4 Seasons Fall 2009

After several flase starts for unhappy reasons, half the group assembled at Becker's for the Fall 2009 4 Seasons gourmet food & wine dinner. We missed our comrades TERRIBLY, but getting a double wine pour helped ease the pain a bit!



We started with an excellent vintage Champagne from Kim & Jim:
Henri Mandios '93 with some excellent cheeses including a tasty Vermont goat cheese. We toasted the birthday couple, Dave & Lynda, and sang them a Happy Birthday!

Moving the party from the kitchen to the dining room, we settled in for a tasty salad of arugula & figs with a delicious dressing. This was paired with another Becker wine: 2008 La Cote de Jury Sancerre which stood up well against the dressing.

We moved on to skewers of shrimp & a terrific squash soup paired with the final Becker wine: a 2006 Chassagne Montrachet which was breathtaking it had such extraction! The soup was one of the big hits of the evening -- fresh & organic all the way.

Dan & Kathy brought a 1987 Chateau Margaux, one of the five 1st Growth wines from France -- it had aged very well and led to much interesting conversation. Kathy had prepared a wonderful food pairing of crostinis with roast beef. By this time the party was pretty much out of control!

Then Dave & Lynda brought out TWO rustic apple tarts made from a recipe in Katie Lee's new cookbook. Dave paired that with a 2003 Domaine des Baumard Quart de Chaume chenin blanc dessert wine. The pairing was so good that many people had to have a second helping of the dessert just to convince themselves that the pairing was as good as they had imagined.

Lynda & Dave opened birthday cards & presents amid oohs & ahhs galore.

All-in-all a very successful 4 Seasons dinner & many thanks to our host & hostess, Jim & Kim Becker for a great evening!

A fine time was had by all who came to the the home of the 'hosts with the most' Herky & Gabrielle. They have such a beautiful setting for a party.
The rain started us indoors, but soon let up so we could move outside to a gorgeous sunset. The theme was California wines. Great food, great wines, great company, great party!!!



Dan & Kathy brought a bottle of Domaine Chandon White Star Champagne matched with Kathy's outstanding Shrimp Ceviche.

Dave & Lynda presented a 2005 Arrowood Viognier, Saralee's Vineyard, Russian River Valley with some delicious crab claws.

Laura & Frank served up a 2007 Rombauer Chardonnay with some grilled seared tuna with a soy/ginger/garlic dip that was a perfect match.

Jim [Kim was in New York] brought a bottle from boutique Wendell Vineyards [less than an acre!] Santa Rita Hills 2005 Pinot Noir that he & Kim really loved when they first tried it. It is made from 60 year old vines. He made salmon in philo dough with leeks, tarragon & some rosted aspargus that we fought over to get the last piece. YUMMY!!!

Ann & Rodger brought a terrific 'story' wine -- the Melka Vineyards 1997 CJ Vineyards [after their two children] Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Ann's fantastic carmelized onion/goat cheese/tenderloin panini's toasted on her George Foreman grill were a great wine/food pairing that was praised by all.

Out on the porch overlooking the Ohio River, Herky & Garielle uncorked a magnum of 2002 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon that went extremely well with a leg o' lamb & polenta with walnuts that melted in yoru mouth.

They followed up with a sauterne from Chateau Coutet & Greenbrier peaches that left everyone ooh-ing & ahh-ing.

Thanks to the Leaches for a terrific 4 Seasons Summer Wine party on the river!

Spring Meeting 2009

Dear All –
April 11th appears to be the best date for everyone – so we’ll go with the 11th at 7pm. (I think everyone will be in town except for Ann -- sorry, Ann!)

We’d like to propose a THEME for this Spring event – ITALIAN WINES. We’d also like to propose that we coordinate in advance so that we have something along the lines of:

a champagne course
2 white wine courses
2 red wine courses
a dessert course

For example, we plan to serve a full-bodied Italian white with a shell-fish dish (probably Coquille-St. Jacques). As you plan, if you could simply “reply to all” we can coordinate a menu which show-cases each of our contributions and will eliminate duplication.

Looking forward to another delightful evening of friends, food & wine …

Kathy & Dan

P.S. Maps to our place attached.
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You can see from the pictures that, with enough good wine, everything becomes a blur of fun & excitement! -Dan




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Looking forward to seeing everybody.
Lynda & Dave
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Dear All –

Looking forward to our Saturday evening gathering at our place, 7pm.

Current menu is:

Bubbly plus hors’de ourves Holup/Revell

White course O’H’s

3 Red courses Conjura/Blakes, Gilliam’s, Beckers

(?4th Red) (Leach’s)

Derby Pie w dessert wine O’H’s & Beckers

Ran into Herky at the “Y” this week. Says it’s unlikely they’ll make it. Gabrielle might be having surgery (microdiscectomy) this week. Gabrielle – our thoughts are with you! Have a speedy recovery!

