My godson is a sommelier and a major foodie, I am texting him.

Thank you !!!

What a wonderful and gift-- I hope you don't let it stress you out too much as part of the gift is enjoying it with the wonderful meal you will prepare to accompany the spectacular wine! I think it all sounds wonderful.. let us know how the rutabaga recipe turns out if you try it! (And take photos!)

OK heard back from him. Only think he didnt agree totally love was the beets. He suggested a truffle butter for the elk steaks. His preference was the wild rice w/pinons over the cheesy rutabaga. He wants the wine to really shine.

Thank you so much, Localeater! And thank your grandson, too. I’ve needed that morale boost! Ok, beets are out. And, BTW, we never ever spend, or would spend, that kind of money on a bottle of wine! Our buys are much more “normal” for wine lovers.

Funky, I’ll try to take pics. Now I just need to FIND a rutabaga!

What a wonderful gift! Do not be intimidated about drinking it. Let me share with you some pairings from a wine tasting we attended last weekend, with-hold onto your hat-10 bottles of wine worth between $1,800 and 2k per bottle. Our friend has a wine seller with probably a couple of million dollars worth of wine, I kid you not.

This was a vertical tasting, meaning same vintage but 10 different years. We had a cheese course with 7 types of cheese and 2 breads, sliced up. Then we had a salad course (which we made ). The main course was short ribs of beef, served on polenta Williams Sonoma Short Ribs The last course was from the British Baking Show, a lemon layer cake, served with a dessert one. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/spiced_whole_orange_cake_42761

Here's a picture of the table at the start of the tasting:

I agree with localeater's Godson, . "His preference was the wild rice w/pinons over the cheesy rutabaga."

Rutabaga is too strong for the wine, IMO.

Try a Cumberland sauce with the elk. It gets very well with just about any game. It's so good, I could just eat it with a spoon!

What does elk taste like?

What a wonderful gift!

https://honest-food.net/venison-cumberland-sauce-recipe/

At what time should I show???? I feel so ordinary not knowing (and never expecting to know) what $2k wine tastes like. Hope you have a very special event

People with serious wine cellars buy their wine in anticipation of a great year, paying much less than today's calculated "value". My friend paid less than $200/bottle back when he bought his wines. Just saying that very few people pay face value. It's all about having patience and a climate controlled cellar (and the knowledge to know when/what to buy and how to cellar it-no small feat!)

Lastly, when the wines are at their best, they must be gifted or enjoyed! That is the best part if you are on the receiving end.

I was going to say the same thing about the wild rice over the rutabaga. Keep the side dishes simple and the salad as well, as the elk and the wine will be the stars. I would serve a rustic bread and a simple flavor dessert, maybe something vanilla like creme brûlée or a simple chocolate dessert like molten lava or flourless chocolate cake served with raspberries.

I agree with the above in that you don't want everything rich. This wine is what I call a hummer so rest up and enjoy!

Ohhhh, thank you all for your ideas and opinions! Ok, I’ll save the Cheesy Rutabaga for another dinner soon, then. I’ll go with the Wild Rice with Pinons instead.

Linelle, elk tenderloin tastes like a richer beef tenderloin. I’m not into gamey meats, but I do like elk (and alligator tail).

BossyVossy: we like good wine, but I’ve never had wine quite like this before either!

Anglophilia and Sherry, thanks for the recommendation for the Cumberland Sauce! I really think it will be perfect with the elk!

Bonnie_ann, oh my gosh, that must have been fantastic! That pic alone is! Following your dinner, I’ll start with a small amount of the truffle cheese and something. Pear or grapes, as we usually don’t eat bread. Then a salad, but not using the beets. Next course: Elk tenderloin with Cumberland sauce, a side dish of the Wild Rice with Pinons and perhaps roasted asparagus. Dessert needs to be something richly chocolate along with coffee. I’d make my Winter Spiced Molten Lava Cakes with Rum-Ginger Ice Cream, but that’s what I’m making for our Christmas Day dinner party.

I will tell my DH, Lynn & he will be drooling over that generous wife gift!!! He has taken many wine classes at the CIA in St. Helena along with a friend & has a love of good wine. Wish he could enjoy it with you because I don't drink & therefore don't have the wine appreciation he does....sad, huh?? Last year we went to a very lovely well known restaurant where we live & our friends had brought a very special bottle of wine he had....very $$, I guess. They opened it for him, brought it back to the table for him to inspect because they realized it had gone bad to which he concurred. He was so disappointed because it was a special birthday dinner for the guys & he was so looking forward to sharing it. Anyway, enjoy your evening! And the wine!!

Lynn, that is going to be a wonderful dinner! You've pleased my mental taste buds by eliminating the rutabaga dish and beets. Not only would I give [insert something precious] to experience the wine, but elk is one of my favorite game meats. A friend is a retired wilderness guide who introduced me to well-prepared elk years ago. Photos, please!

bonnie_ann, that tasting is my dream!

Am I understanding that this dinner is for you and hubby and not for the gifter?

Yes, just for my DH and myself, K9arlene.

How lovely that you’re doing something special for just the two of you.

Congratulations! It just sounds amazing!

How fun. I am sure you will also set a lovely table and dress up too! I am not an oenophile one bit but it sounds lovely all around!

Asparagus is notorious for pairing poorly with wine. Everything else sounds good.

If you need a chocolate dessert, this is an easy, excellent pudding.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/double-chocolate-pudding-1579

I add Grand Marnier and serve it in ramekins with unsweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Then i call it "pot de creme au chocolat", even though it is not, but it is too nice to call it pudding.

I am sure it will be fabulous. I just wanted to add that we ate at Geronimo when we were in Santa Fe in October-what a fantastic meal. My husband had the elk and I had the mushroom tasting menu with the wine pairings. I almost missed that step when you leave the restaurant-lots of wine for this lightweight!

Lynn,

Our salad was served after the tasting to clear our palates. It was served with a chardonnay wine. Here's the recipe:

Salad to pair w/ Chardonnay

Basil Vinaigrette

• 10 basil leaves
• 1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Champagne vinegar
• Pinch salt
• Couple cranks black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamon

In blender or food processor, blend leaves & vinegar. Drizzle in evoo while blending. Add seasoning, mix, and refrigerate.

Salad

• Triple Creme Brie - a wheel or large wedge
• 3 Granny Smith Apples
• Sourdough Boule (I like Nashoba Valley from Concord)
• Field Greens

Cut double creme into small wedges while cold. Warm to room temp before service.

Core and cut apples into thin wedges. Store in ice water until plating. Blot before service.

Cut Sourdough into large, thin, crust-less triangles. Lightly toast until barely brown. Brush with evoo and sprinkle with coarse salt while warm.

Toss field greens in dressing and plate. Add 2 pieces of cheese. Fan out 3 pieces of apple. Lay one toast triangle across top.

That is so exciting! What an amazing gift! You and your DH are going to have so much fun cooking and enjoying your wonderful meal with that incredible wine.

Let us know how it all goes.

Just a quick check in. We’ll be making the elk tonight to go with the special wine, but I did make the Rutabaga recipe that I mentioned here earlier. Made it last night to serve with our grilled salmon. The blog I follow ( where I found it) is called North Wild Kitchen. It was tasty enough, but a lot of work. Rutabaga to me tastes like a cross between a parsnip and a potato. Earthy but kind of bland. The blue cheese and ale are definitely needed to ramp up the sauce it’s baked in. And the vinegar (I used balsamic) is definitely needed for the spinach topping. I don’t know if I’ll make it again, but DH and enjoyed making it together.