Newsguy: No problem on the later start, at least from my perspective. We normally spend the first 30-45 mins of these offlines chatting and catching up anyway before getting down to business. I'm sure we could hold off eating until you arrived. This way, we'll get to meet the lady who broke Anna Kournikova's heart.

I'm good with a later start as well. Also, a cheese course with the Sauterne is a great idea,(yet another opportunity for bleu!)

Hmmm. I am not conversant with white bordeaux- something I have vowed to rectify! I could bring a white burgundy to help with the fish, but...1995 Calon Segur & 2002 Arietta Hudson are calling to me. Festiva, if you'd like me to head in another direction let me know.

A later start is fine with me and I'd throw a nod toward cheese; I have (semi-) settled on the '98 Ch. La Tour Haut Brion and the '99 Bismark Ranch Noir Hanna. Hope they stand up to those bad boy '95's. I think you could do a whole other thing with white bordeaux.

Jace

cometspider,

Although I'd love to revisit the 1995 Calon Segur, if you recall our last experience with this wine - it was massive, backward and a few years from infancy!!! Damn, I love that stuff though....

PH

So I think the jury has weighed in. I'll ask Mark to change the menu to be a little more big red friendly. No sense in worrying about White Bordeaux with so many good reds on the menu! Perhaps ask him to scratch the scallops and the snapper dishes and replace them with perhaps a pate or mushroom dish to start and have beef as the main course (after the lamb)?

I'll also ask for a cheese course to pair up with the Sauternes, and pair the chocolate dessert up with some good, strong coffee.

Dinner at 7 cool with everyone?

Here's what we have so far:

Purple Haze:
1998 Chateau Canon La-Gaffeliere

CometSpider:
1995 Calon Segur
2002 Arietta Hudson (Hooeey, I'm lookin' forward to this one! )

Gentleman Farmer:
1999 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon
1998 Château Haut-Maillet

Jace:
1998 Ch. La Tour Haut Brion
1999 Bismark Ranch Noir Hanna

Lentini:
2003 Poggio al Tesoro Sondraia
2001 Chateau d'Arche Sauternes

Festiva:
1997 Merryvale Profile
1995 Chateau Lynch Bages

Newsguy:
Pending (Perhaps a bubbly or two? A white to kick us off?)

I'll let you know what Marc comes back with on the menu. This one is shaping up nicely! Does anyone want to take a stab at trying to pair these wines up in flights? Bordeaux vs. Bordeaux; New World vs. Bordeaux? Spy vs. Spy?

festiva: whites represent less than 2 percent of my wines, but i actually have a French white and a Champagne that I can bring -- if you stick with the scallops and ditch the pate idea. i don't eat the latter, and i think my white would pair perfectly with scallops.

let me know. if whites not necessary, i can bring a Bordeaux and a meritage.

Newsguy: Thanks a lot! The Champagne and the White are most welcome. Let us know what you're bringing and I'll let the Chef know.

Group: Should I still ask Mark to change the menu? Keep the scallops and lose the snapper?

I think the motion on the menu is in the right direction.

As far as pairings, I've found that New vs. Old world is often not the way to go, especially if the New World wines are typically big or forward. New vs. New and Old vs. Old is my thinking.

If newsguy can pull a nice white and a champer, we could leave one of the fish dishes on. If no one else is bringing one, I'll dig out another bubbly. With the size of this group, one bottle of champagne is probably going to dissapear in a few seconds.... Will post a selection once newsguy chimes in with his choices.

7 sounds fantastic.

PH

PH to the rescue again! Please do not hesitate to bring along an extra bottle of bubbly.

I'll wait until one or two more of you weigh in before shooting Mark the menu changes. Does anyone have any suggestions to replace the Snapper?

We're at 12 people now for this soiree. Looking good!

quote:

Originally posted by Festiva:
PH to the rescue again! Please do not hesitate to bring along an extra bottle of bubbly.

The masked man shall bring a Billecart Salmon Brut Rose NV

quote:

Does anyone have any suggestions to replace the Snapper?

Lamb? Venison? Boeuf? Move the chicken to 2nd in the rotation?

PH

Just a quick update. I sent an email off to Mark with the wines that were already declared and asked him to scratch the Snapper and replace it with a beef, lamb, or venison dish. I also asked him to come up with a cheese course to pair with the d'Arche.

Also, we may have 3 more attendees, one of them being Mrs. F. Fortunately, she's not in a drinking state right now and won't affect the size of the pours. If the other couple makes it, I'll make sure they bring some good juice as an entrance fee. I'll know tonight or tomorrow whether we go from 12-15.