K
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HI Everyone,

We will be there tonight! Yea! We are bringing a red and 2 appetizers.
Can you email directions to your place.
Herky & Gabrielle
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All - we'll plan to bring a Franciacorta for the sparkling wine course and something appropriate to go with it.

Lynda & Dave
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We are going to bring a killer pinot grigio to go with Kim's orgasmic strata (I guess that sounds a bit odd--I will make it using her recipe, with cream/goat cheeses layered with mixtures of sun-dried tomato puree and fresh pesto using my own basil). This should follow L&D's Franciacorta course, I suppose.

Frank & Laura
***
Hey Gang,
Just so that there are no surprises, I thought I would let all know that I am weenie-ing out on Kim's pesto strata--sorry. Will explain. In lieu of that, we will bring a pesto pasta appetizer.

Frank
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We'll bring a barolo and some risotto.
Jim
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Hi Everyone,

We are going to bring an Umbrian Red to complement a rustic Italian dish, I am just not yet sure which one.
See you soon.
Gabriele and Herk

we will be there. we will try a 2003 falesco cabernet umbria
Herky
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Wines & Food
Holup-Revell - 2003 La Valle Franciacorta Italian sparkling wine - various Italian antipasti: excellent cheeses & crackers, melon & prosciutto, mushrooms, bruschetti with eggplant tamponade

Frank & Laura -- 2007 Benefizium Pinot Grigio -- Ian's outstanding pasta dish

Kathy & Dan -- 2006 Antinori Cervaro -- Kathy's terrific scallops as Coquille St. Jacques

Herky & Gabrielle -- 2003 Falesco Umbrian Cabernet [backup wine - 2004 Ca' di Pian Barbera d'Asti] -- Gabrielle's tasty stuffed mushroooms plus red pepper hors d'oeurves

Ann & Rodger -- 2001 Salice Salentino Rosso Riserva -- Ann's delicious Tuscan white bean soup & breadsticks

Jim & Kim -- Schiavenza Barolo Riserva -- Jim's yummy morel & peas risotto

Jim & Kathy -- 1998 Felsina Vin Santo with Derby pie & coffee
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HI Everybody,

What a lovely evening!

Dan and Kathy, thank you for being wonderful hosts, and to all, we appreciate the quality and originality of the wine choices and food pairings presented last night. We truly enjoyed the comeraderie. What a treat!

We would love to host the next "meeting" in June or July.

Herk and Gabriel
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Thank you Kathy and Dan for orchestrating a masterpiece event! The food.....the wine......the sparkling conversation....it was all "molto bene."

And thank you to everyone else in our very special group for sharing their company with Rodger and I last night. We are blessed!

Happy Easter to everyone and their families,

Ann
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What a great evening! Superb food and wine. Loved seeing everybody. Thanks to Kathy for all the preparation, and thanks to Dan for all the documentation. Great hosts! We're looking forward to our next get-together.

Kim & Jim
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What a wonderful evening – fabulous wines, food and friends! What more could you ask for! Frank and I are still talking about it!

Many thanks to Dan and Kathy for hosting – your home and its surroundings are beautiful!

Laura and Frank
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Hi All: Besides the wonderful time we had, I found it interesting that so many of us ended up on the floor after an evening of wine and food!!!

Lynda

Fall Meeting 2008

We would like to invite everyone to our home for the Four Seasons Wine Club on Saturday, November 8th at 7:00 pm. Please check your calendars and let us know if that day and time work for you.

Once we have a feel for attendance, we’ll send out some additional information including our address.

Hope everyone is enjoying the fall. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Laura and Frank
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Thanks to Laura & Frank, a wondrful time was had by all who attended. We celebrated the birthdays of Dave & Lynda, had excellent food & wine, and a good laugh over the DVD of the Bush impersonator.



Frank/Laura: Chili Hillinger Austrian Sparkling Wine
Falset 2004 Grenache/Cabernet
Ann: Risotto with
mushrooms & pancetta Far Niente 1997 Napa Cabernet
Jim: Flank Steak & Antinori Tignanello 1999
Autumn salad
Dave/Lynda: Risotto with Fontanafredda 1996 Barolo
funghi & white truffle
Kathy/Dan: Chicken satay Pichon Baron 1989 Bordeaux
Francois Cream Cake

From 4 Seasons Fall 2008

REVIEWS:

International Wine Cellar (1) Drink: 2006 - 2025 94(+?)
Wine Spectator (1) Drink: 2005 98
Wine Advocate (1) Drink: 2002 - 2027 95

Bordeaux Blend - Second Growth
1989 Pichon Baron
France - Bordeaux - Pauillac

Château Pichon Baron is a Second Growth classified Bordeaux estate located in the
Pauillac appellation. Impressive saturated ruby color. Pure, classic Pauillac aromas of black cherry, bitter chocolate, menthol and flowers. Very intensely flavored,
precise and penetrating, with an extremely primary flavor of cassis. Almost
magically light on its feet owing to its rather strong acidity. A very young,
extremely long wine with great tensile strength. May yet merit a higher score
with another six to eight years of bottle aging.
- Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar Issue 103 , July/August 2002

