Annual "What's everybody planning to drink for Christmas dinner?" post

Modest describes our normal Christmas fare as I generally don't like to share the "good stuff" with those who don't appreciate. At the same time I am not serving Screaming Blue Kookaberra Oak Chip Reserve NV just cause it has a pretty bottle and a cute little thing sampling it at the grocery. Therefore it shall be a 2000 Marquis de Caceras Rioja Reserva with a Pork Tenderloin.

I need to go check the cellar but current plans are:

Champagne Cocktails Veuve Cliquot NV ??? Blaauwklippen 1998 Special Late Harvest Chenin Blanc

The first two are decided upon. My problem with the Chenin Blanc is that I've only got a 750 and that's probably too much. I might just nip out and see what pudding wines I can get locally (there's usually a moderately decent selection).

As for the main course wine, roast duck with an apricot stuffing and me with a lack of decent burgundy in the house :-(

It might be another last minute hunt.

Of course given the good reports on 2001 claret I might just open some Grand-Puy-Lacoste and leave the duck to fend for itself.

James James Dempster

You know you've had a good night when you wake up and someone's outlining you in chalk.

"Chris Sprague" asked.....

"What's everybody planning to drink for Christmas dinner?"

Of course, while all you northern hemisphericans shiver your collective butts in winter, we antipodeans will spend the day at the beach - enjoying an al fresco luncheon complete with sun, surf and sand.

So, salads, cold cuts of ham and chicken accompanied by anything crisp and cold (Marlborough Sauvignon or Riesling - and even an inexpensive Chardonnay / Pinot bubbly sounds like the order of the day) - the weather report says cloudless skies and temperatures around that 25degrC - it is so tough at the bottom!!!

New Years Eve has always been our primary celebration - this year the theme is seafood and Champagne.

Oysters, scallops, smoked marlin, NZ rock lobster etc will feature - with the following champagnes -

together with a selection of vintages and NV.

What a way to start 2007!!!

Sounds tough not to mention you get a head start on the whole process. And, yes, I know I NEED to be there . . .

Like that's different from any other New Year's... harrummphh. Great lineup of bubbly, milud. Enjoy!

Mark Lipton

As for me the children "drink" wine with a beer to start and as beer chasers....where did I go wrong ? ;-(

here's the plan

A typical British Christmas Day Bracing walk followed by smoked salmon blinis and various canapes and Tesco's house champagne.

more simple salmon with Ch Guiraud Sec 2005

roast beef and all the trimmings with Caronne St Gemmes 2001 ( magnum)

Creme brulee with Liot 2003

then in evening perhaps Angludet 1999, between memsahib and myself and then a wee dram of Glenlivet.

A merry Christmas to all you afwers

JT

Hello, Starting with humble fizz, name of which I remember not but purveyed by our neighbours, the GWI. Going on with Chablis 1986 Dom de Vauroux in magnum With ham marinated in red wine, Chapoutier's Rasteau 2004 (with possibility of 1997 Ch de Haux, a small East coaster, also in magnum) With cheese, 1992er Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling Auslese Finishing off with a monastrell based Spanish sticky, Castaño Dulce 2003. After that, it's every man for himself except Christina who, of course, is a lady, and PLEASE don't touch the Chambolle Musigny.

Cheers

Nils Gustaf

See below for what I'm eating with my chianti & fava beans: This is in no way politically correct.

You all must have missed the release of "Protocol of The Elders of Zion-Redux" with a Forward by Mel Gibson. In it Channukah is labeled a "fantasy holiday" begun to keep seasonal money in the Jewish community, Judah Macabbee was created by Shalom Alechem and actually the Temple in Judea liberated was long abandoned and used by Eunuchs for their rites of kvetching. The design of the dreidal was stolen from a Persian fertility talisman and like Passover Jews observe the holiday by dining on a young lady gentile who was eviscerated and served with a mango salsa and an horseradish infusion. Latkes are served on the side but created out of a flattened pirogue or blini. I understand there will be a Cliff notes version out soon and Wal-Mart has exclusive rights for the Middle East.

