the main event

yes- you already know it sold out in 2 minutes and 20 seconds - as big an event in these parts as a Stones concert according to one of the organizers- Forks & Corks Grand Tasting.  we had VIP tickets and so had an hour of only five hundred people versus the full 1500 that had tickets for the noon start time...

it is a large venue and can hold lots of folks but still it is wall to wall people- as you will see in the few photos I bothered to snap- juggling wine glass and food plates and a bottle of water- LOL as well as greeting folks along the way (shaking hands- LOL an acrobatic act, hugging without spilling something on the hugee- another... no wonder we are so close to the circus museum- LOL)

YOU CAN SEE THIS GUY WAS TIRED OUT FROM THE WINES AND FOOD!!!

anyway it started with a champagne reception in the retail area while the hordes of VIPs redeemed their vouchers for wine before the remainder of participants arrived an hour later-

we bought enough to use up our vouchers (two types of Italian wines) and headed out of the claustrophobia inducing crowds of the retail tent and into the claustrophobia inducing crowds of the food and wine event... I have only a few photos but the food was excellent for an event for 1500 people and really -  lots of variety and good quality- the wines not so much to my taste- waaaaaay waaaay too many California wines and far far far too little French wines - only a smattering of Italians...

the layout of the courtyard for the event- every dot is a booth of food or wines- it's HUGE!

this is just ONE of NINE pages of wine listings for the event- it is just overwhelming -

as you can tell from the ongoing photos on this blog- we are into French (especially burgundy - white and red) and Italian with the US market being our Oregon pinots and sparkling- but with the inventory in the cellar as high as it is we aren't buying these days anyway- so NBD!

the weather was absolutely perfect! unlike last year's rain - this year we had sunshine and blue skies and in the low to mid 60s- perfect!!!!

we came and went between the food and wines and with CBGB and without - and finally met up about three hours later on the shady side of the porch and had some water and then headed home... fun day- only wish they would limit the number to more of the IPNC level of 600-650.... just too too too many people for me...after a dozen years for me and two decades of IPNC for Phil and 5 or 6 for CBGB- we all are spoiled by the approachable size and winery visits and fabulous al fresco meals of that event-  but you do have to devote a whole weekend to it- here it is one (day) and done...

here is a bonus the recipe for the fab chocolate dessert shown above!

so our next wine event is an evening at Bern's with CBGB and others- and then in March the Wine Walk to Ca d'Zan-

and hopefully a few more wine dinners at Michael's Wine Cellar... time flies and now that it is "season" we have a busy busy calendar... friends arrive from Chicago tomorrow and we have plans for theater and museums with them for the next four days- then four concerts that Phil has us booked for -  more theater and my two USF classes--- never a dull moment!

Have I mentioned lately that I love being retired? LOL