Dionysian Club :: Archive Events

The Dionysian Club

Home | About | Events | Inspiration | People | Got Wine?

Spring Equinox Wine Tasting
2007-3-21

Dionysians and Friends, Thanks to those that made it to C'era Una Volta last week to celebrate the vernal equinox, Persian New Year, Italian varietals, and the first day of Spring -- with less than a days notice. Faunus and Omar Khayyam would have been proud. Upstairs at C'era Una Volta is a fine venue for our gatherings and we hope to be back. The blind tasting of five italian appellations and one california blend was full of fun and surprises. Special marks in my book went to the Barbaresco, the Rosso di Montalcino and the California bottle (Antares Lot#3 1999?). Other items on the plate were Nero D'Avola, Dolcetta D'Alba, and Chianti Classico. With tasting notepads and wine sleeves, this was the most organized we've ever been. Our libations were thankfully accompanied by several antipasti platters, a few lamb chops, and fresh baked bread. Such are the virtues of drinking at a good restaurant: fine food, friendly service, no clean up. The six bottle tasting was insufficient to slake our collective thirst, so we were forced to tuck into the overstock consisting of a Carmignano, a Barbera D'Alba, a Soave something, another Barbera from the bar, and a Paoletti Estates Rhone blend from California. Methinks the Paoletti "Piccolo Cru" 2003 might have won the evening. Molto saporito. I left all the bottles at the restaurant by accident, but if you'd like specific wine details, I can reconstitute them upon request. Much of the evening's wine was provided by founding member Chuck "Raging Bull" Hernandez courtesy of his especially deep Wine Warehouse discount. (Pity he wasn't there to enjoy it.) The ever reliable "Lord Chestnut" (co-founder Justin McCarter) brought another two bottles and bought a third. Thanks to everyone who pitched in $20 or so to cover the food service. Special thanks to creative powerhouse Amy Bean for making it... all the way from El Cerrito;-) Thanks also to Jim Mahoney for his steadfast and generous support. Perhaps a vision quest is in order to help find Jim's animal spirit and Dionysian appellation. Cogito ergot alkaloids. A pig or goat roast this summer would be a fine way to mark the occasion. Meanwhile, I hope to offer a bit more advance notice for our next assembly which, gods willing, will be on the patio at Julie's Tea Garden in the later part of April. Buona notte, mi amici. Grazie ancora. Happy Nowruz. "The Satyrical One"

Wine, Fertility, Creative Ecstasy

The Dionysian Club
Home \| About \| Events \| Inspiration \| People \| Got Wine?

Spring Equinox Wine Tasting 2007-3-21
		Dionysians and Friends, Thanks to those that made it to C'era Una Volta last week to celebrate the vernal equinox, Persian New Year, Italian varietals, and the first day of Spring -- with less than a days notice. Faunus and Omar Khayyam would have been proud. Upstairs at C'era Una Volta is a fine venue for our gatherings and we hope to be back. The blind tasting of five italian appellations and one california blend was full of fun and surprises. Special marks in my book went to the Barbaresco, the Rosso di Montalcino and the California bottle (Antares Lot#3 1999?). Other items on the plate were Nero D'Avola, Dolcetta D'Alba, and Chianti Classico. With tasting notepads and wine sleeves, this was the most organized we've ever been. Our libations were thankfully accompanied by several antipasti platters, a few lamb chops, and fresh baked bread. Such are the virtues of drinking at a good restaurant: fine food, friendly service, no clean up. The six bottle tasting was insufficient to slake our collective thirst, so we were forced to tuck into the overstock consisting of a Carmignano, a Barbera D'Alba, a Soave something, another Barbera from the bar, and a Paoletti Estates Rhone blend from California. Methinks the Paoletti "Piccolo Cru" 2003 might have won the evening. Molto saporito. I left all the bottles at the restaurant by accident, but if you'd like specific wine details, I can reconstitute them upon request. Much of the evening's wine was provided by founding member Chuck "Raging Bull" Hernandez courtesy of his especially deep Wine Warehouse discount. (Pity he wasn't there to enjoy it.) The ever reliable "Lord Chestnut" (co-founder Justin McCarter) brought another two bottles and bought a third. Thanks to everyone who pitched in $20 or so to cover the food service. Special thanks to creative powerhouse Amy Bean for making it... all the way from El Cerrito;-) Thanks also to Jim Mahoney for his steadfast and generous support. Perhaps a vision quest is in order to help find Jim's animal spirit and Dionysian appellation. Cogito ergot alkaloids. A pig or goat roast this summer would be a fine way to mark the occasion. Meanwhile, I hope to offer a bit more advance notice for our next assembly which, gods willing, will be on the patio at Julie's Tea Garden in the later part of April. Buona notte, mi amici. Grazie ancora. Happy Nowruz. "The Satyrical One"
Wine, Fertility, Creative Ecstasy