That's all I have to say after visiting friends Donald and Terry on Sunday: "Wow!"
Ann and Donald with a bottle of Glen Manor Hodder Hill 2009, the wine that just won the Governor's Cup as the best wine in the state. Damn good it is too!
Carter and his mother in one of Carter's calmer moments, a rarity these days.Check out the tapas spread the guys had awaiting us!
White bread cut-outs with olive oil, cheese, and smoked salt—addictive!
Asparagus frittata. It's pretty cool how the asparagus float in the eggs and separate themselves.
Dates stuffed with Manchego and walnuts.
Olives, walnuts in hickory salt, and Marcona almonds. The olives were my favorite. I can live on olives.
Mushrooms stuffed with corn, chorizo, and cream cheese. Yum!
We started our tapas with the 2009 Amalie Robert Pinot Meunier that I brought and what a neat wine this is! Intense fruit and excellent acidity in such a light-bodied wine. I am not sure that I could tell this from Pinot Noir if tasting blind. And then Terry surprised us by opening a bottle of 2010 Borsao Garnacha "Tres Picos." I know Borsao from the restaurant where we have carried their wines at times over the years. Still I was not prepared for this full-on modern-style prestige Garnacha with its huge fruit and lavish oak regimen. A fun wine for drinking with friends!
After many tapas, much wine, and a lot of catching up, we got around to dinner itself, starting with a fantastic salad of arugula, marinated melon, jamón serrano, and curls of Manchego.
The pièce de résistance was the paella and what cojones Terry has to attempt his first paella ever with a chef in the house! Here is the fabulous concoction both before and after cooking. It was notable for me because Terry used Valencia rice, which I have never had before. I make my paella at the restaurant from either Bomba or Arborio depending on what I have on hand. The tiny little Valencia grains were fantastic.
The guys would never let us leave without an overload of dessert, including a membrillo and pine nut tart, chocolate dipped apricots, strawberries, and grapes.
Just look at this tart! It was as delicious as it looks good.
Naturally, one must have a piece of chocolate for that last swallow of red wine.
And finally, I had to finish with this shot of the grapes just because I like it so much. I guess if you click the shutter long enough, you're bound to take a good photo every once in a while.
Oh my word, I just had lunch and now I'm starving, thanks to all this amazing-looking food.
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