MARCH 2020
IWFS Douro River Cruise Part 7 - JUne 14, 2019 Castelo Rodrigo
ALSO INSIDE • Event Report: 49th Annual High Noon Stag • Tablas Creek 101: Why (and How) We Use So Many Grapes by Robert Haas • Upcoming Omaha Branch Events
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS I always enjoy the January afternoon Stag event. What better thing to do on a cold, snowy day than to enjoy high end wines and superb food? We had a good turnout, with a good lashing of guests. We certainly filled up the Flatiron Cafe. For many guests, this event is their introduction to the International Wine & Food Society. The Last Man Standing tasting was a fun time. Since I was involved in setting out the tasting wines, I was ineligible to participate in the contest. But I did notice one thing: that the wines became very much more distinctive and individual after the tasting was over. At the beginning, they were more monotone, which caused many to miss the differences, say, between the Zinfandel and the Pinot Noir. For example, the Terra di Lavoro from Southern Italy had distinctive earth and shoe leather notes with more breathing in the glass than when the contest started. We continue our two part series on Tablas Creek written by its founder, Robert Haas. This time he explores the Rhone grape varietals that are used on the estate. Reading his article will be a good primer for the upcoming Forty-Ninth Formal dinner, another event that has taken place from the founding of the Branch in 1971. Originally, the all men’s club wanted to say thanks to their wives and sweethearts for abandoning them all year long for wine events, so they had this solitary couple’s event. On April 4th, we will be comparing Château Beaucastel to Tablas Creek. Be sure to pencil this in on your calendar as this is also the President’s Event where the torch will be passed from me to our vice president Ron Stokes. Don’t forget that the photos of an event are on the web site way before the Gazette comes out. Lowell Wilhite is very assiduous in getting them posted soon after the event. From there you can download what you want. You can also download the Gazette from issuu.com should you want to pass it on to someone, or print it. Skoal!
Tom Murnan
On the Cover: Barca d’Alva (Castelo Rodrigo), Pocinho, cruising the Douro River Excursion. Photo by Wayne Markus.
“An acquaintance is a person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to.” —Ambrose Bierce From The Best of the Cockle Bur compiled and edited by Harry B Otis, 3rd President 1973-1974 March 2020 · Page 3
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
49 Annual High Noon Stag th
Photos by Tom Murnan & Ron Policky Story by Stephen Hipple Flatiron Café in the Omaha Old Market was the location for the 49th Annual High Noon Stag. If you show up on time for an Omaha Branch lunch or dinner, you are late. This lunch was no exception with many members arriving a half hour early. After 30 minutes of quaffing, 59 attendees sat down for a formal wine tasting. Four wines were presented at the table. Attendees were not told what wine was in each glass. The four wines were Red Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon or an Italian blend of Aglianico and Piedirosso. Aglianico is considered one of the three great Italian grapes, along with Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. After 15 minutes, attendees were asked to stand and then asked to raise their hand as to which varietal was in each glass. One table got all wines correct. This was probably because Sommelier, David Hayes, was at their table. He is an expert on wines and most likely told everyone the correct answers. It is important to know, Dave was never told in advance what the answers were. Congratulations to David Hayes. We are fortunate to have him as a member of the Omaha Branch. After the tasting, members enjoyed a wonderful dinner. Each course was paired with one and sometimes two wines. Les Zanotti is the Cellar Master for the Omaha Branch and is responsible for purchasing many of the finest wines in the world for our members to enjoy. A big thanks goes to Les for his hard work.
