Sally and I are always up for having some friends over to the house, opening up some good wine, and doing a blind tasting. We're also big movie fans, so the Academy Awards make a great excuse to throw an Oscar party with wine and wagering.
Wagering
We keep things simple - everyone chips in $5 and picks the winner for each award. This year's pool was a three-way tie between me, Sally, and our friend Paul. We each correctly picked 18 out of 24 awards. Not to shabby!
Wine
Just like last year's party, we served four wines blind at pairing stations and had our guests vote on their favorites. They all sold for less than $20 at San Diego Wine Co and were either current favorites or had been recommended by friends.
4th Place: 2010 Klinker Brick Zinfandel
This was a good wine, but it wasn't nearly as amazing as it was the first time we tried it when we thought it was almost too good to be true. It was paired with beef meatballs in a cranberry chili sauce.
3rd Place: NV Roederer Estate Brut
Surprise! Last year's winner came back to defend it's crown and wound up in third place. It was still tasty, but our friends weren't as much in a bubbly mood. We paired it with Mediterranean pinwheels that contained prosciutto, feta, and basil.
2nd Place: 2011 Conundrum
Yum. This is one of our house table wines, and it was a hit with our friends too. It was paired with puff pastries stuffed with chicken salad (chicken, apples, raisins, mayo, and curry).
1st Place: 2010 Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon
Recommended by our friend Robin, we went into this one blind. It was on sale at San Diego Wine Company for $12.95, which was quite a steal considering how smooth and drinkable this wine was. We paired it with mini sandwiches made with marinated London broil, arugula, and mustard.
