Article writen by Andrew Curtis, CCM, CMP, with contribution and wine notes by Hugh Williamson-Noble, tastings by Wesson S. Anderson, and hosted by Alan K. Dutton, CCm, general manager of the Yale Club of New York
Why
would a wine committee member representing the Club Managers of the City
of New York (CMCNY) and the CMAA International Wine Society go to London?The Penn Club's Director of Operations Wesson Anderson made a trip to the Sloane Club in London to taste the English Wines currently being served at this club in preparation for the CMCNY event being held at the Yale Club of New York.
The trip allowed us to formulate both the wines and the menu selection for the first ever English Wine Dinner. We thank Wesson for taking time out from his personal vacation to visit the Sloane Club to accommodate our needs.
The Attendees
We were joined by many members and guests of the Wine Society, including four Past Presidents of the CMAA and our own Chapter President, Ms Rita Evans. The event was started with a toast to the flags of both the United States and Great Britain with thanks and with gratitude for the safe return of our armed forces in the Middle East. The evening was, coincidentally, a prelude dinner to the Private Club Advisors City Club Symposium being held for the first time in New York City, attended by city club managers nationwide.
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From the Domesday Book 1086 (a Medieval Sourcebook), vines and wines are a matter of record in England. The country's infatuation, even today, with wine from Aquitaine (Bordeaux) and Burgundy, both former possessions of England, has had much to do with the fortunes of winemaking at home. During the Tudor period, there were some 139 active vineyards owned by the Crown (11), the nobility (67) and the church (52). The dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII started a gradual decline over several centuries until the Second World War, after which Ray Barrington Brock and Edward Hyams played a significant role in developing the industry of today. The year 1955 saw the flowering of Guy Salisbury-Jones' vineyard at Hambledon, the village in Hampshire famed as the cradle of cricket, and the first commercial sale of wine since the First World War.
By the 1980s, 400 vineyards were in production in England and Wales and this wine was readily available in luxury hotels, restaurants, wine bars and clubs across the country.
With some 31/2 to 4 million bottles from some 140 wineries, England and Wales will never be large producers of wine because of their climate and latitude but they are able to produce wine of great quality and interest. The two most popular vines in use are Mueller-Thurgau and Seyval Blanc, for their early ripening and disease resistant qualities. Other vine stock comes from German crosses: Reichensteiner, Bacchus, Schoenburger, Kerner and Huxelrebe. A small quantity of Pinot Noir is produced.
Since 1995, three vineyards with well-established reputations have grouped together — Carr Taylor, Lamberhurst and Tenterden — and are now marketed as New Wave Wines under the stewardship of Frazer Thompson, a proven marketer in the beverage field. We reproduce on page three the winery's tasting notes prepared by Owen Elias, its winemaker.
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 1.
Chapel Down NV BrutGrape Varieties: Reichensteiner 55 percent, Rivaner (Muller Thurgau) 30 percent and Pinot Noir 15 percent. Alcohol: 12 percent vol. Winemakers Note: Like all sparkling wines, the NV Brut is made in the traditional style. The grapes are all whole bunch pressed with a cuvee of between 450-500 l/tonne being used for the base wine. Reichensteiner is a high sugar neutral grape variety, Rivaner gives a little spice and the Pinot Noir adds structure and complexity. The wine spends between 12-18 months on its lees and has two-three months on its cork before being released. The wine has a pale lemon yellow color. The nose is slightly floral with some citrus. The mousse is fine and sustained in the mouth and glass. The bright acidity is balanced by 10 g/liter of dosage. The wine is well-structured with citrus, hawthorn and yeasty flavors with a hint of blackcurrant leaves.  2.
Curious Grape Flint Dry, 2001Grape Varieties: Reichensteiner, Rivaner (Muller Thurgau), Schonburger, Bacchus and Seyval Blanc and others. Alcohol: 10.5 percent vol. Winemakers Note: Hawthorns, apple, dough and orange blossom notes in a smooth, well balanced and structured white wine. Numerous varieties are blended and then fermented together. This is followed by extended lees contact and Batonnage. This "sur lie" method adds body, flavour and complexity to this blend. Similar in style to a Good Muscadet, perfect with pasta, seafood and white meats. 3. Curious Grape Rondo Reserve Offered was a freshly bottled Rondo, which was too young for consumption.  4.
