Newbie looking for Wine Party Info

I've

cheese

advance? And

drinking

bruschetta,

cheesecake.

Husbands

because he

Charleston,

without

probably get a

participate

'&tn=Italian%3A+Ultimate+Recipes&imagefield.y

Jim

Yes, I absolutely got some very good information, I'm glad I came here because while I got a little bit more confused on the advice given to me, I got a lot of very good advice that I do plan to implement into my party. I think this party will be a ball and I know my members are very enthusiastic about this event as well.

As for the Miata, what area exactly do you live in? There are several clubs in NC, as a matter of fact, we do regular events back and forth with at least 3 of them during the year. We also do events in NC, one in Deal's Gap area, one in the Maggie Valley Area, and this year we are even doing one in the Winston Salem area. get yourself into one of the club near you (I can help you find which one would be closest to you). The wealth of knowledge that other club members have is unattainable anywhere else. If they are anything like our club, they do tons of events, everything from the obvious Wine & Cheese Party, to drives all around the area we live in (Charleston), to overnighters, to weekenders. We even go to Drive In movies, although in our state, we only have 2 working Drive In's left, and they usually end up being overnighters. Its great fun though. Anyway, let me know where you are located and I will get you in touch with the local club. trust me, you'll enjoy the car a heck of a lot more when you find out that theres someone there to help with your problems, share your joys of driving and hang out with people who enjoy those little cars! It's great fun!

Well, good all-around cheeses for wine are also ones that people can eat on their own. Good choices are hard cheeses like Cheddar (not too sharp), Manchego, Asiago and Gruyere. Depending on what your selection is like, you might have to choose Cheddar and Swiss. Soft, stinky cheeses are tougher to pair with wine, but maybe have one around for those who like it. Soft goat cheeses won't go with red wine, but will match OK with crisp white wines. Soft, non-stinky cheeses like Gouda, Havarti, Fontina and Monterey Jack are pretty mild in flavor and could go well with a variety of wines. Blue cheeses are the most difficult to pair with wine. I'd leave the rind on the cheeses and allow your guests decide if they want the rind. In the end, experiment and see what people like. No one will be forced to eat a cheese that they don't enjoy, after all. Most fruit doesn't do much for wine, but they're tasty and good for you, so who cares? ;-)

I think that the cheese straws and nuts (if you get almonds or pistachios) are excellent, wine-friendly snacks. The stuffed grapes sound tasty and would probably go well with white wines. If the bruschetta include fresh tomatoes, that's a problem for wine, but you could easily put pesto on your bruschetta or simply cheese and be fine. The grilled chicken skewers sounds like a nice idea and should go well with most wines. Prosciuto-wrapped melon is also a classic. You could also put out some antipasti, including salami or other Italian sausages sliced thinly. They could be placed on bread for a heartier finger food. Most any good bread or cracker would do nicely.

The main thing is to have a selection of foods that will offer a flavor for anyone and for any wine. It's all about having fun, after all.

HTH Mark Lipton

WONDERFUL information! Exactly what I was looking for. You gave me a place to start and answered several of my questions. I'll leave the Bruschetta for another time as it would indeed include fresh tomato. Sounds like I am on the right track for the other items and thanks for the extra suggestions, I greatly appreciate all the help. Maybe some others will chime in with some other suggestions.

Thanks again!

bruschetta,

I'll agree with Mark on these recommendations and add, but a few:

1.) you'll probably get a Chardonnay, or two - I like a room temp double-creme Brie with these. I'm not a rind person (I think Brie's rind tastes of amonia), but leave it on, and let people serve themselves.

2.) you'll probably get a young Cab, or two - walnuts seem to go well with these, as they are *usually* more tannic, than the wine, and when eaten with a young Cab, make the wine seem softer.

3.) if you get a Sangiovese (Chianti, or similar), the bruchetta with tomatoes should pair very nicely, as Sangiovese loves acid in the accompanying food.

4.) if you get a Port, do bring out the Maytag/Stilton blues and serve at the end of the meal (again, those walnuts will go just fine there).

Hunt

The three NC areas you gave are all in the western part of NC. We live in a small community near New Bern, NC; about 45 miles from the coast, and halfway up the state. On a map, it is at the intersection of US 17 & US 70. I'm a member of the BMWCCA (I have a 328 conv), so I understand how helpful a car club can be. Jim

Hmmm. How about Wilmington? Any closer to you? There's a club there as well. Beyond that, I would have to ask the clubs in that area. And there might be one in Virginia that could be close to you as well. You might want to check out Miata.net if you haven't already. It's the site to go to for answers, info and all kinds of great information. They also have a club list on there, and you might be able to better judge how close one of them is to you. Of course, you could just be in one of those areas where the nearest club is 2 hours away. We have a couple members who come from Savannah GA and Columbia SC, just because we are the closest thing to them.

The three NC areas you gave are all in the western part of NC. We live in a

Wilmington is about 80 mi S; I'll check miata.net. There may well be a club in Greenville, NC, which is 43 miles from here. There is a Mazda dealer local in New Bern. On the BMW side, when I notified the CCA for mail on the magazine, they switched me from the Virginia Beach chapter to the Tarheel Chapter, based in Raleigh. Thanks, Jim

"BallroomDancer" skrev i melding news:zE6Od.106002$Jk5.60921@lakeread01...

>