APRIL 2019
Event Report: Valentine’s Day Dinner at the Flatiron
INSIDE
• Decanting Vintage Port • Blast from the Past • Upcoming Omaha Branch Events
A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
President's Comments t has been several years since we went to the Flatiron Cafe for Valentine’s Day. I for one was glad we returned. One of the best venues in Omaha, the building sports the iconic triangular shape of the original Flatiron building in New York, only much smaller. It was a wonderful break from the wretched snowy weather. The food is always top drawer, as were the wines from the Branch cellar. Best of Omaha has voters naming it the most romantic restaurant in town several times over. Read about the event here. A photograph taken of Nick Moore by your humble editor was anointed the number one spot for the 2018 IWFS Shutterbug Contest by the Americas Inc., zone. Nick was my guest at the IWFS 85th Anniversary contest, and I caught him in a pensive moment while he listened to the voice of André Simon, recorded for his 90th birthday. Following along in the program, Nick was completely absorbed in the moment. Always dapperly dressed, looking very English, I am sure André would approve. Grand Prize Winner: Tom Murnan (Omaha & Council Bluffs) “Hearing the sound of André Simon for the first time and following along with the printed word” Check out the web site for the other winners at https:// www.iwfs.org/americas/news/2018-shutterbug-winners. It will also be in the next Wine Food & Friends. If you have even opened a bottle of Port, you know that this can be a daunting and frustrating proposition. Older bottles may have the pouring end dipped in real sealing wax, providing an extra barrier to extracting the cork. Then you discover that the bottle is so opaque, that you can’t see through it to stop decanting when the sediment comes. And exactly how long does the extracted liquid need to breathe? Read about the easiest method I have come across to open and decant a Vintage Port. Essential stuff, really. Plan now on attending the Rhone Ranger IV event on April 14th at Le Bouillon. The fourth in a series devoted to Rhône varietals, this time it is a couples event. We will focus on Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Robert Parker’s favorite wine. The entire restaurant is ours, and we will be seated on the main dining room. Bring your honey and enjoy the best the Rhône Valley has to offer. Cheers!
Tom Murnan Cover Photo: A single rose given to our lady guests at the Valentine’s Day dinner at the Flatiron Cafe. Photo by Tom Murnan. Thanks to Wayne Markus for the idea.
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“The man who knows little is proud that he knows so much; the man who knows a lot is sorry that he knows so little.” —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: Valentine’s Day Dinner at the Flatiron
Written By Sandy Lemke // Photos by Tom Murnan & Ron Policky
T
he Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society hosted a Valentine Dinner on Sunday, February 10 at the Flatiron Cafe in the historic Flatiron building. The Flatiron Building is located at 1722 St. Mary’s Avenue in downtown Omaha. Designed by architect George Prinz and was originally constructed in 1912 as an office building. In 1914 it was renovated for use as a hotel. Today the building serves as office and commercial space, as well as housing the Flatiron Cafe. The Flatiron Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Drawing upon the original Flatiron Building in New York City, Augustus F. Kountze, a local banker and landowner, had the building erected as commercial and office space in 1912. The building, designed in the Georgian Revival style, is one of Omaha’s most distinctive buildings. It has four stories with a circular tower at the point of the triangle and is highlighted by decorative brickwork.
Event organizers Todd Lemke and Stephen Hipple added several touches to make the evening memorable for everyone. During the quaffing, guests were treated to a barbershop quartet, Home Brewed. Following dinner, the ladies were each presented by a fresh rose by Omaha’s legendary Rose Man, Dean Battiato. The rose presentation by Battiato is reminiscent of Parisian cafés, where rose peddlers travel from table to table. Passed hors d’oeuvres featured Potato Encrusted Sea Scallops; Seared Ahi Tuna; Roasted Peach Crostini with Dutch Girl Creamery Goat Cheese & Pistachio with Balsamic Glaze; and Mushroom Garlic Butter Toast. After everyone was seated at their assigned tables, guests were served a soup course of Lobster Bisque with King Crab and Parsley. The soup was accompanied by a 2015 Sixto Roza Hills Vineyard Chardonnay. A surprising salad course followed with a Barley Salad with Golden Beets, Blueberry, Feta, Beets Greens, Pistachio, Pastry
and Champagne Vinaigrette paired with a 2014 Bethel Heights Aeolian Pinot Noir. Diners had the choice of two main courses: a Grilled Rib Eye of Beef or a Sake Marinated Sea Bass. Most diners opted for the Sea Bass, as this dish is well known as the Flatiron Café’s best entrée. The Beef was paired with a 2015 Daou Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon and the Sea Bass was paired with a 2016 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Spatlese Riesling. Dessert was a Lithuanian Torte, a flaky 8-layer treat with butter creams of vanilla and lemon extracts - the middle layer is laced with a delicate hint of apricot. This torte is made famous by Omaha’s Lithuanian Bakery and is available on QVC or at the bakery. The torte was paired with a 2009 Doisy Vedrines Sauternes. 53 people attended the event, which included 8 guests, according to branch President Tom Murnan.
