The Omaha Metro
FEBRUARY 2024
Event Report: IWFS Holiday Party- A Traditional Country Club Celebration IWFS Chicago Festival Burgundy Master Class Upcoming Events.
What’s New
The Omaha Metro Branch combined forces with the Omaha Branch for our Holiday Party at Happy Hollow Club. 94 members and guests attended, a great turnout. John Fascianella (son of Leo) provided entertainment by singing a wide range of songs solo, ending up with Frank Sinatra. Attendees decided on what Holiday Attire meant, so there was a range attire from tuxes down to shirt sleeve only for the guys. Which is to say, a very relaxed atmosphere. We returned to the basics with the cuisine, plating traditional country club fare. After a 45 minute quaffing session with wines from both Branches, and Smoked Salmon Cones, St. Andre Apricot Tarts, and Crispy Braided Short Rib Croquet, we sat down to our assigned tables. The big news was that Patti Hipple was awarded the André Simon Bronze medal. This was a long time in coming, and so richly deserved as Patti had been working tirelessly for the Council Bluffs and Metro Branches for 17 years, serving terms as Vice President and President, but also as Wine Chairman for the entire time. This involved ordering wine, cellaring it in the basement of her home until recently, and managing the ins and outs of inventory. Thank You, Patti, for all your work on our behalf. Dinner started with a Classic Thunderbird Salad with its famous dressing, with two wines to compare: an Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2022 and a Dog Point Vineyard Chardonnay Marlborough 2020. The salad was a bit soggy but tasty, the Sauvignon Blanc grassy, and the Chardonnay a bit wimpy for the salad. The Astrolabe was the best pairing. Lobster Bisque was next, warm, rich, slightly sweet with the cream base. In an unusual move, two Pinot Noirs were served. Unfortunately, I felt that this was not a match made in heaven as the reds were dry and earthy, while the soup was sweet and of the sea. They did not quite mesh, although on their own, everything tasted great. Our entrée was Koji Rubbed Filet of Beef, Cast Iron Roasted Creamer Potatoes, Spice Glazed Carrots, Golden Beets & Asparagus with Chestnut Mushroom Sauce. This was delicious. Both the Inglenook Rubicon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2012 and the Château Sansonnet Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion Bordeaux were stellar. Sansonnet went through a steep decline in the 1960s and lost its Grand Cru Classé status. But in 2009, new owners took over and restored the vineyard and rebuilt the demolished château back to its Grand Cru Classé status in three years! It is a bargain still because of its past travails, plus the word of its great quality hasn’t gotten out much. Dessert, a Caramelia Mousse Bomb, Strawberry Compote on a Sponge Cake, was much sweeter than the accompanying Guiraud Sauternes 2009, breaking the usual prohibition that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert. It was extremely rich. Thanks to organizers Rhonda & Mike Wilke, and Hill & Joe Goldstein for a very nice event.
“The older I get, the better I used to be.” - Lee Trevino
IWFS Chicago Festival A French Wine Experience September 6-9, 2023 Vosne-Romanée Master Class conducted by Allen Meadows Part 4 of 4 Written by Tom Murnan, Photos by Tom Murnan Our Allen Meadows (AM) Master Class focused only on the year 2015 in Burgundy’s Vosne-Romanee (VM) AOC and concludes with this issue. Steve Hipple asked AM how the Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley compare to Burgundy reds. They are the same latitude and similar in temperature and soil types. AM says he doesn’t think Willamette follows Burgundy too closely. When he talks to the Willamette winemakers, the two areas are different. If you want to create a reputation for original, unique wines, don’t imitate another region. It’s a tough question to answer. What Burgundy has that the New World doesn’t is 1000 plus years of getting it wrong. For example, growing grapes in a certain way might work in one place but not in another appellation. In order to get phenolic ripeness in the New World, you get sugar maturity before phenolic maturity. So if you get 15% alcohol just to get phenolic ripeness AM feels you are planting in the wrong area. It is trial and error that took Burgundy so long. In the Willamette Valley, it’s your “Grand Cru” reds that will let you know if you planted in the right place, used the right clones. Willamette doesn’t have the long trial and error period to weed out the bad vineyards. It’s too early to anoint Grand Cru vineyards. You need time. AM’s advice: create your own unique identity in Willamette. Allen wrote a wonderful book, now out of print, named The Pearl of the Côte. You can get it on Amazon or E Bay.
2024 UPCOMING OMAHA METRO EVENTS FEB
25 21 14 MAR
APR
MARDI GRAS THEME
Joint event with the Omaha & Omaha Metro Branches Block 16 Event Producers: Hyders and Wilkes
RED WINE COLOR BLIND TASTING
Omaha Field Club Event Producers: Amanda Harrington & John Matthews
LE VOLTAIRE
TBD Event Produces: Patti & Steve Hipple
Use that link below to view the photos of the Holiday Event at Happy Hollow Club on December 10, 2023. Maybe you will find a great photo you can use elsewhere, or for the 2024 Holiday season. https://www.iwfs.org/americas/omaha-metro/the-gazette-photos
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: iwfs.councilbluffs@yahoo.com