IWFS Wine & Food Gazette Febuary 2022

FEBRUARY 2022

Event Report: A MIDWEST HOLIDAY WINE DINNER DREAM

ALSO INSIDE • Winery Profile: Adelaida Vineyards & Winery Two New Board Members | Blast from the Past | Upcoming Omaha Branch Events

A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society

CORNER

EDITOR’S I

t only took a year, but we finally had our Midwest Holiday Wine Dinner Dream. Recall that last year’s December holiday dinner was cancelled due to COVID19. Well, we had the same team as last year: Executive Chef Brenden Brown, event organizer Duke Matz, and Ed “Smoove Grooves” Archibald with his In The Moment Band. So, the 2021 version was the same menu as the cancelled 2020 event. And a very fine dinner it was, too. It was a dream dinner as advertised, with choice wines going to some very creative cuisine, live music and dancing to boot. Read about it in the Event Report section of this issue.

In our series on the Paso Robles AVA, today we focus on Adelaida Vineyards and Winery.

Recently, the wineries in this area are classified under a sub-appellation, the Adelaida District.

Not far from Tablas Creek, Halter Ranch and Daou Vineyards, Adelaida has a colorful history.

Originally known as Hoffman Mountain Ranch (HMR), Dr. Stanley Hoffman established the first vineyard in the Paso Robles area with all French varietals: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The terroir and wine making was good from the start, and they won a number of accolades for their bottles. Later, the HMR winery was bought out by Adelaida. Take a peek at the story of one of California’s iconic wineries.

Your Board has added two new members to help replace the members that retired. Hasan Hyder and Dan Thrasher have agreed to help any way that they can. Primarily, they will each put on an event this year. This brings the Board up to ten members.

Some members have had trouble reading the Gazette on issuu.com, Or, they don’t want to sign in, which means you can’t even read the Gazette at all. They prefer a PDF since all you have to do is click it open. We have decided to offer it in both formats. In your email, a PDF will be sent along with the issuu.com link. The advantage of issuu.com is that you can see both right and left pages, like a paper magazine. Our PDF only lets you view one page at a time.

Salut!

Tom Murnan Cover Photo: Happy Hollow Club in festive Christmas attire. Photo by Ron Policky.

“A key chain is a gadget that allows us to lose several keys at the same time.”

F ro m T he Best of t he Cockle Bur comp il ed a nd edi t ed by H a rry B Ot is, 3rd P residen t 1973-1974

Page 2 · 2021 ·

Page 4 · 2022 ·

A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society

Event Report:

A Midwest Holiday Wine Dinner Dream Story by by Duke Matz // Photos by Tom Murnan & Ron Policky

T

he Omaha Branch Holiday Wine Dinner is always a special affair with formal attire, exceptional cuisine matched with superb wines, and musical entertainment. This year’s event was a return to normality after being canceled in 2020 due to Covid concerns. Happy Hollow Club has now hosted the Holiday event eleven times over the past twelve years. Fifty-six members, spouses, and guests were treated to an exquisite five-course menu prepared by Happy Hollow’s executive chef, Brenden Brown, who resurrected this year’s menu from the canceled 2020 event. A large corps of kitchen assistants and service staff aided Chef Brenden in preparing the evening.

To begin the night, attendees were presented with a glass of Gonet-Medeville Brut Tradition Premier Cru NV (RP92) and then served a selection of quaffing wines from the Omaha Branch cellar. All the while enjoying Buttermilk Biscuits with Pancetta and Fried Quail Egg, Yukon Potato Bellinis with Caviar and Crème Fraîche, and Citrus Cured Smoked Trout Chantilly.

After quaffing, the group was served the first course of Corn Bread Stuffed Bobwhite Quail, Dried Fruits, Braised Greens and Huckleberry Gastrique. Paired with a Sonoma-Loeb Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley 2015 (WS93, JS93), it set the tone for what was to be a truly elegant Midwest dinner.

The second course was named “Iowa Cheesecake” and was hands down the most interesting course on the menu. This savory offering consisted of Milton Creamery Aged White Cheddar, Granola Crust, Petite Greens, Maple Pepper Bacon, Apple Silk, Pickled Red Onions, Golden Raisins and Apple Cider Vinaigrette. We paired this with a Sinegal Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (WS93, RP91) which proved an excellent complement with just enough sweetness.

