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Groundhog Day Wine Tasting | ||
Gung Hay Fat Choy! It's the Year of the Pig and celebration is in order. But first, some old business. As you might recall, Alexander Valley was the theme of the Groundhog Day affair. We only had a skeleton crew... but with excellent bone structure. And with a bottle a piece, no one went home thirsty. Libations included: BlackSmith, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Seghesio Home Valley Ranch, Zinfandel 2004 St. Francis, Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Ferrari-Carano, Syrah 2002 Roth, Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Rodney Strong, Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 A little italian truffle cheese and Barron's sausages rounded out the offerings. Big thanks to Ed Ramos @ Old Castle Mortgage for opening his warehouse office to us for Groundhog Day indulgences. Gods willing, we'll be back, as Brother Ed is most hospitable and his is an excellent space. In more recent news... Last Thursday (2/15) was Lupercalia* and the scene of another intimate Dionysian affair. Though Lupercalia is really the time to lightly strike fair maidens with the februa, we decided to cook for them instead. (Besides, most of our fair maidens don't really want more kids;-) Yes, the boys cooked for the girls -- and it appeared that the offering was quite well-received. On the menu: 1. Oysters & Champagne (Schramsberg "Mirabelle" & Veuve Cliquot Brut) 2. Seared shrimp atop vermicelli w/butter & fresh herbs (Ca'rossa, Arneis, 2005) 3. Lamb w/green beans in vinegar reduction on a bed of cheesy polenta (Marquis Phillips #9 Shiraz 2004 & Blacksmith "Adamantine" 2004) 4. Orange & fennel Salad w/Kalamata olives 5. Three cheese plate w/quince jelly & Marcona almonds (Smith-Woodehouse, Ruby Port, 1992) 6. Apple tartin w/vanilla & caramel ice cream Having already established the fertility of womb, the assembled toasted fertility of thought and herbaceous growth instead. Huzzah. This is the sort of feasting we'd like to see more of. Special thanks to Alameda lawyer, Steve Chabre, for opening his heart and house to us. Hard to believe we pulled off dinner without interruption despite the presence of eight kids buzzing around in the next room. Thank goodness for Mary Poppins, too. Meanwhile, to honor the Year of the Pig, I'm offering the first two respondents to this email the opportunity to join me after work for some Jamon Serrano and Manchego cheese along with another Alexander Valley selection, or a nice Priorat. Or both. Your choice. Who loves ya, Babe? Otherwise, the next gathering(s) will be in March. Time and location TBA. Feel free to chime in with your suggestions for date, location, wine, or ritual. Currently up for consideration: 3/03 - Full Moon** (Saturday) 3/15 - Ides of March*** (Thursday) 3/20 - Vernal Equinox**** (Tuesday ) My cup runneth over...
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| Wine, Fertility, Creative Ecstasy | ||