Another 'which wine to bring' conundrum. Engagement dinner

WINE TALK
21

Dan–Congratulations
When my daughter got engaged in 2003 and we were celebrating with her fiance’s family. I pulled out the 1990 Krug Clos de Mesnil. His parents had no clue what we were drinking but thoroughly enjoyed it. My daughter and now son-in-law had visited Krug with us earlier that year but I doubt that they remember what I opened that night. I agree with the others that the follow-up wines won’t matter and I’m sure you won’t be pulling out the bad stuff. As you said " it’s not an offline"; enjoy the moment.
P.S. Grandchildren are magic. We now have two wonderful granddaughters.

22

I hope the girlfriend doesn’t google something similar to this topic and come across this :stuck_out_tongue:

23

The Carlisle Papera Zin is 15.2% alcohol. A couple of glasses of that and people will be over the legal limit in most states. I think I would try for a lower alcohol red wine.

24

Dan,
congratulations.

Have you checked with TG? Pretty sure that at least one point they had a 2 bottle limit. You should also confirm they don’t have the Dom (or other wines) on list- DP is pretty omnipresent on restaurant lists. I’m sure you’ve done this, but just doublechecking- not fun to run into issues when you arrive.

I like the idea of something that you have enough of (and that will age a bit)that you could give them a few bottles (and tape a little note “you loved this at your engagement dinner”). Or go for something special- it’s a one time event!

25

Big congrats!

I have read all the posts and do agree that the DP will definitely be the ticket, as it is memorable to even newbies (everyone has heard of it). A very celebratory bottle indeed. I also SORT OF agree with all the input about do something special/amazing since it is a rare event regardless of whether the other folks at the get together are even in to wine or care that much. While it is always fun to find an opportunity to share and educate on the world of finer wine, you have to know your audience. It would be nice to expand horizons and maybe turn some one on to the greater joy of wine but some people that don’t really care or are into it may actually PREFER the cheap stuff. I have learned some of this the hard way with my family. The granny on my wife’s side LOVES “blackberry” (or just put any “fruit” here) wine with huge amounts of RS and sweetness up the wazoo and her nose rinkles in agony if she tastes any higher end dry table wine. She says it’s to “strong” or dry. My mother also loves putting ice cubes in her wine and prefers the fruitier and simpler wines (I think she is just trying to make a wine cooler). However, my mom recently did have a glass of Jordan the other day without the cubes and said she thought it was probably the best wine she has had, so there may be hope for her yet. I guess what I am saying is don’t be a cheapy and do bring some good stuff but I would not go hog wild. The NIGHT is the special thing and although the wine may be special to you (and maybe your son) and may enhance that warm fuzzy feeling for you by rounding out and topping off an already amazing memorable night, it probably won’t have the same effect on all present. I may leave the Schrader, etc home or just look away if anyone throws some ice cubes in it or tops it off with a little cherry cola for spritz. Above all else, enjoy the company and memories regardless of what you bring!

26

Dale, Attention has been paid to all details. It’s helps to have an inside connection. You talkin to me? [wink.gif]

27

I have 2 of these 2008 Novy Family Wines Zinfandel Papera Ranch. One to drink at the party, and the other to save for the future. I’d sub this for the Carlise. My son and I attended a tasting with Adam at Tribecca Grill last year. Hmmm. May be the tie in I was looking for.

Edit they started dating in 2002. Looks like I score big with the 02 Dom P.

28

Update

Eric told me that he thinks Zin is spicy, and doesn’t want me to bring it. Since he’s so opinionated, he should be a board member. [snort.gif]

He wants me to bring a Syrah. Several years ago, we visited with Joey Tensley. He liked Tensley so… I’m bringing the 07 Colson Canyon Syrah.
Since he wants syrah, and since he likes Adam’s wines, my other red will be a 07 Novy Rosella Syrah. I’m killing 2 birds with one stone. [winner.gif]

29

'02 Dom & whatever wines you & your son will enjoy. Everyone else will enjoy the wines, or maybe not even care, regardless of what you bring. Have fun & congrats!!

