Happy New Year

New Year's Eve was quiet but sparkling. It's a time to celebrate and also a time to reflect.   We were able to do that with one wine, a Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut from California. 

The reflection involved a trip to California some years ago, soon after the winery opened their new building overlooking the Carneros region of southern Sonoma County.  We stopped with some friends on a warm day and had sparkling wine on the terrace with toasted almonds and olives.  Fun day.

 The wine was in the store in Ohio for $18, inexpensive for this area.  There were some Island Creek oysters on the half shell, some pan roasted Alaskan cod, a small salad and some crusty bread for dinner.  After a slight chill the cork came out of the bottle.

The nose was about tart apples, some pears and citrus and just a touch of biscuit or yeast.   The bubbles were good, small and plentiful.  The taste was citrus and apples with a finish of some dried herbs.  The wine was very good with the cod, but wonderful with the oysters which were dressed with just some lemon juice and ground white pepper.   The  wine was a good buy at this price.

Today also marks the start of the third year for this blog.  It began as just a way to keep a few friends posted on what we were eating and drinking and what was going on with the dogs and the 'collection' of never ending flamingo paraphernalia.  It's been fun and happily addicting as well as become almost a personal data base. 

As the Scots used to say, "Slainte mhor agus a h-uile beannachd duibh"  "Good health and every good blessing to you."