If there’s anything that does a better job of bringing people together than wine, I’d love to hear about it. Two recent gatherings really brought that home.

On both nights, there were three couples, and wine was a focus but not the be-all/end-all of the proceedings. Our companions were folks who love wine but don’t take it, or themselves, too seriously. But there were stark differences in the quality of the wines.

Last Saturday’s soiree at a (blessedly) nearby friend’s home began with a varietal I’d never had before, a roter veltliner from Weingut Eichinger, a jolting balance of fruit and sundry elements of the terroir from which it sprung. Dinner included a juicy, bracing white Rhone blend from Chateau Beaucastel, a spot-on match with some superb scallops; four 1970 or ’71 Bordeaux reds that were still showing a lot of life, especially the Ducru Beaucaillou, paired with a fantabulous Paula Wolfert-inspired lamb dish; and a lush Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyard cab franc-merlot blend with a splendid mixed-berry pie.

Sublime, every last morsel and sip. And the company was just as hearty and fun and multi-faceted as the food and wine, the delightful conversation never devolving into deconstructing these world-class wines to death.

The same tone pervaded last night’s dinner at our home, although what we consumed was more Modern Café than the La Belle Vie-like repast a few nights earlier. We prepared a simple salad and a yummy stomach-coating soup while “testing” a half-dozen under-$20 cabernets that I had received as tasting samples. There was nothing remotely profound about the juice, although we quite enjoyed two efforts from Piattelli Vineyards in Argentina and another from Australia’s Peter Lehmann winery.

It was another night filled with laughter and lively conversation and a lusty appreciation for the “good things” in life. Topped off by the realization that the best things in life, on both occasions, were not in front of us but rather seated around the table, sharing in this bounty.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 24th, 2008 at 8:20 am and is filed under Main. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.