AUGUST 2020
IWFS Great Weekend
IWFS GREAT WEEKEND IN CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA PART 4 FRIDAY 10/18/2019 DINNER
ALSO INSIDE • Event Report: Old School Italian Dinner and Exclusive Hall Wine Dinner • Kathryn Hall and Walt wineries • Blast from the Past • Upcoming Omaha Branch Events
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
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A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
EDITOR’S
CORNER
F
inally, in June we were able to hold an event. But even that came with some scrambling by our Event Producers, Mike Wilke and Joe Goldstein. Originally scheduled for May, the Cascio’s event got cancelled due to COVID-19. But then the June event at Au Courant cancelled as well. Our innovative producers were able to get Alfie Cascio to proceed with the May event in June. But things are slowly getting better. Lowell Wilhite is checking into whether Au Courant will reschedule, and we have almost filled out the calendar for this year.
The best part of the Cascio’s dinner was seeing all our old friends again and catching up on what was new with them. The food was old school Italian steakhouse cuisine. The wines were pretty delicious as well. Take a look at the event report to check it out.
The reason I said the wines were delicious was because we had wines from Hall Wines and their sister winery, Walt Wines. Kathryn and her husband Craig are building up a small wine empire similar to Jackson Family Wines without the big wine portfolio that JFW has. The Kathryn Hall label got a boost from Robert Parker Jr. awarding them 100 points for two different wines. Impressive for wine neophytes.
Wayne Markus takes us back to the IWFS Charleston Great Weekend in Part 4 of the series. It is 10/18/2019 and after a busy day touring an aircraft carrier and visiting Fort Sumter, this issue covers the evening dinner at Hall’s Signature Events center. The featured wine was DAOU, from Paso Robles, California. Perched on the top of a 2,200 foot mountain, the winery was founded by two brothers from Lebanon. Their most impressive wines are Bordeaux blends. Next month we discuss the sit down wine tasting featuring two 100 point wines. I need to know what member got all the wines correct (yes, there was only one) and wrote it on his card. You would surely want your moment of fame promulgated to the Branch members. Cheers!
Tom Murnan On the Cover: DAOU 3 bottle wooden crate for Soul of a Lion, their premier offering. Daou wines were presented at Hall’s Signature Events, Charleston, SC during the IWFS Charleston Great Weekend. Photo by Wayne Markus.
“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not been discovered.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 Council Bluffs Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
E V E N T R E P O RT: Old School Italian Dinner and Exclusive Hall Wine Dinner Story by Tom Murnan // Photos by Tom Murnan & Ron Policky
T
his was our first event after the Corona Virus closed all sit down service for restaurants, which basically was April and May. It was a way too hot day for this early in June: 95 degrees and humid. On the way down to Cascio’s Steakhouse, starting at about 17th and Leavenworth Streets, businesses down to the Old Market had boarded up their windows, fearing the protests and looting that had preceded four days earlier, following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and later the shooting of James Scurlock in Omaha. But we got lucky. Mayor Stothert had lifted the 8:00 p.m. curfew just in time for our event, only to re-impose it for the weekend due to the fear of violence for the Zachary BearHeels demonstration. Our little Thursday night window was just enough to get the event in. It had already been postponed from May due to COVID-19. So far, 2020 has been an extremely challenging year for our Branch event producers. But Mike Wilke and Joe Goldstein had an interesting theme to try an old style Italian steakhouse, with even more interesting wines. Cascio’s has been a fixture on the Omaha steakhouse scene since 1933, and began business in the worst year of the Great Depression. It seems to have survived the Corona Virus recession, although the number of patrons was sparse, but it was now contending with the current pandemic. Restrictions eased on May 4th: restaurants only half full, no sitting at the
bar, tables must be 6 feet apart. And only 6 to a table. No cafeteria type stations. We had 36 attend, of these 7 were guests. Things were done a bit differently for our usual quaffing period. Three appetizers were put with your table setting, each on its own small plate. You had to choose a seat, then grab your cheese and charcuterie plate, your Shrimp Cocktail plate, and bruschetta plate. Food for the evening was definitely old school and could never be accused of being ‘buongustaio’ (haut gourmet). But unlike Ross’ Steakhouse, Mr. C’s, the Original Caniglia’s Italian Steakhouse, Angie’s, Caniglia’s Venice Inn, and others, Cascio’s has survived, so they must be doing something right. Alfie Cascio helped me with the names of the meat and cheeses and other dishes. Spicy Capicola ham, Hard Salami, Provolone, Mild Cheddar and pitted olives composed one plate. The Tomato Bruschetta was a slice of garlic bread topped with chopped tomatoes & onions, then put under the broiler, and sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese when done. Two nice sized shelled shrimp sat on a piece of lettuce with cocktail sauce and a lemon wedge to the side. All were nice but not spectacular. Our quaffers were mostly reds from the Branch cellar, and one Hall Sauvignon Blanc Knights Valley 2018. These were all quite satisfactory indeed. Omaha Branch is known for the quality of their quaffing wines.
