Alright team, this is of course a VERY busy month...but with good planning I think we can make something happen.

Proposed themes: Chateauneuf, Bordeaux (haven't done this in a while), California vs Washington Cabernet?

Venue: ?

Date/Time:
My availability: 11/23, 11/29, 11/30 - if another date works for the majority I can try to make it work or catch up with you in December.

So who's ready to drink some wine?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sarbuze,

Those, and pretty much only those, dates work for me in November. Mebbe we could get one bank of Faryan's thing off the ground? I gotta check wid the better half, but we might be able to host.

Anyone up for sampling some '05 QPR Bordeaux?

Left Bank?
Right Bank?
middle of the river?

wid carry-out Indian food?

I'm still available for any Saturday in November. Of those proposed dates, I'd strongly prefer Sat. 11/29, but could do either of the Sundays (23 or 30). If we do a Sunday, let's start as early as possible, please. Doing these on a Sunday night makes for a very tough Monday morning. Of the suggested themes, my preference would be Cali vs. Washington cabs or Bordeaux. Don't have any CdPs in my every dwindling wine stash. Could I also suggest Aussies? I have a few that are drinking very well right now.

Standing by...

I'm out for this one. I'm having ankle surgery on the 21st and will be in a cast for 4 to 6 weeks and then in a boot for 4 weeks. So I'm definitely out for this one, but I may see if I can swing December (if something comes together for that).

Enjoy!!!

Geez, sibster... Good luck with that.

29th is best for me of the proposed dates. I don't have a particular thematic preference.

How about a blind tasting, though?

29th is gaining momentum... and i LOVE blind tastings.

Sibster! Good luck, my friend. I had some hardware installed on my right Fibula when I was 21...then removed a few months later, so I feel for you!


Lentini/newsuy/jace:
Blind tasting sounds great, 29th it is, venue/theme (double blind or regional)?

Cheers!

i figure if you're gonna go blind, you might as well go all the way and do double. but i'll certainly defer to the majority.

btw, my stefania shipment arrived yesterday. haven't had the pleasure of trying their wines yet and can't wait to pop one in two weeks or so!

Have fun gents, I'm out of town the 29th.

I'm excited about this blind thing. How do we do the double blind logistically without "assistants"? Do we bag all the bottles on arrival without sharing what they are?... Then someone numbers them? So I guess you'd know what you brought, but wouldn't know which one it was. And you'd have no clue what other people brought. Whatever.

I like the idea of US cabernets or Rhone wines. Jace - Do you have something in particular you're thinking about cooking? We could pick a theme to go with the food if that's the case. Assuming you're hosting, that is.

CONFIRMED EVENT!

Date: Saturday November 29, 2008
Theme: Double Blind Extravaganza
Location: Jace's House
Time: TBD
Food: BYOC (cheese), a bagette or two. The focus here is the wine and dinner will just get in the way. Besides, we should all still be pretty full from Thanksgiving and Friday leftovers!

"IN"
Jace + 1
Sarbuze + 1
Lentini
Newsguy

Rules: bring wine- white, red, sparkling, sweet, sour, good, just not bad

Cool idea. Unfortunately, we'll be out of town for Thanksgiving. Have fun!

I will be headed out of town, so will miss the November tasting and the December tasting. I hate it when work gets in the way.

Chris & Donna

Thanks for posting Sarbuze - I'll try to have something to nibble on (in a plain paper sack, of course). If y'all wrap your bottle in aluminum foil before you come, I will re-wrap and number them (double blind?). What else do we need to know (or not)?

i would think we'd want to declare how big the wine is or isn't, so we could at least organize them into a couple flights based on body (so we don't end up with monsters at the start and finished with a delicate white). and do we each want to bring an appetizer (which could include a cheese), or we just going to make this a cheese/bread event?

Good point newsguy, definitely the whites (less dessert) should come first. What if we guess, say in a sequence of 10, where our wine should be drunk?

that sounds like a good idea to me, jace.

Either that or we need a lot of glasses and a lot of table space so we can pour them all and drink them as seems appropriate.

Well, 6 each is not too hard, maybe even 10...but we don't have that yet so we could do this either way.

Guys, under durress I have to back out of this one. Sorry for the late notice. Have fun and post notes.

you'll be missed, rob. feel free to send a long a bottle if you'd like.

Or a fat one; yup, sorry yule not be thair. At four-six personnes, I'd say let's just bring a nice bottle (or two), and open them all. I could seek outside the board a couple more?

Jace: I might bring Carlos in place of Kim...or as well as Kim. It will be a game-time decision

we still gonna do blind or are we going to declare?

and if we're looking at a smaller group (4-8), i can do an appetizer that includes meat and pairs well with medium to full-body reds? (and i happen to be bringing a very large red.) if not, i can do cheese and a baguette.

If we are small, I can throw something red on the grill (probably a pinot). Plan accordingly; can we get a final head count:

Sarbuze - 2 (or 3)
Newsguy - 1
Jace - 3