Best Of

My explanations crossing the border have been surprisingly well received, the first time I went to Nebraska to meet @Farge I was a little worried how that would go over but the border guard told me she see's it all the time (crossing to meet people from the internet/for gaming conventions). When @FettBacon flew to Canada to visit me, an officer came out to speak with me before they let him through customs and I wound up mentioning Expo because that's really when we started dating, she asked what kind of games the event was for and when I said "TF2" and then hesitated, wondering if I'd have to explain the acronym, she said "Team Fortress, yep". Actually in general she was the nicest customs/border officer I have ever interacted with.

Just a suggestion from a retired wine professional. (I used to be a wine buyer for a chain of wine stores, attended enough wine festivals to make anyone comatose, former chapter Director of "Les Amis du Vin", Regional President of Bacchus Wine Club.) The best tastings have very little food involved. Food is used as more of a palate cleanser and tummy filler to keep from getting sick and/or too inebriated. Things like mild cheeses, crackers, breads, fruit and light appetizers are all I would recommend. Keep the selection to 10 or less and let the ones in charge do the selecting. Unless it is a "varietal" tasting (one where only one grape variety is tasted) I suggest that you taste a variety of wines both red and white. Then you should start with dry whites and move to reds with any sweet or desert wines last. Figure on pouring 6 to 8 glasses per bottle, that comes out to 3.25-4.3 fl oz per wine per person. that gives everyone enough to taste and enjoy if they like it but not a waste for those who don't. So if you have 10 wines @ 4.3 oz each and everyone potentially consuming all they are served totals 43 oz (that is just a little short of 2 bottles per person) @ an average of 12% alcohol by volume over the course of 3 hours figures to a drunk factor of about .12 blood alcohol!

Just food for thought, Larry

I would also be interested....

Two thumbs up for the survey confirmation response, bitches.