Issuu

MARCH 2019

EVENT REPORT:

ANNUAL HIGH NOON STAG AT MONARCH PRIME

INSIDE

• A Quick Sketch of Châteauneuf-du-Pape • IWFS Québec Great Weekend Friday 9-28-2018, Day 3: The Citadel, Parliament and Restaurant Initiale • Blast from the Past • Upcoming Omaha Branch Events

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

President's Comments

s you doubtlessly noticed, your Wine & Food Gazette arrived on your computer or mobile device in a new format. Issuu.com is what Omaha Magazine uses for its numerous e-magazine formats. However, I was asked how does one print this out? First you have to create an account (which is free) and set up a password, then you simply download the issue. It is converted into a PDF where you can print it. Our annual high noon stag took place at Monarch Prime this year. Monarch Prime, in the Deco Hotel, has been garnishing attention. It was named the top restaurant in 2018 by the Omaha World Herald. Omaha Magazine also had a story in its January 2019 issue. Its specialty is dry aged beef. This must be done just so: freshest beef, dried at the right temperature and humidity. Monarch serves 30 day and 45 day dried beef cuts. The desiccation serves to concentrate the beefy flavors. Take a moment to read about the stag. Next month, the President’s Event will feature the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This will be a Rhone Rangers IV event, but it will be a couples event for the first time. Robert Parker Jr. wrote a whole book on French Rhône wines. He is probably best known for his ratings on Bordeaux wines, but he confesses in his Rhône book that Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CduP) is his favorite wine. He has more CduP in his cellar than any other wine area. We tend to get into a rut and have mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux, but there is a whole other wine world out there. I always get comments on how good the Rhône varietals are: Grenache, Mouvedre and Syrah. Read more about CduP within. Our series on the Québec Great Weekend continues with this Part 3 installment of a 4 part series. Connie and Gary Martin write about touring the hilltop fort known as the Citadel, the Parliament building, and a very imaginative dinner at Restaurant Initiale. Come see what you missed if you didn’t go, and get a reminder if you did. Every IWFS member should attend one of these international events, be it a Great Weekend or a Festival. They are first class. In case you missed it, Wayne Markus had his photo of Samuel de Champlain, founder of Québec on the cover of the Winter 2019 edition of Wine Food and Friends. Wayne pointed out to me that WFF had misattributed the statue as that of Jacques Cartier. This is his second cover. Wayne seems to have taken on the mantle of King Lee, IWFS member from Kansas City, who was legendary for taking several thousand photos of IWFS festivals. In addition to the photo, Wayne wrote the WFF article on the Québec Great Weekend. Nicely done, Wayne. Cheers!

Tom Murnan Cover Photo: Prime beef cuts being dried aged at Monarch Prime. Photo by Tom Murnan

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“The time to be nice to people is when you don’t have to be.” —F. H. Beaumont From The Best of the Cockle Bur compiled and edited by Harry B Otis, 3rd President 1973-1974

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

Event

Report:

ANNUAL HIGH NOON STAG AT MONARCH PRIME

Written By Stephen HipplePhotos by Tom Murnan & Ron Policky

or the first time in eight years the Omaha Branch moved to a new restaurant for the January 12th High Noon Stag, Monarch Prime & Bar. This one year old restaurant has received excellent reviews. It is known for aged beef that is on display behind glass lockers for customers to view. We started with a blind tasting of six excellent Pinot Noirs. Siduri Gary’s 2014 and A.P. Vin Gary’s 2014 are from California; Brick House Les Dijonais 2015 and Purple Hands Holstein 2015 were from Oregon; and Domaine de Courcel Pommard Fremiers 2009 and Louis Jadot Chambolle Musigny Les Fuées 2009 were from Burgundy France. The wines were tasted in two flights with one wine from each region. Members were asked to identify which wine was from California, Oregon and France. Most confused the

wine from Oregon with the wine from California for the first flight. The majority of attendees picked all three wine correctly in the second flight. A hardy lunch followed the tasting. First course was Winter Salad of Grilled Cabbage, Hazelnut, Maytag Blue Cheese and Dijon. This was paired with a 2016 Hartford Russian River Chardonnay. The buttery, high alcohol, creamy California Chardonnay handled the rich Blue Cheese perfectly. Our next course was Dry Aged Wagyu Bolognese of Whole Wheat Gnocci, Grana Padono, Chive, Fresno Chili. Two wines were served with this course. They were the 2012 Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon and 2012 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines were excellent but the Altamura stood out as outstanding.

