AUGUST 2019
EVENT REPORT: MODERN EUROPEAN CUISINE AND FRENCH WINE AT AU COURANT
ALSO INSIDE • Big Game Hunting in Italy • Blast from the Past • Upcoming Omaha Branch Events
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS nce again, Chef Benjamin Maides, who oversees Au Courant Regional Kitchen in Benson, knocked it out of the park. Au Courant burst on the Omaha culinary scene in November of 2016 and the great food continues. Au courant is French for “currently” and the restaurant has an Eurocentric focus, especially with their wine list. They partner with regional sources to bring the freshest ingredients, be it the farm to table fruits and vegetables, beef cheeks, or Foie Gras. Unfortunately, Alex Olsen, the wine guru who matches the kitchen output to the wine has departed to seek his fortune in New York City. What I enjoy about Au Courant is that the cuisine is true gourmet, with imaginative flavors for a vegetarian or vegan dish, to a meat dish. Read Lowell Wilhite’s event report within. Our mini-series of two ends with a hunting expedition to Italy, and not just Italy, but the wine country. From an article in the Safari Club International magazine, the hunters went to two places. They began lodging at La Centuriona, a 14th century medieval fortress in the Gavi wine district. Then they moved to Rocca de’ Giorgi in Lombardia, the palace of Contessa Ottavia Vistarino and her husband, Prince Guido Vivarelli. Talk about some gorgeous digs! The Contessa is a winemaker and owns Conte Vistarino winery. If you are a hunter, and even if you are not, give this story a read. Our Blast From The Past section features a photo submitted by Les Zanotti. It shows a number of IWFS Omaha Branch past Presidents. I am guessing the photo was taken circa 2000.
Tom Murnan
Cover Photo: A 5-foot-long appetizer board at Au Courant. Photo by Tom Murnan
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When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part.” — George Bernard Shaw 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: Modern European Cuisine & French Wine at Au Courant By Lowell Wilhite / Photos by Ron Policky and Tom Murnan
L
ast June in the Au Courant event report, I asked if you had ever left a dining experience thinking “I can’t wait to do that again.” Well, we did do that again. Many of the 30 in attendance at the June 9 couples event expressed their enjoyment in the return to Au Courant. Chef Benjamin Maides and the Au Courant staff have received top-rated reviews from the Omaha World-Herald food writer Sarah Baker Hansen for their operation at Au Courant Regional Kitchen. The excellence of the food and service at our Au Courant II event reinforced that opinion. Au Courant, an attractive restaurant in Benson, opened on Sunday evening to host our branch event. Members and guests arrived to find at the bar an assortment of excellent white and red quaffing wines and a large wooden plank filled with hors d’oeuvres that were creatively prepared by Chef Maides and his staff. A quaffing wine of particular note was the Patton Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir Rose Petillant Naturel. After quaffing, the members and guests were seated at tables for the dinner menu courses.
Chef Maides gave explanations of each meal course as it was presented and the source of the products. The chef prepares a weekly menu based upon the best available products at the time. The servers added explanations of the wines with each service. The first menu item was an AmuseBouche of fresh Fish Crudo with passion fruit, cucumber, and mint that was presented with a nice pairing of Yves Cuilleron St.-Joseph Lyseras 2016 (WS-91) from Northern Rhone. Next up was an Aperitif course of Foie Gras with strawberry, rhubarb, hibiscus, and brioche. This was a Foie Gras Torchon, which took five days to prepare. Torchon means the liver was wrapped in a dish towel for cooking. This was paired with the Chateau DoisyVedrines Barsac 2009 (WS-94 | RP-93). The Foie Gras and the Sauternes was a match made in heaven. The Pasta Course was a house-made Cappellacci with mushroom, goat cheese and herbs. The pasta course was paired with the Domaine de la Vougeraie Vougeot 2014 Burgundy (WS-94). Following the pasta course, a delicious fresh Turbot fish was served. The Turbot was presented with house bacon, favas, peas and hollandaise sauce. Those
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flavors paired nicely with the Château Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011 wine (WS-94 Top 100 #28 | RP-94). A highlight of the menu was a Duet of Beef Cheek and Beef Tenderloin served with potato and spring vegetables This course was paired with a side-by-side pouring of two Bordeaux wines. The left bank Pauillac Château Duhart-Milon 2005 (WS-93 Top 100 #28 | RP-93) was compared to the right bank St. Émilion Château Fleur Cardinale 2010 (WS-93 | WA-92). The Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Duhart—Milon and the Merlot dominant Fleur Cardinale were both outstanding wines with the beef. Dessert was a classic French Delice de Bourgogne Cheese course and Petit Fours paired with the Château La Tour Blanche 2005 Sauternes (WS-92 | WA-96). Delice de Bourgogne is a classic triple crème cheese originating from Burgundy. This Sauternes seemed even richer than the Doisy-Verdrines we had earlier, plus it had greater age going for it. Delicious. The food creativity and quality were outstanding—a treat for the eyes, the nose, and the palate. The service was attentive and served with perfect timing. Kudos to the Au Courant staff for a wonderful event experience.
