With the recent downturn in the economy, dining out seems like an unnecessary splurge for most evenings. Additionally, with a cellar full of wonderful wines, dining at home is the perfect excuse to invite over some friends and break open a great bottle of wine. Happily, we have had the good fortune of serving as both hosts and guests in this manner.

A Monday night in February found us at a dear friend’s home where the goal of the evening was to enjoy some wines from her cellar. The celebration began with a glass of Mumm Brut Cordon Rouge, paired with cheese and crackers and shrimp cocktail. The salad course was served with a Rochioli Chardonnay 2006 (Russian River Valley, CA), which displayed beautiful elegance despite its full body.  A trip to Napa in 1998 included a stop at Opus One, with both Opus One and Overture (Opus One’s second wine) heading home with her as souvenirs. Based on our recommendation that the Opus One 1997 would likely continue to age, she opened the (non-vintage) Overture, which was a perfect foil for the filet and mushroom dish she had prepared. Our own contribution to the evening was a Forster Kirchenstuck Riesling Auslese 1994, which was unfortunately flawed, likely due to poor storage conditions prior to our own purchase at a silent auction. Instead, the hostess opened a Hermann J. Wiemer Johannisberg Riesling Late Harvest 2001 from the Finger Lakes to pair with dessert (fruit pie) and the Trentadue Chocolate Amore from California, lest anyone still be in need of any wine. All in all, it was a terrific evening of good food, good wine and great friends!