Last night we finally wrapped up our Xmas shopping despite starting a long, long time ago. It felt good to knock out that last present, and so to celebrate we decided to catch dinner on the way home from Kobe. I had the bright idea to try the food at D Wine Bar, since we only ever have a glass or two of wine and maybe some cheese when we are there. Kuniko agreed, and so off we went.
Wine bars in Japan are a lot like sushi bars, in that the main attraction doesn’t have a posted price. That can be a little intimidating, but there are some good points. I had three different glasses of wine, and he opened three different bottles to serve us. That meant that he would need to sell the remaining wine to other customers later that night – which may or may not be tough on a Tuesday night in Sannomiya.
He also knows that I like American wine, so he always keeps some in his cellar to serve me when I drop by, while he sells mostly French and Italian wines to other customers. Last night he opened a 2002 Pillar Rock Cabernet Sauvignon that was very nice. We also had an Italian Barbera (not so great) and a French Pinot Noir from Burgundy that was a little better than average. It is nice to have him open these bottles in front of you, and to explore some more rare wines in Japan.
The food turned out to be pretty good as well. We had a mixed plate of appetizers, a fettucini with gorgonzola sauce, and roast duck with pan fried foie gras. Very delicious, and he matched the foods with the wines nicely.
So that was how we found ourself walking home late Tuesday night with our bellies full and the excitement of the upcoming holiday in the air. Today Kuniko has a light day at work, and tomorrow she has the day off. I’ve got a normal work week, but in the evenings we’ll have to find the time to pack, finish off our New Year’s cards, and to clean the house before we leave it empty for 10 days.
