Christmas Eve is a big worknight for me, my non-profit has a big event, but one
has to eat first. So we went with some friends to a local Thai place. Some
other wines might have worked better with the food, but the one I wanted to try
was the 1999 Jean Paul Droin "Les Vaillons" 1er Cru Chablis. Medium acidity,
apple fruit with a squirt of lemon, chalk and flint. Good finish. B+

After a fun (but tiring) expedition on Christmas Eve, I returned home at 2:45
AM to get ready to leave at 3:30 for Atlanta. A few minor adventures later, we
were at my parents' new home. I got in a quick nap, then sat down to a big
family dinner. Now, my Dad decided to start drinking a glass of red a day after
the "french Paradox" stuff came out. Unfortunately, the wine he has decided is
favorite is Taylor Lake Country Red. He always has other stuff for us, but not
usually my favorites. As I was bringing down wine as a gift for my brother, I
tucked in an extra inexpensive bottle. We were having an assortment of (mostly
Southern) foods : ham, turkey, dressing, squash casserole, asparagus casserole
(my mom is of the casserole generation), turnips, green beans, lima beans,
green salad, etc. Needed a food-friendly wine, so I brought the 2002 Clos de la
Roilette Fleurie. Nose of flowers and red fruit, palate of bitter cherry. I
like a lot, but the acidity and tart fruit make it not a crowd-pleaser. But
still gets a B+ from me.

Next night we end up at the Village Tavern, a local steakhouse. Betsy's ribeye
is tasty, but my strip steak is close to tasteless. But I wash it down with
the 2001 Foppiano Petite Sirah. Tannic, but that is ok with the steak. Dark
berry fruit, some earth, a little cedar/coffee. Nothing to write home about,
but ok for $30 on a wine list. B

Next night we are going to my brother's home, to eat some fish he hooked on a
recent trip to Alaska (king and coho salmon, halibut). I offer to stop and pick
up some pinot noir for the salmon, Doug says "we have plenty of reds". When I
get there I discover he does, but almost exclusively Bdx varietals. But I
choose a 1998 Frescobaldi Fili di Seta. Bad choice. Not a horrible wine, but a
fairly big, oaky, tannic Supertuscan. Black cherry and cassis, lots of vanilla.
Too bad, I like other Frescobaldi wines (I think I gave this to Doug). A B-
with food, though tasting as night wore on suggests a B to me.

Sunday night my mom made fried chicken. Why would someone who can cook like
this spend so much time on casseroles? Great meall, and well-accompanied by the
leftover Fleurie. So airtime has really given this a chance to shine. Luckily,
I have all to myself, as others decided they didn't like in Xmas and pass in
favor of other wines.

Interspersed over weekend were some truly awful Vendange, Meridian, and Fetzer
Chards. Luckily, I have put them out on my mind. This AM got up at 3:30, went
to Atlanta airport. Said goodbye to Betsy and David as they flew to Betsy's
grandmother's in Southern CA , flew home. Retreived the basset from kennel,
worked, then came home to start a scientific examination of wines brought to
our party pre-Christmas. First to be uncorked was the 2000 Brusco dei Barbi
(Tuscany). Indeterminate Tuscan blend, though some cherry fruit and good
acidity make me guess there's Sangiovese in there. Flowers, black cherries,
leather, cedar. Sounds good so far, but the whole is less than the parts. And
the finish is clipped. Ok if a $10 wine, this kinda sucks if $30. B

More host gift tastings to come this week.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B
a good wine, C mediocre at best. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a
party where it was only choice.
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

"Dale Williams" > schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
> Interspersed over weekend were some truly awful Vendange, Meridian, and
Fetzer
> Chards. Luckily, I have put them out on my mind. This AM got up at 3:30,
went
> to Atlanta airport. Said goodbye to Betsy and David as they flew to
Betsy's
> grandmother's in Southern CA , flew home. Retreived the basset from
kennel,
> worked, then came home to start a scientific examination of wines brought
to
> our party pre-Christmas. First to be uncorked was the 2000 Brusco dei
Barbi
> (Tuscany). Indeterminate Tuscan blend, though some cherry fruit and good
> acidity make me guess there's Sangiovese in there. Flowers, black
cherries,
> leather, cedar. Sounds good so far, but the whole is less than the parts.
And
> the finish is clipped. Ok if a $10 wine, this kinda sucks if $30. B

Well, if it puts your mind to rest, the Brusco 1997 I bought was only Euro 6
over here. Does that make it okay?

Reka



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amnspam (Dale Williams) wrote:

> But I choose a 1998 Frescobaldi Fili di Seta. Bad choice. Not a
> horrible wine, but a fairly big, oaky, tannic Supertuscan. Black
> cherry and cassis, lots of vanilla.

With such a name ("silk threads"), I really wouldn't have guessed
such a wine!

M.

