Margie's Monthly Wine Dinner at Wine on 2nd

 Wednesday, March 9, 2022

A different take this month on the wine dinner. A wine tasting with optional dinner at Wine on 2nd in Naples.  15 in attendance tonight.  Tasting consisted of appetizers and 5 wines. Service was good with a few glitches. I don't think they are used to serving a large group along with having to handle the other walkins.  Everyone in the group seemed to have a good time and I am sure a few will be back. 

We started out with a dish of olive and eggplant tapenade with crostini along with a charcuterie plate of salami, prosciutto, cheese, honey, figs. The appetizers were very good. A plate of each set on each table of 4. We lucked out as there were only 3 of us at our table.  I felt the quantity was a bit scrimpy since it was supposed to be shared by 4 people and last through 5 wines.  The tapenade was the same size we ordered off the menu a few nights before when there were 3 of us. I am assuming that it is a one size fits all on the menu. Their normal wine flight consists of 3 wines. So no adjustment for 5 wines. 

Optional dinner was a choice of shrimp with pasta or chicken breast. Neither of those appealed to me as I cook that at home. Not what I want when dining out.  I opted for an appetizer of rolled steak around peppers with a salad. Flavor was good. Greens and vinaigrette were very tasty. Meat was good but they gave a butter knife to cut. It took a bit of back and forth to cut through the meat. The meat was tender but when a slice is rolled with ingredients on the inside a sharp knife would have made a big difference.  But we were also in a wine tasting establishment not a restaurant per say.  

The wines served tonight were:

NV   J Laurens Brut Cremant de Limoux Languedoc-Roussillon, France

2018 Portia Verdejo, Rueda, Spain

2017 Benton Lane, Willamete Valley, Oregon, Pinot Noir

2019 Faustino, Rioja, Spain, Tempranello

????  Mazzolada, La Cantina Del Falco, Venezia, Merlot

Halloween at CJ's

Tuesday, October 20, 2020 This year because of Covid CJ is breaking up the invites to see his Halloween display into small groups. 3 tonight. We brought the food and CJ provided the wines. As usual the diorama was great. He has so many pieces that he cannot set up all at one time. Really like his witch on a broomstick circling above in front of the full moon on the back drop. I suggested he move his furnture around and have two large long tables set up. CJ opened a Gruet Cuvee 89 Rose which was very good. 2009 Sea Smoke Southing, Pinot Noir, good by not great and a 2004 Chimney Rock, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was spectacular. Not a big cab fan but this really hit all notes. So maybe next year will be Covid free and CJ can go back and do his big production at Halloween.

Cheese and Wine Tasting at Cheese Addiction

Saturday, July 11. 2020

First one of Margie's get togethers since March.  Shut downs . 15 brave soul's showed up tonight. Held outside in the parking lot behind the Cheese Addiction store in Bixby Knolls.  People were spaced out and no more than 4 to a table.

All 12 cheeses were cut ahead of time and placed into a small pizza box. Everyone had their own box and own container of crackers.

I cannot remember the cheeses now. I threw the list away. I liked  all but one Munster. A lot of wines showed up. People are really thirsty at this stage of the shut down. 8 white wines, 7 red wines and 5 bubblies.

2014 Tercero, Santa Barbara County, Outlier, Gewurztraminer

2014 Autry Cellars. SLO, Sauvignon Blanc

2015 Patricia Green cellars, Willamette Valley, Reserve Pinot Noir

2018 Williams Selyem, RRV, Unoaked Chardonnay

NV   Paul Bova, France, Bouzy Grand Cru

2012 RN Estates, Cuvee des Trois Cepages

2017 Selbach Oster, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Riesling Kabinet

NV   Kirkland Champagne Brut

2018 Briceland Vineyards, Mendocino County, Spirit Vineyards, Arneis

2018 Ramos Torres, Generations, California, Alicante Bouchet

NV   Il Cadeau, Lodi, Sparking Rose

2019 Albion, Lodi, Chardonnay

2001 Wiens, Temecula, Syrah

2015 Ken Brown, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir

2019 Craggy Range, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc

2015 Ken Brown, La Encantada Vineyards, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir

NV   Veuve Clicquot,  France, Brut Champagne

2019 Abacela, Oregfon, Albarino

NV   Charles Heidsieck, France Champagne

2008 Sea Smoke, Sta Rita Hills, Botella, Pinot Noir

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Petrossian Caviar Tasting at the Playground

Wednesday,  May 1, 2019

A different tack for Playground in Santa Ana.  www.playgrounddtsa.com.    Frederic Petrossian  od Petrossian ,   www.petrossian.com.   approached Jason about doing a caviar tasting in the 2.0 Room. Nothing but dinners have ever been done there before.  From the results we may see a bit more of these quick impromptu tastings. 18 quests tonight. Full house.  I bought the first ticket and was really looking forward to tonight.  It did not disappoint me

While we waited to seated they poured Champagne for us outside in the waiting area. A nice touch while we waited for everyone to arrive.  We sat down and a plate with 12 small plastic spoons filled with 6 different kinds of caviar was in front of us.  Very impressive.  They also served us house  made blinis with creme fraiche, very crisp house made potato chips and some crispy cheese balls. Everything they served went exceedingly well with the caviar.

These sturgeon fish that they harvest for the roe are "farm" raised. Wild sturgeon are endanger of becoming extinct due to over fishing for the roe. They are raised in huge lakes and it takes several years before they know the sex of the fish.  Not a cheap undertaking.

When the roe sack is harvested they do not kill the fish until after harvesting. They put the fish to "sleep" then harvest the roe .  If they take the roe when the fish is dead the chemicals that are produced as soon as the sturgeon dies can ruin the roe.  A complicated  and time consuming  effort to bring high end caviar to our plates.

Caviar is the roe of the fish. It can come from trout (orange color) to Paddlefish (black and relatively inexpensive)  to Sturgeon which is the royalty of caviar. I have been known to eat caviar right from the tin without anything but champagne.

We started out with "Classic Baika), very small, crispy and a very big fresh ocean taste. It may have been one of the cheapest but I personally like a very saline taste to my caviar. Very dark in color. $65 for 30 grams which is about an ounce. There are 28 grams to an ounce. 

"Daurenki" was next. Medium size roe, light brine and almost a very dark green tint to the egg. $77 for 30 grams.

"Classic Shassetra", very small, multi  shades of black, light brine. $63 for 30 grams.

"Royal Shassetra", medium size, lighter in color, medium brine. $98 for 30 grams.

"Classic Ossetra",  small to medium size, juicy and briny dark with a smoke tinge. $82 for 30 grams.

"Royal Ossetra", medium size, very soft, velvety, light brine. Dark amber with deep jade highlights. Extremely good. $123 for 30 grams.

We were poured 3 types of Champagne.  Pierre Gimennel & Fils, Selecton Belles Anniu, 1er Cru,  Jean Lallement & Fils, Verzenay, Grand Cru and Geoffrey, Rose de Saignee, Brut, Premier Cru

 But I still prefer my caviar with a bit of a crunch.Each one has its place. The softer ones would go well on top of a hollandasie sauce, the crunchier ones on creme fraiche.  They all go very well with potato chips.

Frederic mentioned caviar on avocado. That has opened a whole new world for me. This weekend I will experiment with avocado in different forms to see what I like best. I have the avocados and caviar already.

Cheese Addiction

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Margie's monthly wine activity was the "Cheese Addictition",   www.cheeseaddiction.com,   at Bella Terra. They also have  store in Belmont Shore but the parking there is impossible.   There were 15 of us so at 2 tables of 12 three of us were seated with other patrons of the store. Nice group we were with and a lot quieter that the other table.  We had 11 cheeses and we all brought wine to pair with the cheeses.

I brought a "Hafen" port style Dornfelder and a Sauterne. I found that those two wines just about covered all 11 cheeses.   I had 6 glasses in front of me with different wines. I tried them all with the cheeses and for my taste a Roussane,  my two wines and a bubbly were the best fit.

