New Year's Day I spent a lazy morning, had the traditional Southern blackeyed peas and greens for lunch, and then in afternoon I went to pick up David and his girlfriend at Newark as they came back from Denmark. Later, I went to a New Year's open house, with a pretty good potluck spread and a few wines to sample:
2005 Las Brisas (pretty sure this was Rueda). Light, citrus and melon fruit, good acidity, a bit short. OK as an apertif,a little light to stand up to some of the food. B/B-
2005 Loimer "Lois" Grüner Veltliner (Kamptal) I've never been very happy with this low-end bottling before, but this one isn't bad for the $8 tag. Not especially varietally correct, but a nice lightweight wine with white peach and nectarine fruit and just a hint of spritz. Probably better for a summer picnic than a winter party, but I liked. B
2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo (Langhe) Clean cherry fruit accented by flowers, not exceedingly complex but nice lighter-styled Nebbiolo. B
2004 Eugen Muller Forster Mariengarten Kabinett Good acidity, lime and tropical fruit, some floral notes. More floral than mineral, but nice. B/B+
Nice party,though I found the musical interludes a bit much. The host is an ethnomusicologist, the hostess a mezzo- soprano. Most of the people there were musicians, music academics, or both. So you're in the middle of a conversation when suddenly a keyboard starts and an aria breaks out. I like concerts, I like parties, I just think they should be separate. Last night the hostess did a couple of pieces (including a great Bizet "Habanera"), a conservatory voice student did an aria from Figaro, a soprano did a piece with lots of pyrotechnics, plus one duet. All were well-done, but I feel awkward standing with a plate and a cup in my hand listening when I wasn't prepared for a reading party. :(
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.