Caymus Dinner

Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - Evening

We found out that there was going to be a “wine pairing” dinner based on Caymus Vineyards wines. We signed up immediately and tonight is the night! 

Our table consisted of the two of us, two other couples, and a party that seemed like it could have been a threesome. One couple: he was a wildcatter from Alberta, lots of jewelry on both of them, lots of tattoos, long nails on her. Couple number two: retired military, he worked in security, she was rather quiet. 

The threesome: They showed up twenty minutes late, which made the rest of us sit and wait before the dinner could start. They did not apologize for their tardiness. They did not introduce themselves, They barely spoke to or looked at, anyone else at the table. They were much too wrapped up in themselves. The woman was maybe in her 40’s and sat between the two men. The guys could have been late 50’s or 60’s. I observed them to see if I could figure out what their story was, but I could not. They acted like high schoolers, whispering to each other and giggling a lot. 

Amuse Bouche: Slow-Braised Beef Short Ribs
This was the best dish of the night!

There wasn’t much real conversation at this low-energy table. But that was okay. The sommelier, Dhuri, had a lot to say.

One interesting discussion was about decanting. He talked about the length of time different wines needed to aerate before being ready to drink. One of our wines had been decanted 4 hours earlier, and we compared it to the same wine just after it was opened. By this time, everybody was swirling their glasses and trying not to spill.

THE OPENINGS: Halibut Carpaccio, above, or Marinated Fresh Oysters Mushrooms and Wood Ear Mushrooms, below

I had the mushrooms and II thought they were very interesting - mild and lots of umami. The grilled romaine was not enjoyable.

Fresh Summer Black Truffle Risotto

This would have been a good place to end the dinner. I had wined and dined enough. But there was more.

Seared King Salmon and Giant Prawn

DESSERT: Chocolate Raspberry Dream

The wine was carefully selected by the sommelier. The food was created by the Executive Chef and was served with precision and flair by a team of waiters. 

Cheeses and Charcuterie

This photo does not show the cheese on the far left clearly. I didn’t get the name of it. It was absolutely the nastiest-tasting cheese I ever tried and I could not get that taste out of my mouth for a while. (Ken enjoyed it.)

We experienced an interesting night of pairings and tastings. Some of them were a little out there, but I do not pretend to any wine expertise. I did not much enjoy the dinner conversation with these pretentious, ostentatious strangers. (At least nobody tried to discuss politics.) This would have been so much more fun with friends.

Tonight’s fabric is Dogs and Wine by petfriendly for Spoonflower.