To start off the New Year, here's what we did.

New Year's Eve for Lynn and me was low keyed, no big parties. We had a variety of caviars - trout roe, salmon roe and sturgeon roe - smoked salmon and patés with a bottle of Frederic Savart "L'Accomplie" Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut given to us by Iowa friends Feff Freude and Laurie Wolf. When the ball came down in New York's Time Square we called it a new year.

New Year's Day, we hosted our neighbors, Connie and Mauro (Assaggio Restaurant) Golmarvi and Chris and Jim Bohnsack for dinner. We started off with Frederic Magnien Crèmant de Bourgogne and Pittaro Metodo Classico with Oysters Rockefeller, supplied by the Bohnsacks. With roasted chicken thighs and vegetables we had two superb Red Burgundies, a 2019 Michel Magnien Morey-St. Denis Premier Cru, Climats d'Or and 2016 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, Les Sentiers. The Golmarvi brought delicious raisin cake with College Cellars Merlot Ice Wine.

The day after, January 2, we got together with the Golmarvis and Bohnsacks for a dinner with eight other guests at the Green Gables which is being refurbished by Connie and her sister, Karrie into what will be a stunning b & b and dinner locale. The Pittaro Italian bubbly  and Gilles Nicault's 2009 Copinet Champagne were poured along with Judy Jamison's tasty red pepper bruschetta and Robin Levinthal's delicious salmon paté. Gilles also brought magnums of Coté Nicault Grenache, Long Shadows Feather Cabernet Sauvignon. Ron and Judy Jamison took a trio of tasty Paso Robles reds from where they used to live. The Bohnsacks took a Proper Reserve Syrah. We took a bottle of 2017 Cayuse Edith Rosé (holding up beautifully) and two superb Red Burgundies from Louis Jadot, a 2015 Morey-St. Denis Premier Cru and 2015 Corton Pougets Grand Cru. Gilles and his mother, Christianne who sat across from us loved them. Mauro prepared a delicious pasta bolognese and grilled chicken dishes and Vinny and Patty Bauer brought an apple tart that was to die for. Great wine, food and friends to start off the year with. Thanks to Mauro, Connie and Karrie for getting this together.