When : Thursday, January 29th, 5:30 sit down for Champagne from their list. The dinner will commence at 6pm. I’ll be there at 5pm in case anyone wants to try their blind flight.
Requirements : For this dinner you will bring at one or two bottles that were made by a female wine maker. Let’s make ‘em good. Jay is bringing a 2005 Scarecrow, I will be bringing a couple bottles including a Checkerboard from Martha McClellan.
Where : Corkbuzz Chelsea Market (75 9th Avenue)
How : When you arrive, please ensure the wine bottles opened, decanted (if needed) and at the proper temperature. This is not a blind dinner. We’re going to cap this at 12-13 people. Let’s go for quality over quantity tonight.
Cost : The cost is expected to be around $150. This includes free corkage, and gratuity. They provide all the stems, excellent service and great food.
Why : Because Jay Hack wanted to do it and it’s a great idea.
I have an important rule, which I developed over 30 years ago when my sons were playing competitive scholastic chess and I was organizing chess tournaments. I call it the “Organizer’s Privilege Rule.” If I brought my son to a chess tournament and someone else spent the time organizing it, I had two choices if I did not like something about the tournament. (1) Not come to the next tournament that the person organized or (2) STFU and not complain because it was so nice to go to an event that I did not have to spend time organizing. That is the basis of my challenge that Peter has taken up.
BUT . . . just kidding.
What happens if more than 13 people want to come, which I suspect may be the case due to my Scarecrow offer?
The issue is space–more than 12 gets too cramped in the new spot. Also, more than 12 you are getting less than 2oz… so diminishing marginal returns. Plus, we’ve had like 4 Scarecrows in the last year… I’m just doing this because I haven’t seen you in six months and distance makes the heart grow fonder.
This is such a great idea with a growing wait list that if it keeps growing, maybe there should be a second volunteer organizer to do a repeat performance in February. Seems like Sunday, February 8, 2026 would be thematically appropriate, because the Jets will not be in the Superbowl this season.
