Last night's Wine Night was a very special one.Three years ago when I threw out the idea of Wine Night, Liz was the first to respond and most excited. She is an original member of the group who has expanded our posse to include some fantastic women. She's hosted some highly educational and highly hilarious evenings. And when Liz is around, it's always a great time with great food, great wine and great shoes.
Liz and her family are moving back to Chicago and we will miss them terribly!
So for her last Wine Night we decided that the theme will be All Things Liz! We brought food and wine that reminded us of her, knew she'd love or find interesting. And as you'll see from the pictures, it was a huge success.
Let's talk about the food:
Liz made toasts with ricotta cheese, heirloom tomatoes and fava beans. They were delicious!
I made sausage balls. Yes, the Bisquick, cheddar cheese sausage balls. Because on our first Wine Night, Liz brought over fig membrillo (i had no idea what membrillo was!) and I made sausage balls - that should tell you something about both of us! Anyway, Liz was totally appalled, tasted one and loved them! We've come a long way since then, what with chefs cooking for us and all. But the sausage balls needed to make a reappearance for this occasion. They're still really good!
Jen made brie toasts which is a Liz recipe. It's toast with mustard and brie that is broiled until bubbly and melted. I had forgotten all about these - I'm so glad that Jen remembered!
Of course there was plenty of cheese to go around. You can't go wrong with cheese!
Brandi made a fabulous dessert of apricot short bread with lavender whipped cream. It was light and fluffy and perfect for the summer evening.And now to the wine! My notes will be very brief because we knew all the bottles were great and our conversation was more about us with the occasional comment on the wine.
We started the evening with champagne with Brandi's homemade watermelon and hibiscus puree. It was so refreshing and a great warm up for our palates. I didn't get the details of the bubbly, sorry!
Next we moved to Argyle Sparkling $60.00
1999 80% pinot noir 20% chardonnay from Willamette Valley.
Strong flavor that stands up to food. Delicious!
Quinta de Aveleda Grinalda Vinho Verde $11.00
2008 from Portugal
Refreshing, acidic, perfect summer sipper!
Coalescence $14.00
2008 Shinn Estate - North Fork, Long Island
54% chardonnay 23% sauvignon blanc 13% viognier 10% merlot
"Fruit nose, smells like a pretty hotel bathroom with flowered wallpaper, and candle burning. But they won't tell you what the scent is because it's their signature scent." Grapefruit, lemon, peach, bitter after taste - tanins from the skins.
Clos del Pinell $11.00
2009 Garnatxa Blanca
Delicious, crisp. We LOVED this!!!
Movia $45
2007 Lunar from Slovenia - ribolla gialla
This wine is left to make itself "they tried to produce a wine basically without the touch of humans except at harvest". Cloudy color because it's unfiltered, orange nose, acidity. Big mouth feel. Exotic, Moroccan spices, apricot skins. Thick, wet mouth feel. Nice acidity and perfect balance. Paul Grieco of Terroir and Hearth calls this a "fucked up wine".
Ca' Del Solo $18
2008 Muscat from Monterey, CA.
tastes like soap, perfumy, mucus, tastes like a Torrontes.
Wolffer Estates Rose $17.00
46% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 33% Chardonnay
i have no notes on this at all. So here's something i poached from the internet: "The acidity is well balanced by the fruit. Notes of blueberries and grapefruit, with a long, lip-smacking finish. Dry, light and very refreshing but complex enough to make it a great companion with food."
Favorite quote of the night: "If i was married to a donger like that i would spend all his money too!".
And that's it. It was a wonderful night. Here's a slide show of the 80's music jam, dirty tutus and fabulous hats. We sent "The Director" off with a bang. We will miss you very much!!
Remember: Wine night. Chicago. 2011. February!
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