Far Niente Holiday Reception

We like to kick off the December holidays with a party for our wine club members here at Far Niente, and we did just that on December 8. Starting in the Carriage House with 2011 Far Niente Chardonnay, guests then mingled among the classic cars and enjoyed 2000, 2006 and 2009 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon along with an array of cheese and charcuterie and passed hors d’ oeuvres.

Desserts and Dolce polished off the evening in the Great Hall, decked for the holidays. A crackling fire, colorful sweets from our chef and 2007 Dolce made the space cozy indeed. As an extra treat, we served Dolce eggnog—yes, you read that right! Some of you asked for the recipe, which we’ve shared below.

For more images from the event, take a look at our event album on Facebook.

Dolce Eggnog

Ingredients

4 cups milk

5 whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

12 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups Dolce

4 cups light cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and cinnamon in a saucepan. Heat over the lowest setting for 5 minutes. Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil and remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves and allow to cool for about an hour.

Stir in Dolce, cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Yields 12 8-ounce servings