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Our hosts, Mike Wilke and Joe Goldstein, explained our wine theme. The wines were selected with the assistance of Chad Nuzum, wine consultant of the Central Region Manager Hall Wines. Kathryn Hall is the premier label, making Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Sister winery Walt Wines makes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rosé. Both properties are owned by Kathryn Hall. The First Course was Cascio’s Insalata with Warm Homemade Garlic Sticks. Iceberg lettuce was sauced with vinegar and oil, and accompanied by a black olive and one peperoncini (pickled) pepper. I always wondered what those little green peppers were called. This was paired with a Walt Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2018. I thought the oil and vinegar was a bit too aggressive for the Chardonnay. A Sauvignon Blanc would have been better able to withstand the vinegar. The warm garlic bread stick, made by Orsi’s Italian Bakery down on 6th and Pacific, was tasty but came out late, after most had already eaten their salad. Second Course was Zuppa Tuscano. Zuppa is Italian for soup, and this was a very tasty soup. The sausage added spiciness. There are different ways to make this. Some recipes are cream based. But ours was composed of a tomato base with carrots, onions, and little round pasta called anchellini. I thought it was one of our best courses. The Walt ‘La Brisa’ Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2017 was our chosen wine. It was a nice match, full bodied, almost thick, complex, earthy and fruity, with smooth tannins. >
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< Our entree was a Bone-in (Shortcut) Strip Steak with Baked Potato and Grilled Asparagus. Alfie told me this was a bone-in New York strip wet aged 28 days. A pretty big slab of meat, mine was nicely grilled on the outside and medium rare inside. It was a bit tough, but had nice beefy flavor. The asparagus was tough and stringy as well, which surprised me since it was pretty thin. Our premier wines were served: Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon from 2014 and 2015. Wilfred Wong anointed the 2015 a perfect 100 points. When tasted alone, I found that wine to be moderately tannic, lush, rich and full with higher acids than the 2014. I felt it was a bit more structured than its older sibling and might last a few years longer. The 2014 had sweet ripe fruit, was lush and full, with ripe tannins. Both were spectacular wines if you go for big, bold cabs. Dessert was supposed to be Cannoli and Spumoni Ice Cream, but the cannoli got dropped. A Michele Chiarlo Novole Moscato d’ Asti accompanied the spumoni. Ice cream is notoriously hard to match with wine, and this match was acceptable but not spectacular. Perhaps because of the dropped cannoil, we were consoled with an unexpected glass of Rémy Martin XO Cognac for our final, unannounced Digestive course. On the Cognac scale, XO (extra old) is pretty high up there. The scale goes VS (very special); VSOP (very special old pale); Napoléon (aged 6 years minimum); XO (aged 10 years); Hors d’âge (beyond age). I thought it was a great way to end the evening. Thanks to our co-hosts Joe Goldstein and Mike Wilke for getting us started, despite a number of hurdles, after a two month hiatus. Thanks as well to Alfie Cascio and his crew for giving us a typical Omaha Italian steak dinner.
