New Years Wines - Oysters and wine

Here's our menu for New Years eve: Fresh Local Oysters, Gravlax with greens, Lobster stew, Chicken Marbella with orange scented Couscous, and handmade chocolates.

The wine list started with Veuve Clicquot Champagne with the oysters, followed by Chateau Menaut Sauvignon (one of those white Bordeaux I've been raving about), 2004, $13.80, 12.5%.  We then rested for quite a while before moving on to the Chicken Marbella and two Spanish wines, Castillo de Fuendejalon Crianza, 2006, 12.5%, a blend of Grenache (75%) and Tempranillo (25%), my favorite, and Evodia, 2007, 100% Grenache, 14.5%.  These were both excellent, but my favorite was the Crianza - it seemed a bit smoother and more complex.

Our meal lasted over 3 hours, with frequent rests, and was a great time with friends.  The oysters had a story with a happy ending.  My wife had arranged with a local grower to buy 4 dozen oysters from her for thhis meal.  When we called to arrange the pickup, we learned that our reserved oysters had been sold!  After several frantic calls we found a place in Damariscotta.  We stopped by in the early afternoon - the oyster delivery hadn't been made yet.  We wandered and shopped in Damariscotta, and after 45 minutes we got our oysters.  48 fresh, local oysters.  While we were buying them the store sold 20 dozen - obviously we weren't the only ones with this idea in mind!

Because of a snow storm one couple wasn't able to make it to our house, so that meant 4 dozen oysters for 4 people.  They were great!