With assorted leftovers, the 2014 Brun Beaujolais Blanc. Clean and fresh Chardonnay, apple with a mineral finish, nice value as always. B/B+

Thursday we went to the Yonkers waterfront, where a friend is helping with soft opening on a bistro. Lovely little space, we had a good time sitting at bar. Started with a very forgettable
Prosecco which I have forgotten. I had a vegetable and wild rice tian while Betsy had
squash soup; she had kobe short ribs in a wine reduction while I had chicken with mushrooms.

Two BTG reds

2010 Haut Dina (Cotes de Castillon)
Good acids for (what I assume is )merlot, red fruits, but a little metallic tang on finish. B-/C+

2013 Olivier Faugeres
Fresh, friendly, round puppy of a wine. Red fruits, a little herb, nothing complex by tasty enough. B


Friends came over Friday, we had out boquerone crostin & pork/duck/mushroom mousse
2009 Agusti Torello Mata Cava Reserva
Dry, citrus and herbs, good acids. Not most elegant, but pretty good value. B

History was made in our house, for first time a blue Hormel can was opened. Between joking conversations about what people would and wouldn't eat, online discussion about spam musubi on FLDG, and talking with Dave about his Japanese/Hawaiian heritage, it was time for spam musubi. And it was delcious.. So was the 2003 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Reserva. No 2003 pruniness or roasted notes- fresh raspberry fruit, some coffee, game, spice. Lovely midbodied wine. Ripe enough, and maybe not one for the ages, but I am sure I'll enjoy over a decade B+

Main course braised chicken with ginger and scallion, bok choy, and salad, served with an assortment of whites

1989 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Reserve
Ah, what acid can do for Gewurztraminer. Bright, litchi and ginger, not really complex but plenty of life. B/B+

2004 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese
a bit of sulphur (but within my tolerance, seems to blow off). Peach and nectarine, some lemony citrus, mild note of petrol. As it warms a bit the petrol and some slate peek out more. Tasty, probably better with more time, but I quite enjoyed. B+/A-

2013 Gobelsburger Gruner Veltliner
Dry, mineral, fresh, pea and citrus. B+/B

Saturday mussels in an Indian curry broth, basmati rice, dal, and naan
2013 Nikolaihof Im Weingebirge Gruner Federspiel
A bit of reduction, gets better with air, peppery with dry pit fruits. B+/B

Sunday I took Betsy to airport early, then spent most of day at a meeting. Came home to
lamb with cardamom rice from freezer, opened the 2012 C. Lauverjat "Moulin des Vrillieres" Sancerre Rouge. Herby, savory red fruits, but a bit empty and shorter on finish than I hoped. B-/C+

Monday was leftover dal and naan without wine. Tuesday was leftover chicken, barley/lentils, and seaweed salad. When's last time I opened a bottle of bubbly by myself? The
2002 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs is very BdB, citrus and brioche, elegant, tasty. Not really looking to further age this, will drink over 5 years. B+


Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. 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.

On 03/02/2016 9:01 AM, DaleW wrote:

> History was made in our house, for first time a blue Hormel can was opened. Between joking conversations about what people would and wouldn't eat, online discussion about spam musubi on FLDG, and talking with Dave about his Japanese/Hawaiian heritage, it was time for spam musubi. And it was delcious. So was the 2003 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Reserva. No 2003 pruniness or roasted notes- fresh raspberry fruit, some coffee, game, spice. Lovely midbodied wine. Ripe enough, and maybe not one for the ages, but I am sure I'll enjoy over a decade B+
>


I wish I'd written this:

On Eating Spam for Christmas

When unimpressed with turkey and mince pies,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And curse fat Santa with ungrateful cries,
And look on tasteless gifts from folks I hate,
Wishing I had the riches I have not,
Futures like him, like him of funds possess'd,
Desiring this man's wife, and that man's yacht,
With what I most enjoy presented least:
Yet in these thoughts the season most despising,
Haply I dine on Spam,--and then my state
(Like to some butterfly of hope arising
From misty dusk) sings carols at God's gate;
For on sweet Spam I dine with such trimmings
That I relish Christmas joy’s o’erbrimmings.