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A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
IWFS GREAT WEEKEND IN CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA Part 4
Friday 10/18/2019 dinner STORY & PHOTOS BY WAYNE MARKUS
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A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
O
ur group’s evening dinner was at Hall’s Signature Events in the French Quarter. This is a private dining and event venue for Halls Chophouse. Robyn Guisto is chef. Robyn grew up in North Carolina and worked with the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group before Halls Chophouse earning a sous-chef position. She became executive chef at Old Village Post before taking her current position. Moët & Chandon Extra Brut Grand Vintage Champagne 2012 and passed hors d’oeuvres greeted us as we mingled with other members. The wines of DAOU Vineyards & Winery were featured and discussed by David Muir, Sales Director of Fine Wine at DAOU Vineyards & Winery. DAOU Vineyards & Winery is in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles. As young children, brothers Georges and Daniel Daou were injured in a rocket attack in Beirut, Lebanon during the civil war. Georges was comatose for a period of time and Daniel’s facial nerve was severed leaving that partial facial paralysis. They left Lebanon and grew up with their family in France. They attended the University of California, San Diego, Georges studying mathematics and Daniel became an engineer. They developed software services to the healthcare industry that they ultimately sold. The Daous wrote of their father on their website: “Joseph Daou lived a remarkable life, and through it all he exhibited the strength and courage of a lion. Before he
The second course was red snapper & local shrimp pirlau, Carolina golden rice, country ham, charred corn, and tomato saffron nage with DAOU Chardonnay, “Reserve,” Paso Robles, 2017.
passed away, he visited DAOU Mountain. While overlooking the new vineyard, he listened [to] his sons’ winemaking dream and gave them his blessing. Soul of A Lion is a testament to that moment. It is a wine of power, complexity and imagination, and a fitting tribute to the man and the father.” In 2007, they bought what is now known as DAOU Mountain in Paso Robles, 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean and 2,200 feet above sea level. DAOU Mountain has a microclimate and soil similar to Bordeaux. The property is 212 acres with 120 acres of vineyard. It is planted predominantly with Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietals. The first course was goat cheese custard with golden beets, watercress, grapefruit, orange & pear salad, toasted pecans and citrus dressing. DAOU Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles 2018 was paired with this course.
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The featured main course was dry-aged N e w Yo r k s t r i p , brown butter celery root fondue, fall root vegetables and demiglace. DAOU “Soul of a Lion,” Adelaida District, 2016 and DAOU Cabernet Sauvignon, “Reserve,” Paso Robles, California, 2017. Soul of a Lion, 2016 is a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot Bordeaux blend. The dessert course was strawberries & crème, almond sponge, strawberry mousse, mascarpone mouse, strawberry gelee, and strawberry swirl ice cream with Moët & Chandon Rosé “Nectar Impérial,” a demi-sec Champagne. One of the issues of providing wines from one wine maker for a multicourse meal is that they may not make every wine style such as dessert wine. DAOU does make a fortified Estate Port Style Cabernet Sauvignon. Don’t know why this was not served. None-the-less the Nectar Imperial went very well with this course.
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A publication of the Council Bluffs Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
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A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
Kathryn Hall & Walt wineries BY TOM MURNAN
A
s you were reading in this month’s event report, our featured wines were from the Kathryn Hall and Walt wineries. Craig and Kathryn Hall are the quintessential power couple. Craig is a entrepreneur from Dallas, Texas, running Hall Financial Group. At one time he was a part owner of the Dallas Cowboys. His forte is finding and developing real estate. His wife Kathryn was President Bill Clinton’s ambassador to Austria from 1997 to 2001. The Halls started their new career in wine by purchasing their first property in 1995 in Rutherford, CA, 19 acres of the legendary Sacrashe Vineyard. Unfortunately, a warehouse fire destroyed their first two vintages (1996 and 1997) while the Craigs were in Austria. By the time they got back from Austria, it was 2001. It took four years to rebuild, including using infrared photos to determine where to put the vineyards and a PhD to direct replanting the vineyards. The result was wine that was just OK. But then Craig