A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 1007: A Great Dinner Party and a Music Trivia Night

Sunday, January 25^th: A dinner party for our friends Shannon and Craig. Deborah made Bœuf Bourguignon and I served the following wines:

• Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2016 (with salmon poke on baby lettuce)
• Dagon Clearstone Feteasca Alba Reserve 2020 (that I brought back from Bucharest)
• Vieux Télégraphe La Grau Châteauneuf du Pape 2009
• Torres Mas la Plana 2015
• Zyme Passito Bianco del Veneto 2012 (with blueberry pie and ice cream)

A memorable meal.

Monday, January 26^th: Finished off the Bœuf Bourguignon with a bottle of Wolf Blass Shiraz 2025.

Tuesday, January 27^th: Dinner – sauteed Argentinian prawns in cream sauce on a bed of rice with roasted peppers, served with a bottle of Les Hautes de Lagarde 2020 (Bordeaux blanc).

Wednesday, January 28^th: At our Chorus rehearsal, one of our members, Erin, brought in cupcakes for all.

Thursday, January 29^th: At dinner I opened a bottle of Trius Red 2024. The wine is a Bordeaux blend that celebrates the 35^th birthday of this blend. We served it with lamb chops.

Friday, January 30^th: Dinner: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Le Clos Jordanne Claystone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022.

Saturday, January 31^st: Dropped in for a glass of Hidden Bench Sparkling Wine at Meg and Phil’s before proceeding down to the St. Catharines Yacht Club for an evening of Music Trivia. Entrance fee $25 for dinner (chicken, pasta, meatballs, vegetables, rolls and butter + dessert – a great deal.) We ordered a bottle of wine Phil had made:

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This is a footnote to my electronic conversation with the great German winemaker, Dr. Enno Lippold, who was somewhat alarmed that I posted his messages to me.

Enno Lippold
Jan 31, 2026, 5:29 PM (22 hours ago)

to me

well done, Tony with everything but I would have been a bit milder in public.

I would for example not express what I think of the “modern” overly sweet Kabinetts – wines sweeter than traditional Auslese were ever.

You may have met the man I admire, Michael Schuster. I met him a few years too late as he disappeared in retirement.

His book (and his seminars) Essential Winetasting written in a very simple but precise language is simply the best I have in my library on this subject. Now please watch what he and nobody else even not the Canadian Master of Writing wrote or dared to write.

Just as no amount of technical ability will make good music (Schuster plays an instrument which one I forgot) if the player has no musicality, so no amount of good equipment will make good wine if the winemaker has no taste.

What a point! as I have seen many of these winemakers, who have absolutely no taste.

Germany with all scientific ability from Geisenheim is taste and style wise a disaster – either too dry or too sweet and always too young. My friend David Schildknecht called it early in the 80s “schizoid.”

My first goal is to look for harmony which you call balance. Deinhard was the best teacher.

The brand is now in the hands of the worst – Henkell selling it didn’t care a bit.