Octobers Fun Wine Activity - Seminar and Dinner

Saturday, October 4, 2014

For this months event Margie picked out a seminar at Total Wines. European Wines, 6 different countries and 11 wines. Good seminar, nice selection of very reasonably priced wines. All were paired with food to show the difference between drinking only and having wines with meals. A couple of the wines that I liked were the 2012 Winzer Krems Gruner Vetliner from Austria  and the 2012 Quinta Do Vale Maeo Meandro from Spain.  I ended up buying 4 bottles of the Gruner Veltliner. I need some whites in my cellar and with the discount it came to about $10 a bottle. This wine will pair very well with spicy foods.

After the seminar we went to George's Greek Cafe for dinner. 11 people opted for the family style dinner and 2 of us ordered separately. I ordered the mixed appetizer plate with a side of 4 lamb chops. John ordered the Flat Iron steak.  I did not want the family dinner because there were 4 to 5  dishes I was not to inclined to eat so in my mind it would have been a waste for me. As it was we had so many nibblies at Total Wine I was apparently not that hungry. When my plate arrived I ate the Pita Bread with dips, 2 Falafel and nothing else. Packed up everything to take home for lunch tomorrow. I did opt for a dessert, a lemon cake that was similar to a pudding cake with ice cream, It hit  the spot. The family style diners got Baklava which several indicated was dry and not that good. I probably paid $5 to $10   more than the others (depending on if the opted for lamb chops as an extra) but I ended up with lots of leftover  for myself. If I had opted for the family dinner there would have been no leftovers, I would have eaten a small amount and subsidized the other large eaters.

A mixed bag of wines were brought. Only the bubblies were almost empty. Every one took close to a half bottle of wine home with them. Too much wine at the seminar.

I brought a 2008 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir. 08 wasn 't the best year but this wine was drinking very nicely.

 Two Greek wines were on the table. I did not taste either one of these wines. 2004 Vaeni Xinomavro and a 2009 Tselepos Agirogitiko. Also did not taste the 2011 Kaiken Ultra Malbec (have had this too many times at wine bars)  a 2012 Martin Ray Chardonnay and a 2012 Tablas Creek Vermentino. I meant to try the Vermentino but it passed me and then I forgot about it.

A 2011 Wiens - Obscura for Temecula was on the table. I did try this wine and it was good., especially for Temecula,

I tasted both the NV Francois Montano Brut and a 2009 Pear Valley Charbono. The Brut was ok but the Charbono was very good. I also had a 2011 Ecluse, Nohl, Syrah and a 2009 Trilogy Flora Springs, both way too cold at the beginning but as they warmed a little they became a really nice wines. A Veuve Du Vernaz Burt was very good, much better than the other bubbly.

All in all it was a nice day. Good seminar, informative and fun. Very good dinner, wish I could have eaten more and nice company. Too bad the temperature was so miserable, In the midst of a heat wave and  thankfully it will start ending tomorrow.

I will miss Novembers event as I will be in Avila Beach. Tasting the wines of SLO county and Paso Robles. A winemaker dinner on a Friday night at the Sycamore. A big SLO Vinters Festival Saturday and open house at all the wineries in SLO on Sunday. It is a rough life.