The third course was a Chowder with Fried Walleye, Smoked Walleye, Celery, Potatoes in a rich Veloute. The chowder was paired with a Ramey Chardonnay 2018 also from the Russian River Valley (RP93, JD93,WE95).

The Chardonnay was slightly Burgundian in nature which proved to cut the thickened veloute.

February 2022 · Page 5

The last entrée course consisted of a Sous Vide Bison Tenderloin and Braised Short Rib served with “Pot Roast” Vegetables, Roasted Garlic Pomme Puree and Bison Marrow Bordelaise. The course was paired with contrasting Cabernet Sauvignon based wines; the Château Beychevelle from St-Julien 2009 (WS92, RP93, JS94, WE93) and the Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 from Napa Valley. Both were exceptional choices for the bison options and accompanying flavors.

The dessert course was a Strawberry Rhubarb Consommé with Mascarpone Panna Cotta. The dessert was served with a rich Doisy Daëne Barsac Sauternes 2009 (WS93 / RP97) to conclude a wondrous meal.

Page 6 · 2022 ·

February 2022 · Page 7

Page 8 · 2022 ·

February 2022 · Page 9

Page 10 · 2022 ·

February 2022 · Page 11

Page 12 · 2022 ·

February 2022 · Page 13

Page 14 · 2022 ·

February 2022 · Page 15

Page 16 · 2022 ·

February 2022 · Page 17

Page 18 · 2022 ·

February 2022 · Page 19

Page 20 · 2022 ·

February 2022 · Page 21

A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society

WINERY PROFILE: ADELAIDA VINEYARDS & WINERY Story & Photos by Tom Murnan

A

delaida Vineyards and Winery started out with a different name and owner. Located just a short distance from Daou Vineyards, it is in the mountainous area west of the city of Paso Robles, CA. The land was purchased

by Dr. Stanley Hoffman, a Beverly Hills cardiologist, in 1964, when vineyards were established in the Paso Robles AVA for the first Pinot Noir vines, as well as among the first Cabernet Sauvignon, and in 1973, Chardonnay. He called his establishment HMR Vineyards. HMR stands for Hoff-

Dr. Stanley and Terrie Hoffman

man Mountain Ranch. At the time, the other Paso growers were planting Zinfandel. They thought Hoffman crazy to want to plant French varietals. He took a trip to France and went to the legendary Romanée Conti estate in Burgundy. He noticed they had the same soil as he did in Paso Robles.

This helped him to decide to go with French varietals. The area, the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountain range, was chosen because the terroir was similar to the best wine growing areas in Bordeaux and Burgundy: similar climate as well as chalk and lime Page 22 · 2022 ·

André Tchelistcheff was hired as a consultant for HMR Vineyards in 1973

rich soil terroir. His two sons, Michael and David, ran the vineyards. Then, when the vineyards were producing good fruit, he built a winery in 1973. The Hoffmans left the Los Angeles area and moved to Paso Robles. Dr. Stanley hired the renown André Tchelistcheff as a consultant. Tchelistcheff had come to the United States in 1938 from France, where he was consulting, and agreed to help Beaulieu Vineyards develop a high quality Cabernet Sauvignon.

He later advised Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, who helped Warren Winiarski to win the

A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society

most points in The 1976 Judgment of Paris for their 1973 SLV Cabernet Sauvignon. Through his guidance, David and Michael Hoffman were able to win a gold medal in the 1975 International Wine Competition in London. He called HMR Vineyards “a jewel of ecological elements” and thought the best whites and red “Burgundies” would come from this area.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Johannisberg Riesling, Franken Riesling (Sylvanner), Chenin Blanc and Grenache Rosé were all made at the time. Tchelistcheff said: “Love, devotion, and self-sacrifice are very rare in this day but they are needed to make great wines and the Hoffman boys have these qualities”. In a 1979 Paris wine competition, the 1975 Hoffman Mountain Ranch Pinot noir placed third in the world in a comparative tasting of 330 wines from 33 countries.