The main course was Dry Aged Duet of 30 Day Bison Strip & 45 Day Wagyu Ribeye. Again two wines were served. Château Lascombes 2005 was paired with Château Rauzan Segla 2001. It was a tossup as to which wine was better. Most members preferred the Bison over the more expensive Wagyu Ribeye. Dessert was Honey Cake with Goat Cheese, Local Honey and Apple. Château Giraud Sauternes 2005 paired perfectly with this course. Monarch Prime & Bar is a beautiful deco style restaurant with superior food and exceptional service. Jake Yestingsmeier lived up to his reputation as one of the finest food and Directors of Food & Beverage in Omaha. Members were very pleased to learn of a restaurant they did not know existed.

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

A Quick Sketch of Châteauneuf-du-Pape by Tom Murnan

Location of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in France

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rate” and round out top Burgundy grand and prèmier cru wines in the Côte d’Or in Burgundy. (This practice of increasing the alcohol level and strength of Burgundy wines, known as “vin de médecine”, continued until the start of Pop World War I.) e By John XXII’s time, this area north of Avignon was known as Vin du Pape. After Pope John constructed a large castle on a hill overlooking the Rhône River, the area became known as Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CduP). This was a summer palace, which caught the breezes coming up the Rhône valley. There is also a village just below the castle of the same name. The château survived until 1944, where it was used as an ammunition depot for the German army. They blew the castle up in their retreat just before the war’s end. It is now a ruin, with just two walls and a tower, but the papal palace at Avignon still exists and is a tourist attraction. C

deadlocked conclave of elector cardinals to name the Bishop of Bordeaux as the successor in 1305. Pope Clement V did not wish to leave France, and so in 1309 he moved his court to Avignon. Named the Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy, this split from the traditional home of the Catholic Church in Rome lasted from 1309 to 1376. Seven popes reigned at Avignon, all French, until Gregory XI moved his court back to Rome. The state of viticulture around the city of Pop eJ Avignon was poor, but Clement V was very familiar with raising grapes, having founded Château Pape-Clement in the Graves district, near the city of Bordeaux. He and his successor, John XXII, were Burgundy lovers, and they initiated measures to improve the quality of Grenache just north of Avignon. Grenache could be a high quality grape if properly raised and vinified. At the time, Grenache was used to “ameliooh

ur April 14th President’s Event this year will continue our Rhone Ranger theme with an Evening with Châteauneufdu-Pape. This will be the fourth of the series where we compare French Rhône wines to American grown Rhone varietals. But this time, it is a couples event. The French Rhône wine growing area is divided into northern and southern districts, with the northern growing Syrah, and the southern raising Grenache, Mouvedre and other reds. The most celebrated area of the southern Rhône is Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It has quite an interesting history. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is translated as the new château of the pope. Why would a pope have a castle in France? Isn’t he supposed to be in Rome? French King Philip IV was in conflict with Pope Boniface VIII, who died after the French crown imprisoned and mistreated him. After his successor Benedict XI died, Philip forced the

vèd re

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ies allowed. This was expanded to 13 in 1936. But in 2009, 18 varieties were permitted. These are: Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre, Bourboulenc, Cinsault, Clairette Blanche, Clairette Rosé, Counoise, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Muscardin, Picardan, Piquepoul Blanc, Piquepoul Gris, Picquepoul Noir, Roussane, Terret Noir and Vaccarèse. 2. These had to be grown in a precisely delineated area. 3. Cultivations methods likewise were tightly controlled. 4.The minimum alcohol level was 12.5%. 5. The grapes had to be grown on land that was not too arid, i.e., it had

