I am "hosting" a wine dinner for a dozen people Wednesday night at my Men's Club. Please help me with some pairing suggestions especially those indicated in red.
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Hors d’Oeuvres (passed)

Lobster Corn Dogs
Stone Ground Mustard Sauce

Mini Porcupine Meatballs
Spicy Brown gravy

Breast of Chicken and Andouille Sausage Kabobs
Roasted Jalapeno Bbq Sauce

NV Domaine Carneros Brut Rose, Los Carneros (furnished by another member)
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Salad

Classic Iceberg
Nevada City Shaft Bleu Cheese, Canadian Bay shrimp and Fresh Snipped Chives
Creamy Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette

White wine ?
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Fromage au Trios

Mac and Cheese Three Ways
Aged Sharp Tillamook Cheddar. Nevada City Cave Bleu Cheese and Danish Gouda
Sweet Butter, Full Cream and Semolina Elbow Macaroni

Wine... Red? Sweet? Fruity?
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Entree

Boneless Short Ribs of Beef
Roasted Cloves of Gilroy Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes and Winter Root Vegetables

1999 Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley(furnished by another member)
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Dessert

Jack Daniels Fudge Pecan Pie A la Mode
Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Something besides Port or Sauternes if possible.
Maybe a sweet Zin or Petite Sirah?

The real plus with the information on the back of the bottle is the disgorgement date. So at least we could tell we were drinking bottles from the same release.

We also did a glassware experiment with the Tarlant. We poured it into four champagne glasses: Riedel Vinum, Riedel Extreme and Riedel Sommelier Vintage and no-name large flutes. The Riedel Sommelier Vintage Champagne glass was the clear winner (yes, Skwid you are right about this). Second was the Riedel Extreme. The Sommelier and the Extreme have very similar large bowls which probably helps. It was a fun experiment.

Absolutely wait. MacWorld is this week. Prices and models will change over the next 3-4 weeks.

I don't see a reason to buy from anywhere other than Apple direct.

Hiya Pops - with the salad or cheese courses, I'd probably serve a light red or a Rhone. Gigondas, Beaujolais, or something like that. Served a little on the cool side. I've never had a white pair very well with bleu cheese.

Why not pick a nice Moscato for the dessert course? Or a really good Cava.

"Mini Porcupine Meatballs"

FOr the Hors d’Oeuvres, I'd go bubbly.

Salad - I hate pairing wine with salad, and blue cheese is particularly difficult. Perhaps an off-dry Alsatian?

Dessert - Banyuls, or a Aussie Muscat or Tokay.

I should have told you all that the theme for the dinner is "Comfort Food".

I think I am screwed on the salad wine. One of the guys who is supposed to furnish wine for one of the courses decided today that he will bring a PahlMeyer 2002 Napa Valley Chardonnay. I know you all must have some sort of wine group like this where wine is tertiary to the booz and food.

I really liked the idea of a sheery with the salad. What do you think (for a future dinner) of pairing a Madeira with the salad? I really have no idea what it would be like. I've got a couple bottles of the Broadbent Terrantez screaming "drink me" in the cellar.

Or should I use the Broadbent for the dessert? The Muscat idea sounds good; R.L.Buller Premium Fine Muscat, Victoria.

Waddaya tink?

Hors d’Oeuvres (passed)

Lobster Corn Dogs
Stone Ground Mustard Sauce

Mini Porcupine Meatballs
Spicy Brown gravy

Breast of Chicken and Andouille Sausage Kabobs
Roasted Jalapeno Bbq Sauce

NV Domaine Carneros Brut Rose, Los Carneros (furnished by another member)
==================

Salad

Classic Iceberg
Nevada City Shaft Bleu Cheese, Canadian Bay shrimp and Fresh Snipped Chives
Creamy Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette

2002 PahlMeyer Chardonnay, Napa Valley
=================================


Fromage au Trios

Mac and Cheese Three Ways
Aged Sharp Tillamook Cheddar. Nevada City Cave Bleu Cheese and Danish Gouda
Sweet Butter, Full Cream and Semolina Elbow Macaroni

Wine... Red? Big Zin? Sweet? Fruity?
=================================

Entree

Boneless Short Ribs of Beef
Roasted Cloves of Gilroy Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes and Winter Root Vegetables

1999 Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (furnished by another member)
==========================

Dessert

Jack Daniels Fudge Pecan Pie A la Mode
Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Something besides Port or Sauternes if possible.
Aussie Muscat (forget the Caliope - not that good of friends)? Terrantez Madeira?

davidn,

I like the idea of a big fruity zin with the cheese. Rosenblum Rockpile or Monte Rosso would deffinitely fit the bill. I also like the idea of a fruitier southern Rhone (ie. nearly 100% Grenache).

For desert I like the Rutherglen idea. You know the basic Bullers are good, too. But, I would also consider Rosenblum Rosie Rabbit late harvest Zin. It is a lot of fun and I think it would pair well.

If you can't tell, I've been on a Rosenblum kick lately

a

I know I'm chiming in a bit late, but a wine that does go very well with blue cheeses is Sauternes. The lettuce and shrimp are pretty neutral, so the only question is whether there's enough cheese in the dressing and/or salad to complement a young acidic Sauternes. If it pairs well, they'll think you're a god. If it's horrifyingly ugly, they'll think you're an idiot, but one with really, really big cojones for trying this. I see this as win-win.

You can move the Chardonnay to the cheese course.

I'd match a PX Sherry with pecan pie-- caramel and raisin flavours will match the chocolate, pecan, and butter filling, and the whisky flavour won't hurt this wine either.

Oh, GREAT.Sauternes! Now, where the heck is a guy supposed to find THAT stuff?

I agree with the dessert wine being an Aussie Tokay or Muscat. Yummy, widely available, and a nice pairing for the selections.

The dinner went perfectly. I couldn't believe how well the Chardonnay went with the salad; it was great. Everybody loved the theme and the food. We are lucky to have such a great chef at our club. And thanks everyone for your input.
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Hors d’ Oeuvres
Lobster Corn Dogs Stone Ground Mustard Sauce
Mini Porcupine Meatballs Spicy Brown gravy
Breast of Chicken and Andouille Sausage Kabobs Roasted Jalapeno BBQ Sauce
N.V. Domaine Carneros Brut Rose, Los Carneros

Salad
Classic Iceberg
Nevada City Shaft Bleu Cheese, Canadian Bay shrimp and Fresh Snipped Chives
Creamy Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette
2002 PahlMeyer Chardonnay, Napa Valley

Fromage au Trios
Macaroni and Cheese Three Ways
Aged Sharp Tillamook Cheddar. Nevada City Cave Bleu Cheese and Danish Gouda
Sweet Butter, Full Cream and Semolina Elbow Macaroni
1999 Turley Cellars Zinfandel “Juvenile”, California

Entree
Boneless Short Ribs of Beef
Roasted Cloves of Gilroy Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes and Winter Root Vegetables
1999 Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Dessert
Jack Daniels Fudge Pecan Pie A la Mode
Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
N.V. R. L. Buller Premium Fine Muscat, Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia