Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe Region Lake Tahoe Region Chapter Report Chapter Report

January in Tahoe/Truckee is not without its challenges. The intrepid Cadre braved the elements for the annual planning brunch. With all the best intentions knowing full well that the uncertainties of weather, competing events, venue availabilities, and other vagaries of life often disrupt the best made plans we did in fact present a schedule of events for our membership to calendar. And once, again, with Chik and Polly with us, we arranged to involve both Chancellery and Tahoe jointly in most of our planning.

Man plans, God laughs.

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SECHSELAUTEN or

The Six O’clock Ringing of the Bells

By Veronica Rollman Kaufman

It is Sunday, March 13. What better way to celebrate Daylight Savings Time! This assumes you do (and why not?!) so you might be interested to know that it coincides with a 16th century Swiss “Ringing of the Bells” tradition that goes back to a Swiss Spring festival when the city’s guild resolved that the working day should end one hour earlier—at six o’clock—during the summer months. Seemed reason enough to us to gather for a Swiss feast at Moody’s Restaurant in Truckee!

Commander Ernie Grossman, Vice Commander and Chargée d’Affaires Stephanie Harris and Master Lady Sudsy Sorbeck with Chef William Burns designed and beautifully provided a delicious Swiss dinner with perfect wine pairings for a group of about 35 happy Lake Tahoe KOV and a few Chancellery chapter members. Per Commander Ernie Grossman’s personal connection with the weather gods, conditions were ideal as well.

The first course was a traditional cheese fondue—to be shared by foursomes— with bread, sliced apples and apricots for scooping. A lovely 2020 Provins Chasselas L’Apage from Switzerland was perfect with this course. Next came individual plates of raclette with the traditional accompaniments of gherkins, pickled onions, roasted small potatoes, accompanied by salad lightly dressed with a French white vinaigrette. 2018 Spatburgunder Dautel Pinot Noir from Germany complemented this course. At this point, most of us expected that dessert would be next. But, no! An absolutely delicious main course of real veal schnitzel and béarnaise was the surprise, served with yummy “rosti”—potatoes and cheese sautéed and presented as spaetzle—plus broccolini. Sudsy paired this course with a perfect match: 2019 Bourgogne Pasetoutgrain (Gamay/ Pinot Noir) from France. By this time, many of us were requesting “to go” boxes to enjoy the leftovers of this beautiful dinner once again. But, what’s a Swiss dinner without a chocolate dessert? Chef Burns prepared the ideal finish: Dark chocolate and hazelnut mousse cake with raspberry coulis. This yummy treat was paired with NV Orchard Cherry liquor from Austria.

Those of us who could still walk, did! And, whatever position you might take regarding Daylight Savings Time, celebrating it was certainly worth it.

L ’ Apres Midi in April

It was a lovely late April afternoon of wine and food pairings with a presentation and discussion led by Master Knight Bill Staehlin of the Lake Tahoe Chapter who is an amateur winemaker and wine tasting competition judge. Bill brought us wines from two extraordinary winemakers; both off the beaten path.

One was from New Clairvaux Vineyard in the North Central Valley close by the I-5 and the second was Acqiesce from Acampo in the Lodi region. A highlight was the offering of a side by side tasting of a 2020 Picpoul Blanc (California) and a 2020 Picpoul de Pinet (Pomer-

ol-high acid). What a treat. Both winemakers offered large discounts for which our members were grateful and took full advantage of buying an enormous quantity as a result. Thank you Gentle Lady Stephanie Bosco and Knight Peter Bosco for hosting our forty participants.

Historic Train Ride

Toward the end of June, we had an adventure, taking a historic train ride to Virginia City by the V & T Railroad. Lunch was at the Bucket of Blood Saloon and catered by our local Chef Ron Allen who drove up to Virginia City, Nevada, with our picnic lunches in advance of our arrival. Travelers brought their own drinks for the ride. Once in Virginia City, our folks enjoyed the western charm at their own pace and soaked up all the sights. For the return home, each traveler was presented with a 375-liter bottle of their choice of Bellini Chianti, Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc, or Alamos Malbec adding to the festivities on the ride back. We had a wonderful afternoon and couldn’t be much happier until we actually arrived at the Station in Carson City and found that Stephanie Harris had a surprise dessert to cap the afternoon. Now, we were indeed, a very happy bunch!