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Everyone one enjoyed the “Last Man Standing” tasting. This was the largest Stag attendance in the past several years. Members reported they liked going to a different restaurant from previous years which may have accounted for an increase in attendance. Where do we go next year? Give me your thoughts please. Event Organizer – Stephen Hipple SEE MENU BELOW:
T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l W i n e & Fo o d S o c i e t y Oma ha Bra nch
49TH ANNUAL HIGH NOON STAG Quaffing
Butternut Squash Crostini, Roasted Sweet Pepper Pastry Portobello Fry, Blue Crab Potato Selected Wines from our Branch Cellar
Last Man Standing Formal Tasting
2010 Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavoro Roccamonfina Italian WS-93 RP-97 2015 Bedrock Old Vine Zinfandel WS Top 100 #12 WS-93 RP-91 2014 Hahn Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir WS Top 100 #67 WS-92 RP-92 2014 Meyer Cabernet Sauvignon WS Top 100 #8 WS-95 RP-93
Carbonara Smoked Pheasant
Duck Egg / Grana Padona / Basil Puree 2017 Samuel Billaud Chablis Premier Cru Sechet Vielles Vignes D-96 RP-94 2017 Hartford Court “Four Hearts Vineyards” Russian River JD-97 RP-96
Roasted Beets Seared Duck Breast
Blue Cheese / Pecans / Micro Sunflower Shoots / Salted Ghee & Parsley Vinaigrette 2014 Cristom Eola-Amity Hills WS-93 WA-91 V-95 2015 Brick House Les Dijonnais OR WS-94 RP-94 V-94 WE-95
Sous Vide Lamb Shank
Parsnips Puree / Roasted Brussel Sprouts / Cranberry Agave Reduction Crispy Parsnip / Rosemary Lamb Jus 2009 Barde Haut WS-93/94 RP-94 ST-93 2007 Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape WS-93 RP-93
Euro Chocolate Cake
1997 Grahams Vintage Port WS-94 RP-93 Event Chairman: Stephen Hipple President: Tom Murnan
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TABLAS CREEK 101: WHY (AND HOW) WE USE SO MANY GRAPES Story by Robert Haas [Next month, for the 49th Formal Event (Presidents changing of the guard) we will be comparing Château Beaucastel to Tablas Creek. Tablas Creek (TC) is a joint venture between American importer Robert Haas and the Perrin family of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CduP). In the CudP appellation, it is legal to use 13 grape varietals. It has expanded to 18 now, but Beaucastel is one of the few CduP wineries using the old limit of 13 in their grand vin. Vineyards were planted in 1997, but wine was first made in 1989, making the winery 30 years old now. TC today makes 29 different wines: 13 reds, 13 whites, 2 rosés, and one sweet wine from 13 grape varietals. Robert Haas died in 2018. This article was posted on 8-8-2011. Editor] Last night a long-time friend and wine lover asked why we planted and utilized so many different varieties of Rhône grapes in our Tablas Creek wines and what their individual contributions are to our six different blends, or assemblages as they are known in France. Well, there are multiple reasons that there are multiple grapes. First, and probably foremost, since we were confident of California’s ability to produce fine Rhône style wines, and we were partnering with the Perrins, we selected the varieties they favored: the traditional grapes of Châteuneuf-du-Pape and the Rhône Valley. The appellation of Châteauneuf–du-Pape permits thirteen different varieties: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, Counoise, Roussanne, Picpoul Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picardin, Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, and Muscardin. The Beaucastel poster below shows all thirteen, all of which they use though the last four only in trace quantities. If you count Grenache noir and blanc — both very much planted— the number actually comes to fourteen.
Another viticultural plus is that with different ripening cycles we enjoy a longer harvest. Our harvest is typically spread across 10 weeks, from early September to early November, which allows us to make more efficient use of our cellar and our winemaking team. Of course, we won’t enjoy this benefit this year: the frosted vines that re-sprouted will be delayed in ripening and everything will be coming in late and together. We will be heap plenty scrambling this October. Probably most important in our choices, however, is the different roles that the different varieties play in the makeup of our Rhône style blends. Just as different ingredients in a dish can complement or highlight specific flavors, so can the diverse flavors of different varieties create a blended wine that is more than the sum of its parts. The Rhone blending tradition developed over thousands of years because blending these varieties consistently produces more complex, more elegant and more intriguing wines than any of the varieties vinified alone.
Red Grapes
Red wines are the most associated with Rhône varieties so let’s start with our red assemblages. First, a review of the characteristics that each of the four principal red Rhone grapes brings to a blend:
We decided to import the bud wood from France of nine varieties we thought would best perform in our chalky clay soils and our hot-in-the-day, cold-in-the-night climate: Mourvèdre, Grenache (Noir), Syrah, Counoise, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, and two traditional Côtes du Rhone white varieties that are not allowed in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation: Viognier and Marsanne. There is tradition but there is also practicality. A second reason for the different varieties is the viticultural usefulness of varieties that bud and mature in different calendar periods. This spring [2011], for example, we suffered extreme frosts on two consecutive early April mornings. The early budders Viognier, Grenache Noir and Blanc, Marsanne sustained near 100% damage while the later-budding Roussanne, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Picpoul and Syrah were not yet out and were relatively undamaged. Page 18 · 2020 ·
• Mourvèdre is our most planted grape, dark purple-black in color, providing structure, backbone, and aging potential. It tastes of ripe plum and strawberry fruit, with animal flavors of red meat and mushrooms when young, and leather and truffles as it ages. • Grenache provides lush fruit and bright acidity. It tastes of currant, cherry, and raisin, with aromatic spice of black pepper, menthol, and licorice, and is a brilliant ruby red color. • Syrah gives a deep blueblack color and provides aromatics, firm structure and ageability to blends, with characteristic aromas of smoke, bacon fat, and mineral, flavors of blackberry and black raspberry fruit, firm back-palate tannins.
