Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

[cornerofmadness]

That is painted on the wall in the ladies' room at the Merry Family Winery where I attended the first annual Wine & Cheese tasting benefit auction for the Gallia County Farmers Market with my friends LS and EB. It was nice, under advertised but nice (and who knew the winery had a rib bbq? I need to email them and find out if that is every Sat. in the spring/summer months). I already know I like this local winery. Nice people, good wine, giant mastiff dog who thinks she's a lap dog.

The cheese was by Laurel Valley Creamery, local farmers/cheesemakers. The soft cheeses were milk on wednesday! I spent some time talking to the guy who milked the cows and made the cheese, talking types of cow and grazing habits and where his stuff can be found in Athens.

Music was by The Paranormals. I think they're brothers Catfish and Junebug, doing a sort of comedy/country/whatever the hell medley. They were fun.

The night started out with Danielle, their Gewurztraminer, a dry white, paired with cloverton which is a soft cheese sort of like cream cheese that you could do anything with, Aphrocheesiac (cloverton mixed with mediterranean spices) and a spice pimento version of cloverton. (we also bought a bottle of Anhika which is a really good one with hints of melon and berry)

Later came Black Big Dog which is a blended semi-dry rose paired with country jack and Merry Fireside, a cabernet sauvignon paired with gruyere. This is when the auction went off. I bid a little but I have no money, mostly i got things started if no one was biting. I was stunned that pies were going for over 50$ but the meat didn't sell. I would have bid if I had a freezer. I mean 12 pounds of sausage and bacon went for 15 bucks and a host of steaks was under forty. (it was actually a little embarassing) A little later, the guy took over the samples and was giving out nearly whole glasses.

THe night ended with Janet which is a raspberry zinfandel. There were dessert cheeses in the form of truffles, a dark chocolate/vanilla/peach (oh dear god so good) and a dark chocolate rasberry lambic (just as good). And since almost everyone left immediately after the auction, those had few takers so they were pressing them and those full glasses of wine on me LS and EB. We had to sit around before we could drive.

I was a little nervous I would be sick since my stomach has been acting up again (so maybe those olives were good). I worked on making an exam and my seminar presentation all day. Need to write now that the wine has loosened up the muse.

Comments

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

That is disappointing about the meat! Geeze. Other than that, it sounds like a great night.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it was. granted i didn't want sausage but i would have given it to friends who like it. I would have. liked the bacon

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, baaaaacon.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i couln't even buy 4 pounds of bacon for the 15$ that went for (well not GOOD bacon)

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Not really yummy bacon, no.

Sad.

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

A dry Gewurtz? (I'm used to them being semi-sweet, almost a Reisling.) Sounds like a good day, even if the meat didn't sell. I've always wanted to go to a wine-and-cheese fest (I make do having them at home, which usually means I already know what everything tastes like...).

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it said dry. this was closer to reisling but it definitely wasn't semi-sweet (well by my standards at any rate)

yeah my friends and I sometimes DYI wine/cheese tastings. It was only 20$ and probably at least half went to the farmers so it was worth it.

[dragonydreams.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a fun and tasty evening.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it was

[ital-gal.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a great evening out:-S

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it was nice