Enter Adelaida. In 1970, the Van Steenwyk family purchased the Hilltop Ranch along Adelaida Road as an investment. The steep property was mostly walnut trees. It wasn’t long until they also purchased the nearby Viking Ranch and added more walnut orchards. In 1981, John Munch began Adelaida Cellars where he would purchase fruit from other vineyard owners. Adelaida Cellars was named after an 1877 mountain settlement west of the Paso Robles area. In 1991, Munch entered an agreement with the Van Steenwyks to establish a winery. They planted Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the Viking Ranch property. The vines were densely packed with a south facing orientation to get the most from the sun. In 1994, the Van Steenwyks bought most of Hoffman Mountain Ranch, including the vineyards, while Daou Vineyards purchased the aging cellar building and surrounding land.

In 1999, the Van Steenwyks bought out Munch to become the sole owner of Adelaida Cellars, combining it with the vineyards of the old Hoffman Mountain Ranch and the Viking Vineyard. They also added Bobcat Crossing Estate Vineyard in 2002, with its Portuguese varietals, from which they make a Port styled wine as well as a Muscat ice wine. In 2002, Anna’s Estate Vineyard (18 acres) was added and planted with Syrah. It is named after Elizabeth Van Steenwyk’s grandmother, Anna. Michael’s Vineyard (also 18 acres) was purchased next. Michael’s is a dry farmed, head trained Heritage clone Zinfandel, which come from the oldest Zinfandel plots in Paso Robles: the Martinelli and Will-Pete areas.

Their most famous vineyard is the historic HMR Vineyard planted in 1964 by Dr. Hoffman to Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. >

André Tchelistcheff and Dr. Stanley Hoffman on the cover of Wines and Vines in 1978

In December 2014, Adelaida Cellars celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the HMR (Hoffman Mountain Ranch) Pinot Noir Vineyard that was planted in 1964 by Dr. Stanley Hoffman.

Family and guests pose in front of the new HMR Vineyard signage. Back row, from left are Debbie Lorenz, Brett Van Steenwyk and Liam Duggan. Front row, from left are Terrie Hoffman, Stanley Hoffman, Elizabeth Van Steenwyk. Dr. Hoffman died on May 24, 2017 at the age of 95.

February 2022 · Page 23

A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society

< This vineyard is well suited to Pinot Noir as it remains 10° to 15° cooler than the other vineyards, benefitting Pinot, which likes cooler temperatures. The Pinot Noir is grown on its own roots and has low yields, about one ton per acre.

As with all wineries in the Adelaida District, the soil benefits from a bench of limestone from prehistoric times. The soils are well drained deposits of calcar-

eous shale and sandstone, about 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean, which cools the vineyards down at night.

Summertime temperatures can drop up to 50° at night from the heat of the day, giving the vines a chance to rest.

It also enjoys the cooling southern breezes the Templeton Gap provides.

A gap in the mountain range allows for this vine-refreshing breeze. All the vineyards are high altitude situated, from 1,500 feet to 2,320 feet, which is higher than Daou Mountain’s 2,200 feet. Adelaida Vineyards and winery is considered a Rhone Ranger producer. Besides the Rhone varietals of Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, Roussanne, and Viognier, they produce Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir. The last is the oldest Pinot Noir vineyard in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Page 24 · 2022 ·

Jeremy Weintraub is the winemaker. He joined Adelaida in 2012 and has had multiple 95+ scores from the likes of The Wine Spectator, The Wine Advocate and Antonio Galloni.

Modern facilities make this an attractive stop. Adelaida is equipped with a commercial kitchen for larger events, and an outside patio for tastings during COVID. If you ever tour the Paso Robles wineries, this is one stop you should make.

Sources: https://www.adelaida.com/ about/history; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Tchelistcheff; https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Adelaida_Cellars; https://www. adelaida.com/about/vineyards/hmr; https://pasoroblesdailynews.com/ beverly-hills-cardiologist-helped-putpaso-wines-map/64946/;

A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society

TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS The Board would like you to meet our two newest Board Members. They have agreed to a life of unceasing toil for our Branch where they get paid...nothing! LOL. Just kidding.

