The day, Sunday afternoon was perfect for such a wonderful tasting of wine and of fine food, of gathering, mingling, getting to know one another, sharing, smiling, laughing and thoroughly enjoying one's self : it simply could not have been better!
It was sunny outside, there was a constant cooling breeze, the sun was out in it's full splendor and glory, a baby blue sky, wispy white clouds doting and delineating it, a spacious and open and inviting home of both Kelly and Bobby Kacher, with incredible patios - two on either end of the house with a grand dining room and spacious and warm kitchen.
It was amazing on so many levels and I am sure that it would take all of us gathering and comparing and contrasting notes to really get a full-reading, a full appreciation of just how grand, special, intimate and tasty ( both on our palates, as well as with our eyes and ears ).
The Robert Kacher group with Antoine Songy and Ronnie Miller pulled out all the stops as hosts Kelly and Bobby did the very same with their friends and guests that included chef Robert Wiedmaier of his own Marcel's ( Bobby asked him to come and he did he told me, delighted to do it, too he said ), and political analyst and reporter/host David Gregory of Meet The Press, wine retailers like Doug Rosen, Tom McKnew, Anthony Quinn ( me ); wine-writers and bloggers like David McIntyre, Mike Potasnik, Anthony Quinn ( me ), so many fine sommeliers, wine-appreciators, personal friends, : too many for me to have really know all of them by name. I am sorry for that, too as I would like to mention them here, I really would.
In short : it was hard for me have envisioned any of this on this large and yet intimate and personal and special a scale. Kudos to everyone involved in making this so special where both the wine and the food worked so well together.
You knew the wine was going to be great with two really fine French Rhone houses represented : DOMAINE ANDRE BRUNEL and DOMAINE DE FONDRECHE, as well as two really fine Burgundy producers : DOMAINE XAVIER MONNOT and DOMAINE LECHENEAULT. The ' creme de la creme ' here for us all, the very best, ' le Top Niveau ! '
I had my favorites of each of these fine domaines, from the reds to the one dry, pale-delicate-colored-tachee'ed rose to the reds. Pretty much something for everyone, and all good with Robert's food that covered many bases to complement the wide range of flavors and tastes when you make wine from the Chardonnay grape, the Grenache and Syrah grapes ( and so many more of those Rhone grapes like Mourvedre, Cinsault, Carignan and still more ... ), and Pinot Noir - bien sur! Il faut aussi du Pinot Noir!
I will continue this later , and add more text and some of the many pictures that I took over the four hours or so that I was wined-and-dined there. Enjoy this in the meantime. Cheers, Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn 3/10/ 2014 Monday afternoon here at home on my day-off in northern Virginia. Bonne journee a tous!
And Bobby, I did really appreciate when you looked over at me with Xavier Monnot by my side in the kitchen, you saw me taking pictures, talking in French and drawing some of my quick portrait sketches, and with the wave of your hand over the space of the kitchen you said that here was indeed ' your calling'. Thanks, I take pride in this just as you do in bringing really fine French wines to the United States and making events and moments like this as special and memorable as they can be. We share all of this, that's why I am doing this. You all deserve a round of applause and credit for a job really well done. Bravo! TONY
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