This past Saturday night Mick, Amy, Kathy and I were joined for dinner by Sheian and her new man, Giovanni. Sheian was excited about us meeting Giovanni as we were the first set of friends she was introducing him to. I found out at the dinner that earlier in the day Sheian introduced him to her family for the first time… family and then us, the poor man was certainly being put through his paces on this day.

"Table set and ready for action"

 

"The Menu for this evening"

The menu for the night was a collection of favourite dishes that Mick and I have done before and two or the three wines are ones we have reviewed before so I will only be reviewing the new wine. The first course was Carrot soup with fire roasted chilies and this was paired with a 2006 Seghesio Zinfandel. I did the soup and Mick provided the wine as this pairing usually calls for a Zinfandel and he has a much better selection of Zins than I do. 

"Carrot Soup"

Usually I pair the Carrot soup with the Rosenblum Zinfandel, which is a big giant fruit bomb and wondered how the Seghesio which is more of a smoky/peppery Zinfandel would work with it. It actually was a better pairing with the soap then the Rosenblum was.

"A great Zin!"

"Mick's Most Awesome Chicken Wings"

For the second course, Mick did his barbequed chicken wings with the marmalade and Dijon glaze. This time our Zippy Sauce photographer wasn’t too drunk so we actually got pictures of them. The pairing for the chicken wings is Merlot, so as Mick provided the Zinfandel for my course, I provided the Merlot for this one as I had a wider selection of Merlots to pick from. I went with a 2001 Joseph Phelps "Napa Valley" Merlot. This is easily my favourite Merlot of all time and I wasn’t shocked to find that it made an awesome pairing with the chicken wings.

"Check out the deep colour on the cork"

"All time favourtie Merlot"

For the main course I did Beef Tenderloin with shrimp, lobster, and Béarnaise sauce with sugar snap peas and baby potatoes as the sides. I wanted something special and different to pair with this and picked a 2003 Chateau Margaux "Pavillon Rouge" as my pairing. I hadn’t tried the 2003 before and was looking forward to seeing what it was like.

"Steak and Seafood.. How can you go wrong with this combination?"

The nose was a pleasing mix of green peppers, cassis, smoke, cedar and spice. Tasting the wine before the food, the flavors of raspberry and black cherry were subtly mixed together. The structure on the wine was nice as it wasn’t overly tannic or acidic. Between the structure and the flavours, you had a very nice soft and approachable wine. With the food the fruit came more to the forefront and the tannin disappeared completely. The food softened the wine almost too much as I found myself searching for a bit more tannin and/or acidity at this point. On the upside the six of us had no problem killing the bottle.

"Worth the money?"

Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 87, Mark - 89, Kathy – 87, Amy - 87, Overall – 87.5.

I picked this wine up in the US for about $99 US. The LCBO usually has the most current year in when it is released and the price will range from $100 to $200 depending on year and rating. 

"Cupcakes on Parade"

For Dessert, Sheian bought cupcakes for everyone, which both my wife and Amy were very happy about. She also bought a bottle of 2007 InniskillinVidal Ice Wine to go with the cupcakes. We really should have reviewed this wine, as it was very good; high acidity to balance out the sweetness of the wine and was a very easy to drink dessert wine. I didn’t review it for two reasons; one, I don’t like to do this with wines that people bring (Mick and Amy being an exception to this of course) and two, by this time of the night we had already finished 5 or 6 full bottles of wine so things were getting a touch fuzzy.

"A very good Ice Wine"

It was a fun night with plenty of laughs and good food. I’d like to thank Mick for his chicken wings and wine and Sheian for the cupcakes and wine. It was enjoyable getting to know Giovanni better and hopefully there will be many more dinners like this with them.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Burnt or Salmonella – Part 3

Click here for Part 1

The main course of the evening was Grilled Chicken Wings. They were coated in a Dijon and Marmalade Sauce which was extremely flavourful. Mick paired this course with a 2004 Columbia Crest Merlot.