Hi Dale,
Wow, sounds like a hectic Christmas. I had to chuckle when you mentioned
casseroles. Here in Minnesota (with all the Scandinavians) a casserole
is called a "hot dish". Fortunately, casseroles and "hot dishes" are
not as popular as they once were.

Cheers for a Happy New Year!
Dick (a Scandinavian) in Minnesota, USA

Dale Williams wrote:
> Christmas Eve is a big worknight for me, my non-profit has a big event, but one
> has to eat first. So we went with some friends to a local Thai place. Some
> other wines might have worked better with the food, but the one I wanted to try
> was the 1999 Jean Paul Droin "Les Vaillons" 1er Cru Chablis. Medium acidity,
> apple fruit with a squirt of lemon, chalk and flint. Good finish. B+
>
> After a fun (but tiring) expedition on Christmas Eve, I returned home at 2:45
> AM to get ready to leave at 3:30 for Atlanta. A few minor adventures later, we
> were at my parents' new home. I got in a quick nap, then sat down to a big
> family dinner. Now, my Dad decided to start drinking a glass of red a day after
> the "french Paradox" stuff came out. Unfortunately, the wine he has decided is
> favorite is Taylor Lake Country Red. He always has other stuff for us, but not
> usually my favorites. As I was bringing down wine as a gift for my brother, I
> tucked in an extra inexpensive bottle. We were having an assortment of (mostly
> Southern) foods : ham, turkey, dressing, squash casserole, asparagus casserole
> (my mom is of the casserole generation), turnips, green beans, lima beans,
> green salad, etc. Needed a food-friendly wine, so I brought the 2002 Clos de la
> Roilette Fleurie. Nose of flowers and red fruit, palate of bitter cherry. I
> like a lot, but the acidity and tart fruit make it not a crowd-pleaser. But
> still gets a B+ from me.
>
> Next night we end up at the Village Tavern, a local steakhouse. Betsy's ribeye
> is tasty, but my strip steak is close to tasteless. But I wash it down with
> the 2001 Foppiano Petite Sirah. Tannic, but that is ok with the steak. Dark
> berry fruit, some earth, a little cedar/coffee. Nothing to write home about,
> but ok for $30 on a wine list. B
>
> Next night we are going to my brother's home, to eat some fish he hooked on a
> recent trip to Alaska (king and coho salmon, halibut). I offer to stop and pick
> up some pinot noir for the salmon, Doug says "we have plenty of reds". When I
> get there I discover he does, but almost exclusively Bdx varietals. But I
> choose a 1998 Frescobaldi Fili di Seta. Bad choice. Not a horrible wine, but a
> fairly big, oaky, tannic Supertuscan. Black cherry and cassis, lots of vanilla.
> Too bad, I like other Frescobaldi wines (I think I gave this to Doug). A B-
> with food, though tasting as night wore on suggests a B to me.
>
> Sunday night my mom made fried chicken. Why would someone who can cook like
> this spend so much time on casseroles? Great meall, and well-accompanied by the
> leftover Fleurie. So airtime has really given this a chance to shine. Luckily,
> I have all to myself, as others decided they didn't like in Xmas and pass in
> favor of other wines.
>
> Interspersed over weekend were some truly awful Vendange, Meridian, and Fetzer
> Chards. Luckily, I have put them out on my mind. This AM got up at 3:30, went
> to Atlanta airport. Said goodbye to Betsy and David as they flew to Betsy's
> grandmother's in Southern CA , flew home. Retreived the basset from kennel,
> worked, then came home to start a scientific examination of wines brought to
> our party pre-Christmas. First to be uncorked was the 2000 Brusco dei Barbi
> (Tuscany). Indeterminate Tuscan blend, though some cherry fruit and good
> acidity make me guess there's Sangiovese in there. Flowers, black cherries,
> leather, cedar. Sounds good so far, but the whole is less than the parts. And
> the finish is clipped. Ok if a $10 wine, this kinda sucks if $30. B
>
> More host gift tastings to come this week.
> Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B
> a good wine, C mediocre at best. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a
> party where it was only choice.
> Dale
>
> Dale Williams
> Drop "damnspam" to reply

"Dick R." > wrote in message
...
> Hi Dale,
> Wow, sounds like a hectic Christmas. I had to chuckle when you mentioned
> casseroles. Here in Minnesota (with all the Scandinavians) a casserole
> is called a "hot dish". Fortunately, casseroles and "hot dishes" are
> not as popular as they once were.

Hot dish? Casserole?
Please explain to this Scandinavian...
Anders

I think he means a Hot Tuna Casserole.

When my wife ever suggests this I run.

