“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” as I kind of sing this to myself.  My Bride makes the holiday season special and simple.  The day before Thanksgiving is her completion date: she has all the Christmas presents bought, wrapped and sorted by family,  all the Christmas cards and her annual newsletter has been printed and inserted into the cards and posted as well, some were received the day after Thanksgiving (in Canada with their postal strike, the cards may arrive by Spring), the house is cleaned and ready, not to mention that the menu has been decided and she has even prepped some of the dishes.  This system was the best, back in the day, when we worked, as everything was paid by Christmas, and we could make plans to get away in January or February for a well deserved vacation. 

We started the day bright and early, I just assist the Maestro.  She actually got up and checked on how thawed the turkey was a four in the morning, and she was not thrilled and started last minute soaking of the bird, and by ten it was stuffed, sewn-up, prepped and placed in a roaster bag, and into the roaster that was set up in the library, away from the morning madness.  All the other side dishes she was preparing, as well as prepping appetizers and munchies before the dinner.  She made so many dishes, that she forgot to even bring out the Deviled Eggs that she had made, just prior to starting the turkey, so we had Deviled Eggs that we discovered with turkey leftovers and sides (though I am getting ahead of myself).  We started off with a couple of “go-to” white wines for my Bride, which made it easy for her to stay calm.  I selected the first red wine to serve with the buffet spread from the Old World.   Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflores Vielles Vignes Cotes du Roussillon 2015.  Domaine Lafage is a major estate in the Roussillon in all shades and hues and from dry to elegant dessert wines like their Muscat de Rivesaltes.  They own about one-hundred-sixty hectares with vines that are hitting the century mark, hence “Vielles Vignes.” The Bastide Miraflors is a custom cuvee and is a blend of seventy percent Syrah and thirty percent Old Vine Grenache.  After six weeks of maceration the Grenache is aged for twelve months in concrete and the Syrah is aged in French Oak.  This is a deep purple wine has a heady 14.5% Proof and I usually don’t quote ratings, but for a very affordable wine Robert Parker gave this wine 94 Points.  This deep purple wine offered notes of red and black fruits, spices and minerals.  On the palate tones of raspberry, and blueberry, blended with anise and thyme, refreshing acidity, firm tannins, and a nice medium count finish of fruit, pepper and terroir.  I have been drinking this wine over the years, and still have seen it become a very age-worthy surprise and addition to the cellar.  Of course, I guess I didn’t buy enough, but there is still a couple of bottles left.

The other main dish of the day was a Pork Tenderloin that she marinated and broiled.  There were so many sides beginning with Armenian Pilaf and going to more traditional dishes like Stuffing and Casseroles.  There were plenty of pies that others had baked, and my Bride also had a traditional “Sander’s Bumpy Cake” decorated with all of the November birthday recipients.  There was almost panic in Michigan when it was announced that the company that had made this cake was another casualty and was going out of business, but this cake was rescued by another firm (if you want more about this cake just do an internet search, suffice it to say that it is a favored dessert in the State and beyond.  I went into the cellar and grabbed another interesting wine, one of our favorite domestic wineries, as I opened a Korbin Kameron Merlot Sonoma Valley 2011; it is an Estate Grown wine and Merlots have been one of my favorites since I was a teenager.  This wine preceded the Moon Mountain District AVA which was awarded in 2013, so it is still basically a new designation from Sonoma County.  This wine was aged for eighteen months in French Oak, of which half was new, and they produced three-hundred-fifty cases of this wine.  In 2020 I had the good fortune to try four vintages of the Korbin Kameron Merlot of 2007, 2009 2011 and 2015.  I was enraptured by the 2007, which we bought, but everyone else was in love with the 2015.  I think the extra couple of years in the bottle really changed my mind, but then I am very partial to older reds.  The 2011 was now showing me the virtues of good breeding that a Merlot needs.  This deep ruby red wine offered notes of red fruits, spices and sous-bois.  On the palate there were rich tones of red and black cherry, baking spices, perfect acidity, charming silky tannins and a beautiful long count finish of fruit and terroir.  We sent everyone home with leftovers and there was still plenty left for us, I guess twenty-two for dinner, will make us rethink the menu for the future, but then again it may not.