Dave,

Looks like a 2000 Don Melchor and a 1996 Pol Roger Brut for starters will be our bottles. Sound ok? We'll be bringing stems for ourselves, but could bring a few extras if you think they will be needed. Let me know as the date approaches if add'l stems will help. What else can we bring? Bread? Sides? Dessert??

PH

Ok guys, this is starting to shape up a bit. Start time will be 6:00 on the 24th (ignore my last post that said 6:30!). Thanks to some fortuitous stemware purchases, we will more glassware for this blessed event than I first thought. We will provide 1 chardonnay glass, 1 champagne glass, 1 dessert wine glass (need 1 more I think) and 3 cabernet glasses per person. If you want more glasses, please bring them with you!

The menu looks to be the following:

First Course
Fresh Tuna Tartare on Tuna Carpaccio with Wasabi Mayonnaise

Second Course
Garden Sorel Vichyssoise

Intermezzo
Lemon-Rosemary Sorbet with Campari

Third Course
Grilled Sirloin Steak with Blue Cheese Walnut Butter served with Wild Rice Pilaf and Parmesian Grilled Asparagus

Fourth Course
Rack of Lamb served with Green Beans and Potatoes Baked in Cream

Fifth Course
Homemade White Chocolate Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Sauce

We can certainly add a cheese course if needed.

I think that we could use the following wines: another champagne (currently have a 1996 Pol Roger Brut), 2 white wines, 4 or more really good California cabernets (currently have a 2001 Pride - these don't need to be old - I am thinking of serving younger cabs with the steak and old cabs with the lamb; I'll provide 4 old cabs) and another dessert wine or two (currently have a J.J. Christoffel 2002 Auslese).

Please PM me with your wine selections by September 14th! Right now I have the following attendees:

Mr. & Mrs. Dave
Mr. & Mrs. Alexred
Fred
Jaimetown
Purplehaze and younger
JohnnyB and Corkage
Mr. & Mrs. TJ

Waitlist:
Mrs. Corkage
Mr. & Mrs. Winoman

If you are listed and can't attend, please let me know as soon as possible.

WHOA! That is some lineup, Dave. Looking forward to it. And that many glasses per person is überplenty! If you would like us to 'cheese it up' we can stop by Cheesetique on the way over and load up with some goodies.

That's a nice menu Dave - very much looking forward to dinner.

Corkage and JohnnyB have always made a cute couple. Glad to hear that they are still "steady."

wow. that is a great menu... your must have been sandbagging earlier..

We will bring a 02 Pride Cab... and something else as well. hmmm.... maybe one of the Harris Estate cabs.

really looking forward to it.

I think Fred and Jaimetown should be a couple, just for consistency sake.

Awesome lineup, Dave. I'm backing out the Don Melchor to avoid cluttering the California theme on the Cabs. Let me know if there are any holes in the wine department as we approach the 24th. Have fill-ins in all categories!

PH

There have been whispers about those two for years....

Corkage, great idea. If we do a candlelight supper, I'll make sure that they are seated across from one another. Just a warning to the group. Mrs. Dave and I are not good cooks, but that doesn't keep us from trying. PM me with your wine selections.

Fred, as usual, all are great choices. If you'd like, wait until the other two couples (including the dynamic JohnnyB and Corkage duo) have weighed in with their wine choices and then fill in the gaps (I'll do the same).

Since we'll only have 2oz pours I think that we should try to have at least 2 bottles per course. I am thinking of having 2 champagnes with the first course (have one), 2 whites with the soup (have none), 4 or more younger cabs (so far we have Pride 2001, Pride 2002 & Harris Estate) with the steak, 4 old cabs with the lamb (have 4) and a couple of dessert wines to finish (have 1). Others are better at matching than I so please speak up if there is a better way to pair the wines.

LOL Dave, sorry for the thread drift I caused.

C'mon folks don't be shy about bring good wine to this dinner - Dave has opened up his house to all of us with a great looking menu.

If there are still holes later on, I can bring another bottle of wine.

So what would you guys like to see big daddy bring? Looks like we need Champagne, white and dessert.

Jaime...thank you for taking over the plonk bashing role.

JohnnyB, first bring yourself. After that you can pick your category, including reds, and have at it. We are going to enforce a "no plonk" rule for all but the hosts. I do have a 1987 Robert Pecota Muscat Canelli Muscato d' Andrea that I am going to serve that might fall in that category. I predict that it will either be undrinkable or great.

ok let me think about it.....may have to bring a SQN/Mr. K dessert wine for the american theme......

That's a nice thought!