After looking at the list of what people brought I had to shake my head and ask" what were they thinking".  A couple of my favorite cheeses were a Pave du Marin, Pumpkin Spice Gouda, and Great Ocean Road Cheddar.  They had a Feta in Olive Oil that was quite good. The cheese itself was creamy, not dry and salty as Feta usually is.

List of wines this evening are as follows - I did not taste the majority of them due to being split from the group.

2015 Hart, Temecula Zinfandel
NV   Roederer, Brut Rose 
2015 Penner Ash, Old Vine Riesling
2014 Addendaum, Cab/Syrah blend
2013 Sierra Roble, Cabernet
2012 Monetemar, Pinot Noir
2016 Rombauer, Sauvignon Blanc - not to my taste and did not go well with the cheeses
NV   Herman J Wiemer Rose Cuvee - decent wine but limited to what cheeses
2014 Chateau Jalouise Bordeaux
2014 Babcock, Sauvignon Blanc
2007 Sea Smoke, Pinot Noir - good wine but I did not find a cheese I liked it with
NV   Monsigny, Brut Champagne - very nice
2016 Pascal Jolivet, Sancerre
2011 Clayhouse. Temp/Cab/Syrah/Tannat - would be better with a hamburger
2013 Two Vintners, Roussane - very good and I was very surprised how it paired with a lot of the cheese
2013 Merriman, Sauvignon Blanc - not a fan
2014 Suber, Dornfelder "Hafen" went well with the drier cheeses
2010 Petit Guiraud, Sauterne - went with everything

Lunch with Chef Jet Tila

Sunday. May 22, 2016

20 of us met at Ruen Pair restaurant in Thai Town. This is a tour that Melting Pot Tours in conjunction with Chef Jet Tila does several times a year. $140 a pop but well worth it. Chef Tila gave us lessons in proper Thai manners. How to eat with fork in left and and spoon in right hand and basically use the spoon for most of the eating. Also how to fold hands under our chins and slightly bow as a greeting. He attempted to teach us the proper Thai words for greetings but I think that was above us. He turned out to be a very funny, likable, personable person. Grew up the area but also has lived in Garden Grove and Alhambra. Is a Buddhist but went to Catholic grade school and was an altar boy. He liked the extra gigs that the church did because it gave him a few coins in his pocket.

His relatives started the chain of Royal Thai restaurants and a few are still operating today. His father founded the Bangkok Market on Melrose. That is next on my adventures along with Stir Market.

Chef Tila was appointed by the Thai government to be the official Culinary Ambassador of Thai cuisine to the United States. He started the Wazuzu restaurant at the Wynn's resort in Las Vegas and has appeared on numerous shows on the Food Network  He also is a partner in Stir Market in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles. A European food hall.

We stared out with 2 food dishes at Ruen Pair, a fabulous papaya salad, much better than I have had before and a Pork Jerky with sticky rice.  Jerky has good flavor, the sauce was very potent. I tried a bit but passed on using it.

Next stop was Sapp Coffee Shop.  There we had a dish called Boat Noodles,  A 5 spice  broth with rice noodles and different proteins. You can pick and choose. really good, deep flavors. Next was my favorite dish of the day. Jade Noodles. Noodles are a wheat pasta. mustard greens which gives the noodles a light green color, hence the name "Jade" noodles. Also had duck and pork in the dish. Since this was a "coffee" shop we all had either a Thai coffee or Thai Cold Tea.  I went for the tea which was almost like a thin shake. I could get addicted to this drink.

From there we went down a few blocks to the Bang-Luck market. Fascinating.  Got a lesson in Thai produce and fruit along with spices and condiments. They do not use salt at all, rely on fish sauce.  White pepper only. 

Back down the street to check out a couple of shrines and see the metal posts that were installed with one of the Deity's on top.

Last stop on the tour was the Red Corner Restaurant.. There we had Spicy Basil Stirfry. We had it with ground beef but you can specify your protein. Had a fried egg on top. I was stuffed at this time and ate just a small amount. It also was heavy in the spicy basil.

I find that basil, cilantro,  ginger and lemongrass go a long way with me. I can handle loads of garlic but the others just don't really do it for me.

This was a fun, informative tour. Learned alot about Thai food and culture.