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A publication of the Omaha Branch of the International Wine and Food Society
Decanting Vintage Port By Tom Murnan
I
recently went to a Port tasting where we had a lineup of Vintage Port (VP) ranging from 1992, 1985 and 1977. The individual bringing the oldest bottle was quite excited about the event and opened his bottle and decanted it two days prior to the event. He should not have done this that far in advance. Port is not Madeira, where you can open and decant it two or three weeks ahead of time. This got me to thinking that others may not know the why and how of decanting VP. First of all, some Ports do not need to be opened and decanted ahead of time. Wood aged Ports such as Tawny and Colheita (vintage dated Tawny) have spent their lifetime in a wooden vessel ranging from barrel to foudre, slowly oxidizing and evaporating through the porous wood staves. They are labeled 10, 20, 30, and 40 year representing the approximate time they have spent in the barrel. I have even tried a 60 year old Tawny which was fabulous. When finally bottled, the sediment is left at the bottom of the container or filtered out. Once in a bottle, wood aged Ports no longer improve or throw much sediment. Bottle aged Ports, like VP, Late Bottled Port (LBV), or the more rare Crusted Port all improve in the bottle and throw sediment as they age. LBV is just a speeded up VP. Instead of being bottled after 2
years, LBVs are bottled in about 5 years, spending more time in the wood than VP. The extra time in the wood has sped up the maturing process. After about 5 to 10 years (depending on what kind of Port you bought), they will need decanting to remove sediment that accumulates in the bottle. There are two reasons to decant a bottle aged Port. One is to remove accumulated sediment. The other is to awaken and open up the wine. Sediment is just dead yeast cells and debris left over from the grape skins and vine stems. It isn’t harmful, but it is annoying to have that grit mucking up your glass. The second reason, to open up and awaken the wine allows it to blossom. The older the wine, the more it has come together in the bottle. It needs less time to flesh out than a young Port. Therefore, you would not open a 40 year old old VP two days ahead of time. It would be more like 3-5 hours. A young 8-15 year old Port would need 8-10 hours. Decanting VP has a few hurdles that regular wine bottles don’t have. They properly should have been stored upright, to keep the high alcohol content from deteriorating the cork. This makes the cork dry and brittle if it has been stored for a long time this way. If stored on its side, the cork on an old bottle can be mush, also a challenge to withdraw. Then a number of Port Lodges dip the bottle
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end into sealing wax which is a holy pain to remove so you can get to the cork. I typically put a baggy over the top and hit the wax with the butt of a table knife. The bag helps keep the wax debris from going all over the table. Port Tongs can be used to avoid the sealing wax. Heat a pair of tongs over a gas stove and position them below the cork and wax. A wet rag or drop of water will cause the glass to break. This takes some practice, however, so don’t do it for the first time with your only 1970 Taylor VP. You will have a jagged sharp edge when you get done. I recommend a Durand corkscrew which is a combination between a Teflon coated helix that holds the cork together, and an Ah So that actually removes the cork. A needle type opener can push an old cork right into the bottle, or a regular corkscrew can tear up a dry cork. The Durand is the best corkscrew I’ve come across for extracting difficult corks. Another hurdle in opening Port is the dark glass. The glass used for many VP bottles are practically black and almost impossible to see how much sediment is in the bottle, even with a strong flashlight. Even if you get a lighter green bottle, they are still pretty dark if you are trying to use a flashlight and stop pouring when the sediment gets in the neck, like a regular bottle.
The “Hersh Method.” 1
This brings me to the easiest method to remove the sediment: The “Hersh Method.” Roy Hersh is the owner of the For The Love Of Port online wine journal and has opened thousands of Port bottles. He simply gathers a few pieces of equipment after the bottle is opened: a clean decanter, food grade cheesecloth, and a funnel. No need for a flashlight with this method. No need to stand the bottle up for a few days to get the sediment to the bottom of the bottle. He just pours the wine slowly into a decanter that has cheesecloth over the opening of a funnel. The cheesecloth filters out any sediment, even fine sediment that would slip through a metal screen mesh, and is discarded when done. You will have to fold the cloth over a number of times to make a good cloth mesh. A coffee filter will work if you have no cheesecloth but takes a bit longer. Be sure you pour slowly enough that the wine isn’t running off, never entering the decanter. If you are going to re-use the bottle, rinse it out with warm water and stand it neck down in a drying rack to drain out the water. If you used Port tongs, you will not want to have a sharp bottle being passed around the table for guests to risk cutting themselves.
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Roy uses the following as a rough guideline for breathing times: 7 years old or less: 10-12 hours 8-15 years old: 8-10 hours 16-25 years old: 6-8 hours 26-35 years old: 4-6 hours 36-45 years old: 3-5 hours 46-60 years old: 2-3 hours 60 years old: 1-3 hours If you have a Taylor or Fonseca, or a massive 100 point VP, you might want to increase the times a bit. If you love Port, consider joining For The Love Of Port. You won’t find many other sources as enthusiastic about Port (or Madeira) as FTLOP. For more information on decanting VP, check out the reference below. Source: www.wineloverspage.com/wlp_ archive/port/decant.phtml
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blast from
the past
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UPCOMING OMAHA BRANCH EVENTS
Mark Your Calendars!
APR.
COUPLES
MAY
STAG
14
09 JUNE
09
Le Bouillon Theme: Rhône Ranger IV: An Evening with Châteauneuf-du-Pape Producer: Tom Murnan
Omaha Field Club Iberia Theme, Grappa and Cigars Producers: Nick Moore & Duke Matz
COUPLES
Au Courant Seasonal produce Producer: 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
April 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 advertisers’ products and is not responsible for damages incurred from the use of such products nor does it guarantee such products.