Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 2 - Winery 2: Lambert Bridge

John and I learned about Lambert Bridge from our friends Randy and Debbie who live in Oakland, CA. Lambert Bridge is another one of those great finds that we stumbled across. Of course, we joined their wine club too!

The passport weekend tasting included:

• 2008 Bevill Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley
• Panko Encrusted Deep Fried Oysters Shooter with a Spicy Remolode
• 2007 Forchini Vineyard Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
  Pulled Pork Slider Topped with a Tangy Coleslaw and BBQ Sauce
• 2006 Merlot, Sonoma County
  Indian Spiced Lamb Sliders with Yogurt Harissa Sauce

John and I snuck down to the VIP area (since we couldn't take 10 other people with us) to taste the 2008 Bevill Vineyard Viognier paired with Raw Oysters. Oh my!

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 2 - Winery 1: Mill Creek

Dry Creek Valley Passport Weekend features over 40 Dry Creek wineries. The weekend includes wine, food, music, and barrel tastings.

The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley™ celebrated Passport to Dry Creek Valley's™ 20th Anniversary this year! Dry Creek Valley went all out for an exclusive weekend of new wine releases, a bounty of food from local chefs as well as live music and much, much more. 46 wineries in picturesque Dry Creek Valley come together only once a year to celebrate their amazing wines paired with mouthwatering cuisine. We had the opportunity to meet the winemakers and mingle with the top-chefs from Sonoma County's world-famous restaurants. Wineries went with entertainment, belly dancers, circus troupes, live music and much more. This was not your typical wine tasting event. Mill Creek Winery was our starting location for the weekend.

John and I first found Mill Creek thanks to a Wall Street Journal article on small, unknown Zinfandel wine makers. We were impressed on our first visit and not only bought the Zin but we bought a little of everything. Oh, and of course, we joined their wine club.

I can't say enough about the friendliness of the people we met at Mill Creek. Bruce and his team were extremely helpful before we even arrived helping me ensure that I was able to buy tickets early as a wine club member. Dan was great fun to talk with as we waited for the event to begin. The Mill Creek theme was the Hollywood After Party.

We tasted the 2008 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, 2007 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, 2005 Estate Merlot, 2006 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, 2004 AV Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Left of Starboard (Port), and the 2005 Reflections Meritage. The wines were paired with Grilled Lamb, Scalloped Potatoes, and Hollywood Spinach Salad. The "port" was paired with Raspberry Chocolate crepes.

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2009 Holiday Party Revisited

Thank you for your generosity!!! Once again, you have contributed $1,395 to local non-profit organizations:
Clothes That Work $770
Humane Society of Greater Dayton $625

No one was scared off by the threat of snow, we had 112 attendees this year. While there were dire warnings about running out of food, there was a lot of salads left over. However, there was little left of the 9 lbs of pork and the 7 lbs of steak. The big surprise of the evening was when we had gone through ALL 14 bottles of red wine that I had on hand by 9:30pm.

Total Beverage Consumption

Liquor	7870	ml
Beer	55	bottles
Red Wine	21	bottles
Champagne	12	bottles
White Wine	11	bottles
Pop	33	cans
Water	48	bottles

Special thanks to Becky, Dan, and Karen!!! This party would not be a success without you!

Best wishes for a wonderful 2010!
Ann and John

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2009 Holiday Party Menu

Finally feeling well enough to finalize the holiday party menu. You'll see some of your old favorites and hopefully a few new ones to keep it interesting.

Baked Crab, Brie and Artichoke Dip
Cheddar Cayenne Chips
Chutney Cheese Spread
Curried Chickpea Dip
Fig and Walnut Tapenade with Goat Cheese
Gorgozonla Truffles
Mediterranean Spinach Bites
Mushroom Puffs
Spiced Lamb Bites
Sundried-Tomato Sausage Dip
Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Sweet Potato Salad with Orange-Maple Dressing
Wild Rice and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Sherry-Thyme Vinaigrette
Brussels Sprout, Blue Cheese, and Glazed-Pecan Salad

Glazed Pork Loin with Cilantro and Garlic
Miso Marinated Skirt Steak

Something sweet for dessert!!!

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