"Anders Tørneskog" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Dick R." > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi Dale,
> > Wow, sounds like a hectic Christmas. I had to chuckle when you mentioned
> > casseroles. Here in Minnesota (with all the Scandinavians) a casserole
> > is called a "hot dish". Fortunately, casseroles and "hot dishes" are
> > not as popular as they once were.
>
> Hot dish? Casserole?
> Please explain to this Scandinavian...
> Anders
>
>

>Hot dish? Casserole?
>> Please explain to this Scandinavian...
>> Anders
>>

A casserole is a one dish meal where the meat and vegetables and starch are
baked together, usually in some type of sauce. Cassoulet would be a French
version of a casserole. In the US a casserole that many of us grew up on was
the dreaded Tuna Noodle Casserole. A mixture of canned tuna fish, egg noodles
and frozen green peas which are baked together in a white sauce. This is
usually topped with bread crumbs or crushed potato chips for a crunchy topping.
FYI, the type of dish (usually glass or pyrex, sometimes terra cotta) used to
prepare a casserole is also called a casserole. It's a rectangular dish
roughly 8x12x3 inches.
Bi!!

we did grow up on that....it sucked too.


"RV WRLee" > wrote in message
...
> >Hot dish? Casserole?
> >> Please explain to this Scandinavian...
> >> Anders
> >>
>
> A casserole is a one dish meal where the meat and vegetables and starch
are
> baked together, usually in some type of sauce. Cassoulet would be a
French
> version of a casserole. In the US a casserole that many of us grew up on
was
> the dreaded Tuna Noodle Casserole. A mixture of canned tuna fish, egg
noodles
> and frozen green peas which are baked together in a white sauce. This is
> usually topped with bread crumbs or crushed potato chips for a crunchy
topping.
> FYI, the type of dish (usually glass or pyrex, sometimes terra cotta)
used to
> prepare a casserole is also called a casserole. It's a rectangular dish
> roughly 8x12x3 inches.
> Bi!!

Anders Tørneskog wrote:
> "Dick R." > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Hi Dale,
>>Wow, sounds like a hectic Christmas. I had to chuckle when you mentioned
>>casseroles. Here in Minnesota (with all the Scandinavians) a casserole
>>is called a "hot dish". Fortunately, casseroles and "hot dishes" are
>>not as popular as they once were.
>
> Hot dish? Casserole?
> Please explain to this Scandinavian...
> Anders

Hi Anders,
I don't know the origin of the casserole, but the Swedish "hot dish"
that I remember was a conglomeration of "stuff" in various combinations
(meat, potato, tomato, noodles, soup, etc.) placed in a baking dish and
cooked in the oven. Maybe it was a result of the Great Depression when people
would try to make a meal out of whatever they could find.

Dick in the USA

dick wrote:
> I think he means a Hot Tuna Casserole.
>
> When my wife ever suggests this I run.

I wonder if this is how some of the great
Olympic runners got their start? :-)

"Dick R." > wrote in message
...
> Hi Anders,
> I don't know the origin of the casserole, but the Swedish "hot dish"
> that I remember was a conglomeration of "stuff" in various combinations
> (meat, potato, tomato, noodles, soup, etc.) placed in a baking dish and
> cooked in the oven. Maybe it was a result of the Great Depression when
people
> would try to make a meal out of whatever they could find.
>
Thanks for the explanation - what puzzled me was the attribution of
"Swedish"... Assembling leftovers is probably a feature of any national
cooking where economy counts, and can sometimes give delicious results. (I'm
thinking of some tasty pies my wife has assembled at times :-)
What you describe as Swedish certainly did not come with the 19th century
immigrants, by the way - neither tomatoes nor noodles were known to them
<g>..., but the general principle may have.
Anders

In article >, "Reka"
> writes:

>the Brusco 1997 I bought was only Euro 6
>over here. Does that make it okay?

Yes, at $10 or under it's reasonable.

Michael- threads of silk, huh? My non-existent Italian was leaving me wondering
if it meant brother's hair.


Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

Anders Tørneskog wrote:
> "Dick R." > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Hi Anders,
>>I don't know the origin of the casserole, but the Swedish "hot dish"
>>that I remember was a conglomeration of "stuff" in various combinations
>>(meat, potato, tomato, noodles, soup, etc.) placed in a baking dish and
>>cooked in the oven.
<snip>
>
> Thanks for the explanation - what puzzled me was the attribution of
> "Swedish"...
<snip>
Hi again Anders,
My parents both came to the US from Sweden in the 1920s. They met and
married some years later. I think there was a Swedish influence in
everything my mother cooked. I went on an extended trip to Sweden with
my parents just after WW2. Still have vivid memories and 8mm film that
my father shot. Hope to visit Sweden again ... I wonder how much Tarnsjo
has changed in the last 50+ years.

Happy New Year and Skol!

Dick (100% Swede) in Minnesota, USA

Fili di Seta is from Pertimali, not Frescobaldi! That's what I get for posting
(a) late at night after catcing a 6 AM flight, (b) after most of a bottle of
wine, & (c) without writing down at time. I was thinking re ordering some
Castelgiocondo and had a brain fart. Sorry all!
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply