2011|12|9

Having some tasty drinks and good company at our annual Wine Club Christmas party!

Wine Club - Moscato

It was wonderful to get together with the girls tonight for wine club.

Testing Moscato (Muscat) wine tonight were: me, Lian, Kendra, Michelle & Christy.

Lian was our hostess...she put on another amazing evening, it was her third time hosting.

Michelle doing the first pour.

Everything was delicious, Lian's pairing of food & wine for this meal was impeccable:

Asian Glazed Salmon

Coconut Thai Rice

Stir-Fry Vegetables

Spinach Mandarin Salad

And for dessert...Chocolate Coconut Creme Pie...I could have ate the entire thing, so good!

Notes from the tasting...Moscato wine is white in color, fruity tasting and sweeter than a Riesling. This easy sipping wine wraps up many fruit flavors with a crisp cool finish.

*Barefoot - 2007 - California - $9.99 - crisp & very sweet, peach flavor, excellent with the Thai food, deliciously sweet as the bottle says

Gallo - 2009 - California - $5.65 - dry but still sweet, citrus flavor, very light, less fruity flavors

Sutter Home - Chili - $6.25 - sweet & crisp, enhanced the flavor of the dessert

Michele Chiarlo Nivole (Moscatto D'Iasti)- 2009 - Italy - under $20 - sparkling, smells like Gewurztraminer, sweet, warm taste at the end in the throat

* my top pick for this variety of wine

Wine Club - Savignon Blanc

It was a very special wine club a few weeks ago, as we were saying farewell to one of our members, Jocelyn, as she moves to BC. She will be missed at all our gatherings, especially since she is the one who was most knowledeable about wine and fine dining. We will always make room for her at our wine tastings if she is ever back for a visit. We sent her with a few goodies as she leaves us. Miss you friend and wish you all the best on your BC journey and new adventure!

Michelle did an amazing job of hosting and the meal was excellent...it's so nice to be treated by friends who enjoy cooking for one another.

We dined at Michelle's new table and listened to David Gray music...a memorable night.

Delicious cheese tray

Garden tomatoes with cheese smothered in olive oil, garlic & herbs.

Main dish was baked crepes filled with a mixture of spinach, tomatoes, onions, bacon...mine was gone before I had a chance to take a photo.

Chocolate souffle and mint-chip ice cream for dessert!!!

Coco joined us at wine club this evening, only 6 days old.

Notes from the tasting...Savignon Blanc wine is known for it's crisp, elegant & fresh taste. Often drank chilled and pairs nicely with fish, cheese & sushi.

Sumac Ridge - 2006 - $14 - very smooth, would like to try with halibut as it boasts on the lable

Woodbridge - 2008 - $12 - crisp sweet apple favor *my favorite of the night*

Antares - 2009 - $10 - dry

Cat Pee On A Gooseberry Bush - $10-$15 - apple flavor

Two Oceans - 2009 - $12 - dry

Oyster Bay - 2009 - $12

Naked Grape - 2009 - $11

Wine Club - Malbec

Even though I don't indulge in wine at wine club while preggo, I'm so lucky to have these girls to get together with every month or so. It's so great to catch up, chit chat and have many great laughs.

The tasters of the evening:

Kendra, Lian, Michelle,

Jocelyn & Trinette

Trinette was our lovely host this evening and she made the most delicious beef roast I have EVER tasted...she's an amazing cook!

Here are the malbec reds that were tasted this evening. Malbec wines are often associated with Argentina as the grape is most popularly grown there. It is best known for it's dense violet color with sometimes hints of dark coffee, blackberries & chocolate flavors. Notes from the tasting:

The Show - 2009 - $12: nice dry red, consistent from start to finish, fruity

Alamos - 2009 - $12: spicy smell, mild dryness, smooth

Los Cowboys - 2008 - $13.40: hints of plum & chocolate, deep inky purple color

Melipal - 2007 - $19: 100% malbec, from 80 year old vinyard

The Gaucho Club - 2007 - $12: great with red meat & heavier cheese (asiago)

Loved the look of this bottle.

Mmmm, roasted sirloin tip medallions with bernaise sauce, cheese topped mashed potatoes & steamed asparagus.

And for dessert, tuxedo chocolate covered strawberries...sooo good!

Thanks again girlfriends for a wonderful evening and thanks to Trinette for being such a gracious host...and it was so cool to be able to tour your house!

4|17|2010

The wine was Pinot Grigio at wine club tonight, hosted by my friend Lian. The food & conversation was great. I enjoyed smelling the wines while the ladies taste tested them...amazing what you can pick up on when you rely on smell instead of taste.

The concensus voted 2008 BOLLA from Italy to be the #1 Pinot Grigio of the night. It was aromatic (fruity) & flavorful, had a bolder taste than the others and a nice finish. And only $12 a bottle...great for summer dinner parties! I think I'll be purchasing some to enjoy after baby #3 arrives this summer.

Lian served...

Spinach Salad with Mandarins,

Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts

Sesame Noodle Casserole

Lightly Breaded Salmon

A delicious meal!!!

Followed by Mascarpone Tarts with Saskatoon Berries...Mmmmm!

Lian is a great host...this is the second time she's wined & dined us.

A few people pics: Jocelyn & Trinette

Me & Michelle

Lian & Kendra

An awesome night...that lasted till 2:30 for us all. At least I won't have the hangover that usually accompanies a night of wine club.

Wine Club - Holiday Party

Tonight my girlfriend Christy hosted a holiday party for our Wine Club. It was an amazing night! We each invited a guest and to switch it up a bit, we each brought a cocktail instead of wine and our favorite appetizer.

Check out the fully-stocked drink garnish containers...

I invited my sister Christa as my special guest, we both had a great time!

Starr's Cocktail

1 oz butter ripple schnapps

1 oz green sour puss

1 cup fresca

squeeze of lime

cranberries for garnish

Kendra's Chocolate Martini

We were all settling in nicely with the drinks...then it was time to dive into the appetizers! It was quite the spread...delish!

Christy anticipated a not-so-nice morning the next day...so she took her hang-over meds.

Jocelyn's Cocktail...fruity martini

Christy & Trinette both served Mojitos...with fresh mint

The mint was beginning to look a bit unappealing...like seaweed (note-to-self: strain the mojitos next time).

Lian's Cocktail

Michelle's Jack Frost Martini

The look on Christy's face says it all...these martinis looked amazing but tasted awful, we could hardly drink them, probably because they were 100% alcohol.

We finished up the night with visiting and some fun photos!

Happy Holidays Wine Club!