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(left & right) Hunting Driven Wild Boar
Big Game Hunting in ItalY L
ast month we explored hunting Blacktail deer at Steinbeck Vineyards just outside Paso Robles, CA. This month we move to Italy. John R. Sundra wrote an article for Safari Club International in the March/April 2019 issue of their magazine. John works with firearms manufacturers. He stumbled on G&G Hunting Services at the SCI convention. G&G is owned by husband and wife team Georgio and Garzilla Papaporti. G&G specializes in hunts in Italy. You can go on driven wild boar hunts, driven wing shooting (pheasant and red leg partridge), duck hunting, point dog hunt walking, roe & fallow deer, and Alpine Chamois.
Sundra booked a $6000.00 3 day hunt in August of 2018 and was planning to bring his own gun from home, but in addition to going to Italy, he was going to spend a few days in Paris. Getting a gun into Italy involves some red tape, but in France, it is almost impossible. He ended up using Georgio’s personal rifle: a Steyr-Mannlicher chambered in .270 Win with a Swarovski 4-12x50 Habicht A scope. John asked a friend to accompany him on the trip, Marc Habbouche, who is an accomplished chef and oenophile. Georgio picked up the friends on August 3rd, 2018 at Milan airport and drove them to La Centuriona, a 14th Century castle, located 1½ miles from the city of Gavi. At the center of the city stands Forte de Gavi, a medieval fortress. Georgio has been overseeing restorations at La Centuriona for 26 years in exchange
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La Centuriona, Gavi Piedmonte
for hunting rights on the 1500 acre estate, much of which is in vineyards. Gavi is in the Piedmont region of Italy, an area known for Barbaresco and Barolo, some of the most powerful red wines of Italy. But Gavi is a white wine appellation where the Cortese di Gavi grape reigns supreme as the only white grape allowed. If the wine comes from the commune of Gavi, it can be labeled Gavi de Gavi. It is a minerally, crisp and dry white that goes with most foods.
(top left) Tentua Conte Vistarino Rocca de Giorgi, the Orangerie; (top right) La Centuriona; (bottom right) Tentua Conte Vistarino Rocca de Giorgi, Villa Fornace
John and Marc were hunting roe deer and wild boar. Unfortunately, Italy was experiencing a heat wave with temperatures at 97 and 98 degrees. With temps that high, the game beds down during the heat of the day. They had to get up before dawn and went to different stands where they spent 4 hours in the morning and three in the evening. John got a male roe deer (they don’t call them bucks there) and Marc took a 100-kilo boar the second morning. For the third day, Georgio took the pair to a different concession 60 miles from Gavi: the Rocca de’ Giorgi in Lombardia. At this concession, hunters stay at the palace of Contessa Ottavia Vistarino and her husband, Prince Guido Vivarelli. Besides boar and roe deer, pheasants and
Rocca de’ Giorgi, Oltrepo Pavese, Lombardia
partridge are plentiful. More than half of the hunters are bird hunters. John shot a boar and Marc a roe deer in the morning. After the hunt, the Contessa, who owns Conte Vistarino winery, and is the wine maker as well, took them on
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a tour of the winery. Eight different red and white wines are made. The Contessa is also an avid hunter, and has gone on safari to Nambia as well as her own properties. She is proficient with both a shotgun and a rifle. G&G’s motto is “Luxury Hunting in Italy” and John was a believer after seeing two of their three hunting venues. Source: Safari Club International March/April 2019
blast from
the past Photo from Les Zanotti
A photo of five past Omaha Branch Presidents. Paul Rosen was probably the first in this photo to pass away. He filled his presidential term from 1996-1998. The photo, then, was probably taken in the early 2000's.
L to R Herman Goldstein 1983-1984; Paul Rosen 1996-1998; Art Bucher; Tom Gallagher 19841985; Les Zanotti 1981-1982; Lee Roberts 1992-1994. Date range indicates Presidential term.
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UPCOMING OMAHA BRANCH EVENTS
Mark Your Calendars! AUG
18
COUPLES
The Doctors Moore Farm Catered by Leo Fascinella of Pasta Amore Producer: Mike Wilke
SEP
STAG
OCT
COUPLES
NOV
STAG
DEC
COUPLES
12 24 03 15
Dolce Chef-Inspired Food with Exquisite Wines Producer: Tad Singer
Gorat’s Steak House “Old School” Steakhouse Theme with Red Wines of the World Producer: Dave Thrasher
Mahogany Prime Steakhouse 7th Annual Burdeny Bordeaux Bash Producer: Derek Burdeny
Happy Hollow Club Holiday Wine Dinner and Dance Producer: 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
August 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
BOA R D O F D I R E C TO 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 advertisers’ products and is not responsible for damages incurred from the use of such products nor does it guarantee such products.