Not exactly a typical NYE dinner neither for an italian nor for a
french resident, but at my place I can do what I want ;-)))

For appetizers, a Champagne by our AFW colleague, my friend Francis
Boulard. This wine normally needs to be accompanied by a great dish,
but for the 31st of december you can be crazy, so we enjoyed the grand
Comete 1986 cuvee (disgorged in 2000) on it own, with its small subtle
bubbles and this imposing complex vinous matter. Served in the tulip
shaped champagne Spiegelaus, we found these glasses to also be great
for tasting sweet wines. Too bad there is no Comete left at Francis'
cellars, but do taste his new barrique-aged Petraea, since september
it has become very open and expressive.

To start, thin slices of whole foie gras on toast with a small salad
and a Savennieres, the Coulee de Serrant that I have been bad-mouthing
for the last while, I take it all back at least for this 1995: Nicolas
Joly has made a dry (maybe) wine of golden hue that evolves in your
glass in an incredible way, with an initial impression of sugar and
oxidation at first subtle, then increasing to the point of being
almost disagreable after one hour, and then suddenly disappearing
altogether to give way to a complex aromatic charge dominated by
honey. Very long persistence. But two hours later the wine seems tired
(good thing I did not open it 24 hours ahead of time as sugggested on
the label). The next day the few remaining drops seemed to have
regained some composure.

Next a tajine of guinea-hen with mandarines served with Laubenheimer
St. Remigiusberg 2002 Riesling Trocken Spaetlese by Tesch (in the
Nahe), fruity, mineral, nno signs of petrol, went very well with the
meal.

Friends brought cheese, and as no french meal can be without cheese,
and since there were ten different cheeses, I did not even attempt
matching wine. A Bourgogne by Domaine Buisson-Charles went with some,
the Savennieres did a good job with the banon, and the rest of the
riesling went well with the St Nectaire.

Chocolate dessert, we served a "vin de glaciere", an experimental
"icebox wine" made with local vermentino grapes by our winemaking
friends Dupere Barrera, gives an eiswein impression but it has 15
degrees of alcohol! Aroma reminiscent of the wonderful late harvests
of Antoine Arena in Corsica, but more concentrated. Only half a bottle
is available, so we open a Maury Mise Tardive by the Preceptorie de
Centernach 2001 of Marc Parce', cuvee Aurelie Pereira de Abreu, very
nice perfume, none of the cooked aromas of most fortified wines.

At midnight, the superb methode traditionnelle Vouvray 1995 by Foreau.

Happy New Year to all

Mike

That sounds fantastic. Nice way to welcome the New Year!

Happy Holidays.

Dick

"Mike Tommasi" > wrote in message
...
> Not exactly a typical NYE dinner neither for an italian nor for a
> french resident, but at my place I can do what I want ;-)))
>
> For appetizers, a Champagne by our AFW colleague, my friend Francis
> Boulard. This wine normally needs to be accompanied by a great dish,
> but for the 31st of december you can be crazy, so we enjoyed the grand
> Comete 1986 cuvee (disgorged in 2000) on it own, with its small subtle
> bubbles and this imposing complex vinous matter. Served in the tulip
> shaped champagne Spiegelaus, we found these glasses to also be great
> for tasting sweet wines. Too bad there is no Comete left at Francis'
> cellars, but do taste his new barrique-aged Petraea, since september
> it has become very open and expressive.
>
> To start, thin slices of whole foie gras on toast with a small salad
> and a Savennieres, the Coulee de Serrant that I have been bad-mouthing
> for the last while, I take it all back at least for this 1995: Nicolas
> Joly has made a dry (maybe) wine of golden hue that evolves in your
> glass in an incredible way, with an initial impression of sugar and
> oxidation at first subtle, then increasing to the point of being
> almost disagreable after one hour, and then suddenly disappearing
> altogether to give way to a complex aromatic charge dominated by
> honey. Very long persistence. But two hours later the wine seems tired
> (good thing I did not open it 24 hours ahead of time as sugggested on
> the label). The next day the few remaining drops seemed to have
> regained some composure.
>
> Next a tajine of guinea-hen with mandarines served with Laubenheimer
> St. Remigiusberg 2002 Riesling Trocken Spaetlese by Tesch (in the
> Nahe), fruity, mineral, nno signs of petrol, went very well with the
> meal.
>
> Friends brought cheese, and as no french meal can be without cheese,
> and since there were ten different cheeses, I did not even attempt
> matching wine. A Bourgogne by Domaine Buisson-Charles went with some,
> the Savennieres did a good job with the banon, and the rest of the
> riesling went well with the St Nectaire.
>
> Chocolate dessert, we served a "vin de glaciere", an experimental
> "icebox wine" made with local vermentino grapes by our winemaking
> friends Dupere Barrera, gives an eiswein impression but it has 15
> degrees of alcohol! Aroma reminiscent of the wonderful late harvests
> of Antoine Arena in Corsica, but more concentrated. Only half a bottle
> is available, so we open a Maury Mise Tardive by the Preceptorie de
> Centernach 2001 of Marc Parce', cuvee Aurelie Pereira de Abreu, very
> nice perfume, none of the cooked aromas of most fortified wines.
>
> At midnight, the superb methode traditionnelle Vouvray 1995 by Foreau.
>
> Happy New Year to all
>
> Mike

Mike Tommasi > wrote:

> we served a "vin de glaciere", an experimental "icebox wine"
> made with local vermentino grapes by our winemaking friends
> Dupere Barrera, gives an eiswein impression but it has 15
> degrees of alcohol!

