Today was Lucy the Hound's 9th birthday (well, 8th anniversary of when we got her from Basset rescue, she was probably 9 months), but her party/tea was Sunday afternoon. Her guests included a fellow Basset, a retriever, 2 spaniels, 2 Yorkies,a English bulldog, and a standard poodle. No humans wanted my on theme red wine, but we did serve 2010 Chidaine Sauvignon Blanc (Touraine). Gooseberry/catpee (don't tell dogs), crisp, light, fun, better than I thought the first vintages of Chidaine's negoce line were. B

Betsy went to a zyker in city, on her return I had dinner ready. I made salmon with red miso and ginger, plus a Hakurei turnip/sesame slaw, salad, and pulled out leftover spinach and rice. The 2009 Foillard Cote du Py Morgon is lovely, ripe but not overly, earthy, midbodied, balanced. B++

Monday Betsy made onion soup and salad. I'd gotten an email that AM from Oswaldo with a pic of his newborn son Andre, we wanted to toast Andre, Marcia, Oswaldo, and Olivia at dinner. As O is Mr. Indigenous Yeast, an appropriate time to try the NV Tissot "Indigene" Cremant de Jura Brut. Not just native yeast, but the dosage is from vin de paille being added. I enjoyed this (enough that after 15 minutes I got up to check if CSW still had more- alas, no). Apple crumb cake, creamy texture, full, with accents of peach and yeast. Interesting, broad, lovely. A-/B+

Betsy was taking coq au vin recipes to a friend's to compare/decide a plan for dinner for 40 next month, I rode along with the extra Jura for them to try. They offered me a taste of their dinner wine, the 2008 Morgante
Nero d'Avola. Big rich full, but a little overripe and overglossy for me. B-/C+

Late dinner tonight. While cooking I tasted and shared a 375ml of the 2000 Trimbach "Cuvee Frederic Emile" Riesling. Dry, buit with a ripe/tropical edge, more pineapple/guava than regular CFE prodile. Hint of ginger, nice length, nice wine though maybe not a CFE for the ages. B+

As it IS Lucy's birthday, with roast chicken, parslied potatoes, and a broccoli/wakame slaw, the 2006 Mulderbosch "Faithful Hound" (Stellenbosch). The dog is better than the wine, while I've liked before, this vintage is overly ripe and forward, with some oak notes, a bit too much "striving for Pavie" for my tastes. B-/C+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.