started buying even better quality properties. In 2003, Craig spotted an old rundown winery that turned out to be the historic 1885 Bergfeld Winery in St. Helena, CA., right off Highway 29. The property had also been turned into the Napa Valley Co-Op. At one time it produced 40% of Napa Valley wine. Originally, Craig bought the winery for Kathryn as more of a hobby than a serious wine business. She just wanted to make 5,000 or 7,000 cases of wine. But raising grapes and selling wine is two different propositions. The Halls admit that they had no idea how little they knew. Purchasing the property for 12 million dollars, he initiated a complete transformation of the property, but preserved the historic buildings. They hired Frank Gehry, modernist architect who has designed such buildings as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain. They brought in the Vienna Choir Boys for the grand opening in 2005. The
winery does only Bordeaux varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bordeaux blends with Merlot, Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. They also raise Cabernet Blanc. Other vineyard purchases were a 185 acre vineyard in Napa Valley, St. Supery’s Hardester Vineyard in Pope Valley added 254 acres in 2004, and another 405 acres in Alexander Valley. A highpoint in the Hall brand was Robert Parker Jr. pronouncing the 2010 Hall Exzellence Red wine and the 2013 Hall Rainin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon perfect 100 pointers. Walt Ranch is a Hall associated winery named after Kathryn’s parents, Dolores and Bob Walt. Kathryn grew up on the family vineyard in Mendocino County, who sold their grapes to others. She went sway to school, but missed the family operation. When she returned, she ran the vineyard operations from 1982 to 1992. The couple purchased Capell Creek Ranch and renamed it Walt Ranch. The Walt focus is on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 2010 they purchased Roesler, a Pinot Noir specialist from Mendocino, Sonoma and the Central Coast. Clos Pepe, Rita’s Crown, both in the Santa Rita Hills, Anderson Valley Hein Family & The Corners, Sonoma’s La Brisa and Shea Vineyard in the Willamette Valley are all sourced for Pinot Noir. Russian River Valley Braughton Vineyard and Sonoma County La Brisa are used for Chardonnay.
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Craig and Kathryn Hall So the Halls have established a small wine empire and a great recognizable name with the Hall brand. The couple wrote a New York Times best seller book in 2015 called A Perfect Score, the Art, Soul and Business of a 21st-Century Winery detailing their rise from amateur wine makers to receiving two 100 point scores from Robert Parker Junior’s Wine Advocate balancing localism and tourism, and Napa Valley politics. Sources: hallwines.com/about-us; winespectator.com/articles/kathryn-hall-vineyards-buys-2300-acre-napa-ranch-2376; forbes.com/sites/jerylbrunner/2016/10/31/ wine-wonder-kathryn-hall-on-taking-chances-and-her-new-bestselling-book-a-perfectscore/#604364c13bc2; dallasnews.com/business/2014/05/24/dallas-power-couple-making-a-name-for-themselves-in-napa-valley/; winespectator.com/articles/new-pinots-froma-gal-named-walt-46531
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
Hall Winery designed by Frank Gehry, St. Helena, CA
Walt tasting room in Sonoma
The St. Helena facility features a restoration of the winery site’s historic Berg feld Building, which dates from 1885. The Founders Cellar features blown-glass lighting by contemporary artist Tristano di Robilant, and the table is a handmade custom tree trunk with glass. August 2020 ¡ Page 19
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
UPCOMING OMAHA BRANCH EVENTS
Mark Your Calendars! AUG.
23 SEP.
17 OCT.
11
NOV.
8
COUPLES
Third Annual Festa Italiana by the Pool Catered by Chef Leo Fascianella of Pasta Amore | Dr. Gary Moore’s Lake House Producer: Mike Wilke
STAG
V. Mertz Producer: Tad Singer
COUPLES
49th Formal Dinner | Champions Run Tablas Creek & Château Beaucastel: Kissing Cousins? Producers: Tom Murnan, John & Shelli Klemke
STAG
801 Chophouse at the Paxton Sit down tasting: Mouton Rothschild vs. California 100 point Cab Producer: Dave Thrasher
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
August 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 E SI DENT: Mark Stokes............................................................... mark_stokes@aig.com
V ICE PR E SI DENT / SECR ETA RY: Dave Thrasher.................... dave@supportworks.com
TR EASU R ER: Les Zanotti................................................................ zanol@cox.net
W I N E CELLA R M ASTER: Duke Matz....................................... dmatz@darland.com M EM BERSH 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 : 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, 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.
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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.