I'll let y'all know what the Rooster comes up with!

quote:

Just a quick update. I sent an email off to Mark with the wines that were already declared and asked him to scratch the Snapper and replace it with a beef, lamb, or venison dish. I also asked him to come up with a cheese course to pair with the d'Arche.

Also, we may have 3 more attendees, one of them being Mrs. F. Fortunately, she's not in a drinking state right now and won't affect the size of the pours. If the other couple makes it, I'll make sure they bring some good juice as an entrance fee. I'll know tonight or tomorrow whether we go from 12-15.

I'll let y'all know what the Rooster comes up with!

Man, you're sexy. It might be worth losing my kidney.

Skosh: As usual, you leave me speechless!

You two need to get a room!

Home stretch, boys and girls. Looks like it's shaping up to be a good one. newsguy, what are you bringing? Festiva, did we get a final on the menu from Mark?

PH

Grrr, heads up, I've got problems.

I'm miserably sick, thanks to my one year old and his day-care buddies. It's just a cold I think, but I'm not sure how I'm gonna be this coming weekend.

My pregnant wife has been retested for high blood sugar and is not too happy about the implications of failing the test. Since she wasn't drinking anyway and now is worried about being able to eat, too, she's backing out.

Now if I'm feeling better, anyone mind if I bring my less-beautiful but also less-pregnant father?

And if I'm feeling terrible still, would anyone be terribly offended if I backed out? Someone may have to replace the Sauternes or come grab my bottle, as an entire cheese course is expecting it. And I know the restaurant is opening up just for us... Hopefully the group is big enough now that they wouldn't be too upset.

Let me know what you think or what you're throwing at me!

Lentini: Bummer to hear about you and your wife. I hMy wife has flirted a bit with her blood sugar counts during this pregnancy and it's definitely something you need to keep an eye on. As for you, I hope you get better. We'd be happy to meet your less beautiful and less pregnant dad (but that's a good thing!). Just let me know what you decide to to so I can coordinate things with the restaurant.


I haven't heard back from Mark yet. I'll probably put a call into him today and see what he has up his sleeve.

It looks like Mrs. F and the other couple we were going to bring have backed out. I'll be brining a buddy of mine instead. If Rob and his Dad make it, we'll have 13.

PH: Skosh is only saying those things to make you jealous. You know you're first in her heart...

Get better, Lentini. With any luck, 6 days should have you fit as a fiddle. I hear you about day care. I have a granddaughter who attends a local day care center, and it's a virtual bacteria cafeteria!!

quote:

Originally posted by Festiva:
PH: Skosh is only saying those things to make you jealous. You know you're first in her heart...

Nah.....it's that Seaquam fella. He beat us both to the punch.....

PH

quote:

Nah.....it's that Seaquam fella. He beat us both to the punch.....

PH

Actually, I think he just upgraded from a restraining order to a "peace bond". Unrequited love bites...

Damn, Skosh! You've got quite a group of admirers! You should organize a 'Win A Date With Skosh' offline much akin to the Tiger Beat Magazine Contests!

We're one step further along...

S/W Mark @ The Rooster today. The Snapper has been 86'd. In its place, Mark will prepare Braised Oxtails with Pomme Puree. He says it's fabulous...

Also, we'll be having a couple of cheeses to pair with the Sauternes: a cow's milk cheese called Comte as well as a blue-veined cheese of Mark's choosing (just to keep GF happy!).

Unless we hear otherwise, we're now officially at 13 attendees. If you haven't declared your wines, get 'em in asap so we can start debating the pairings.

FYI, wife got good news from her long test, so she's back in the mood for food. Sorry, dad.

If either or both of us are still sniffling, we promise not to breathe on anyone. So I guess we'll see you there!

Question: Since the theme is more Cali bordx blend vs Bordeaux, anyone think I should swap out the Italian Sondraia for a Cali Pride Mountain Cabernet Franc?

The Pride Cab Franc is 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, so it's kind of a blend.

Lentini,

Glad to hear about your wife. I'm even more happy that she'll be joining us!

I'm always up for drinking Pride! Be my guest!

If your Dad wants to join us, bring him along as well!

quote:

Originally posted by Lentini:
Question: Since the theme is more Cali bordx blend vs Bordeaux, anyone think I should swap out the Italian Sondraia for a Cali Pride Mountain Cabernet Franc?

The Pride Cab Franc is 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, so it's kind of a blend.

I'd like the perspective of the Italian myself. And the next time we do Bordeaux, we need to do Bordeaux!!!!

PH