I thought I was going to get picked up at 2:30 ... turns out
the picker-uppers were expecting a call (but my cell service
doesn't work here) and under the impression I was on the
3:40 Continental. Oops. I eventually used the airport wi-fi
to get a message to another FTer to send to Bob W and got
retrieved; by this time most of the prep had been done, and
all I had to do was slice tomatoes and cheese.

When I arrived we had a hemispherical tasteoff of 1999
reserves. I'd contributed one of the last bottles probably
in existence of Ward's Gateway Shiraz, which I'd got from
Ray Ward back around 2001. This against the Columbia Red
Willow Syrah, which Bob W had no doubt got from Gordy
Rawson back around 2002. The Ward was in its prime, rich
and plummy, with chocolate and nut notes. I think (but I
am prejudiced) that it won over the Red Willow, which had
begun to thin out and go cherry cough syrupy.

Aviator Malbec was proudly served. I found it rather thin
and cherryish, very unlike the Argentinian Malbecs that
I've grown to like, though not bad for that. Some other
Airfield products were served as well. They were okay and
unmemorable.

BV Rutherford Cabernet was decent, a bit stemmy and green,
but perfectly fine for a mass-market wine. But there were
some bargains on offer:

Kirkland Stag's Leap Cabernet was surprisingly complex and
true to type. Eucalyptus, currants, the usual lot, and not
so offensively green as I've encountered in some wines
from this neighborhood.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape from World Market or Whole Foods or
someplace similar starting with W was also extraordinary
for the price ($11 or so).

I found Terrazas Malbec surprisingly both nicer and more
complex than its Susanna Balbo counterpart - I'd had her
Torrontes and was expecting a lot more. The Terrazas
was drier, fruitier, and darker all at once; the Balbo
kind of dull and wimpy.

From the grill -
pork ribs - big, meaty, finished with a sauce I found a
bit sweet

tri-tip - mostly cooked medium-rare to medium, only someone
took one off prematurely, upon which lili, Franny, and I
descended on it like vultures, as rare is too well-done for
us

halibut - nice

king salmon - done a bit more than I like but very fresh and
very good.

I made Greek-style pasta according to jackal's specs, more
or less, adding a lot less cheese than called for because of
my own predilections (but perhaps more onion and garlic) and
prepared slaw according to Bob W's. I kind of liked the way
the pasta turned out and can assure you that Wolfgang and
(George) Bernard Chou and assorted carrots had not given
their lives in vain.

The hard core kept swilling the abundant red wine until 1
or so, whereupon - I might have misunderstood the accommo
situation - I appropriated the spare bed, which other than
having some dog hair was very suitable.

I was, by the way, mildly disappointed not to have met the
distributor of said dog hair.