Champagne Tasting

1//29/2012-Members of the Folsom Wine Group met at the home of Gary Rose and Laura Laskowski to partake in their annual blind Champagne tasting. Food provided by the group included Turkey Meatloaf Sliders, Quiche, Devilled eggs with Caviar, Onion Tart, Caviar Pie, Lamb Chops, Baby stuffed potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, Ethnic Chicken and Shrimp.

Eight Champagnes in order of finish, with first, second and last votes noted.
1st - Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve 3, 5, 0
2nd - Michel Loriot Selection Extra Brut 0, 3, 1
3rd - Jaillance Brut 3, 1, 2
4th tie - Leclerc Briant Extra Brut 2, 0, 3
4th tie - Philippe Gonet Brut Reserve 2, 1, 1
6th - Michel Loriot Cuvee Reserve Brut 1, 1, 0
7th - Pierre Morlet Brut 1, 0, 2
8th - Bruno Michel Cuvee Millesime Brut 0, 1, 3

Interesting how 6 wines got first place votes and 6 got last place votes.

2006 Brunello Tasting

1/15/2012-Tim and Jane Curtis hosted the subject wine tasting providing a delicious spaghetti and meatballs dinner. The primary purpose of the tasting was to compare the three styles of Brunello’s; namely Modern, Traditional and Modern/Traditional. The following three wines were tasted blind:


Casanova di Neri (JJB97, RP93, WS93)-Modern
Fuligni (JJB93, RP96, WS94)-Modern/Traditional
Collosorbo (JJB95, RP93, WS93)-Traditional

The favorite of the three was the Collosorbo and was guessed correctly by the majority as a Traditional. Also, the Casanova was guessed correctly by the majority as a Modern. The Fuligni received nearly even votes for all 3 categories which would suggest a Modern/Traditional wine.

2007 Dunn Cabernet Tasting

1/12/2012-Helen and Keith Faust, Tim and Jane Curtis and Carl Hennige conducted a comparative tasting of the 2007 Dunn Howell Mountain (RP97 points) and Napa (RP95 points) cabernets at the Lakeforest Wines Folsom store.  Awesome wines!!!

1978 Hanzell Pinot Noir

1/11/2012-Ross and Donna McGuire hosted the monthly knitters dinner and served a roasted pork loin stuffed with corn bread, apples and bacon (just some bacon bits for flavoring), butternut squash/corn sauté, and butter lettuce salad.  The mystery wine was a pleasant surprise considering it’s age, and several participants came back for seconds, including the elegantly dressed Ann Vik.

2007 Bond Matriarch and 2000 Lynch Bages

1/10/2012-The Curtis and Faust couples met at the Hennige home to discuss TV sound systems and watch 3D TV.  The Bond and Lynch Bages were paired with a pizza appetizer and complimented with peanut butter to enhance the pizza crust.  Doesn’t hardly get any better!!

Scotch Tasting

1/7/2012-Dave Vik hosted a scotch tasting consisting of X single malt scotch whiskeys’.  Quality and preference ratings seemed to correspond closely with price.

Italian Dinner

12/21/2011-Carl and Kathy Hennige hosted a holiday Italian dinner with Keith and Helen Faust and Tim and Jane Curtis attending.  The main course was a delicious Veal Osso Bocco paired with 3 outstanding Italian wines: 2001 Solaria 123 Brunello (RP91 points), 2007 Luce Della Vite Toscana (WS95 points) and a Sicilian 2008 Firriato Harmonium (LM97 points) (Nero d’Avol grape), as well as a 2006 Lynch Bages Bordeaux. The Pierre Morlet champagne was a very pleasant surprise.  The evening ended with a 2001 Quinta Da Sonora Port.

1985 Santino Late Harvest White Zinfandel

10/7/2011-Members of the Folsom Wine Group met at Lakeforest Wines in El Dorado Hills to sample wines poured by Scott and Jana Harvey.  Carl Hennige brought a unique 1985 LH White Zin that was made by Scott Harvey when he was winemaker at Santino (now Renwood).  The wine was absolutely delicious and was greatly enjoyed by all the customers.

1972 Sebastiani Barbera

9/28/2011-The Wednesday knitters met at the home of Gary Rose and Laura Laskowski and enjoyed an interesting 1972 Sebastiani Barbera that was still alive and reasonably enjoyable.

Curtis Dinner

9/24/2011-After a fun time sipping wine at Raj’s, Carl & Kathy Hennige, Steve & Teri Price & Fransesca, Keith & Helen Faust and Gidget joined at the Tim and Jane Curtis home for a delicious dinner of pasta fagioli, salad, French bread and Tim’s “made from scratch” cookies.  Numerous wines were enjoyed with the dinner, including a Dom. de la Vieille Julienne 2005, Chateauneuf du Pape (Robert Parker, 95+ points) and a 2007 Revana Cabernet (WS 97 Points, #4 top 100 in 2010-Winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett).

Lake Tahoe Visit

9/2-3/2011-Tim and Jane Curtis joined the Hennige’s for a stay in Tamaleena apartment and a fun weekend of barbeque, boating and sipping wine, including the following: 02 Penfold Grange, 07 Pahlmeyer cabernet, 05 Stewart Nomad cabernet and Perrier Jouet champagne.