"Above is supposed to be pictures of the greatest chicken wings ever made but our photograper was too drunk and forgot to take pictures.  So picture in your mind the most amazing chicken wings ever and put that imaginary picture above"

The chicken wings are also the reason for the title of this Blog.  The sugar in the Marmalade caused the wings to blacken very quickly on the BBQ.  As Mick was serving them up, I seemed to get the most blackened ones to which I commented “Oh sure, give me all the burnt ones” and Mick replied “Burnt or Salmonella, your choice buddy!”  Actually I was the lucky one at the table as the more blacken ones were the more flavourful of wings… they were awesome.  And for the record nobody at the table got Salmonella.

"Very good Merlot"

We have already reviewed the wine before and the review can be found here –

http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2010/09/saturday-night-curried-mussel-bowls-and_765.html

Speaking of chicken wings, this recipe was a real winner -- some of the best wings that I have ever had – and the wine pairing was exceptional. I cannot wait until Mick does this one again.

For dessert Amy chose a Baco Chocolate cake and our leftover Merlot was a very good pairing with the chocolate.

I’d like to thank Mick and Amy for hosting as Kathy and I had a great time and a big thank you to Mick for attempting the three new recipes.

As a side-note, the Blog is probably going to be quiet during the month of December due to family and holiday commitments and our Wine Club not meeting again until January. In case I don’t post again until the New Year, I will wish my 3 or 4 loyal readers a safe and happy holidays and Happy New Year.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Burnt or Salmonella – Part 2

For the second course of the evening Mick prepared a Baked Spicy Shrimp recipe. The shrimp were breaded in a spicy coating, pan fried briefly and then covered with cheese before being transferred to the oven to bake in individual ceramic dishes. He served the baked shrimp with a tomato-based salsa. Mick paired the dish with a 2008 d’Arenberg “The Last Ditch” Viognier.

"Spicy baked shrimp with cheesy goodness"

The nose on the wine was kind of funky as it was a mix of burnt popcorn and roses. Tasting the wine was interesting as you get a quick hit of pear and then the wine just disappears from your mouth, leaving you with a very faint taste of vanilla. The best way I can describe this wine is like throwing a drop of water on a hot plate - you get a brief sizzle and then poof it is gone. The shrimp were very spicy and unfortunately this wine did nothing to cool the spicy burn. It was an OK pairing with the shrimp but I’d lean towards a French Sauvignon Blanc as a pairing with this dish in the future.

Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 86, Mark - 83, Kathy – 84, Amy - 85, Overall – 85.5.

"Pure Viognier"

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

D'ARENBERG THE LAST DITCH VIOGNIER 2008


Vintages 25064
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, White Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Australia, Australia
By: D'Arenberg Wines
Release Date: Apr 3, 2010


Tasting Note - Bright and jazzy, with a tart edge and lots of lemon and lime character mixing with the floral and pear flavors. Finishes with zip. Drink now. Score - 89. (Harvey Steiman, www.winespectator.com, Nov. 30, 2009)
I liked this new recipe it was way too spicy and buried the flavour of the pink shrimp. Albeit I was worried that frying and then baking the shrimp would dry them out, Mick cooked the shrimp themselves to perfection..

Click here for Part 3

Saturday Night – Burnt or Salmonella – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner.  Mick had three new recipes on tap for the evening.  The first dish was Grilled Oysters with a Sour Cream and Horseradish dip.  Mick chose a 2009 Momo Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand as his wine pairing.

"Grilled Oysters and special sauce"

Pouring out the wine you’ll notice that lovely pale yellow with a slight greenish tinge one would except to see from a Sauvignon Blanc.  The nose on the wine was a mix of cut grass and honeydew melon.  In tasting the wine before the food, it reminded me of the yeastiness one would find with French Champagne.  There was a touch of gooseberry in the background and a quick finish.  Structure wise the wine wasn’t too acidic; if anything it needed a touch more.  It was very easy drinking and went well with the oysters.