o i r

New Châ te early 16th au of the popes, century en graving

In the 19th century, there is mention of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape Calcernier, which may have been a lighter style of red than we have today. In the 1870’s, phylloxera hit, a bit earlier than other vineyard areas in France. During World War I, with its appalling loss of life, many vineyards were not even tended. In the 20th century, wine fraud was rampant in the area. In 1923, Baron Leroy of Château Fortia, one of the finest CduP estates, helped initiate the first Appellation Contrôlée rules in France. The major regulations were as follows: 1. Restricted grape varieties. Originally there were 10 grape variet-

Châteauneuf keep before its destruction in 1944

to support growing lavender and thyme. 6. At harvest time, 5% of the crop had to be discarded, regardless of quality. This would encourage producers to eliminate bad fruit. 7. All wines had to be submitted to a panel for approval, and no Rosé was allowed. Fiercely protective of their properties, in 1954 there was a law passed in the village of CduP forbidding flying saucers. This law was still on the books in 2007. The original Rhone Ranger, Randal Graham of California, parodied this in his Bonny Doon Vineyard label Le Cigar Volant, the French term for flying saucer. CduP enjoys a Mediterranean climate, unlike the northern Rhône, which is considered an Alpine climate. It is affected by the mistral, a strong wind originating from the Alps and dropping south on its way to the Mediterranean sea. The mistral can blow as hard as 50 mph, and does so on an average of 125 to 150 days a year. Humidity is low, it is warm and sunny, and the wind takes care of pests and mold. In the north and north-east, the vineyards are covered by galets roulés, glacial deposits from the ice age that range from the size of a fist to that of a football. Galets cover about a third of CduP. The galets store up heat during the day and release it at night, speeding up ripening. Galets also serve as a sun barrier to preserve soil moisture in the summer. Château Beaucastel is covered with a carpet of galets. The IWFS visited Beaucastel on a river cruise in 2016. The vines in these areas are head-pruned (en goblet) to keep the fruit closer to the ground. It also helps keep the vines as less of a target for the merciless mistral winds. In fact, Tablas Creek in Paso Robles, which is half owned by Beaucastel, has a label called En Goblet. In the south, there are very few galets, mostly clay and sand with decomposing granite. Finally, the eastern portion of CduP has mostly sandy soil. Grenache is the most prolifically planted grape in CduP, at 80% of vineyard acreage. Syrah comes in second at 5.6%, Mouvedre third at 3.3%, Cinsault 3.3% and the rest of the red varieties trail in percentages. Winemakers can use all of the permitted varieties, but few do. Beaucastel uses all 13 of the 1936 permitted varieties, but is heavy on Mouvedre at 30%. They also have Grenache at 30% , Syrah at 10% and Counoise at 10%. The other 20% are the remaining 9 varieties. Château Rayas

Vineyard w vines trim ith galets, and med en go blet.

is 100% Grenache. Parker classified three different winemaking philosophies: Traditionalists, who use large oak foudres rather than small oak barrels; Modernists, who favor fruity, easy drinkability in less than two years; and Contrarians, who many times made the best wine. Low yields are critical, and AOC requirements limit yields to 368 gallons per acre, about half that of Bordeaux. Châteauneuf flavors include strawberries, black currents, and raspberries with hints of leather, tobacco, and garrigue (Provencal herbs like sage, lavender and underbrush). It is a full bodied wine and pairs well with beef, pork and lamb, and can handle spicier dishes party due to the inclusion of Syrah. It is perfect for stews, cassoulet (white beans, sausage and smoky bacon) with duck confit. Avoid chicken, shellfish and white fleshed fish. Pungent cheeses like Pont l’Eveque, Affifelice and Epoisse also work well. SOURCES: Wikipedia; Wines of the Rhône Valley Revised and Expanded Edition by Robert M Parker Jr. 1997; https://www.meatandtravel.com/try-chateauneuf-du-papeguide-pairing-food-wine/