"JT" skrev i meddelandet news:e8gih.119764$ snipped-for-privacy@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

Angludet '99 ready to drink? I have bottle ... only one ... Cheers Nils Gustaf

"Chris Sprague" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@a3g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:

As I will still be playing bachelor-gal and the far-flung family will remain so, and am only making a little bit of ham and something, I reckon I will have either my fave Mumm Napa Blanc de Noirs, yes! USD16.99! or Henri Abele because USD17.99 Champagne doesn't come around often enough, or a Faiveley Mercurey, uh, 2003, which was CHEEEP too. Next year, tho'...;) d.

For me and mine: Homemade is what I will serve.

Pinot Noir Pinot Gris Cranberry Sparkling white w/mango orange juice (Mimosa?) Cranberry Shiraz (for those with a sweet tooth)

I confess my vintage is not as impressive as most.

DAve

Chris Sprague wrote:

Ridge Monte Bello '99 Turley "Presenti" '03 Oremus Tokaji Aszu (5 puttonyos) '99

Andrew.

I have to make the decision as to whether to go through the hassle of carrying wine on plane. With presents we have full suitcases, but I could fit in a styro shipper. Will find out whether roast beast ('94 BV Georges de LaTour?) or something lighter ('00 Lafarge VS?) is on menu. But might just decide to do potluck with whatever my brother brings (Dad is strictly supermarket wines).

Going to a party tonight, 20+ adults, not usually what I bring heavy hitters to (nothing sadder than finding a bottle drained before you even got a sip), butmaybe if I decide to not carry wine to GA I'll splrge a little.

Had that been me I would not have stopped at the baggage claim counter. That is intentional destruction of your personal property, and demands compensation. Did you try to push this issue further up the chain of command? Simply outrageous.

When I was traveling in Italy a few years ago, I got dropped off in Verona when the train service went on strike. The next day, the wanted me to buy a new ticket for the remainer of my journey, since I had a Euro-pass and had the last travel day punched when I boarded the train that stopped in Verona instead of at it's destination (Monaco). I was understandably furious - polite at first though, incapable of believing that someone would both understand what was going on AND try to make be buy another ticket. Surely the lady at the booth just needed it explained more clearly.

Well it became more clear that she was just being obtuse, even suggesting that I was in Verona instead of Monaco because I *wanted* to be in Verona, not because, well, that's where the train dropped us off when they went on strike. I'm sure many patrons who were in the Verona train station on the evening of February 18th, 1999 remember what happened next to this day. It must have been amusing to see an American college kid screaming through a ticket window in French (the only language the clerk and I knew in common) going on and on about "Non, j'y suis a cause de cette p*tain de grève!", and so on. Eventually she pulled the blind down, and a security guard came down to make sure everything was OK (it was, I just mad - he was merely there to observe). Then a manager came down, and mediated. After explaining my case to him, he immediately understood and issued me a voucher for the remainder of my trip to Monaco, gratis.

It wasn't the most graceful way to do it (it didn't help that I hadn't slept much in almost a week by that point, making my temper rather short), but I did push the issue, an obvious injustice, to a higher level, and won.

- Chris

Hey, I'm quite confident that it will improve, but I want to see how it's getting along. It's surely worth opening one bottle to fond out.

It is; I opened one the other day.

Andrew.

Simple fair, Champagne Brut by Raymond Boulard, Montlouis Clos Habert by François Chidaine with the fish, and Maury Cuvée Aurelie by Preceptorie de Centernach with various chocolate desserts.

As usual I leave these decisions for the last minute.

With foie gras (canard) from down the road.

With standing rib roast of local beef, yorkshire pud, chestnuts and sprouts.

Taylor 10 yr Tawny with Adele's chocolate Buche.

-E