APRIL 2020
IWFS Douro River Cruise Part 8 - JUne 15, 2019 Return to Porto & Dinner Finale
ALSO INSIDE • Event Report: Le Voltaire French Valentine Dîner • Blast from the Past • Upcoming Omaha Branch Events
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS Coronavirus has completely transformed our society, at least for the short term. Early on in the pandemic, March Madness was cancelled, which reduced the enthusiasm for Joe Goldstein’s first March Madness noon stag at HHC. It turned out to be the last event for awhile. My April 4th Changing of the Guard Presidential couples event was cancelled. It will be resurrected later this year. Hopefully we will be able to put on the May 14th event at Cascio’s Steakhouse. Time will tell. It has been awhile since we have been to Le Voltaire. Todd Lemke selected the venue for our Valentine’s day feast, where Executive Chef and Owner, Cédric S. Fichepain closed the restaurant on a Sunday evening for us. Todd mentioned in his invite that Le Voltaire is a Wine Spectator award-winner, but he modestly omits saying that it is also the First Place Winner for Omaha Magazine’s 2020 Best of Omaha Contest in the French Restaurant category. We were snug as a bug in the smallish establishment, with a sellout for attendees. As always, the cuisine was haut, and I suspect we impressed all our significant others / wives. It would have been impossible to go to any other restaurant and have the same number of courses and wines for the tariff we paid. A nice bargain, when you think about it. Wayne Markus wraps up his narrative on the IWFS Douro River Cruise. Having been up the Douro in 2012, I knew it was going to be spectacular. Portuguese still wines are getting better and better. And of course, their Port is world class. The next biggie will be IWFS visiting Bordeaux. That sounds like a trip of a lifetime, with visits to numerous First Growths. The Festival is also a victim to COVID-19 and is being postponed until 2021. Speaking of Wayne Markus, he had a nice article in the March/April edition of Omaha Magazine’s 60+ section, where they focused on his extensive travel and his hobby of taking photographs. Wayne has been the main photographer on a number of IWFS Festivals and Great Weekends, and has had his photos used on the cover of Wine Food & Friends at least 3 times. We have been running the Tablas Creek story in the February and March Gazette, detailing how Robert Haas and Jean-Pierre Perrin of Château Beaucastel selected the site of the future Tablas Creek after a 20 year search of California land. It was interesting to me to read the April 30, 2020 Wine Spectator article Tablas Creek French Accent story which detailed some of the same story but a month later. The series was run to get you interested in the now cancelled April 4th event where we would compare Tablas Creek’s top wine to Château Beaucastel. This will be the last time I address you as President. My two year term ends in April. I would like to thank my Board Members for their valuable assistance, for without them, the club would grind to a halt. Next month we will welcome Mark Stokes as our new Omaha Branch President. Skoal!
Tom Murnan On the Cover: Porto, Portugal by night. Photo taken by Wayne Markus from the deck of the Uniworld’s river cruise ship Queen Isabel 6/15/2019.
“The best cure for worry, depression, melancholy and brooding is to deliberately go forth and try to lift with one’s sympathy the gloom of somebody else.” —Arnol d Benne t t From The Best of the Cockle Bur compiled and edited by Harry B Otis, 3rd President 1973-1974 April 2020 · Page 3
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
Le Voltaire French Valentine Dîner Photos by Tom Murnan & Ron Policky Story by by Todd Lemke
T
he Omaha branch celebrated Valentine’s weekend at Le Voltaire, a Wine Spectator award-winning restaurant in west Omaha. Event producer Todd Lemke reported a sellout group of 60 registered, including several guests. The evening started out with a lively social hour featuring Champagne (Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Brut Champagne N.V.) and top-rated quaffing red wines from the Omaha cellar. Passed hors d’Oeuvres were Crab-Stuffed Mushroom, Mozzarella-Tomato Grape Skewer, and Zucchini-Wrapped Goat Cheese. After attendees were seated, soup was served, a rich Prawn Bisque with Parmesan Cheese Croutons. This was accompanied by a Chardonnay (Stonestreet Vineyards Chardonnay 2016, Sonoma). Following the soup was a Pheasant Terrine with Dried Fruits, served with a Pinot Noir (Purple Hands Holstein Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015, Willamette Valley). Page 4 · 2020 ·
The main dish featured a Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chop with Potato Gratin, Sautéed Vegetables, English Pea Purée and Blueberry-Cranberry Jam. Wines featured a Cabernet alongside a Bordeaux (Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Napa Valley; Château Fleur Cardinale Grand Cru Classé 2010, St. Émilion, Bordeaux, France). Dessert was a French Chocolate Cake with a Strawberry Crème Anglaise and Berry Marmalade, served with vintage Port (Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port 2009). During dessert, Le Voltaire Chef de Cuisine Wilson Calixte and General Manager and Sommelier Nic Henke greeted the group. Guests were treated to parting gifts of chocolates, boxes from Chocolaterie Stam.
