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Mix'in It Up at Home

Monday, 28 August 2006

Entertaining is so much fun.  One does not have to be an excellent chef to create a classy evening.  Entertaining is so much fun.  One does not have to be an excellent chef to create a classy evening.  Just bring out the china, light a few candles, and pour the bubbly.  Most people probably have a few things they like to do to add a personal touch to dinner parties.  Perhaps the following will spark some new ideas and inspire your next evening of entertaining.   Tourist season can be a deterrent from going out with friends.  The streets are packed, parking is limited, and the wait for seating at the best restaurants can be long.  There is nothing better to beat the crowds than taking the opportunity to enjoy the company of friends and good wine in your own home.  Invite an old friend and a new acquaintance.  There was a time when it was accepted and appreciated to invite a new neighbor or coworker to dinner.  Sadly, this idea is loosing its popularity.  It is a great opportunity to bring new friendships together as well as build upon old relationships.     As your guests arrive, serve flutes of sparkling wine (also know as champagne by our French friends).  Have a Michelob on hand for the amateurs.  Sparkling is a great starter for any occasion.  Too many people save the bubbles for the holidays.  In truth, there is a perfect sparkling to complement most of your meal.  If you simply must only drink Pinot Noir, then you will be happy to know that this grape is a common component to many sparkling wines.  The Wente Sparking is a fruit forward Brut that is 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Pinot Blanc.  They didn’t mention that in Sideways.         Throughout the meal, pour two tastes of mystery wines into two different glasses for the guest to decide which wine pairs best with each course.  Pass around a notebook for the guest to comment on each wine and the pairing choice.  As the dinner progresses and the wine bottles accumulate, the comments will become more amusing.  You then have a humorous souvenir of the evening you created for your friends and the fine Monterey wine you shared.  Have your guests sign and date the cork or bottle for a memory of your evening together.  Save the label with Label Off® (a transparent sheet that easily removes the label from your bottle).  Have your guest sign the label and preserve it in an album.        You want your party to be fun, relaxing, and full of great conversation.  A great way to build friendships and keep an active social life, especially when you’re married, is to make it a priority to have friends over often for simple get-togethers.  A nice dinner accompanied by good wine and a few friends will make a night to remember. Call your friends today.  Invite the new girl from your office or the neighbor who always waves, yet you still don’t know his name.  Spend an afternoon preparing for the joy of others.  At the end of the day, if you can look back on memories like these, you will certainly have had a happy and fulfilling life.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 04 October 2006 )

 

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