NEW YEAR'S EVE
WELCOMING 2002
Hosted by Henry & Alexia, our annual New Year's
Eve was a wonderful event!
We started with a selection of three types of West Coast Oysters on the Half
Shell to go with the Champagne. Paul Obester felt this platter of 54 was
HIS serving and wondered where the second platter for the rest of us was!
The Oysters were delicious!
And we finished the entire platter!
Marjorie treated us to two kinds of Caviar!
Henry served the Dom Perignon 1990 Champagne, followed by the Piper Heidsieck
"Gaultier" bottling of a Special Reserve.
All are amused by the corseted bottle.
Bob slices the Sonoma Foie Gras.
Bob baked some bread for the 'toast' under the Foie Gras. A Madeira Sauce
(Blandy's, of course!) laced with truffle oil made for a decadent starter!
And Alexia brought out a 1962 Chteau Suduiraut Sauternes, which was quite rich
and sweet. It still was honeyed and oily after a bite of Foie Gras!
Alexia's Sauted Endive provided a bed for the deliciously sweet Sea
Scallops. This was accompanied by Kistler's 1998 Durell Vineyard
Chardonnay (smoky, a bit of match-stick, dry) and Peter Michael's 1998 Cuve
Indigne (more vanillin, slight residual sweetness, rich).
Alexia braised some Lamb Shanks to go with a pair of 1970 Margaux:
Chteau Giscours (still youthful, deeply colored, rich, lots of cassis &
fruit...mildly tannic -still-!).
Chteau Brane-Cantenac (lighter in color and body and much softer...a bit
herbal and weedy...good, not as profound).
Sandy presents an array of cheeses.
These were accompanied by a pair of 
Gevrey-Chambertins
from Herestyn-Bailly from the 1986 vintage. Both were representative of
the vintage, being quite developed and ready-to-drink.
Alexia's Fabulous Pear & Marion Berry dessert with Vanilla Ice Cream.
This was accompanied by a nice, but not fantabulous Schloss Vollrads 1994
Riesling Auslese.
This was followed by a gift exchange and more merriment!
Henry is excited by a gift of bacon.
I stopped taking pictures after Alexia was so overjoyed with a gift of Muesili
from Switzerland, along with some Taco Bell comestibles.
These were presented by our friends Norbert & Gaby.
