “Mom was an incredible cook; she took family recipes and truly made them her own – with all different types of food.” As a tribute to their late mother, they named their private dining room in her honor, Sarah’s Room. When it came time to expand recently in Franklin Village, they found that they were going to need a bigger location, and the Valley came a’ callin’.

“We wanted more of a neighborhood feel, a place where more people could experience our food,” Barry says.

Warning: Highly Addictive! Everything is made fresh on premise daily; that includes all desserts, pastries, scones, muffins and pizza dough. What’s kept Prizzi’s in business so long is their goal to constantly exceed expectations, a full and varied menu, a killer wine list – all reasonably priced — this seems to be the makings of a beautiful relationship.

The group invited/assembled for this tasting had never heard of Jessup Cellars before and most were very well versed in the world of wine. I knew this was going to be interesting!

The team at Jessup Cellars provided an excellent wine tasting menu to begin the evening, and went on to pair their wines with the incredible pre-selected menu items from Prizzi’s…..

For the wine tasting portion that began the evening, guests were introduced to:

2010 Sauvignon Blanc – As the first act to our tasting, this gem did not disappoint. A few guests stated that while they are not traditionally fans of this type of wine, they were clearly surprised with its flavor profile and perfect balance. Converts for sure!

2009 Pinot Noir, Napa Valley – Notes of a Coffee aroma in the glass were present right away. This wine offered a smokiness that pared perfectly with the Bruschetta. Many were “wow’ed” by this…(Ah! But we knew what was to come!)

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon – Lovely, inky, ruby color…this juicy Cabernet was long on aroma wafting from the glass. One sip and it’s got you!

2008 Juel – A Merlot based “Right Bank” blend; 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Savignon and 10% Cab Franc. This is a well rounded impressively crafted elixir guaranteed to please and certainly did not disappoint.

2008 Table for Four – A huge crowd pleaser with a make-up of 65% Cabernet Savignon, 15% Merlot, 15% Cab Franc and 5% Petit Sirah which adds a jammy component to an already very rich, complex blend. Might have been considered the “Belle of the Ball” however the table was evenly split with the 08 Juel in that department.

2007 Zinfandel Port – There was a raspberry, strawberry fruit component right up front. This wine is not overtly sweet and syrupy but rather a lighter mouth feel, offering a more flavor filled complex taste on the palette. It paired lusciously with the Panne Cotta served at the end of the meal.

Dinner menu and parings:

Kale Salad – Kale, Crushed Pistachios, Pecorino Romano tossed in a Spicy Lemon Vinaigrette (2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Jessup Cellars)

Bruschetta – Grilled Country Bread, Garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Roma Tomatoes, Scallions, Fresh Basil (2009 Pinot Noir Napa Valley, Jessup Cellars)

Choice of:

Invotini di Salmone – Fresh Atlantic Salmon stuffed with Goat Cheese, Grilled Vegetables, Basil, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, Onions & Garlic poached in a reduction of Seafood Stock and White Wine, served with Sautéed Baby Spinach (2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Jessup Cellars)

-OR-

Bistecca Alla Griglia – 8 oz. Filet Mignon, served with a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce and Spinach-Garlic Mashed Potatoes (2008 Table for Four)

Vanilla Panna Cotta – Italian cooked cream made with fresh Madagascar Vanilla Bean and served with a fresh Berry Coulis (2007 Zinfandel Port, Jessup Cellars)

In addition to all of the above, we were treated to a wee dram of a very special bottling of Glennfiddich called “Snow Phoenix”.

Released late in 2010, this special one-off bottling is from a distillery that rarely does this bottling. Special one-off bottling has garnered a lot of buzz with its compelling back story. In January 2010, thanks to an especially snow-filled winter, some of Glenfiddich’s warehouse roofs reached their snow load-bearing limits and decided to collapse without considering the feelings of those sensitive spirit-filled casks within. These casks, some ex-bourbon, some ex-Oloroso, sat shivering in the snow, exposed to sub-zero temps while crews worked furiously to get all involved into a warmer setting. Malt Master Brian Kinsman decided to create a special edition commemorating the event, vatting a selection of whiskies ranging from 12 to 30 years old, bottling it non-chill filtered at a slightly higher proof, and giving it its myth-inspired name.

Big shout out to Prizzi’s Ristorante for allowing us to co-host this event at their establishment. The food was perfectly paired with the Jessup selections.

CHEERS!

Wine is produced from fermentation, usually fruit, primarily grapes (almost anything organic with sugar can be fermented to produce an alcoholic beverage – grain, vegetables, even milk). The fruits are harvested, crushed, fermented, and then aged. The fermentation process produces the alcohol content, while the aging process contributes greatly to the flavors. The juice is made up of chemical compounds, including sugars, volatile organics, and alcohols. It is the interaction of these molecules that produces the aroma and flavor of the wine. Wine can contain hundreds of different molecules that alone or in combination, can produce an incredible variety of aromas.

The nose is an incredible organ (reference my previous blog, Food Pairing 101); it can distinguish thousands of different aromas, even those at a very low concentration. Throughout our lifetimes, we recognize and catalog aromas (good and bad), and relate them to life events, various foods, people, places, and things. These aromas are made up of molecules, known as volatile organic compounds, which create the scents that surround us.

Wine has been found to contain the same molecules that give scent to other plants and materials, and – when sniffed by a fearless wine taster – delivers those same aromas to us. Some wines have very distinct characteristics. The signature aroma of Syrah, for example, is pepper. The flavor of vanilla in wines that are aged in oak comes from vanillin, the same compound that gives vanilla its aroma, and the aroma of butter found in Chardonnay comes from the naturally occurring chemical diacetyl. Strangely enough, the only aroma that you do not get from wine is that of grape (other than wine made from muscat).

The reason that we are interested in the aroma of wine is that they give us a common language to describe the wine, and to quantify the reasons we like, or dislike, a particular wine. There’s been a lot written about the “myth” of being able to distinguish more than a few aromas or flavors from a particular wine; one proof offered is that different tasters will detect different aromas from the same wine, and the same taster will detect different characteristics from one wine tasted on different days. It is pretty easy to make a case against all of those arguments:

Different people have different sensitivity to the same aromas – in fact, it is possible to be “scent blind” to particular aromas, and hypersensitive to others.

Even though a bottling of wine might put the same wine in a variety of bottles, there’s no guarantee that the amount of oxygen is the same, or that the exposure to oxygen during the bottling process doesn’t affect the wine.

Trying wine from the same bottle on different days will certainly see differences, as the oxygen introduced from opening and pouring will have an effect on the wine.

Ultimately, wine is meant to be experienced by all the senses; so pour a glass, inhale those luxurious aromas, and enjoy!

CHEERS!

The event was hosted at the beautiful home of our good friends and fellow Laughsters, Dan and Diana. The theme was quite simple: just bring one Reserve Wine per person. Red or white, your choice. If it says “Reserve” on the label, good enough. As far as food offerings went, everybody was to bring hand-prepared, individual appetizers enough for about 20 or so guests. We definitely have a very imaginative group and this also extends to the food creative in all of us. More on that later.

Attire

As the invitation stated, “Originally, as the name implies, we wanted to have a formal black tie event; reality and the economics involved, however, have now set in. So, we are going to settle for any combination of black and white. If you want to wear a tux or cocktail dress, great! We’d love to see it. If you want to wear a tuxedo t-shirt, we’re game.” Needless to say it was quite the visual evening as well, from neckties to sexy heels.

 Wine

We were treated to some exceptional Reserve Chardonnay’s from Beringer’s Private Reserve and Justin to Tobin James. As we are certainly a dominantly red preferenced group, the selection was deep!

The oldest bottle on the table was a 2000 Stuart Cellars “Tatria” from Temecula, a Bordeaux blend that did not disappoint. We enjoyed the 04 Arrowood Cabernet from Sonoma, 06 Sterling SVR, 06 Chemin De Terre from Oregon, 08 Dunning (AKA stunning!) Zinfandel from Paso Robles, 08 Emotion Grand Reserve Château de La Meulière from France, as well as a handful of others that did not go un-noticed. Including a couple of blind bottles; one quite perfumed Cabernet Franc from Tobin James and Mertage which I never got a peak of the label.

Food

The food was equally up to the task as seemingly everyone went all out. Many canapé’s to choose from including two different takes on salmon. One was smoked salmon on cucumber slices with herbed crème’ fraiche and fresh dill. To name a few more, we indulged in rolled prosciutto and provolone stacks; salami and egg with spinach sour cream topped with sliced cornichon and chives; a puff pastry filled with asparagus, fresh garden tomatoes and three cheeses; prosciutto wrapped artichoke hearts in a sage white wine sauce atop toasted artisan bread; delectable wontons the size of small burritos with a sweet thai chili sauce; fresh fruit stacks, Serrano Chile Deviled Eggs…and the list goes on! Needless to say the food was amazing!

The evening’s feasting was topped by amazing chocolate mousse cups. The cups were made from shortbread and individually molded then filled and chilled…WOW!!!!!

The final course was complimented by a few dessert wines as well. Including an 08 Aresti Gewurztraminer Montemar; Heitz Ink Grade Port and a South Coast Black Jack Port.

At that point is was time to retire to the Cigar Room. Quite the evening indeed.

No way to call out fav’s on the food as there were so many VERY good eats.

My standout wines of the evening (not necessarily in order):

Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay, Napa

Dunning Zinfandel (Stunning!), Paso Robles

Chemin De Terre, Oregon

Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma

Sterling SVR, Napa

The 2000 Stuart Cellars “Tatria” from Temecula gets a special shout out as it was just flat out surprisingly delicious.

Until next time……Cheers!