• Counoise is a medium purple-red color, with brambly flavors of blueberry and raspberry fruit, spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, and bright acidity that enlivens a blend. These four grapes combine in each of our three red Rhone blends to make very different wines. The Esprit de Beaucastel is our flagship blend of the best lots in our cellar, and based on the structure, firm, ripe tannins, red fruit, full body and the ageability of Mourvèdre. Syrah firms up the back palate and brings savory spice, dark color and minerality, while Grenache contributes ripe dark chocolate and cherry flavors and lush fruit. A touch of Counoise unifies and brightens the blend with its brambly spice. Our Côtes de Tablas celebrates the lush fruitiness, dark chocolate, chalky tannins and licorice of Grenache. Syrah balances Grenache’s lushness with minerality and pepper spice, while Mourvèdre’s structure and plum flavor should come out with age. Counoise, at its highest percentage in any of our wines, gives raspberry brightness and opens the wine for near- to midterm consumption. Our Patelin de Tablas is a blend focused on Syrah’s dark color, peppery spice and minerality. We add a significant percentage of Grenache for its generous red fruit and roundness of flavor, some Mourvèdre for backbone and ageability, and just a touch of Counoise for brightness and spiciness.
• Roussanne is our most planted white grape variety. It has rose petal, white tea and honeysuckle aromatics, a deep golden color, and flavors of honey and ripe pear. It provides excellent aging potential with a rich glycerin mouth feel and moderate acidity. • Grenache Blanc has firm acidity, green apple and citrus flavors, and white flower aromatics. It is the 4th most widely planted white grape in France, and its crisp acids complement many of the lower-acid white Rhône varietals. • Marsanne tastes of melon and minerals, and has a golden straw color. It is a flexible and adaptable grape found throughout the Rhone valley. Its quiet elegance provides a valuable counterpoint to more exuberant varieties like Viognier and Roussanne. • Viognier is highly aromatic, with aromas of peach, apricot, and violets. It typically is quite lush with flavors of stone fruits and low to moderate acidity and is usually best consumed young. • Picpoul produces wines noteworthy for their bright acidity, minerality, and clean lemony flavor. In California it adds a tropical lushness reminiscent of Piña Colada that is delicious on its own but also makes for an excellent blending component.
White Grapes
Although the Rhone Valley, like Paso Robles, is better known for reds than whites, there are nearly a dozen white grapes traditional there, and we’ve imported five of them. These have thrived in Paso Robles— so much so that from our original plan to plant 20% whites we’ve increased our white plantings to roughly 35% of our production. Let’s again review the characteristics of each of the five:
As with the reds, these grapes combine to make three very different white wines. Our Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc is the flagship of our white wine fleet, modeled consciously after Beaucastel’s renowned white. Roussanne provides the core richness, minerality, and flavors of honey and spice, while Grenache Blanc adds green apple and anise flavors, lush mouth feel and bright acids. Picpoul Blanc completes
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the blend, bringing out a saline minerality present in Roussanne but latent without Picpoul’s characteristic acidity. The Côtes de Tablas Blanc showcases the lushness of Viognier, but with Viognier’s tendency toward softness and heaviness mitigated by its blending partners. Grenache Blanc provides crisp acids while Roussanne adds structure and Marsanne minerality. As the wine ages, a transformation occurs as what was once an overtly floral, fruity wine — clearly marked by Viognier — becomes more mineral as Marsanne takes the lead.
Our Patelin de Tablas Blanc focuses on the crisp acids and minerality of Grenache Blanc. We add Viognier for lush, tropical fruit, and Roussanne and Marsanne for structure and complexity, but the balance is intentionally different from the Côtes Blanc. We’ve chosen brighter Grenache Blanc lots for the Patelin Blanc, so that it is the lemon and mineral side of the grape that shows at the fore, with its richness and Viognier’s lush fruit playing secondary roles. So, the utilization of these multiple Rhône varieties in different proportions and from different cellar lots allows us to create a broad palette of six wines that fit different occasions and different foods, ranging in the whites from the crisp bright acidity of the Patelin Blanc through the power of the Côtes Blanc to the full-bodied elegance and ageability of the Esprit Blanc. The reds go from the firm, spicy character of the Patelin through the powerful and luscious Côtes to the structured, full-bodied richness and elegance (and ageability) of the Esprit. Source: https://tablascreek.typepad.com/ tablas/tablas-creek-101/
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine andand Food Society A publication of the Council Bluffs Branch of the International Wine Food Society
THE INTERNATIONAL WINE AND & FOOD SOCIETY IWFS AMERICAS, INC. 2019 DOURO RIVER CRUISE PART 7 JUNE 14, 2019:
CAST ELO RODR IGO Story & Photos by Wayne Markus