Balsamic & Oil Tasting at Antica & Dinner at Nayada

Saturday. January 30, 2016

CJ hosted a Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil food pairing and tasting at Antica in Los Alamitos. www.anticaoliveoil.com. 18 people in attendance. All food and wine provided.

 We started out with a Goat cheese and peach chutney. Chutney hard excellent flavor. Paired with a NV Segura Vindas Brut Cava.

Next was a salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, onions and feta cheese. I ditched the onions and tomatoes. A Tuscan Herb olive oil with a traditional balsamic vinegar made the dressing. Oil was put on first to coat the greens so the balsamic would adhere to the greens and not end up at the bottom of the bowl.  A 2014 Famille Bourgier Chenin Blanc and a 2014 Trimbach Pinot Blanc were the wines of choice. Both paired well with the salad,

Third dish was Hummus with Crackers. Plain hummus drizzled with a Persian Lime olive oil. Did like the flavor of this oil.  The wines were 2015 Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc and a 2014 Meiomi Pinot Noir. I did not like the pairings. Wines were good on their own but paired with the food did nothing for me.

A turkey sandwich made with turkey breast, Fontina cheese, cucumber, red onions, lettuce, herb de Provence olive oil, herb de Provence spice on a marble rye bread was served. . Ditched the cucumber, way to thick and the red onions . Paired with a 2014 Aliane Cotes de Provence Rose and a 2013 Byron-Nielson Pinot Noir. Decent pairing. The rose was the winner here.

Fifth dish was a Cream Cheese with Fig Balsamic Jam and crackers. Jam was very good. Wines were a 2011 Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel and a 2013 Murphy-Goode Liar's Dice Zinfandel. Pairing was ok but nothing exceptional.

Last dish was a Mixed Fruit Bowl, chopped bananas, strawberries, grapes, apples and oranges. Dressed with a Peach Balsamic Vinegar which was very good and blended well with the fruit. A NV Segura Viudas Brut Rose Cava was the final wine and it did pair nicely with the fruit.

A nice tasting and pairing. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Four of us decided to go out to dinner afterwards. I had brought a bottle of wine with me  just in case this would happen.

Went over to Nayada on Carson across from the Long Beach Town Center.  No one was starving but we felt we needed something else to eat. 

Ordered Garlic Chicken Wings, Spring Rolls, Chicken Satay and a order of Beef with Garlic and Pepper. More than enough to eat. Had a 2009 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir and a 2009 Rusack Anacapa (Bordeaux blend) Both wines were showing quite well. Made it an early night. Big day tomorrow.

Mojito's

Saturday, April 4, 2015

A glut of Meyer lemons prompted Tim and Maria to host a Lemon Mojito party.  Since Meyer lemons are not as acidic they made a delicious Mojito. The rum was infused with mint so it added a nice touch without being overly minty.

Lots a really good food was brought by the guests. Wine flowed. Conversations were good.  Tim and Maria's backyard is so inviting with all the trees, shrubs and plants and water feature. 

It was a beautiful, relaxing day. Weather was perfect. Could not have asked for  nicer people or venue.

Tequila

Thursday, March 19, 2015

ABC Fine Wines and Spirits in Long Beach hosted a Tequila tasting today. 3 brands, 13 bottles.
Tres Tonos, El Trueque and Nicho Real. This was the first time that Nicho Real was poured in the US.

Two of the tequilas that I liked the best naturally were the most expensive. I may be easy but I am not cheap. Personally I liked the Tres Tonos extra Anejo (42 months) best. It was priced at $80. The other was a Nicho Real extra Anejo (60 months, French Oak, double distillation) at $100.

 No I did not buy, I have a very full liquor cabinet now and do not need to add anything to it.

I did find out a fact that I did not know before. Every tequila house has their own bottle design and it is not used by anyone else. Found that very interesting. And that on all bottles there is a number (eg: NUM1459) You apparently can research a bottle of tequila to see who makes it by that number. Each manufacturer has their own issued number.

Bubbles and Shells at Chianina

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Chianina in Naples, www.chianina.com, has started hosting a "Bubbles and Shells" on Thursday nights. Their three bubblies that are poured by the glass are $7 for this event. They oysters are $1.50 each as are the stuffed clams at $1.50 We all had basically the same. Had a glass of the rose cava and two glassses of the champagne.  These along with a proseco are poured with their wine flight. A good selection. Three types of oysters were on the "special" tonight. Shelly, Ichibon and for the life of me I cannot remember the name of the third one. If it comes to me I will edit the post. For $9 it was a bargain and the presentation was beautiful. The stuffed "Little Neck"  clams were something else.  Very, very small (they did say Little Neck) and not worth the price. About the size of a quarter. They also had way too much breading on top for the size of the clams.

We each  had a plate of Foie Gras. Seated with an oatmeal strudel and green apples. Not on special but since it has been unavailable in California for several years, thanks to the meddling of "nanny state" people, I will consume it frequently just in case it disappears again. But my foie gras needed just a slight bit more cooking. It has to be cooked in a very hot pan for a short amount of time otherwise it can "melt" on you. But this needed a few more seconds.

The restaurant was generous with their hot rolls," salted honey and rye" . We also receive a plate with mini, mini cookies. An Earl Grey Tea, a Polenta with Chili infused Chocolate Icing and a Chocolate Chip. These cookies were about the size of a dime. All very good an a nice ending to a "happy hour".

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.

July's Wino's Gathering

Sunday, July 27, 2014

At dinner last night Margie pointed out to me that I did not comment of her wine event in July. Somehow I just plain forget all about it.  So this will probably be a short post because after 6 weeks my memory fades. In fact after 6 minutes it starts to fade. I hate to think how I will be if and when I stop working. Working full time at my advanced age does keep my brain active and keeps me around younger people which I like. I go to happy hour on Wednesday with a group and they are all retired.  Sometimes I am so bored with their chatter and medications, health problems. dietary problems etc.,

So I do remember that the theme was South African Wines, Reds, Whites or Sparklings.  There were a couple of Graham Beck sparklings which were quite good. There are a good buy for the money.Total wines brought were 20 and it was a mixed bag. Only 4 Pinotages which was surprising. I brought a 2008 Tamboerskloof, Steelbosch, Syrah. I liked it. But at this point I can't remember what other wines I liked besides the sparklings and a 2011 Spier 21, Gables, Chenin Blanc.

The hosts decided on a belated 4th of July theme and had hamburgers and hot dogs on the menu. Paul went around and took your order. 1/3 lb or 1/2 pound. Rare, medium or well. Cheese ? which kind. Bun ? toasted or not. That is a lot of work. Felt like a restaurant. Of course all the condiments were there also along with a large array of side dishes. I filled up on appetizers so when dinner came around I opted just for a burger.

The weather was miserable. We were outdoors in a very nice shaded patio area but the humidity was not kind to us. I just cannot eat or drink alcohol in hot, miserable weather. Maybe I should move to Florida and then I could lose some weight

August's Gathering of The Winos

Sunday, August 30, 2014

Hot day and time for our yearly August Zinfandel tasting. Don't ask why, the host seems to delight in heavy, overly extracted Zinfandels on the hottest day. Fortunately in the past few years he has added Roses, sparkling and Champagne's to the mix.

And he did make a good crock pot dish of either beef or pork - frankly I could not tell the difference. It looked like pork but tasted like beef.  Probably the sauce it was in. Whatever - it was still better than the over cooked, dry, inedible brisket that has been done the past few years. I like my meats rare to medium but I just cannot handle cremated meats. No flavor, and its hard to gag them down they are so dry. To each their own, I fill up on appetizers so I don't have to eat some of these main dishes people put forth. Guess I am just picky and bitchy.

I tasted the bubblies and the Rose's. Only had a couple of Zinfandels. The Rombauer, Chateau Montelena and the Williams Selyem. They were all good.

A breeze finally came up and cooled the temperatures down a little. Made it a decent day after all.

I will not be at next months tasting. Conflicts with my trip to Washington. This will be only the second time in 14 years I have missed our monthly group tastings. Couldn't get the host to get me a date in a timely manner so I booked my trip and took a chance. Turned out to be the conflict. I wish people would realize that the more in advance a date is announced the better it is for every one's schedule. It's not just about their schedule. There are 20 some odd other people involved.

Mini Wine Cellar Cleaning

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Decided that I needed to "get rid of" some wine. I have way too much and it is started to really crowd by living space. So what better way than to invite people to bring food and I supply all the wine. Invited 13 people and put out 16 bottles. I knew that when people heard about this they would be upset that they were not on the invitation list. Early on I made the decision that it would be a mixed group of people, not just my "winos". Aside from a few neighbors, my criteria was to invite people that invite me to their homes for extra events or to join them for dinner. Being a single for so long I have found that couples invite other couples, not singles to join them. Most women are by nature insecure and the man does not want to be put in a position of upsetting the little woman. So I first choices were people that have included me often, not just for our monthly wine gatherings.

When my father died my mother could not understand why all the couples that they socialized with dropped her fast. I tried to explain it to her but I do not think she ever "got it".

So lots of food showed up and I put out a couple of pizzas. No one went hungry.

I will not list all the wines that I opened, 3 whites and 13 reds, but a couple of the favorites were the 2008 Chamisal Pinot Noir, 2009 Huber Pinot Noir and the 2010 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir.

May try another cellar cleaning later in the year and use the same criteria for invitees.

Another Scotch Tasting

Thursday, May 15, 2014

ABC Liquor in Long Beach hosted another Scotch tasting by Gordon Macphail.  14 scotch's were poured ranging in price from $60 to $180 a bottle. Of course the intent of these tastings is to get you to buy some product.  I held firm this time and walked away with no purchase at all. I have some unopened bottles at home and it seems ridiculous to another. Also when I pay to attend one of these tastings I have no problem with no buying. If a tasting is free then I sometimes purchase on bottle to "cover the costs".

They did more one that was very unusual. From France and it was Brenne French Single Malt, Single Cask. Had a very light almost sweet taste to it. I did like it but I think too much of it and you would be turned off. The Benromach Golden Promise was very peaty. Not to my taste. Not into that heavy smoke taste.

Others poured tonight were, Glen Grant 10 yr., Inchgrower 13 yr., (we had fun with that name combined with Golden Promise), Speymalt Macallan 19 yr., Benromach Port Wood 12 yr., Montlach 15 yr., Scapa 10 yr., Glen Scotia 21 yr Cambeltown, Old Pultney 21 yr., (100% bourbon cask) , Coa 12 yr Cast Strength (very peaty), Benromach Organic, Tormore 14 yr (bourbon cask), and Speymalt Macallan 9 yr (European cask).

Besides a female wine rep who was invited at the very last minute, I was the lone female. At other "whisky" tastings there have been a few females but males predominate the group. You would think that the "women libers" would be screaming about being denied their "rights". But don't notice them showing up and doing these tastings. But bring on the bubbles and they are out in full force. But don't ever tell them there is a difference between the sexes.

Whiskey Seminar

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Wine Country, www,TheWineCountry.Com and  Delius Restaurant, www.deliusrestaurant.com, hosted a whiskey tasting tonight. 10 whiskey' were being poured. Sat with a bunch of younger males. Did not want to upset the married women who were with the spouses. Women always seem to think that if you are single you are after their "man". So insecure.

Started off with two Irish whiskies. I am not familiar with these. Much to my surprise I really liked the second one poured. A Red Breast 12 year old.. Then off to two bourbons. Not my favorite but the James E Pepper 1776 was my pick of the two.

A Canadian and a whiskey that is distilled in Park City, Utah were next. Neither one of them  on my radar.

Two Ryes were poured. I do like Rye but these two didn't make my list. One was POW-Wow Botanical which had too much spice in it. Really heavy on the cloves. Apparently a German tradition.

Two single malt scotches were on the list. I do like single malts but these were a slight disappointment I was not into the Deanston Virgin Oak and the Gordon & McPhail Mortlach 15 year Speysides ok. I have had the Speyside before. But still would not put the money out for it.

We ended up with a anise cake with a whiskey sauce to help fill our stomachs before we left. It was a good tasting because at least I found out what I really don't like without buying a bottle of it.  Had a nice time with the young kids. I was old enough to be their mother or even grandmother but they tolerated me.

Pouzzoli Winery

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Several of us met at the  Pouzzoli tasting room in Tustin. Sat in the barrel room. Wines were nice. Did not buy and because I am trying to reduce the size of my cellar by a lot and the only way to do that is drink, not buy. 

A little disappointed in the information that was given to us, which is to say was not enough. The son is a soft spoken person, hard to hear unless you are right next to him.

A nice appetizer spread was put out so that was a big plus,

They plan on opening a tasting room in Paso Robles at their winery and continue to keep the one in Tustin.

Olive Oil Tasting and Dinner at Preveza

Saturday, August 14, 2013

A new place has opened in Los Alamitos. Antcia. They sell Olive Oils, Balsamic Vinegars and Spices. We had a class on tasting the products which was quite interesting and informative. I did learn quite a few new things about oils and vinegars.

I bought a Honey-Ginger Balsamic,  Dark Chocolate Balsamic and a Garlic Olive Oil. It was temping to buy more but the store is close and easy for me to go back to. They have a recipe and pairing  paper that gives you much needed information.

This a definite return place. Prices are reasonable for the quality

Afterwards we headed down one block and across the street to have dinner at Preveza. It has been over year since I ate here. I probably will not go back. The quality of the food has declined quite a bit. I had the "Aegean Sea"  which is pasta with white wine sauce and clams, mussells and shrimp. \The shrimp were either frozen or old. They used to put scallops and white fish in the dish. I also noticed that restaurant was not that busy on a Saturday night. It used to be packed with people waiting outside.

There were 12 of us and they had a very long rectangular table set up for about 20. If they would have taken the smaller table at the end and moved it elsewhere then the seating would have worked better. As it was because it was so tight to get in and out people who came in late were on the other side way at the end.

 So I think that whatever was happening with the universe Wednesday was till in force tonight. A bottle of opened wine got knocked over, a wine glass with wine in it,  got broken. I lost my Nuance wine pourer and a very good ink pen. I also had a bad bout of acid reflux and had to dash to the restroom. That has not happened in awhile.

I brought a 2007 Lucia, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noit - was disappointed as it was corked. So into the vinegar jar it goes to make wine vinegar for next year.

Other wines brought:
2011 Tobin James, James Gang Reserve, Chardonnay
32003 Tobin James, Silver Reserve Syrah
2011 Pecchenino ,San Lugi Dogliani red Wine
2011 Hart, Huis Vineyard, Temecula, Sangiovese
2011 Meiomi, Pinot Noir
2011 Lynmar, Laguna Ridge Pinot Noir
2012 Cakebread Cellars, Savignon Blanc
2011 Two Hands Gnarly Dudes, Barossa Valley, Shiraz
NV Private Cuvee, Danza del Sol Winery Espumosa , Lodi Sparkling
2011 Weingut Geil, Gerwurztraminer, Kabimett
200 Chateau St Jean, Cing Cepages
2010 Rombauer,  Zinfandel

So a very good day for Margie's Fun Wine Activity for August in spite of a few mishaps. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the Olive Oil place because they bought a lot  of product

Miscellaneous

In between Nayada and 555 I threw in an Italian Wine Tasting and a single malt Scotch Tasting. No notes but the scotch was excellent.

Single Malt Scotch at ABC

Thursday, March 28, 2013

ABC Liquor & Wine hosted a Gordon & McPhail single malt scotch tasting tonight. I like good scotch and always enjoy being able to taste without buying a bottle.

Tonight we tasted:
Scapa 2000, 11 year
Bladnock 1993, 17 year
Smiths Glenlivet, 21 year at $170 a bottle
Glenburgie, 10 year
Clynelish 1993, 13 year
McCallan 1990, 21 year at $170 a bottle
Benromach Organic (my least favorite)
Caol Ila 1999, 10 year ( very smokey & peaty)

The one that suited me best was the Scapa 2000. It was only $90 per bottle