First Course (choice of one)

• Crab Bisque
• House Salad
• Ceasar Salad

Entree (choice of one)

• Pan Roasted Chicken Marsala
• 10oz Top Sirloin
• Five Spice Chicken Penne Pasta
• Salmon Buerre Blanc
• 4oz Petit Filet and BBQ Shrimp

Dessert (choice of one)

• Creme Brulee
• Chocolate Velvet Cake

I had the Crab Bisque, 10oz Top Sirloin, and Creme Brulee (in my opinion, the perfect desert). Dinner was outstanding! I would highly recommend J Gilbert’s Wood Fired Steaks. Check out the restaurant on Sunday afternoon for great specials.

Now onto the wine! We had a selection of 4 wines for the evening. Steve was gracious enough to bring in a bottle of Jones Family Vineyard Cab ’98 (Calistoga, CA). This was made by Heidi Barrett. This lead into an interesting conversation about cult wines and finding good values. The wine itself was excellent. Very complex flavors and a beautiful color.

The next up was Fess Parker Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara, CA). This was another complex wine. Lots of cherry, cola, and berry. I could have used a little less tannin. This one is a buy for me to cellar for a while to see if the tannin will mellow out.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cab was mixed in here somewhere. Unfortunately, I must have been involved in a conversation because my notes on this wine are missing.

There was a white on the menu, Caymus Conundrum. To me this is the swiss army of white wines. It pairs well with everything and seems to appeal to every pallet. This is a blend of 11 different white wine grapes. The exact proportions are unknown. You can read more about this wine on the Conundrum Wines web site.

It looks like the group will be getting together again in March at J Gilbert’s. If you are interested in coming to dinner, please stop by the Meetup website and register for the event.

This is the Central Ohio Bacchus Society group. More information on the Bacchus Society can be found on their home page.

• Santa Margherita – Prosecco di Valdobbiadene
• Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin – Brut
• Saint Hilaire

The first up was the Santa Margherita. Since this is our favorite Pinot Grigio, we decided to give their Prosecco a chance. Overall, it was very good with a fair amount of citrus flavor. I did not get the apple character at all. The aroma’s and flavors became more noticeable as the Prosecco warmed. According to reviews I found on the web, this was rated an 84.

The next one up was the Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. This was another sparkler we had not had. Unlike the other two, this is a real Champagne as opposed to a sparkling wine. I would have to say, this one made me take pause. The delicate flavors and the almost creamy texture made my wife and reconsider this as a replacement for our stand-by favorite of Moet White Star. According to the tasting notes from Wine Spectator, “A rich, creamy style, with toast, lemon, gingerbread and nut flavors mingling together. This has intensity, yet it’s beautifully balanced, with a lingering gingery aftertaste.” I tried to see if I could match up what I was tasting to this description. The only thing I got was “GOOD!” I think a better description is,”Clicquot’s signature brut non-vintage is loved the world over for its crisp, full flavors, consistent quality and celebratory yellow label. This classically-styled, dry Champagne is a blend of two-thirds black grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) for body, balanced with one-third Chardonnay for elegance. It has a fine persistent sparkle and golden Champagne color. Its complex nose of apple, citrus and caramel is followed by full flavors with elegance, crispness and a slightly spicy finish.” Wine Spectator rating is a 91. Once we finished the bottle, this has taken our number one spot on the sparkler list for my wife and I.

Once we finished the Veuve, there was no way either of us were willing to take on Saint Hilaire. Sounds like a good one for New Years Day!