I had a few local members over yesterday for a happy hour and BBQ. Present were Roba & wife, Otis, R2D2 & wife, Frankie & wife, Blue Oval and wife and Jcubed.

I put together a tasting of 9 Single Vineyard Soave wines to start things off. I will post the TN's on these wines come Monday (I'm anxious to see what everyone thought of the Soave's). They were paired with some sheep and goat milk cheeses (a French Brei, Spanish Manchego and a Italian Capaccio Toscano), Prosciuto & melon (the Prosciuto was excellent), olives and delicious marinated shrimp & pancetta skewers made by Jcubed which we cooked on the grill.

We then moved onto reds with dinner. The dinner menu included Hoisen glazed ribs, marinated asparagus and garlic bread. All done on the grill. My wife also made a spinach bean sprout salad with sesame soy dressing. Roba also brought a cream cheese and potato caserole with a horseradish dressing. Since my wifes birthday is this week, the theme for the reds was for everyone to bring a red which they thought my wife would like best. Her job was to try them all and pick a winner to receive a grand prize. Here is the red lineup:

1998 Chateau Monbousquet
2001 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Botella
1999 Santa Duc Gigondas
1999 Luna Merlot
1997 Hacienda Manasterio Ribera del Duero
2002 Marquis Philips Shiraz
Tria III (can't remember the vintage or name)

The winner was Frankie, who brought the Monbousquet (followed closely by R2D2's Sea Smoke). He will receive his prize next time I see him (the Lord Winston Wine Essence Wine Tasters Kit).

Dessert was brought by R2D2 and I cracked open my first bottle of the 2002 Chateau VinoMe Vin de Noix Sedimental Reasons and barrel samples of the 2003. The 2002 is aging beautifully. It is throwing the prettiest gooey black sediment you will ever see. I can't wait to see the TN's on these wines. I hope everyone survived and is feeling okay today.

Luckily there were no injuries except for a minor trip over one of the croquet wickets. After a warmup game, I was able to overcome the rather difficult course set up by Otis and emerge victorious in what Otis kept calling "game 2" for some reason (I suppose he thought the first game was not a warmup match). Poor Jcubed lost his ball in the ferns and shrubs and I think he is still out back looking for it. We played another game or 2 later in the evening (R2D2 won 1 of them, not sure who won the other).

Lady Vino Me and I had a blast. Thanks for coming everyone and for bringing the wine.