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IWFS Québec Great Weekend Friday 9-28-2018, Day 3:

The Citadel, Parliament and Restaurant Initiale Written By Connie and Gary Martin / Photos by Wayne Markus

The Citadelle of Québec On a bright, sunny autumn day, we embarked upon an adventure to the Citadelle of Québec, (also known as La Citadelle), which is an active military installation and the secondary official residence of both Queen Elizabeth and the Governor General of Canada. It is located atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Québec City, Québec. The Citadelle is the oldest military building in Canada, and forms part of the fortifications of Québec City, which is one of only two cities in North America still surrounded by fortifications. The fort is an uneven star shaped citadel and comprises four bastions and three straight curtain walls, all constructed with locally quarried sandstone. Within its walls are 24 buildings constructed mostly of grey cut stone. Of particular note was the Officer’s Barracks, a neo-Norman structure built in 1831 by the British Army, and has been a residence of the Governor General of Canada since 1872. Damage by fire in 1976, the refurbished interiors of the original structure and new additions reflect the colors of winter in Quebec, and use Canadian materials, including granite, walnut, and aluminum. The residence is furnished with pieces from the Crown Collection, mostly in New France style, antique furniture mixed with an extensive contemporary Canadian art collection.

Other buildings of particular interest included:

The Parliament Building /Le Parlementaire Luncheon

Building 15, constructed in 1750, also known as the powder magazine, houses the Museum of the Royal 22e Régiment and Canadian Forces Museum, which collects, preserves, and displays artifacts of Canadian military historical significance, as well as the Museum, which features weapons, uniforms, and other military artifacts of the Royal 22e Régiment. Building 1, the Former Hospital Administration Building, is the principal structure in Mann’s Bastion. It is a two-story, rectangular, symmetrical stone structure with a hipped-roof pierced by two brick chimneys. Building 2, also known as the Men’s Barracks, was formerly the armory and powder magazine. It faces the parade ground near the throat of the Prince of Wales Bastion. It is a long, rectangular, two story masonry building built of smooth limestone with a hipped roof clad in sheet copper. As our time at the Citadelle ended, our adventure continues with a short walk to the Parliament Building.

Designed by Eugène-Étienne Taché, the Parliament Building is a monument to the glory of the women and men who marked the history of Québec and French America. Built between 1877 and 1886 in the architectural style of the Second Empire and inspired by the expansion of the Louvre in Paris, this unique structure was recognized as a Québec national historic monument and UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. The Parliament Building has been home to Québec’s Parliament since 1884. The imposing fountain at the main entrance pays homage to the Amerindians, Québec’s first inhabitants. Here too are a pair of remarkable sculptures by Louis-Philippe Hébert, Fisherman with Spear and A Halt in the Forest. The statues decorating the main facade of the Parliament Building represent men and women who shaped the history of Québec, from the discovery of Canada by Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the birth of Confederation in 1867. Together, these historical figures give meaning to Québec’s motto, “Je me souviens” (I remember), which Taché had engraved over the main entrance. Many species of trees, shrubs and plants representative of the wide variety of flora native to Québec can be observed when walking around the gardens surrounding the Parliament Building. >

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

< Located in the Parliament Building, Le Parlementaire is a magnificent beaux arts dining room that offers a menu worthy of the most refined palates. Host to numerous state dinners and formal receptions, and venue par excellence for Québec products, Le Parlementaire is unique among the city’s gourmet restaurants. In the summertime, Le Parlementaire chefs take pride in preparing their dishes using produce and honey harvested from the Parliament gardens and beehives. The IWFS Luncheon menu offered a seasonal vegetable and northern shrimp salad to start followed by roasted saddle of rabbit stuffed with pork and apple sausage with sweet gale sauce accompanied by rye berries, sautéed cabbage, apples and marinated carrots. A sweet ending to our luncheon were maple doughnut holes, plain yogurt maple jelly cubes and caramel sauce. A local white and red wine was offered with each course. Following the luncheon, an opportunity to continue exploration of the Parliament Building and Gardens was offered.

