My son is getting engaged next week. After he pops the question, the immediate family (hers and ours) are meeting at Tribecca Grill for dinner. I’m in charge of bringing the wine.
I’m bringing a 02 Dom P to celebrate. Even though the room will be filled with rookies, everyone knows DP. It was suggested that in addition to the champagne, I bring 2 bottles of white, and 1 bottle of red. Here’s where I’d like to listen to your opinion. My son cares about wine. His girlfriend cares a little bit. My wife and daughter couldn’t care less. Same goes for her Mom and sister. My Mom will enjoy whatever I pour.
Grand total of 8. Father and son care, others will be happy with whatever I bring; afterall, it’s not an offline.
So the red choice can vary from Anderson Conn Valley Eloge to Carlisle to EMH to Maybach and to Schrader. Truth be told, I’m the only person that will really care. The dinner guest wouldn’t have a clue if I’m bringing a $35 $65 $125 or $175 bottle of wine. Truth be told, a Maybach or Schrader may be wasted. This reminds me of the annual Thanksgiving thread where we discuss the merits of which wine to bring/share.
I’m inclined to go with a WOW wine since this is a special occassion. As my old friends Dottie and John (WSJ) would say, don’t wait to share that special bottle.
Congratulations to your son first off. Second, can you source or do you want to pick from wines you already own? I ask because if you are sourcing, and the guests really don’t care or wouldn’t know one way or the other, then why not tie in memorable little details about your son/future daughter-in-law/families/etc.?
Somethings like names, places…along those lines. For example, what’s your daughter-in-law’s name? Go off from there.
If you’re the only person who will care, bring the wine that you will enjoy drinking and sharing with your family to celebrate the engagement. If you’re concerned they won’t appreciate the difference, I’d take the opportunity to educate them a bit.
One consideration, the menu is pretty varied and definitely American cuisine. Accordingly, I’d stick with American wines. You might want to bring a heavier white (Chard) and a lighter white (SB) to allow for some variety. As for the red…I’m a bit of a traditionalist, but if you’re going for any of the beef dishes, you could do worse than an aged Cab.
As others have said, congrats! I still have QUITE a way to go before I get there . . .
This will be a night that YOU will remember as well, so I would bring a wine that brings YOU enjoyment - and offers you the chance to share something you love with others.
Dan, I would suggest going with the wine most likely to please your son and his gf. It is a special occasion and certainly worthy of a special bottle or two for a relatively small group of important people in their lives, as well as yours. Since it is so special, would pick one that ages well too, for it might be one of those wines you open with them many years into the future, the wine you all had when they got engaged . . .
As for the wine selection, make sure you pick something that is VERY expensive, rare, and was given 110+ points. Then tell everyone throughout the dinner how rare & expensive the wine was, and how it was the most highly-rated wine ever made. If the conversation starts to drift back to some irrelevant topic like the engaged couple, make sure you cut that off and return right back to how expensive and rare the wine is. That is how you will REALLY make an impression on your potential in-laws…
I like the idea of the Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc (maybe one from Sancerre). For the red I would be inclined to go more for a crowd pleaser than a “pointy” wine. If you bring a Cabernet Sauvignon or Meritage blend, pick one about ten to twelve years old so that it will not be terribly tannic but will have integrated and mellowed a bit. Do you have any Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve from the 90’s in your collection? A fruity Rioja, Valpolicella or Beaujolais Cru might also be popular. I love Pinot Noir but some of my friends not into wines as much find them too acidic. I find Cabernet Sauvignon too tannic unless it has some age on it. I’d go more for an easy-drinking red than an expensive one that might not be appreciated by most of the guests. (OTOH, Tribeca Grill probably has an extensive wine list and a simple Rioja or Beaujolais Cru is probably not what most people bring for a corkage fee so maybe I’m all wet on this one.)
Dan - Mazel Tov! The fun is just beginning, as well as the outgoing $$$
The '02 DP will be the special wine that they remember. The families will be excited by the event more than they will by the wine, so why not order a modest bottle or 2 off the list, and save your bottles and your geekiness for another time.
Precisely. If you want to bring a nice red that you and your son will enjoy and ‘get’, do that too, but I’m betting the wine isn’t going to be the focus and Diane’s dead on - people will ohh and ahh over the DP since they know the name and rep (and it should be very good). Maybach? They won’t know it from Educated Guess.
I agree with others that the DP is the memory wine, the special occasion wine that everyone will remember. Get someone to take a photo of you pouring to the happy couple. After that, Bruce’s post is right on target. Just make the wines tasty. No need to impress. If you have more of that Sea Smoke Pinot you brought up here, that would be great. Just a delicious wine that I can’t imagine anyone not liking. Also, bring a few extra bottles. You probably won’t need them, but it’s good to have extra.
I should also add that you should be prepared to discuss in excruciating detail such issues as:
–Directional orientation of the relevant vineyards
–When the vines were planted
–Use of indigenous yeasts
–Whether the wine is “interventionist”
–The tightness of the grain of oak used in the barrels
I can’t begin to tell you what an impression your diatribe will make on the other guests…
Clearly, a really good Champagne/sparkling wine is where it’s at, and then just serve a selection of crowd-pleasing, food-friendly wines for the rest the meal.
I’ll go in a little different direction: Whichever producer and varietal you ultimately choose, do your best to procure a large format bottle. There is just something enormously fun, memorable, and crowd-pleasing when you bring out a mag or double mag. Plus, it will make for a cool keepsake for you or the married couple after the event.
My instinct here would be to take things that will show well now, that will mature in your cellar, and that you have enough of to gift to the couple (or share with the entire group) at appropriate milestone dates down the road. Since your son sort of cares, this will mean something to him when you pull these things out in the future. You get to relive the memorable moment many times and also possibly snare the daughter-in-law-to-be into the wine equation too.
It’s extra work, but you’re cut out for it.
The DP clearly fits, by the way. Here’s your excuse to go source extra! As for the other wines, they don’t all have to be ageworthy, but it’s a theme you can riff on.
![[whistle.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/87d24eb81ec6dc01d84f3d6c19fa9a357e90218e.gif "whistle"){kind=small}
![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
![[rofl.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/a/a7452fcd8e675af869f8da01174474a545b03944.gif "rofl"){kind=small}
![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}