Vacation Days / New Orleans in January



It seems like 2018 went on forever, we booked a six day trip to New Orleans and it felt like a light was on at the end of the tunnel. A fun get away of food and wine during our slow season and a chance to inspire us for the start of 2019.

We started with a late arrival and off for a taste of Bourbon street and quickly ventured off to Effervescence Wine Bar. Gumbo, Muffuletta, fries, cocktails, absinthe and Bubbles.

 
 

Day 2 - Sunshine on our shoulders with alot of walking up and down Magazine street. Looking at so many cool shops, menu's and art. We also walked off the lunch, crab Beignets, shrimp and grits and bubbles.

Blue crab Beignets....

Day 3 - Another glorious day of weather. Mimosa brunch with Boudin Balls, Frog legs, gulf shrimp fritters and lots of Bubbles...

Royal street strolling, billiards in the Irish bar, saszerac, french 75's and more strolling. The art is amazing, every nook and cranny seems to be covered. A Sunday off is rare, we enjoyed it and got our steps exceeded and our bellies full. I cannot remember having a day like this, fulfilled all the senses.

Continuing on later this day to see the Joan of Arc parade and more food and wine and oysters.

 

 

Day 4 - Traditional Beignets and coffee with views of the French Market, the river and crowds of tourists, not really our thing. We did it and left. Walking miles across town to a highly rated Brewery. The wall was loaded with taps and the ambience minimal. We chose from the all locally made line up and sat in the sun in pretty much a junk yard feel court yard and took the 'to go delivery' menu with us. A call in for our 1st Lobster Po'Boy which was walked over from a neighboring business. Now this was a treat: perfectly cooked and crunchy lobster in a spicy sauce, not so pretty but oh so good. Now to walk it off.

Late happy hour with oysters, pork belly and liver with biscuits and jelly, Oh my.

 

 

 

Day 5 by foot through the warehouse district,

Alligator, fried chicken livers and Rabbit with dumplings.

 

Our last evening walk to Frenchmen Street. Happy Hour, some music and bites and back.

 

Our final lunch with the last of PMV wine that we brought, great service and a farewell to city walking, drinking, eating and fun all in flip flops in January.

 

Great ceviche of gulf shrimp, fish with pepitas. Mushroom and lamb lasagna, couldn't resist this.

 

So many too choose from, we missed many but made a dent in our selection - Restaurants....

Plus ART, hot sauce, the street views and the lights......

What a city! Worth the days, the blisters on my feet, the sore tummy from too much food and the reawakening of my soul - fresh for a NEW YEAR.

Annual Celebration Dinner
Sunday Dec. 2nd



For over 10 years we have offered our 'Celebration Dinner' for our Wine Club Family and Friends. This gives us an opportunity to toast our favorite people with some extremely special wines and a multi course menu.

We always begin the evening reception with a tasting of the newly bottled Pinot's, in this case 2017 which was bottled in August. Having not tasted these wines and they will not release for at least one year, this is a great opportunity to taste the future.

From my Restaurant days, I love the menu, table setting, candle lit atmosphere. Plus help from a professional server, Thank you Ellen!

 

The reception is in our side room we called 'The Dining Room' which is emptied out other than 2 wine barrels, a redwood plank and the wines.

 

 

                  Mushroom soup shooters to warm everyone up from our first really cold Fall evening.

Local cheeses to cleanse the palate. Lamp Chopper from Cypress Grove and Hwy 1 Fontina from Valley Ford. Both these cheeses do well with Pinot Noir.

 

The line up of wines for the evening, mostly magnum's and one Jerobaum all from our library

 

 

Starting with local Tomales Bay Oyster Rockerfeller with our 2014 Brut Rose'. Let's get this party started.

                     2011 Chardonnay magnum with our great local Goat Cheese croquette.

The crab season just started and we can't miss the opportunity to show case our best local ingredients, Dungeness Crab Cakes. We opened the 3 Litre 2013 vintage Bohemian Vineyard. Orange and vanilla essence sauce high lights both the crab and the wine.

Sonoma County Lamb, creamy polenta and two Pinot Noir's from the same vintage, 2011 TNT Vineyard and Ruxton Vineyard. Magnums age slower so they were very lively Pinot's. The TNT was preferred with the lamb. Ruxton Pinot is typically our 'lamb wine' although the preparation was very rich and the TNT's acidity balanced everything.

 

 This experiment by Mat with Viognier as late harvest orange wine turned out pretty sweet in more than one way. We had to show case it for dessert, our first dessert wine trial. Only a couple cases of 375 bottles produced, no label = huge success. A beautiful not too sweet finish.

 

Paired with Torta Caprese, flourless chocolate and almond cake with candied orange rind garnish.

6 magnums, 4 sparkling, 1 x 3 Litre, 5 vintages of 2017 Pinot's and a few bottles of dessert wine, Yes, This was a Celebration!!!! The last of 2018 events for our Tasting Room.

Thank you to Chef Jeff who spent three days shopping and prepping and being so organized that the evening was painless and a pleasure!

Next up 2019