Moet White Star is pretty tasty and reasonably priced.

I like Blanc de Noir champagnes/sparkling wines, too. Gloria Ferrer makes a good one that is very reasonably priced.

I'm trying to find the little piece of paper that has the type we had at our wedding on it, but having no luck. I'm pretty sure it was a dry or a sec, not a brut. I tend to prefer the sweeter ones.

Unfortunately this is one area of wine that i know little about. Part of the reason is that i don't care for champagne. Actually anything with bubbles and fizzy i am not a fan. Even really young white wines can be effervescent and i don't usually like them.

I don't know anything about champagne either, but I know chicks like pink bubbly.

Could go Rosa Regale or Lindemann's Framboise as an alternative.

I couldn't find any of the wines you suggested Ken, so I made one last try to get hold of the manager of the specialty section of the local liqueur store and got lucky.

She suggested a South African rose: Krone rose cuvee brut by Twee Jong Gezellen.

I'll be popping it at my fathers later today and will post my impressions.

Back to a topic for a new year, New Year's Eve wine list.

This year's primary for dinner will be the Marynissen Merlot 1998 (ON).
Tasting notes can be found here (select wine type from pull down list).

When i was at the winery last summer, Mr. Marynissen said the 1998 merlot was drinking well last year but they had one bottle left and it needed to go before it was past prime so he baited me and i bought it. However, he threw in a free sediment filter top noting that this wine "WILL need it".

Other strong mentionables that are on the opening list include:
Ganton and Larsen Ogopogo's Lair Pinot Grigio (BC)
Gray Monk Pinot blanc (BC)

and a yet to be determined port.

Incidentally the planned dinner is as follows:
Cheese fondue
Prosciutto wrapped baby spinach, cheese (the type escapes me) and fresh basil.
Lobster cakes with a mild chipotle and chili mayo.
Arugula salad with pears, walnuts, goat's cheese and sherry mustard dressing.
Prime rib roast (3 bone) infused with garlic slivers and with a black pepper, coarse sea salt and onion powder rub.
Heart attack double roasted buttered potatoes with cheese (i don't recall his recipe for the cheese type) and bacon.
Dessert will be a vanilla bean creme caramel and we are contemplating a chocolate fondue as well.

Serving 6 at table #3.

How much do I have to slip the maitre d' to be included in that feast? Sounds amazing, Chess. Here's hoping you and your companions savor the joyful moments. Cheers!

Well let's see Tom.
If you slipped the waiter about $800, you could then have him purchase a return ticket for you to Winnipeg return...and the rest would be covered except for the cost of cheap tshirts for the kids that say "My dad went to Winnipeg and all i got was this lousy tshirt".

You're in Winnipeg?! Wow, that sounds cold. I think folks down here use Winnipeg as a colloquialism for "coldest place on earth".

Y'all must be looking forward to the big thaw, huh?

The 2003 Taylor Fladgate vintage port is incredible. I wish I would have bought more when I had the chance…….

Sounds like a heck of a meal Chess.

I opened my 97 Haut Brion a couple weeks ago. I was devastated; it sucked. Nothing but green pepper and dirt on the nose (although it was a ‘good’ green pepper smell). The pallet had a hole in the middle and the finish fiddled to nothing way too quick.

Well the wind was a bit nippy today, but temperatures are seasonal. I'm sure BrenR has an appreciation for it.

I was out in the field a few weeks back in -32C working on a lake. That was rather unpleasant, but at least it was sunny.