Curious Grape English Pinot Noir, 1999Grape Varieties: Pinot Noir Alcohol: 12 percent vol. Winemakers Note: Pinot Noir is perhaps the most vintage dependant of our wines. The year 1999 was an excellent one with high sugars and good color extraction. The wine was fermented at 28-30ºC and macerated for 10 days, being pumped over up to four times a day. It has undergone 100 percent malolactic and was aged for up to one year in a variety of slightly older French and American barrels, so as not to over oak. Classic, Pinot Noir nose with hints of strawberry, raspberry and leather on the palate. Surprise the Burgundian bores and fool your friends. 5. Curious Grape Nectar, 2002 A light refreshing dessert wine. Incredibly soft on the palate with ripe fruit, wild flower and honey aftertaste.
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 Peter Tunley, CCM; Warren Arseneaux, CCM; Andy Curtis, CCM; Hugh Juackson; Alan Dutton, CCM; Bill Schulz, MCM; and John Jordan, MCM, enjoy English spirits |
Was champagne invented in England? A curious fact of history is that RidgeView's Cuveé Merret is named after Christopher Merret, who described how to make bottle-fermented sparkling wines in a paper given to the Royal Society in 1662, thirty years before the French claimed that Dom Pérignon "invented" the system
Chapel Down Sparkling Recent Awards
Sparkling wines are becoming more and more popular with the English wine drinker and the Chapel Down sparkling wines are receiving many awards for their consistently high quality. These awards include the 2002 South East Wine of the Year Trophy for the Chapel Down Brut Rosé and a gold medal at the UK Vineyards Association Wine of the Year Awards 2002 for the Chapel Down Brut Reserve Magnum
Contact Information
Steve Celico U.S. representative for New Wave wines scelico33@msn.com
| English
Wine Dinner Charles F. Kehrli, CEC Executive Chef, The Yale Club of New York |
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|
Appetizer |
Wine | Salad | Wine |
Lobster
and Cod Cakes with
Spicy Tartar Sauce Red Cabbage Slaw with Mâche Lettuce and Celery Root Hay |
Curious Grape Flint Dry, 2001 | Red
and Golden Beets
with
Arugula Salad Noir, 1999 Walnut Vinaigrette with Goat
Cheese Fritter |
Curious Grape English Pinot |
| Entrée | Dessert | ||
Mustard
and Cumin Loin of Lamb
with Fresh Mint Sauce Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes, Gaufrette Potato Garnish, Haricots Vert and Baby Carrots |
Curious Grape Rondo Reserve | Yale
Club Sherry Trifle
|
Curious Grape Nectar, 2002 |
| Cheese | |||
Farmhouse
Aged
Cheshire
Stilton |
Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port, 1977 | ||
Web Sites
www.english-wine.com for general information on English wine
www.newwavewines.com for detail on the winery
Further Reading
A Tradition of English Wine Hugh Barty-King Pelham Books 1977
A Taste of English Wine Hugh Barty-King Oxford Illustrated Press 1989
The Vineyards of England Stephen Skelton SP&L Skelton 1984
The New York City Chapter will be hosting its next wine dinner at the Union Club in the fall with James Sichel, the owner of the fantastic Bordeaux estate of Chateau Palmer. We invite all Wine Society members and CMAA members at large to attend. Details will follow via e-mail.
Letter
From the Host - By
Kirk Reese, CCM
The
CMAA International Wine Society Board met at
New York's Penn Club this spring for our annual planning session. Items
discussed were current programming and its suitability for our membership,
National Conference events and future programming. Much ground was covered.
The 2004 World Conference in Anaheim promises to be a terrific one for IWS members. In addition to our annual business meetings, Pre-Conference Workshops and Formal Dinner, the IWS will be making progress with additional at-Conference education and the second IWS Wine Social. The IWS Wine Social is a complimentary event to all IWS members designed to attract new members while enjoying each other's company. A new education event aimed at creating and marketing your wine list will be given as part of Conference education and programming. Review the Conference guide when it comes out this coming winter and schedule your time wisely.
The Formal Dinner was the subject of much discussion associated with the travel to the destination. We are resolved, however, to put the dinner in the best hands possible, namely Harry Richter and the California Club. We are also resolved to make the journey hospitable and efforts are being made to secure the most expedient manner of egress and exit possible. We are confident that you will be entertained on the way to and from the Conference hotel while enjoying the finest in wine and cuisine in between. Our decision was buffered by the fact that all of Southern California's world-class dining takes place far away from the host hotel.
One of the most important programs we will undertake this year is to implement wine awards for the private club community. In developing this recognition, the IWS board wanted any club that shows a commitment to creating a superior wine list, maintaining it and surrounding it with vital elements to receive recognition for its efforts. This recognition would be given regardless of size of cellar and number of bottles if the club truly maintains an advanced wine curriculum. Our effort to communicate the recognition program will begin in the fall. It is hoped that we will be able to receive entries and process them in time for the Conference in Anaheim. Watch for upcoming details.
