Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was spent in the frozen tundra known as Minnesota.  It was a balmy 1 to 5 degrees (high) out for most of the holiday weekend so I choose to stay inside and eat!  I brought some bottles of wine to share, all of what's left of the Rochioli wine I had shipped here to hold me over the winter.  I only have about 3 bottles left.  It's so sad!  What am I going to do with myself once it runs out!

Thanksgiving was great!  I had the opportunity to meet the rest of my girlfriend's family and enjoy some great German cooking.  What I really enjoyed was this alternate stuffing that was made primarily from sauerkraut.  I have never really known what sauerkraut actually was, I had never given it much thought.  I thought it was just what it was, some sort of vegetable grown in the garden.  I was wrong.  Sauerkraut is actually shredded cabbage that has been fermented.  I was enlightened!  On to this stuffing, the stuffing was made from, yes, sauerkraut, rye bread crumbs, carrots (I think), and bacon.  BACON!!!  This dish, as pointed out by by girlfriend's brother, went really well with the Rochioli pinot we were drinking.  I took a bit of the stuffing, took a healthy swig of the wine and.......I concurred!

As I sit right now, there is snow on the ground, we got about 5-7 inches this weekend!  And I think it's 15 degrees.  Even with the weather I am having a lot of fun out here in Minnesota. 

This week I am heading to Michigan to visit with family and try some more Michigan wine.  Also, I was able to get my hands on a 1999 Chateau Haut-Brion (Bordeaux First Growth, Graves, Bordeaux) and a 1999 Chateau Pavie (Top St.-Emillion, Bordeaux).  I am really excited about these two wines as I have never tasted a top Bordeaux (France).  Tasting notes will soon follow however I'm not sure when I will drink them..... the holidays seem like a good time!

One of many plates.

 Yes, as cold as it looks!!