HASAN HYDER

DAN THRASHER

Hasan Hyder has been at Union Pacific for 20 years and currently leads the International Intermodal group. Also, he and his wife, Michelle, are owners of Omaha Wine Company. Hasan joined the Omaha branch almost 3 years ago as a way to connect with other wine and food lovers. Hasan didn’t grow up with wine but after he and Michelle took a five week trip to Europe in 2002, he came back with a literal thirst to learn and explore more. He has an equal love for both old and new world wines.

Dan Thrasher is the CEO of Thrasher Group.

I asked Dan how he got interested in wine. Here is his reply, in his own words. “I never really liked wine until I was at a dinner around 2008 and someone ordered a bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet. They insisted that I try it and I realized that there was more to wine than what I knew. I started trying different things and figuring out what I liked. Then a few years later my brother started going to IWFS events and eventually invited me to a few events. I was a little nervous to go to events because I didn’t know if I would be sophisticated enough for a bunch of wine drinkers, but I found out really quickly that it is just a good group of people that love wine. I joined around 2017. Now I try to make a trip to Napa once per year to stock my cellar. I look forward to helping serve on the board and help bring great wine events to our members.”

February 2022 · Page 25

A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society

Photos from Mike Dunn & Roger Peterson

Page 26 · 2022 ·

A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society

UPCOMING OMAHA BRANCH EVENTS Mark Your Calendars!

FEB

BARREL & VINE Valentine’s Day Theme Combined CB and Omaha Branches Producers: Todd Lemke & Mike Wilke

MAR

HAPPY HOLLOW CLUB March Madness Noon Stag Producer: Joe Goldstein

APR

BIAGGI’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO President’s Event Producer: Mark Stokes

MAY TBD

DATE & VENUE TBD Producer: Dan Thrasher

JUNE TBD

DATE & VENUE TBD Producer: Tom Murnan

10 12

23

HOSTING AN EVENT? Let us know when, where and a little bit about what’s going on! We would love to include YOUR event on the calendar! Email details to: murnantom@gmail.com

A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society

February 2022 Purpose: To meet communication and service needs, to broaden participation and understand and to be an information exchange for the membership of The International Wine & Food Society in the Americas.

Publisher: Todd Lemke Editor: Tom Murnan Graphic Designer: Omaha Magazine, LTD.

THE INTERNATIONAL WINE & FOOD SOCIETY OF LONDON, ENGLAND OM A H A, NEBR A SK A BR A NCH - E X ECU T I V E COM MIT TEE This Quick Response Code (QR-Code) can be scanned with a scanner app on your smart phone to take the reader directly to the Omaha Branch web site.

PR ESI DENT: Mark Stokes............................................................... mark_stokes@aig.com V ICE PR ESI DENT / SECR ETA RY: Dave Thrasher.................... dave@supportworks.com TR EASU R ER: Duke Matz................................................................ dmatz@darland.com W I N E CELLA R M ASTER: Duke Matz....................................... dmatz@darland.com M EM BER SH I P CH A I R M A N: Joe Goldstein.............................. goldie2@cox.net

B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S : Joe Goldstein Hasan Hyder

John Matthews Duke Matz Tom Murnan

Tad Singer Mark Stokes Dan Thrasher

Dave Thrasher Mike Wilke

KEEP IN TOUCH! Please notify Club President, Mark Stokes, 402-679-7317 or via email at mark_stokes@aig.com to let him know if you are interested in hosting an IWFS event.

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE MEMBERS WILL BE POSTED ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Like us on FACEBOOK (IWFSOmaha): facebook.com/IWFSOmaha and follow us on TWITTER (IWFSOmaha): twitter.com/IWFSOmaha All versions of Wine & Food Gazette are published monthly by Omaha Magazine, LTD, P.O. Box 461208, Omaha, NE 68046-1208. Telephone: (402) 884-2000. No whole or part of the contents herein may be reproduced without prior written permission of Omaha Magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. Unsolicited manuscripts are accepted however no responsibility will be assumed for such solicitations. The opinions expressed in this publication, except as specifically stated to the contrary, are solely the opinion of the author and do no necessarily represent the views of the Board of Governors of the Americas. The International Wine & Food Society, LTD., the publisher and any officer, director, member or agent thereof. The international Wine & Food Society does not endorse advertisers’ products and is not responsible for damages incurred from the use of such products nor does it guarantee such products.