Our challenge this month was to bring a bottle of wine that would pair with filet au poivre. David decided to make his classic version that included green peppercorns, brandy, shallots, and cream. Not having the desire (or perhaps skill) to cook this for six people, we had Ali & Andy over for dinner, with […]
Filet au Poivre Pairing Challenge Read More »
Back in January 2020 we told our guest tasters to bring a bottle of wine that would pair well with a classic cheese fondue. It was a departure from our usual format, and only included four wines, but was a fun exercise in discovering what might be a good match for melted dairy goodness. Fast forward to
Fondue Challenge #2 Read More »
We decided to hit the pause button on our regular format for the November tasting, and instead challenged Ali & Andy to a cheese pairing. Each couple would bring a cheese, and each couple would find a bottle of wine to pair with each cheese, for a total of four wines. Luckily, they were more
Cheese Pairing Challenge Read More »
The last time we compared bottles of Rosso di Montalcino back in April 2015, the winner was a ripe, dark example that exhibited some oak treatment. This time, our champion had some bottle age, with less primary fruit, and was more evolved, showing more nuance and tertiary qualities. All six tasters voted for it as
Rosso di Montalcino Throwdown #2 Read More »
Using the same format as the September 2022 tasting, our challenge this month was to match wines with two different dishes, this time an appetizer of octopus in garlic confit with fiddleheads, then a main course of beef carbonnade with mashed potatoes. Like last time, dinner was shared with Ali & Andy, so there were only four
(mini) Pairings Battle #2 Read More »
This month we decided to change things up by focusing not solely on the quality of the wine in our glasses, but how well they pair with a specific food. Our choice of food? Melted cheese! We made a Gruyere and Comté based cheese fondue, and gathered four candidate wines for the evening’s challenge. All
What Sarah thought was the “Viognier Battle” was actually a surprise birthday dinner, with her as the guest of honor. She had no idea. Instead of bringing a bottle of Viognier, guests who were in on the secret brought wines to pair with the multiple courses of the dinner. Wines were not served blind, and
Sarah’s Surprise Birthday Dinner Read More »