30

First, mazel tov!!
Tribeca Grill has a pretty extensive (and expensive) wine program.
IIRC, two bottles at corkage is probably your limit so you may want to check with wine director David Gordon.

31

Mazel Tov! The wine will not make a dam bit of difference to anyone but you. This is one of the best days of your life (if you approve of the couple). Drink what for you would be a “mind blowing” experience. What would you save the best for if not this?

32

Congratulations. Dispite being an auspicious occasion, this should be about the couple rather than the wine. Bring something everyone will enjoy. I also think something which can age so the same wine can be enjoyed in the future.

33

Here’s my advice:

First, I agree with you about the Champagne. Everyone will understand that Dom is a special bottle, so no one will think you failed to provide something special for the occasion. The Dom has you covered in that department before you even sit down to eat.

With Dinner: Looking at Tribeca’s menu, it seems to break down into three or four categories.

They have a couple of different fish and chicken dishes that would probably go well with a white wine or lighter red.

They have a couple of what I categorize as gamey dishes; Duck & lamb, which will go well with Barolo, syrah, or CdP.

They have a couple of red meat dishes that would go well with Cab or Bordeaux (and I would also feel comfortable serving Syrah, Barolo, or CdP with these, too)

Next, I look at their wine menu to see what they feel goes best with their food.

Under whites, I see a selection that ranges from slightly sweet to more minerally and crisp.

Under Reds, I see some lighter reds, a syrah, and a number of variations on CdP varietals and blends.

With a group of casual drinkers, you can never go wrong making a big California Chardonnay available to go with any lighter food. “Amateurs” seem to be really impressed when you serve them Rombauer Chardonnay. I’ve never seen such a crowd pleasing Chardonnay and casual drinkers often seem to know the name. You can usually find it for around $30. You probably won’t vibe to it, but they will.

This will cover a lot of bases for you, but I would actually suggest buying at least one bottle from the restaurant. Maybe it shouldn’t be this way, but I find that restaurant staff appreciate you more as a guest when you buy at least some wine from them. So, I would wait until the table orders and let the Sommelier pick a bottle of white off their menu for you – it’s likely to go with the food for those who are more adventurous. It also lets the Som impress your guests when he tells them about the wine.

If you have a Cabernet Sauvignon with a little age on it (7 to 10 years), I find there’s a good chance the tannin has resolved to a point that even casual drinkers will love it and they’ll be impressed that the bottle has been cellared. If you can go back even further, even better. California Cab from the early to mid 90’s are drinking fabulously right now and prices are not that high.

Here again, I would wait until the table orders, let the Sommelier know what you’ve brought and let him suggest a bottle of red from their list which he think will pair well with some of the dishes the table has ordered.

Finally, if it were me, I would want to bring at least one prized bottle of aged CdP or Barolo, especially since the restaurant obviously feels this is a good match with their food and I love those varietals. I tend to think Barolo goes with some of the same things as CdP. If you don’t favor those varietals, you might substitute Pinot Noir or Syrah.

That’s 6 bottles including the champagne. I would also bring a couple of back-ups in case the table really starts drinking and you can keep an eye out for what’s moving quickest. The beauty of ordering a couple of bottles from the restaurant is that they will have back-ups for at least two of them.

Just serve all of the wine pretty casually, let people know what’s available, how it might go with different dishes, and only go into more detail if questioned.

Arrange with the staff ahead of time to have at least four wine glasses on the table per person. This will give everyone a chance to try a few different wines, experiment, take tastes of things they haven’t tried before and gives everyone a chance to try a number of things, bettering their chances of finding something they really like.

All of the wine, some probably decanting, and wine glasses on the table will communicate bounty.

Between what you bring and what you get from the restaurant, everyone will get it that you put a lot of thought into the wine and will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

34

Great advice. Pick a wine that your son knows is special to share with him and he can enjoy again in the future. He will appreciate the father-son bonding. As for the other bottles, crowd pleasers always work. Simple, fruity. The Cali’s that win medals :wink:

35

I’d recommend looking at the wine list at Tribeca Grill (its quite broad and fairly priced) and select something(s) en magnum as it will make more of a splash and in general is just more fun. :slight_smile: