Each year the Wine Writers Circle of Canada gets together for their annual holiday dinner.  Granted it’s usually after the holidays, but it’s still considered our Christmas/Holiday Dinner.

Now at a wine writers dinner what more important:  the food, the wine or the combination of both.  Well that’s a personal choice.  I’m always intrigued by what the writers bring out in public and what statement they are trying to make, if any.  Fot the record I brought a bottle of Southbrook 1999 Triomphe Merlot … it took a while to open up, but when it did it turned out to be a nice wine.  My tablemate brought two wines, a badly corked Spanish wine and a delicious Marsala (Italian Port-style wine) for dessert (which I subsequently went out and bought a few bottles of the next day).  Past President Sheila, hearing of our table’s dilemma, rescued our dry palates by parading over a bottle of Dados 2007 Reserva, a plumy, fruity, spicy red form Portugal.   Speaking of spicy, another writer brought over a small tasting of a California 2005 Syrah from Bernat in the Santa Inez Valley … this was a high alcohol monster, loaded with spice and pepper on the nose; the palate produced much of the same, loaded with spiced blackened fruit that exploded in the mouth – lovely.

Another bottle that was brought around was a magnum of Summerhill 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Okanagan Valley (BC).  The bringer has a lovely story to tell about how she had come to acquire such a beautiful bottle of wine, and it was beautiful on the outside, alas what was inside was corked and not very palatable – no wonder she was parading and passing it around.

The Dinner …(to find out what was for dinner, click here)

To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.