Everyone will want to share Christmas dinner with us, or Wine and Cheese 2007

Last night was St. Michael's annual Wine and Cheese party. It is one of the biggest fundraisers for our women's group and, not to mention, the most exciting social event of the year(in my humble opinion). The general setup goes like this: We ask everyone who comes to bring a small amount to cover the cost of appetizers and cheese, as well as two identical bottles of wine. One bottle is wrapped up to conceal its identity, assigned a number, and uncorked for tasting. The second bottle is hidden away for an auction later on in the evening.

Throughout the evening, participants try each of the wines, rating them from one to five. I try out my amateur wine-tending skills, pouring wine and dropping subtle hints to the less experienced and eavesdropping on the ways of the true wine aficionados. At the end, I tally the wine rating cards and unveil the winners (We usually have one red and one white as they are VERY different animals :) ). The winners receive a lovely prize basket and then auction begins. People have tried and rated all of the wines, so now they can bid on their favorites. Last night was great! Between our winsome, charismatic auctioneer, and a lively participant shouting, "Come on! You all had mother's who loved you, and most of you have wives. This is for the women's group! Be men and bid!," we raked in an unprecedented $1200 dollars.

Nathan picked up a "Eros", 2004 blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc made by the Sunstone winery in the Santa Ynez valley. It happened to be the best bottle of wine and 2nd most expensive bottle of the evening. We will uncork it this year for a special Christmas dinner treat! See the picture above.