We often participate in the Wall Street Journal "Open That Bottle Night" concept. The primary idea being to dink wine when you feel like it and not save stuff entirely for special occasions. The special occasion is when you want to drink it!
We have a pretty standardized format, although the attendees vary from year to year. Last night there were 11 of us in total. And there were 8 different wines.The lineup can be seen at this link OTBN 2020 Wine Line Up.
Our format is simple. Each "party" - solo or couple brings a wine that is special to them, and a dish to pair with it. We sequence the dishes so that we drink the wines in the right order. We also start with bubbles (this year the cremant de Bourgogne whose bottles are on the ends of the picture. With that we had some cheese straws, prosciutto wrapped asparagus, and goat cheese stuffed piquillos.
Once the event gets under way, we request that guest(s) who brought the next wine in sequence tells us about the wine and the dish. Then we try it, talk about it and generally carry-on. Thus for the 8 wines, there were 7 different dishes (some over achievers brought more than 1 dish.)
We have a pretty standardized format, although the attendees vary from year to year. Last night there were 11 of us in total. And there were 8 different wines.The lineup can be seen at this link OTBN 2020 Wine Line Up.
Our format is simple. Each "party" - solo or couple brings a wine that is special to them, and a dish to pair with it. We sequence the dishes so that we drink the wines in the right order. We also start with bubbles (this year the cremant de Bourgogne whose bottles are on the ends of the picture. With that we had some cheese straws, prosciutto wrapped asparagus, and goat cheese stuffed piquillos.
Once the event gets under way, we request that guest(s) who brought the next wine in sequence tells us about the wine and the dish. Then we try it, talk about it and generally carry-on. Thus for the 8 wines, there were 7 different dishes (some over achievers brought more than 1 dish.)
First Tasting
Wine: Simonnet Febvre Grand Cru Chablis 2016
Food: Country pate (pork, duck, chicken liver, pistachio, tart cherry, brandy + aromatics) with a salad of arugula, pink endive, and radish. A little cranberry mustard on the plate and a pecan vinegar/oil dressing.
The wine came from a tasting at a local restaurant (Rapscallion) where I had previously had it paired with Murder Point Gulf oysters. I generally stay away from raw gulf oysters, but the murder points were spectacular.
Second Tasting
Wine: Raventos i Blanc (2016) A delicate pink sparkling wine - described as being a "refrigerator wine" i.e. left behind by a friend after a very good party.
Food: A simple and delicious tomato pie with a side salad. Extremely tasty and perfect for the time of the year
Third Tasting
One of the guests was rather over-scheduled. No time to make something. But she did invite a local caterer to make a dish, and it was excellent!
Wine: Stags Leap :Karia" Chardonnay (2017). Chosen because it goes so well with the food
Food: Roasted, stuffed jalapenos with smoked salmon, herbed cheese and a balsamic glaze. Nive because the ribs had been removed from the jalapenos, so not too much heat. But it did make the conversation turn to why some peppers are not spicy and others are, even though they cam from the same bush.
Fourth Tasting
Wine: Domaine du Grand Tinel - Chateau Neuf du Pape (2016)
Food: Some shaved Tete de Moine cheese with Serrano ham
The food comes from The Alps and Spain. The guests chose the CDP because it has enough body to stand up to the cheese. And since the cheese and ham come from such different locations, this wine remained neutral. Neutral geographically. But a terrific expression of CDP wines, 80+% Grenache.
Fifth Tasting
Wine: Vina Bosconia - Rioja 2007
Food: Croquetas and Spanish Tortilla
The Spanish couple brought this beautiful wine from Rioja. They waxed poetic about the wines and beauty of the region. And of course it went perfectly with the croquettas and the tortilla with its tender potato inside layers of egg.
Sixth Tasting
Wine: Clos du Val Reserve Cabinet Sauvignon 2011
Food: A beef short-rib ragu, with warm spices over a mushroom gnocchi.
This was the wine that got our Oklahoma native friends to become interested in wine. Still lots of tannin and structure. An all round excellent wine and pairing.
Hearing about their wine tasting adventures in general had us all in stitches!
Seventh (and final) Tasting
Wine: Layer Cake 2018 Shiraz
Food: Chocolate mousse cups with raspberries and raspberry coulis
Even though it would be unusual to have a lighter red wine after the big Cab from Clos du Val, this pairing worked extremely well. The wine cut the sweetness just enough and brought out the quality notes of the chocolate. This was not your Grandma's chocolate mousse!
