Celebrating on the Fourth of July

Our second 50th Anniversary celebration took place at the home of a friend in New Jersey on July 4th.  We were so happy to be with friends once again.

Dinner began with

Dom Pérignon Brut 2009 Moet & Chandon made from equal amounts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The grapes come from five Grand Cru villages and one Premier Cru village. Ed Mc Carthy wrote in his book Champagne for Dummies, the wine’s “…trademarks are its exquisite balance, its creaminess, its elegance, its very fine tiny bubbles and its complex flavors.” He was also right on the mark when he said, “With age, Cuvee Dom Perignon develops aromas and flavors of toast, coffee and honey

Everyone pitched in for this menu.  Michele made me one of my favorite dishes, pasta alla Caprese, with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella.  The recipe is from her book, 1,000 Italian Recipes.

Vaucluse Blanc IGP 2013 Domaine Gourt de Mautens Jerome Bressay, Rhone, France. Made from Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picardan, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Picpoul Blanc and Picpoul Gris. The soil is chalk, clay gravel and marl. The vines are 30 to 50 years old and the vineyard is at 220 meters with a northwest exposure. The grapes are hand harvested. They are pressed in a pneumatic press and fermentation takes place with natural yeasts in tanks. The wine is aged for 10 to 18 months in tanks and French oak demi-muids. The vineyards are certified biodynamic. This is a full-bodied white wine with hints of peach, white flowers, a note of honey and a note of hay hops.

A friend brought two salads, one with green beans and the other a Sicilian style potato salad with red onions and capers.  They were perfect with the main dish

Rack of lamb with a mustard and crumb coating.

It was a beautiful summer meal

Chateau Margaux 1983 (Medoc) made from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Vinification takes place in wood and stainless steel vats. There are almost 100 vats made from oak and steel fused or the vinification. The vats range in size from 5H for experiments to 180 HL used for blending.The wine is aged for 18/20 months in new oak depending on the vintage. This is a rich concentrated full-bodied wine with hints of cassis, tobacco, cedar, herbs and floral notes. It was the perfect combination with the lamb.

Dessert was a simple one, old fashioned lemon ice paired with lime butter cookies, both made by Michele.  The ices had us all reminiscing about the Italian ices in a paper cup that we all loved to buy when were kids.