Was that an official experiment, sanctioned by the authirities? If
not, I guess this is highly illegal within the European Union!

M.

On 4 Jan 2004 13:15:51 GMT, Michael Pronay > wrote:

>Mike Tommasi > wrote:
>
>> we served a "vin de glaciere", an experimental "icebox wine"
>> made with local vermentino grapes by our winemaking friends
>> Dupere Barrera, gives an eiswein impression but it has 15
>> degrees of alcohol!
>
>Was that an official experiment, sanctioned by the authirities? If
>not, I guess this is highly illegal within the European Union!

Private experiment.

Mike

On 4 Jan 2004 12:52:00 -0800, (Mark Willstatter)
wrote:

>Michael Pronay > wrote in message >...
>> Mike Tommasi > wrote:
>>
>> > we served a "vin de glaciere", an experimental "icebox wine"
>> > made with local vermentino grapes by our winemaking friends
>> > Dupere Barrera, gives an eiswein impression but it has 15
>> > degrees of alcohol!
>>
>> Was that an official experiment, sanctioned by the authirities? If
>> not, I guess this is highly illegal within the European Union!
>>
>> M.
>
>What's illegal - making a wine in this way or the labeling?

Cold extraction is an artificial concentration technique, illegal
except for naturally occurring phenomena in regions that recognize ice
wine.

Mike

Mike Tommasi > wrote:

> Cold extraction is an artificial concentration technique,
> illegal except for naturally occurring phenomena in regions that
> recognize ice wine.

Hmmm - what about cryoextraction?

M.

On 5 Jan 2004 12:34:45 GMT, Michael Pronay > wrote:

>Mike Tommasi > wrote:
>
>> Cold extraction is an artificial concentration technique,
>> illegal except for naturally occurring phenomena in regions that
>> recognize ice wine.
>
>Hmmm - what about cryoextraction?

Alright, sorry about the incorrect usage of the term, I meant that
freezing berries artificially to simulate ice wine is not legal.

I also believe cold extraction or cryoextraction is illegal -
bringing grapes to a precise temperature where berries below the
corresponding SG will freeze, facilitating removal of insufficiently
rich grapes.

Mike

"Mike Tommasi" > wrote in message
...
>
> Next a tajine of guinea-hen with mandarines served with Laubenheimer
> St. Remigiusberg 2002 Riesling Trocken Spaetlese by Tesch (in the
> Nahe), fruity, mineral, nno signs of petrol, went very well with the
> meal.

Sounds good, but once again someone in this group had me running to a
dictionary! I learned:

tagine; tajine
Any of various Moroccan stews featuring meat or poultry gently simmered with
vegetables, olives, preserved lemons, garlic and spices like cumin, ginger,
pepper, saffron and turmeric. Tagines are often served with COUSCOUS.

PS; I did not shout couscous below by the way; that paragraph was copied
from epicurious.com and the word contained a link to the definition of
couscous.

"Kirk-O-Scottland" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Mike Tommasi" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > Next a tajine of guinea-hen with mandarines served with Laubenheimer
> > St. Remigiusberg 2002 Riesling Trocken Spaetlese by Tesch (in the
> > Nahe), fruity, mineral, nno signs of petrol, went very well with the
> > meal.
>
> Sounds good, but once again someone in this group had me running to a
> dictionary! I learned:
>
> tagine; tajine
> Any of various Moroccan stews featuring meat or poultry gently simmered
with
> vegetables, olives, preserved lemons, garlic and spices like cumin,
ginger,
> pepper, saffron and turmeric. Tagines are often served with COUSCOUS.
>
>
>

Kirk-O-Scottland > wrote:

: "Mike Tommasi" > wrote in message
: ...
:>
:> Next a tajine of guinea-hen with mandarines served with Laubenheimer
:> St. Remigiusberg 2002 Riesling Trocken Spaetlese by Tesch (in the
:> Nahe), fruity, mineral, nno signs of petrol, went very well with the
:> meal.

: Sounds good, but once again someone in this group had me running to a
: dictionary! I learned:

: tagine; tajine
: Any of various Moroccan stews featuring meat or poultry gently simmered with
: vegetables, olives, preserved lemons, garlic and spices like cumin, ginger,
: pepper, saffron and turmeric. Tagines are often served with COUSCOUS.

Question: where can you buy preserved lemons? I have not seen these in
Middle Eastern stores, so...

Mark S


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