So it's the beginning of a new season of a group of gentlemen that have been dining and drinking together, many of them for decades.... They have been gracious enough to allow me into the fraternity, which was far more nerve racking than it was in college, and last night's event starts the new season. It was an evening of wine from Scholium with Abe Schoener (the winemaker) in attendance held at Michael Mina's XIV.

For the wines, I can say little more than fantastic. I was introduced to Scholium wines a couple of years ago by a friend, and am very glad that he did. I have bought a number of his wines for both drinking and cellaring, and have enjoyed them all. Abe does some really great things with a grape and takes risks and chances that many don't, often to spectacular results. Here is what we drank with the meal....

• 2001 Richard Grant Pinot Noir Wrotham Pinot Reserve The Wrotham Pinot Vineyard
• 2005 Scholium Project La Severità di Bruto Farina
• 2006 Scholium Project La Severità di Bruto Farina
• 2006 Scholium Project Dulcissima Camilla Farina
• 2005 Scholium Project Nereides Guman Vineyard
• 2007 Scholium Project Chardonnay Choephoroi
• 2005 Scholium Project Iseult Hudson Vineyard
• 2004 Scholium Project Babylon Tenbrink Vineyards
• 2007 Scholium Project Iseult Hudson Vineyard

While nothing is ever perfect (a couple of the wines were poured "backwards" and I got a bit lost as to what was what and got re-poured) the wine service was really nice and they did a great job juggling what was a gazillion glasses. We started with the champagne which was very unique. It comes from some clippings of Pinot Noir from England that was brought to Napa and then moved into the whites that went with the first three courses. We then had the next two wines with the halibut and the salmon, and finished the meal off with the reds.... The Babylon Tenbrink is a BIG wine, one of the biggest you'll drink.

As for the food, you can click through to see the entire menu, it was good. It's hard to cook for a group of 30, so a couple of the things came out luke warm, but the taste was always there. A couple of outstanding winners: the sweet corn soup, Kobe shortrib and the explorateur. When it came to these dishes, they are some of the best of their kind that I've had. Truly outstanding examples.

In the end it was a great evening and I really enjoyed myself and the company, and I hope that the others enjoyed themselves as well. There will be about 9 more events throughout the season and I'll try to post about 'em as we go. I will be co-chairing an event in January, with a Spanish theme.... :-)