"Momo Sauvignon Blanc"

Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 87, Mark - 88, Kathy – 87, Amy - 87, Overall – 87.25.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

MOMO SAUVIGNON BLANC 2009

Vintages 9167
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, White Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: New Zealand, New Zealand
By: Seresin Estate
Release Date: Apr 3, 2010

Tasting Note - ... this seems quite a savory style of Sauvignon Blanc, the savoriness probably accentuated by the wild yeast ferment that seems to add a funky veneer to the bright fresh fruity flavours. But there's loads of passion fruit and underlying gooseberry and a spicy zestiness that is just so, so Marlborough ... (Sue Courtney, www.wineloverspage.com, Sept. 28, 2009)

Personally, I had never tried grilled oysters before (usually I have them raw) and I can’t say I was a huge fan. They were OK but for the amount of work Mick went through from shucking them and making his dip from scratch I doubt this recipe falls into the “do again” category. If he is going to spend this amount of time on a dish in the future, I hope it for some of his amazing mussel recipes.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – When life gives you lemons… - Part 3

Click here for Part 1

For the main course I went with a request that Amy made – Lemon Cream Pasta with Prosciutto.  My pairing for this dish was a 2001 Shafer “Napa Valley” Merlot

"Lemon Cream Pasta with Prosciutto"

The nose on the Shafer was a neat mix of tobacco, black pepper, thyme, plum and walnut.  Tasting the wine you’ll notice spicy, herbaceous and fruity flavours running the length of it.  The wine was nicely balanced in its structure.  I described this wine as a very Shiraz like Merlot after tasting it.  It was a solid pairing with the Lemon Pasta.

"Great Shiraz... opps I mean Merlot"

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 90, Mark - 88, Kathy - 90, Amy -88, Overall – 89


Here is the LCBO information on this wine –

SHAFER VINEYARDS MERLOT 2007


Vintages 346262
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 59.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: California/Californie, United States
By: Shafer Vineyards
Release Date: Oct 2, 2010

Tasting Note - The 2007 Merlot (a 10,000-case cuvee that includes 15% Cabernet Sauvignon) may be the finest Merlot I have ever tasted from Shafer. Reasonably priced for a Napa Valley Merlot, it is characterized by elegance and substance. Its dark ruby/purple hue is followed by notes of wood spice, forest, flowers, berries, mocha, and wood smoke, medium to full body, sweet tannins, and good freshness. Enjoy it over the next 12+ years. Drink: 2009-2021. Score - 90. (Robert Parker Jr., www.erobertparker.com, Dec. 2009)

Note – The 2007 listed is not the 2001 reviewed above

At $60 bottle the Shafer is not a cheap Merlot.  I enjoyed it but I don’t see myself rushing out to buy another as I prefer the Joseph Phelps Merlot which is a little cheaper.  I did like how different this Merlot was from other Merlots I have tried before.  The movie Sideways made fun of Merlot but this is an amazingly diverse grape that can be done in so many wonderful styles that it would be a crime not to keep Merlot in your wine rotation.  Merlot is also one of the most flexible reds for food pairing; my little rule I have with pairing reds – “if in doubt, go Merlot”.

"Triple Lemon Tart"

To finish our ‘lemontastic’ evening I went with a Triple Lemon Tart. I like this dessert as it isn’t a really heavy dessert like a number of chocolate based ones can be so it is a great finish after a meal with multiple courses.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – When life gives you lemons… - Part 2

The next course was a request from Mick – Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese, bagel crisps, capers, red onion, cucumber and (of course) lemon.  I paired this with a 2007 Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay.  Smoked Salmon and Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve (Grand Reserve’s less expensive cousin) is in my opinion the greatest food and wine pairing on the planet.

"Smoked Salmon with friends"

In pouring out the Grand Reserve Chardonnay, one views a nice golden colour that one would expect from a Chardonnay.  The nose was very inviting with butterscotch, vanilla and tropical fruit notes.  Tasting the wine before the food got a wow from me; beautiful balance, fruit forward, oak there but not overdone and a stunning caramel finish that just lingers forever.  This is what a California Chardonnay should be.  I was however a bit disappointed with it as a pairing with the Salmon; it was very good but the Vintner’s Reserve is actually a better pairing as it is sharper than the Grand Reserve and in this case that flaw works to its benefit.  I find it gives the pairing a certain magical pop that the Grand Reserve didn’t.  I suspect that, other than this pairing, the Grand Reserve would be a hands down better pairing than the Vintner’s Reserve with any food that matches up well with Chardonnay.

