I brought this up because I had opened some cool bottles in all of these scenarios in the last two months, and I think 2 and 4 were the best (although I had 3 ppl at the home dinner which is an even better number, I think.
I thought 1 was by far the worst setting, although many people prefer it as you get to taste more bottles. Some very good bottles got completely overshadowed and not even finished.
I mean at the last dinner we were at with 6 ppl we had 3 great reds (96 Haut Brion, 07 Vogue Musigny, 07 Beaucastel) open after a mag of krug 164 and an afternoon of drinking beer by the pool… harder to appreciate the wines for what they were at that point although they were fantastic.
Yes.
All of the above is true for me. But lately my favorite is three, four, or five people. Either at home or at a restaurant/country club that has appropriate glassware and a great somm.
I’ve certainly had some amazing wine experiences at huge tastings/parties where something just gets opened that blows people away, but I feel like a lot of the time when tons of stuff just gets opened things don’t show to their potential.
A +1 with one caveat: I put #2 and #4 as equal, then #3, with #1 as a very bad scenario.
At home is always better.
I have participated, and worse, perpetrated, but am adamantly opposed to opening large numbers of great bottles at one time. Great wines are rare. I strongly prefer to focus on, contemplate and thoroughly enjoy one or two rather than be subjected to an overwhelming deluge.
Will I accept an invitation to a horizontal of a fine, well aged vintage of all of the DRC Grand Crus?
Yeah, probably, but let me check my calendar.
Want to invite me once a month over the course of a year for one each of the following DRC wines?
Corton
RSV
Ech
Grands Ech
Richebourg
LT
DRC
I’m not picky. I like them all. But all of my favorite and most memorable experiences have been with small groups. Nearly all of those just with my wife.
I think there’s value in drinking very nice wines as a group. Everyone might have a slightly different impression or interpretation of what they’re drinking, and talking through it enhances the experience. That’s why, as with Brad, I prefer a small-ish group of 3 to 5, perhaps 6 (if it’s 3 couples)
When I make dinner/host I find that I often have my mind on some aspect of the food and/or making sure my guests have everything they need, and that takes away from my ability to really focus on a wine. That’s why I prefer dining at restaurants with great service, in order to minimize any non-vinous distractions. I’ll ask that they leave us to manage our own pours, and find that they’re only too happy to oblige (COVID and minimizing contact at the table has been a great excuse for this)