Lucy and I headed over to some friends for dinner Saturday night. Stuffed olives and peppers while the cooking went on, then a Caprese salad, followed by perfect Cornish hens with a cumin/allspice rub, coucous, glazed carrots, and salad. Bones to keep the dogs busy, wine to keep me busy.

2010 Bart Marsannay rose
Crisp, good acids, raspberry and strawberry fruit, a bit delicate. B

2009 Shafer Frohlich "Medium-Dry" Riesling
Light, crisp, a bit of spritz which I don't remember from before. Just a hint of sugar (to me, my hosts thought it "sweet"), pear and apple, minerally finish. Just the thing on a hot day. B+

2006 Domaine Serene "Yamhill" Pinot Noir
This was nice- clearly New World, some oak aromas, but overall balanced and not over the top. Ripe cherries, a little smoke and vanilla, moderate acids, good length. B/B+

2008 Borsao Tres Picos
I might have liked this better on a winter's night than in July. Heavy, thick, jammy, with a curious cough syrup note. C/C+

fun night, though it was still so hot at 10:30 that our walk home went slow- Lucy was not her usual bouncy self.

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.