"Another Zippy Sauce Top Ten White"

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 90, Mark - 91, Kathy - 90, Amy -89, Overall – 90.

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –


KENDALL-JACKSON GRAND RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2007


Vintages 59576
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 29.95
Wine, White Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California/Californie, United States
By: Jackson Wine Estates International
Release Date: Sep 4, 2010


Tasting Note - There are nearly 260,000 cases of the 2007 Grand Reserve Chardonnay, which comes from Jess Jackson's estate holdings in Santa Barbara and Monterey. Some serious vineyards' fruit is included in this wine, which no doubt explains the big, tropical fruit-scented nose, fine acidity, and medium to full-bodied flavors. Despite the fact that this cuvee sees 100% barrel fermentation with full malolactic, there is little evidence of oak. The wine is aged eight months, on its lees, in one-third French oak. It is an amazing Chardonnay for the price. Score - 90. (Robert Parker Jr., www.erobertparker.com, Dec. 2008)


They still have stock on this wine and at $30 this wine is too good to pass up – do yourself a favour a pick up a bottle or two before it is gone, you won’t be disappointed.


The 90 Overall rating gets this wine on to the Zippy Sauce Top Ten Whites. As three of the Top Ten Whites are Kendall Jackson wines, I’d like to assure my 3 or 4 loyal readers that KJ isn’t paying me anything, it is just that they make damn good Chardonnays!


Click here for Part 3

Saturday Night – When life gives you lemons… - Part 1

It was my turn to cook this past Saturday and I had a bit of a lemon theme going on.  The first course was Spicy Shrimp with Mint Dipping Sauce (lemon is used both in the mint sauce and in the shrimp marinade).  I originally paired this course with a 2004 Chateau St.Michelle Fume Blanc but when I poured it out the wine was very dark in colour for a Fume and the nose was awful; it was gone.  I have a bad habit of when I find a wine I like I put it down for a special occasion; unfortunately, Fume Blanc isn’t designed to be aged long term.  So, as a second choice, I paired the shrimp with a 2005 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc.

"Spicy Shrimp with Mint sauce"

I was pleased when I poured this wine to see a nice pale straw colouring to it.  The nose on the wine was interesting as it contained aromas of wet grass, mushroom and a bit of peach in the background.  This isn’t a nose that I fell in love with but it was different.  In tasting the wine before the food you get a bitter, sharp taste with a hint of grapefruit.  It was missing the usual oiliness that you get from Fume Blanc as it was almost too acidic.  With the food this wine became much, much better; the bitterness and the sharpness faded and the grapefruit flavour became more pronounced.  

"2005 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc"

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 86, Mark - 84, Kathy - 86, Amy -83, Overall – 84.75.

 "Check out the colour difference"

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –



ROBERT MONDAVI FUMÉ BLANC 2008


Vintages 221887
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 22.95
Wine, White Wine
13.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California/Californie, United States
By: Constellation Wines U S
Release Date: Jul 10, 2010


Tasting Note - Concentrated and robust peach, citrus, golden raisin and apple flavors have a firm structure and refreshing juicy acidity. Smooth and sophisticated, with a long, spicy finish. Drink now through 2012. Score - 88. (Mary Ann Worobiec, www.winespectator.com, Web Only, 2010)


Note – this is the 2008 and not the 2005 reviewed here, though the pricing would be the same.

After the shrimp I shocked the table a bit by saying I didn’t think I was going to purchase another bottle of Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc again. Why, my friends asked, as it is so very, very good with Spicy Shrimp? While this wine is indeed excellent with Spicy Shrimp, we have yet to find another suitable food pairing. Let’s just say the uproar was more than I could take as I was out-voted three to one… not necessarily a bad thing at the end of the day.

Click here for Part 2

Wine Club November – Niagara Rieslings

This past Thursday’s Wine Club was a bit of treat for me as I wasn’t the one picking up the wines.  Adam and Erik were in charge of selecting the wines and Kathy was responsible for picking up the food.

