Travel by the Glass

It's strange how the advent of cold weather makes us drink more wine, especially deep dark red wines. A favorite winter wine is Port. Picture this: a large warm crackling fireplace with a nearby window that looks out upon snowed over pines and gentle slopes. A little Cole Porter on the sound system, perhaps a game of chess or backgammon, some slices of Stilton cheese and walnuts to snack on. And lastly, to make this picture complete , in your hand a lovely glass filled with Ruby or caramel-like Tawny Port. Perfect, wouldn't you say?

Well, I don't have a fireplace; I  live in Maryland so it depends on the weather for the snow but everything else in this lovely reverie I can recreate as often as a I please with a good bottle of Port..

It's a civilized drink, the kind of thing you don't get wasted on, just pleasantly toasty. Although, I'm certain some would beg to differ, uncivilized souls only I'm sure. Port is so incredibly conducive to a great discussion with friends, preferably one (less to have to share with that way).  You can savor a bottle over an evening and thoroughly enjoy yourself I assure you.

I once had an acquaintance that worked with me at a radio station. We co-hosted a show together and had to have monthly production meetings. Aside from working together our second and only commonality was we both enjoyed wine and took turns bringing a bottle to share. This particular meeting R had decided to bring a bottle of Port. After a few glasses the discussion moved from work to philosophy and by the last couple of glasses we were discussing everything from solving World conflicts and favorite restaurants

. Imagine two people with normally nothing to say to each other, philosophizing about world issues. That amazing conversation is owed, with no doubt in my mind to the bottle of Port we shared, which if memory serves me right was a bottle of Sandemans Ruby.

the beauty of Port is that it welcomes discussion and fuels debate but never, or rarely flares up anger, after all, it's so civilized.

So this winter, when the weather gets rough and you don't know what to do with yourself, grab a friend and bottle of Port and settle in for a few hours. Fireplace or no, stormy weather or snow, you'll see it is the ultimate winter wine. © Grape Events MBM 2001 all rights reserved

What do you do when you get tired of hosting dinner and want to learn some new recipes? Start a supper club. "A supper club?" you say, dripping with apprehension and mild disgust. "Isn't that something my parents used to do?

 Be warned, as schmaltzy and smelling of the 70's and tuna casserole as this idea may sound, once you start, it's hard to stop.

The beauty of a supper club is the democracy of it. No dissection of a bill after a lovely meal, no arguing over which restaurant has better mixed drinks and/or cuter patrons and if you like, you don't even have to dress up. Not to mention, there's something to be said for enjoying food and wine in the company of friends without an intrusive or incompetent waitperson detracting from the joy of your dining experience.

Our group disagrees about when the idea for this actually came about and who exactly deserves credit  for the concept but, somehow, our little Super Club got started about four months ago.

 Originally, we were only three couples and then, a fourth was added.  Like anything, it's hard to keep a good thing secret and before you know it, the very friends who turned up their nose at the concept might just be the first ones clamoring to get in.

How do you start a supper club? The premise is simple, you gather a group of friends and cook a meal (in our case dinner), and take turns hosting. You can plan  it weekly, bi-weekly or our preferred format, monthly. It's a fun way to try new recipes, enjoy the company of several of your friends on a regular basis and, if you are lucky, your supper club guests will help you clean up. Most usually do, no doubt conscious that they'll be hosting sometime soon.

The most trying part of a supper club is keeping it a secret. Inevitably, when other friends catch wind of what good (not to mention economical) fun you've been having round robin dining, they usually want to be included.

A word of caution, to those planning to start a Supper Club of their own: Give a lot of thought to whom you'd like to include from the very beginning and discuss it with the other members, this can avoid hurt feelings and disappointments later. Pick your limit of participants and stick to it. Believe me, you'll be grateful.

One rule our club created was that hosting club members could add two people of their choosing for their evening only. Of course this is a double-edged sword, as new invites always want to join once having partaken in the fun.. A clear explanation of the rule and a cheery "You should start your own supper club" usually handles this problem well.

Supper clubs are a great way to try esoteric or daring recipes although I suggest control. In consideration for your fellow club members, try to subject them to recipes you are certain you can execute palatably without prior trial, and that won't make them run for the nearest pizza joint. If you want your Supper Club to work, spare your members and keep that old braised Cow tongue recipe from Grandma for yourself.

To ease the financial burden on the host, our club chose to have visiting members contribute wine, but, hey, if you have a flush group and want to include the wine as part of the hosting, by all means go ahead.