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THE INTERNATIONAL WINE AND & FOOD SOCIETY IWFS AMERICAS, INC. 2019 DOURO RIVER CRUISE PART 8, SATURDAY JUNE 15: Cruising the Douro River; Tour of Porto or Guimarães; Evening Wine Reception & Dinner Onboard with Portuguese Wine Expert Richard Mayson
Story & Photos by Wayne Markus
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
O
ne of the tour choices Saturday was the medieval city Guimarães, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded in the 9th century and is the birthplace of Portugal because it is believed that Portugal’s first King Afonso Henriques was born here. The Castelo de Guimarães is the principal medieval castle in the municipal area of Guimarães in the northern region of Portugal. It was built under the orders of Mumadona Dias in the 10th century to defend the monastery from attacks by Moors and Norsemen. The castle is a military fortification grounded primarily in the late Romanesque period in the second half of the 13th century. For our final banquet on board the Queen Isabel, Richard Mayson presented the dinner wines. We started with two white wines with the Mrs. Tollman’s Millionaire Salad and pumpkin cream soup. Anselmo Mendes Parcela Unica meaning “unique parcel” is an Alvarinho with a little bit of wood aging. We have had Alvarinho in many guises. The other white was the 2017 Niepoort Coche – one of leading whites made in Burgundian style from 110-year-old Rabigato, Viosinho, and Códega do Larinho vines. It is barrel fermented and spends one year on the lees. This wine is seriously age worthy. Vol-au Vent with Mushroom ragout was next. A 2013 Dona Berta Reserva Tinto was made with Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cão, and Touriga Franca grapes in a not so great year. Braised Leg of Lamb followed with Ratatouille, Bread Pudding, Blue Cheese and Mint Sauce. 2015 Quinta do Crasto, Vinha da Ponte made from vines over 100 years old, foot trodden, and aged in new wood. It is so concentrated that you don’t get wood flavors. It is very young. Hugh Johnson praised it stating that it is “half of a good vintage Port.” It will be fantastic in 10 years.
A Variety of Cheeses from the Galley were next, served with condiments. The 2015 Quinta do Crasto, Vinha Maria Teresa is from a most beautiful sloping vineyard. Dessert was Mr. Brett Tollman’s Individual Baked Alaska. This consisted of three kinds of Ice Cream, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate, with Sponge Cake, Meringue and Cherry Jubilee. 2003 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port
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is one of most emblematic Ports in the Douro valley. Richard gives this Port a 20 out of 20 score. The next morning, we said our goodbyes to new and old friends as we went our own ways. We had fond memories of another IWFS event and are looking forward to the next.
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A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
UPCOMING OMAHA BRANCH EVENTS
Mark Your Calendars! APR
04 LL E C N CA
COUPLES - CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
ED
President’s Event: Changing of the Guard, Champions Run, Tablas Creek & Château Beaucastel: Kissing Cousins? Producers: Tom Murnan, John & Shelli Klemke
MAY
14
STAG
JUN
COUPLES
07
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
APRIL 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 PR E SI DENT: Tom Murnan...............................................
V ICE PR E SI DENT / SECR ETA RY: Mark Stokes.............. TR EASU R ER: Les Zanotti................................................
W I N E CELLA R M ASTER: Les Zanotti............................
M EM BERSH I P CH A I R M A N: Duke Matz........................
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.
murnantom@gmail.com mark_stokes@aig.com zanol@cox.net zanol@cox.net dmatz@darland.com
B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S : Derek Burdeny Joe Goldstein Steve Hipple
Todd Lemke
John Matthews Duke Matz
Tom Murnan
Tad Singer
Mark Stokes
Dave Thrasher
Mike Wilke Les Zanotti
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.
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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.