Wines included: Angels Gate Winery Mountainview 2008. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2008. Cave Spring Cellars Blancs de Blancs Brut 2004. Closson Chase Vineyards Closson Chase Vineyard 2008. Colaneri Estate Winery ‘Paese’ 2008. Flatrock Cellars 2008. Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery 2008. MORE >>

Last summer I drank a bottle of 2002 Larmandier-Bernier Coteaux Champenois with a few friends and absolutely loved it. Here are the wines we drank in the order in which we drank them, along with a few notes: 2008 Roger Coulon Coteaux Champenois Blanc , $40-50, Rosenthal Wine Merchant. Not all Champagne is sparkling wine. MORE >>

Then we drank the 2008 Domaine Gauby Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Les Calcinaires , $27, imported by Weygandt Metzler. Then it was the 2002 Vodopivec Vitovska Venezia Giulia IGT , price unknown, imported by JK Imports. With skirt steak we drank the 2004 Els Jelipins Penedès , $72, Jenny & François Selections. Me neither. MORE >>

Vineyard work is thoughtful and very conscientious, and fully converted to biodynamic farming since 2002. My favorite so far is the exquisite 2004 Quinte Essence Brut, made of 60% Pinot, 25% Meunier, and 15% Chardonnay from vineyards in Belval-sous-Châtillon (if I understood correctly). Isabelle and Franck Pascal, and their name tags. MORE >>

With the oysters I drank a relatively unknown but incredibly delicious and interesting wine, the 2004 Michel Loriot Pinot Meunier Vieilles Vignes Brut , $75. The non-vintage Extra-Brut we drank was based on wines from 2007 and 2006, but because of the ripe richness of the wine, I guessed it was based on 2008. wines from Ambonnay. MORE >>