"3 Niagara region Rieslings"

The 3 Niagara region Rieslings that they selected were as follows –

2009 Cave Springs “Dolomite” Riesling, $16.95, available only at Cave Springs (i.e. no LCBO listing)

2009 Fielding “Lot 17” Riesling, $25.95, available only at Fielding

2009 Tawse Riesling, $19.95, available only at Tawse

All of the Rieslings were off-dry in sweetness and all were screw top bottles. For most White wines I’m more of a fan of screw top enclosures rather than cork; easier to open and you won’t be aging most whites so the cork is of no benefit.

The Cave Springs Riesling had a big aroma of red apple with a hint of lime in the background. The flavour of green apples ran the length of this wine. The wine also had a long lingering finish to it which was really impressive. There was good acidity and it was the least sweet of the three Rieslings we tried. This was also my favourite of three wines without food.
The Fielding Riesling had an interesting nose of pear and smoke. I was surprised to find that peach was the dominate flavour to this wine, as that is not a flavour I usually associate with Riesling. It seemed the sweetest of the three but I found it had the least amount of acidity of the 3 wines so that might have made it seem sweeter than it really was. This was my least favourite on its own and with the food. I will note though that a number of Wine Club members picked this one as their hands down favourite.

The last one was the Tawse Riesling; this was the take home bottle for Wine Club members. The nose on the Tawse was half green apple and half lime; a very German nose to it. The flavours on this one matched the nose perfectly as it was green apple and lime. The acidity and sweetness was dead in the middle between the two other wines. This was my second choice before the food and became my favourite with the food.

Speaking of food, Kathy bought in an interest collection of goodies to sample with the wines. We had cheese and crackers, spicy pepperoni sticks and roasted red pepper hummus with baby pitas. It was quite a range of different tastes and I thought at least one would throw the wines for a loop but all of the food was at least a good pairing if not a great pairing. I was especially surprised at how good the spicy pepperoni sticks were with the Rieslings.

I am usually very harsh on VQA wines as I find they are over-exposed and over priced at the LCBO. I was a nice treat to try three VQA wines that I liked and in some cases like the Tawse, liked a lot.

We aren’t holding a Wine Club in December as that month tends to be stupid busy so our next one won’t be until January.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Mick cooks for five

Mick and Amy were hosting and we had a special guest for last Saturday night’s dinner as Chris joined us due to his wife Jan being out of town for the weekend.  Mick had three dishes on the menu for the evening – Baked Mussels, Satay Shrimp with Rice and Chicken Quesadillas.  His wine pairings were 2008 La Crema Russian River Valley Chardonnay, 2007 Max Ferd Richter Kabinett Riesling and 2006 Seghesio Zinfandel.  For this article we’ll just be reviewing  the 2008 La Crema Russian River Valley Chardonnay as we have reviewed the other two wines in past.

"Mussels in all their yummy glory"

Here is the 2007 Max Ferd Richter review –  http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2010/09/saturday-night-curried-mussel-bowls-and_14.html

Here is the 2006 Seghesio Zinfandel review – http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2008/07/saturday-night-amy-isnt-part-2.html

I will say that both of the wines were great pairings for their respective dishes.

"Nice Chardonnay but too expensive"

The first course Mick prepared was Baked Mussels, which with the Arugala, Goat Cheese, Bacon and Mozzarella Cheese, were very good.

The nose on the La Crema Chardonnay was a nice mix of vanilla, lime, lilac and a hint of pineapple in the background. In tasting the wine we noticed vanilla and lime as the main flavours and it has a well rounded mouth feel. This was a very easy drinking wine and it paired nicely with the Mussels. I would describe it as an inoffensive California Chardonnay as it was easy to drink but it lacked character to make it stand out from other California Chards. I was a little shocked when Mick told me that is was a $40 bottle. I’d probably buy more of it at $20 but at its current price point this wine is a skip as there are much better Chardonnays out there for the money.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark - 84, Kathy - 87, Amy -86, Overall – 86.25.

Note – Chris’s rating for the wine was an 84.