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W
e had a choice of tours. One was in four-wheel drives to an archeological park that is considered the most important open-air Paleolithic engravings of the world. Most went to the Castelo Rodrigo on the Spanish border. The Castelo is next to the medieval village of Fiqueira da Castelo Rodrigo that dates back to the 6th century. The Castelo was built in the 11th century and has been occupied by Muslims, Christians, and Jews. At one period the Spanish ruled and told the locals to convert or expel the Jews. The locals asked the Jews to change their names and not expose their religion in case the Spaniards came. The Castelo was cold and windy, but has wonderful view. The history was very interesting as was the very small Igreja do Reclamador Church with paintings and statuary. We sampled multiple flavored almonds and local wines and local drinks including Ginjinha (ginja) a liqueur made from combining aguardente (distilled spirit) and ginja berries (sour Morello cherries). On the way back to the Queen Isabel we heard the story of a Stork named Juana that broke her wing and was adopted by the town. Returning to the ship for dinner, the aperitif before dinner was 2018 Caves São Joao Rose Bruto sparkling wine made of Baga and Touriga Nacional grapes. Felicity Jones was awarded the Americas Silver Medal for exceptional service to the IWFS. My observation over several events over several years is that she is truly deserving of this award. She appeared to be unaware of the impending honor and told me that she was totally surprised. Congratulations Felicity! Our dinner speaker was Luis Seabra. In contrast to the other wine speakers Luis is a small winemaker. He was with Niepoort making Port until 2013 then began making his own wines. He said the big Port houses start by buying the wine already made then age them. He feels there is a big lack of knowledge of the different soils and terroirs because the blend is always the most important thing. His main goal is to show the different vineyards from different places and terroir. His blends often include grapes from very similar terroirs. He tends to use spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and winemaking techniques to show the terroir.
2018 Luis Seabra Xisto Ilimitado Branco Douro is a blend of Rabigato, Codega, Gouveio, and Viosinho (white) grapes. Starters were Tuna fish rolls, with Captain’s Salad of fresh garden greens, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and Mrs. Tollman’s favorite dressing as the next course. 2017 Luis Seabra Granito Cru Alvarinho Vinho Verde accompanied the salad. The Vinho Verde grapes were grown on granite soil. Fermentation used the spontaneous fermentation technique utilizing indigenous yeasts. A Portuguese fish soup was next, accompanied by 2017 Luis Seabra Xisto Cru Branco Douro. This is a single soil field blend of the same grapes as the other Xisto Ilimitado Branco 2018, which was poured with the appetizer. With the next two courses, we switched to red wines. The two red wines underwent 100% whole cluster fermentation. Seabra drinks a volume so likes less alcohol with elegance and less tannins. With the first red, we had a Mushroom and Lasagna with Hollandaise Sauce. With the lasagna, a 2017 Luis Seabra Xisto Ilimitado Tinto was served. This is a “Village” wine from several vineyards. It is 40% foot trodden and 60% stays in the vats for 25 days, so the tannins are softer and rounder. Mushroom and spinach lasagna with Hollandaise sauce and low roasted beef tenderloin, sauce Financière, baby vegetables, and domino potatoes comprised our Main Course. Sauce Financière is made with demi-glace, chicken stock, truffle essence, Madeira (or Sauternes), and garnished with truffles or mushrooms. 2016 Luis Seabra Cru Tinto – from 200-year-old vineyards, had greater than one-month skin contact, spent 2 years in used barrels, and contained at least 20 different varietals, some not identified. Our Ice Mango Cheesecake dessert was accompanied by a 2015 Noble & Murat Vintage Port. This a new producer, and this is their first vintage Port. It was a little young. It is 100% foot trodden. Our trip is almost over. Next time we will cover our voyage downriver back to Porto. Source: https://tablascreek.typepad.com/ tablas/tablas-creek-101/
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UPCOMING OMAHA BRANCH EVENTS
Mark Your Calendars! MAR
14
NOON STAG
March Madness Venue: The Cry Room at Happy Hollow Club Producer: Joe Goldstein
APR
COUPLES
MAY
STAG
JUN
COUPLES
04 14 07
President’s Event: Changing of the Guard, Champions Run, Tablas Creek & Château Beaucastel: Kissing Cousins? Producers: Tom Murnan, John & Shelli Klemke
Casio’s Steakhouse 1620 S. 10th St, Omaha Producers: Joe Goldstein and Mike Wilke
Venue: Au Courant III New European Seasonal Producers: Lowell Wilhite
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
March 2020
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 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
Todd Lemke
Tad Singer
Mike Wilke
Joe Goldstein
John Matthews
Mark Stokes
Les Zanotti
Steve Hipple
Duke Matz
Dave Thrasher
Tom Murnan
Lowell Wilhite
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 advertisers’ products and is not responsible for damages incurred from the use of such products nor does it guarantee such products.