V-Day is upon us!

Prep so far: I have poached some pears in moscato d'asti with warm spices (cinnamon, clove, lemon zest, black pepper), and I have made a lemon-dijon beurre blanc using an inexpensive French chardonnay raised in steel.

Tomorrow there will be cocktails to start, the rest of the moscato (perhaps), definitely a bottle of Brun's FRV100, and ending with fruit liqueurs... Combier's Pamplemousse, limoncello, Cointreau, Fraulein Brosels apricot or hazelnut schnapps.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Prep so far: I have poached some pears in moscato d'asti with warm spices (cinnamon, clove, lemon zest, black pepper), and I have made a lemon-dijon beurre blanc using an inexpensive French chardonnay raised in steel.

Tomorrow there will be cocktails to start, the rest of the moscato (perhaps), definitely a bottle of Brun's FRV100, and ending with fruit liqueurs... Combier's Pamplemousse, limoncello, Cointreau, Fraulein Brosels apricot or hazelnut schnapps.
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So you really lean into this holiday?!

I assume those liqueurs are a sampling of what will be available, and not an exhaustive list of everything that will be consumed!
 
Gail always takes me out to dinner on Valentines day. I brought a bottle of Ducru Beaucaillou 1994 with us. It needed some air and so the first glass was a little closed, but it came out quite nicely. I have enjoyed all the 94 Bordeauxs I bought on release, despite Parker's negativity, because they were the last inexpensive ritzy growths. This was not quite as good as the Leoville Barton I had with you guys in November, but it was close.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Gail always takes me out to dinner on Valentines day. I brought a bottle of Ducru Beaucaillou 1994 with us. It needed some air and so the first glass was a little closed, but it came out quite nicely..
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What time zone are you in that this dinner is already over! Celebrating in Guam?
 
We went out two days early as we usually do since restaurants frequently have special Valentine's day menus, which are often not as good as the normal menu, and also because the reservations are easier to get. We've been married for 44 years and frequently do things to celebrate when it's convenient.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
We went out two days early as we usually do since restaurants frequently have special Valentine's day menus, which are often not as good as the normal menu, and also because the reservations are easier to get. We've been married for 44 years and frequently do things to celebrate when it's convenient.
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A new definition is born for marriage of convenience.
 
Good for you. I tried to think about what wines/liquors might be appropriate to make things festive, but couldn't really come up with a logical match from my options on hand. So will do what I do every weekend and drink what I feel like drinking!
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
We went out two days early as we usually do since restaurants frequently have special Valentine's day menus, which are often not as good as the normal menu, and also because the reservations are easier to get. We've been married for 44 years and frequently do things to celebrate when it's convenient.
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A new definition is born for marriage of convenience.
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More like celebrations of convenience.
 
Way to go Jonathon!

We celebrated V Day on Presidents' Day. On Saturday a magnum of La Vieille Ferme rouge and a bottle of ruby port went into some short ribs which were served on Monday with rice and spinach sauteed with olive oil and garlic.

There was also some goat cheese on crackers with damson and persimmon paste.
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

We had Ridge Geyserville '12 with crawfish quiche...then pecan pie bars.

. . . . . Pete
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Pete, I gotta say that although I don't usually have any issues with your food/wine pairings, this one strikes me as particularly problematic.

For our part, V day was celebrated with another couple. Jean made air-fried quail with an old Mark Miller cornbread stuffing. We drank a 2016 Chignard Fleurie "Le Moriers" but our friend wanted something "bolder" so I opened also a 2011 Ridge Lytton Springs. The Chignard was great: feminine, lush fruit and a touch of animale Brett. The Lytton Springs was still quite primary with rich, plummy fruit, some glossiness from the Draper perfume and just enough acid to keep it food friendly.

Mark Lipton
 
I'm surprised at the reaction. Of course, admittedly, I really like Zins, especially when paired well.

Crawfish are stronger flavored than other shell fish. A crawfish quiche has lots of cheese and tends to be a bit spicy . Pretty good combo in my mind with a fairly well evolved Zin. And, in this case, the proof was in the pudding as everyone liked what we served.

Where's the problem?

. . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
Crawfish are stronger flavored than other shell fish. A crawfish quiche has lots of cheese and tends to be a bit spicy . Pretty good combo in my mind with a fairly well evolved Zin. And, in this case, the proof was in the pudding as everyone liked what we served.

Where's the problem?
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Speaking just for me, no problem.

But I'll admit that I shiver whenever anyone suggests a big red with shellfish: once, early on, I drank Rosso di Montalcino with an order of calamari fritti. Every tannic component in the wine found every drop of iodine in the seafood and my tongue was plastered with a shrivelling bitterness, underscored with a prominent metallic 'tin can' taste, that I could not scrape off for love or money.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
Crawfish are stronger flavored than other shell fish. A crawfish quiche has lots of cheese and tends to be a bit spicy. Pretty good combo in my mind with a fairly well evolved Zin. And, in this case, the proof was in the pudding as everyone liked what we served.

Where's the problem?
Click to expand...
Speaking just for me, no problem.

But I'll admit that I shiver whenever anyone suggests a big red with shellfish: once, early on, I drank Rosso di Montalcino with an order of calamari fritti. Every tannic component in the wine found every drop of iodine in the seafood and my tongue was plastered with a shrivelling bitterness, underscored with a prominent metallic 'tin can' taste, that I could not scrape off for love or money.
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Correct. And if the dish is spicy the wine will taste quite a bit more tannic in addition to the metallic taste (and as you pointed out reds make fish taste a lot fishier).
 
For the record, at a recent event with Luca/Zul, we had a pasta dish with a sea urchin sauce (with tomatoes I believe) that went extremely well with a 2018 Langhe nebbiolo (poured by winemaker Oreste Stefano). Somehow the wine worked brilliantly with the dish.
 
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