Thursday, December 12th: Sue-Ann Staff and her husband Rob invited us to join them at Bistro Risposta in Campbellville. For Sue-Ann’s winemaker dinner. Outside we were treated to a glass mug of mulled cider. Inside, a wheel of parmesan and freshly cut prosciutto.
- 2020 Fancy Farm Girl Frosty Fizz (bread with house made cheese and honey)
- 2020 Riesling Loved By Lu (beet salad or mushroom soup)
- 2019 The Louie Pinot Gris (risotto)
- 2020 Gritstone Cabernet and 2018 Chestnut Tree Cabernet Franc (salmon or beef)
- 2017 Howard’s Vidal Icewine (deconstructed Tiramisu and gelato)
Mushroom soup
Sue-Ann Staff leading the tasting
Risotto
Salmon dish
The dinner wines
Dessert
Saturday, December 14th: My friend Tod dropped by and I opened a bottle of Dobbin Estate Riesling 2019. Deborah and I threw a dinner party for our friends Sherri and Stephen who leave next week for a month in Portugal. Deborah made French onion soup and I barbecued a flank steak, served with roasted vegetables.
The wines: Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine sparkling wine; Le Clos Jordanne Claystone Vineyard Chardonnay 2021, Antinori Tignanello 2010, De’Ricci Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2015.
Dinner party wines
Sunday, December 15th: Ann Sperling and Peter Gamble invited us to dinner with Meg McGrath and Laura and Casey Hogan (winemaker at Southbrook). Casey brought a freshly baked sourdough loaf; Meg brought her famous chicken liver pâté, and Deborah made her bacon and brown sugar treats on Salteen crackers (known as bacon crack!)
Ann Sperling’s vegetable pasta dish
The dinner wines
Other wines tasted this week: Godelia Mencia 2018 (Bierzo, Spain: $21.95, Vintages #368043)
Deep purple-ruby in colour; cedary, toasty nose of blackberries and plum; medium-bodied, dry, richly extracted flavours of black fruits carried on lively acidity. Firmly structured with ripe tannins and well-integrated oak. (92)
