Sparkling wines at Tasters Guild Maryland holiday brunch

Tasters Guild Maryland chapter members are enthusiastic about still wines and sparkling wines. Larry Elletson and his wife Dottie Wayne who lead the Central Maryland chapter enjoy wine.  Larry noted that at restaurants he enjoyed matching the foods with the wines. They are very knowledgeable about wines around the world and especially from Eastern Europe.

Larry and Dottie organize events for the members of Tasters Guild Maryland. Normally there is a fee to cover the food and the wines. Sunday was the Annual Bubbly Brunch. About 35 Tasters Guild Maryland members attended this special brunch.

The brunch was held at the Highland Inn in Highland, Maryland. The Highland Inn is small but with an added room to the back there was plenty of room for everyone.

Appetizers included Smoked Salmon Canapé, Sapidus Farms Oysters, and surprisingly Chicken and Waffles. The last appetizer was a bite size piece of breaded chicken on a tiny piece of waffle. They were so good I could have stuffed myself with them. The appetizers were enjoyed with two sparkling wines, Gruet Blanc de Blanc Extra Dry from Albuquerque, New Mexico and Santa Julia, Brut Rosé from Mendoza, Argentina. The Gruet was produced with Chardonnay and bottle-aged for 18 months.  The Brut Rosé was made with Pinot Noir.

Our first course was a Seasonal Berry Parfait. Large blackberries, red raspberries and blueberries were included. The parfait was paired with Bodoz, Cremant Du Jura Brut from Jura, France.

The second course consisted of a house-made Chorizo, a 60 Degree Egg and a few potatoes paired with Argyle Vintage Brut 2011 from Willamette Valley, Oregon. Terry really enjoyed the Chorizo while I thought it was too spicy hot.

The entreé was Quiche du Jour paired with Sephora Brut from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. The quiche was light and the pastry tender.

Dessert was a Cheese Blintz paired with Botani Sparkling Muscat from Malaga, Spain. I really did not need the Cheese Blintz, the floral sparkling muscat by itself would have been the perfect dessert for me.

We had a great time talking with so many people about many things including the sport of curling. When you have time check out the Tasters Guild which has 40 chapters throughout the country.

Happy Holidays!
Kathy and Terry