Gorgeous aromas of currants, berries and minerals. Full-bodied, with juicy
tannins and a long, long fininsh. Same as ever. This will age for decades to
come. Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year in 1992. Super quality. '89/'90
Bordeaux non-blind horizontal.
- James Suckling, Wine Spectator

Both the 1989 and 1990 vintages exhibit opaque, dense purple colors that
suggest massive wines of considerable extraction and richness. The dense,
full-bodied 1989 is brilliantly made with huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas
intermingled with scents of toasty oak. Well-layered, with a sweet inner-core of
fruit, this awesomely endowed, backward, tannic, prodigious 1989 needs
another 5-6 years of cellaring; it should last for three decades
-Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
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Dear Gang,

We had a great time last night and are honored to be included in such a wonderful group. Indeed, we are grateful for our good friends. Thanks to all of you for exceptional wine and food and, most important, the special sharing of life’s bounty.

Regards,

Frank and Laura
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Dear All:

Thanks for a swell time last evening! The fellowship was delightful! The foods were luscious and abundant! The wines were truly spectacular …

Dave & Lynda - Enjoyed celebrating your BDays with you!

Frank & Laura –

Special thanks to you guys for hosting. And Frank, thanks for sharing the humorous Bush video.
Since the roads to our farm are unpredictable in the Winter (we both use 4WD), we’d like to offer to host in the SPRING … so please count on us then (that leaves the Winter gathering if somebody else would like to volunteer …).

Love you all! K

Spring Meeting 2008

Four Seasons Wine Club
Wines and Food for Spring


Hi All – It looks like Saturday, May 31st is a go for the second gathering of the Four Seasons Wine Group. Everyone is available this night, with Rodger as our only person with a potential conflict. The invitation and directions are attached. Here’s hoping for good weather so we can spend some time outside. See you next month.

Ciao.

Lynda & Dave

Saturday, May 31st
7:00 PM

Dave Revell and Lynda Holup’s place

Surprise us with your wine and its food pairing! We plan to stage the food and wine pairings so we can taste them together.

See you then.
Directions are attached separately.




Everyone enjoyed the wine and food pairings – an abundance of both! Nine wines were sampled. In order of tasting they were: [notes by Lynda Holup]

Zardetto Prosecco – light, refreshing aperitif to start the evening, paired with various antipasti on the patio. (Revlup)
Kistler Chardonnay Carneros 2005 – rich, smoky, multi-layered, long finish, great mouth feel, paired perfectly with smoked salmon. (Gilliam)
Lageder Pinot Bianco 2006 – clear, crisp, high acid, white from Northern Italy, paired successfully with farfalle pasta with spring asparagus and kale. (Revlup)
Taurino Salice Salentino Riserva 2001 – full-bodied, fruit-forward southern Italian red, paired beautifully with a rich bruschetta. (Conjura)
Sandrone Barbera d’Alba 2004 – fruity, complex, good example of old-world style Piedmont Italian red, which improved in the glass and was excellent with zucchini stuffed with wild mushrooms and goat cheese. (Revlup)
Prieuré-Lichine 1996 – delicious, fragrant, complex bordeaux from Margaux, seemingly at its peak, paired with homemade gnocchi with chard in a tomato sauce. (Clark/Leach) See attachment for more details on this vineyard.
Orin Swift The Prisoner 2006 – full throttle zinfandel blend that stands on its own with lots of berry fruit, smooth, powerful, and satisfying. (Becker)
Moet & Chandon White Star Champagne over ripe, homegrown strawberries a la française, so sweet, so bubbly. (O’Hanlon)
Scrapona Moscato d’Asti 2007 – fruity, low alcohol dessert wine from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy poured over peach pound cake with nectarines and blueberries.(Revlup)

Summer Wine Group will be held at Herk and Gabrielle’s in South Point.

First meeting -- Winter 2008

February 2, 2008 hosted by the Beckers [notes by Kim Becker]

First meeting of the Four Seasons Wine Group. Food and drink were in abundance.



Seven wines were sampled. In order of tasting they were:

Albert Le Brun 1993 Brut Champagne BJ-50 bottling (Becker’s cellar)
Drappier Rose’ Brut (100% pinot noir from Blake/Conjura cellar, very unique!)
Quincy 2005 from the Loire Valley (special sauvignon blanc with distinctive nose of grass, citrus and “cat piss”, supplied by Revell and Hollup)
Talenti Brunello di Montalcino Reserva 1997 (Becker’s cellar)
Pine Ridge Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, Napa Valley (delightful concentrated cab from the Gilliams, great now but with lots of promise for aging)
Cuvaison Millennium Reserve 1997, Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley (complex and rich with herb and leather overtones, from Herk and Gabrielle Clark)
Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon 1993, from the Columbia Valley of Washington State, (rare and almost unobtainable, it was worth-the-wait. It was silky smooth and filled with flavors of cedar, leather and cassis, from the O’Hanlon cellar)


Superb wine. Delicious food. A great time was had by all.