"Satay Shrimp with rice"

Here is the LCBO information for the wine -

LA CREMA RUSSIAN RIVER CHARDONNAY 2008

Vintages 67231
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 39.95
Wine, White Wine
14.3% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California/Californie, United States
By: Jackson Wine Estates International
Release Date: Nov 13, 2010

Tasting Note - An exceptional effort, the 2008 Chardonnay Russian River was put through 100% malolactic fermentation. It exhibits a more honeyed style with notes of brioche, poached pears, and buttery citrus in its elegant, full-bodied personality. This impressively endowed Chardonnay should drink nicely for 3-4 years. Drink: 2010-2014. Score - 91. (Robert Parker Jr., www.erobertparker.com, Feb. 2010).

"Great Riesling at a great price"

"Surprised at how much the cork was pressed into the bottle..."

The next course was the Satay Shrimp with rice pared with the Max Ferd Richter Riesling.  Mick nailed this course beautifully as the shrimp were cooked to perfection, the Satay sauce was very good and the wine went great with it.

"Chicken Quesadillas"

The main course was Chicken Quesadillas with 2006 Seghesio Zinfandel.  Mick always makes awesome Quesadillas and tonight was no exception.  Seghesio is probably one of best winerys for Zinfandel and the 2006 was easily as good as I remembered it being before.

"One of the great Zins"

For dessert Chris made Carrot Cake and he even made a couple of Carrat Cake cupcakes which both of the wives loved. The Carrot Cake was moist and flavourful a perfect way to end an evening of great food and wine.

"Carrot Cake and Cupcakes"

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting this week and to Mick and Chris for cooking/baking.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Not the usual band of malcontents

This past Saturday we added three more guests to our usual Saturday night dinner with Mick and Amy – Chris and Jan and Sheian.

We didn’t review the wines as we usually do, so this blog is more just a quick recap of the evening.

"Menu for the evening"

"Crab Dip with Crackers"

The starter was Crab Dip and Crackers paired with 2007 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.  The grapefruit flavour and crispness of the wine made a good contrast to the sweetness of the Crab dip.

"2007 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc"

"Homemade Croutons with Caesar :)"

  

The second course was Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons paired with 2008 Louis Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay.  We have done this pairing a number of times and it is always a beautiful match.

"Louis Jay-DOT as Mick would say"

"Beef Tenderloin being carved up"

"Port and Shallot Sauce"

"The final plate" 

For the main course I did Beef Tenderloin with Port & Shallot Sauce and Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and a side of Green Beans paired with Joseph Phelps 2003 Insignia.  The 1999 Insignia is the highest rated red wine on the Top 10 Red wines list.  The 2003 Insignia isn’t quite as good as the 1999 but it wasn’t far off.   I would guess that we would have rated in the 91-92 point range; wonderful nose and incredibly smooth taste it wasn’t hard to kill this bottle.  

"2003 Insignia"

"Cork from 2003 Insignia"

"Table shot (from left to right) Mick, Sheian, Chris and Jan... Amy is taking the picture and I'm cooking... so where is my lovely wife?"

"Oh there she is raiding the wine fridge!"

We opened a 2005 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon as the Insignia was gone before we finish the tenderloin.  The Cab paled in comparison to the Insignia but it is a quarter of the price of the Insignia as well.  The Cab was more fruit forward than the Insignia and didn’t have the rich earthiness that the Insignia did but it was a decent pairing with the course.

"Not Insignia"

"Three to Dream dessert by Sheian"

Sheian made her “Three to Dream” Dessert and we paired it with a 2006 Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine that Chris and Jan brought.  The dessert was quite good and the Ice Wine was a stellar pairing.  I’m usually not a huge Ice Wine fan as I prefer the less expensive and less sweet Late Harvest wines instead, but this Ice wine was very good; the huge sweetness was there but there was big acidity to nicely balance it out.

"2006 Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine"

"White Chocolate Raspberry Tart by Chris and Jan"

Chris and Jan made a White Chocolate Raspberry Tart paired with Southbrook Framboise which they also provided.  The tart was very good.  I liked the Raspberry based dessert wine though it was a little sharp at times with the dessert.

"Southbrook Framboise"

The evening was a blast and I like to thank everyone for coming. I especially like to thank Chris and Jan for the dessert and the dessert wines and Sheian for her dessert.

Cheers!

Mark