Evening event at Le Restaurant Initiale

Chef Yvan Lebrun’s motto is “simplicity and precision.” And it seems to work well for this Chef, originally from the fishing village of Cancale in Brittany. Together with his partner Rolande Leclerc, Chef Yvan has created one of the best restaurants in North America, Le Restaurant Initiale. Opened in 1990, Chef Yvan’s love of food and the pure delight of his guests spur him on to combine the very best of French and Québecois culinary tradition. The gifts of the sea and the land, the noble and the rustic all combine to create exploding and harmonious flavors. Here, hearts of palm are made into flour, dandelion honey becomes a smooth ice cream, maple syrup appears regularly and, of course, oysters have a starring role. Hospitality, generosity, dishes created with love are the words that embody the culinary experience offered at Le Restaurant Initiale.

The IWFS event at Le Restaurant Initiale was a suburb, creative experience. Three canapes were offered to begin the evening. A Char from Charlevoix Glazed with Buttermilk, Sorrel, corn and Purple Oxalis; Mackerel Façon Pilchard, cucumber on Brioche and Lobster From Nova Scotia, Coral Crêpe and Fennel paired with Champagne François Boulard Les Murgiers ExtraBrut. The first starter course was a King Crab–Taragone and Apples Jelly, Shellfish Cream and Caviar North Divine paired with a Riesling Grand Cru Pfersigberg 2015. A second starter offered a Bass Fillet–Green Cabbage with mono leeks Verveine Butter and Aneth, Hollandaise paired with a Auxey Duresses 2016 Benjamin Leroux. The third starter course was a Pigeon Breast–Leg Pogo and Dried Butter Cereales, Currents, Cèpes Mushrooms with Garlic Flower paired with a Châteauneuf du Pape 2015 Tardieu Laurent. The main course was a Beef Wellington–Sauce Périgueux, Onion Braised, Artichokes Purée with Seared Foie Gras and paired nicely with a Ségla 2009 Margaux. Dessert offered Peaches From Ontario—Crème Prise Angelica and Breton Sablé ice cream with caramel crème paired with a Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 1997 1st Grand Cru Classé Sauternes. A final offering of Pâté de fruit, Peruvian-maple caramels and chocolate semolina cake capped a splendid culinary experience. It’s extremely difficult bringing this experience alive in only a few words. The flavors of the food and wine presented in such creative ways with wonderful service from all made a truly exceptional culinary experience.

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blast from

the past

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UPCOMING OMAHA BRANCH EVENTS

Mark Your Calendars!

MAR.

STAG

APR.

COUPLES

MAY

STAG

24 14

801 Grille Theme: The Road Less Traveled Producer: John Matthews

Le Bouillon Theme: Rhône Ranger IV: An Evening with Châteauneuf-du-Pape Producer: Tom Murnan

Omaha Field Club Theme: Spanish Wines Producers: Nick Moore & Duke Matz

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

March 2019

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 Omaha, Nebraska Branch - Executive Committee 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 DEN T: Tom Murnan............................................... murnantom@gmail.com V ICE PR ESI DEN T / SECR ETA RY: Mark Stokes.............. mark_stokes@aig.com T R E ASU R ER: Les Zanotti................................................ zanol@cox.net W I N E CELLA R M AST ER: Les Zanotti............................ zanol@cox.net M EM BERSH I P CH A I R M A N: Duke Matz........................ dmatz@darland.com

B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S :

Derek Burdeny

John Matthews

Tad Singer

Lowell Wilhite

Steve Hipple

Duke Matz

Mark Stokes

Mike Wilke

Todd Lemke

Tom Murnan

Dave Thrasher

Les Zanotti

KEEP IN TOUCH! Please notify Club President, Tom Murnan, 402.740.4802 or via email at murnantom@gmail.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 advertisersâ€™ products and is not responsible for damages incurred from the use of such products nor does it guarantee such products.