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Tropical Depression: Work Perk
Last night was the American Wine and Spirits annual "Best for Last" wine event. It's the final event of the distributor tasting -party season and a nice party. This year it was held at the Halekulani Resort and over 30 winemakers, owners and company folk were representing, pouring over 300 wines. It was quite tasteful. Actually, no; it was more of a speed tasting/drinking event.
The food was pretty good.
Sliced to order Kobe beef roast with horseradish, Big Island Goat Cheese on toast points, scallops wrapped in bacon were the highlights.
We had our little wine store posse going from table to table, swirling our glasses, spitting in buckets (which I am not sure I will ever be entirely comfortable with). Of course there were some wines that I just couldn't bring myself to spit out (or wasn't near a bucket). We were on a buying mission though and needed to stay crisp and on top of things...um, more or less.
Of course the whole thing is also a big schmooze fest.
I ran into my 2 favorite bartenders from the goold old days which was nice but the strangest thing was the number of staff from the Cheesecake Factory, most looking barely 21 in their ironic t-shirts and surf shorts. Dude! This wine is, like, awesome!
And, yes, some of the wines were awesome.
Some of the highlights I've listed below sort of in order from "totally awesome" to "pretty awesome" and a couple other very good wines.
Happy holiday drinking.
1990 Henriot Cuvee des Enchanteurs
2004 and 2005 William Fevre Champs Royaux Chablis
NV Diebolt Vallois Cuvee Prestige
2005 Whitcraft Pinot Noir Bien Nacido
2004 W.H. Smith Cabernet Sauv. Piedra Hill
2005 W.H. Smith Pinor Noir Sonoma Coast
2004 Hanzell Chardonnay
2003 Mantra Revelations Reserve
2003 Au Bon Climat Hildegard (Jim Clendenen is a very funny and nice guy and sports a sweet bleach blonde mullet)