In vino veritas,
Kirk
The
CMAA International Wine Society Board met at
New York's Penn Club this spring for our annual planning session. Items
discussed were current programming and its suitability for our membership,
National Conference events and future programming. Much ground was covered.The 2004 World Conference in Anaheim promises to be a terrific one for IWS members. In addition to our annual business meetings, Pre-Conference Workshops and Formal Dinner, the IWS will be making progress with additional at-Conference education and the second IWS Wine Social. The IWS Wine Social is a complimentary event to all IWS members designed to attract new members while enjoying each other's company. A new education event aimed at creating and marketing your wine list will be given as part of Conference education and programming. Review the Conference guide when it comes out this coming winter and schedule your time wisely.
The Formal Dinner was the subject of much discussion associated with the travel to the destination. We are resolved, however, to put the dinner in the best hands possible, namely Harry Richter and the California Club. We are also resolved to make the journey hospitable and efforts are being made to secure the most expedient manner of egress and exit possible. We are confident that you will be entertained on the way to and from the Conference hotel while enjoying the finest in wine and cuisine in between. Our decision was buffered by the fact that all of Southern California's world-class dining takes place far away from the host hotel.
One of the most important programs we will undertake this year is to implement wine awards for the private club community. In developing this recognition, the IWS board wanted any club that shows a commitment to creating a superior wine list, maintaining it and surrounding it with vital elements to receive recognition for its efforts. This recognition would be given regardless of size of cellar and number of bottles if the club truly maintains an advanced wine curriculum. Our effort to communicate the recognition program will begin in the fall. It is hoped that we will be able to receive entries and process them in time for the Conference in Anaheim. Watch for upcoming details.
In vino veritas,
Kirk
Society
Happenings
Touring Washington State Wine Country
By Dolly Ammann, CCM
Discovering
Washington wines was what it was all about when Andy Perdue, the editor
of Wine Press Northwest, kicked off a two-day wine education program
for 22 CMAA members from Washington, Oregon and Idaho. As a proponent
of Northwest wines, Andy said he started his magazine five years ago when
there were only 90 wineries in Washington state and 15,000 acres of vineyards.
Since then, the number of wineries in the state has grown to around 220
and the number of vineyard acres doubled. The biggest growth was in eastern
Washington's Walla Walla Valley where there are now 60 bonded wineries.
These are all small high-quality producers with the largest production
around 35,000 cases.
Andy explained how Washington state is divided by the Cascade Mountains into two distinct climatic zones. While the West averages 48 inches of rainfall each year, the East is an arid area with only six inches of rainfall annually. In this arid growing zone, days are warm, dry and sun-drenched with cool nights. The winters have cold crisp temperatures that allow vines to go dormant. These seemingly difficult conditions are ideal for growing high-quality wine grapes with good sugar and acidity.
While Washington is now the second largest wine-producing state in the United States after California, the entire state has only half the vineyards of Sonoma County. Washington state has five AVAs: the Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Puget Sound and Red Mountain, the newest and smallest in size with land area of only 4,040 acres and 750 acres of vineyards. Our club managers began their two-day tour of Washington wine country at Terra Blanca winery on Red Mountain.
Terra Blanca, which means white earth, is one of the small premium wineries in eastern Washington that is slowly becoming nationally recognized for its exceptional quality. Keith Pilgrim the owner and winemaker built the winery just 10 years ago. Keith, who studied enology, viticulture and geology at U.C. Davis, spent 10 years gathering information on vineyard sites on the West Coast before selecting this 300-acre site on Red Mountain.
Our visit at Terra Blanca began in the vineyards. What makes this vineyard so special is a combination of slope, soil and climate. The hillside slopes toward the south and west, offering good exposure to heat from the late day sun. The result is evenly ripe fruit that translates into ripe flavors in the wines. With 75 acres currently under vine, there is room for future expansion. The concentration today is on bordeaux red varietals. There are also 48 grape varieties and clones planted in experimental plots. Some of these experimental plots are planted in Italian grape varieties. The vineyards are irrigated with a drip system. The Terra Blanca method is called deficit irrigation where the vines are starved for water and receive just enough to make them struggle. This improves the quality of the fruit. The sandy soils here are layered with rich deposits of calcium carbonate and minerals similar to the great wine regions of Europe. The high carbonate content imparts chalkiness to the wines. Unlike California, the vines are not planted on American rootstock. The vines are European Vitis vinifera. Does this make the wines taste different? Perhaps.
According to
Keith, phylloxera is not a problem in eastern Washington. This nasty root
louse, which caused the devastation of European vineyards about 100 years
ago, favors clay soils and does not like the sandy soils here and the
cold winter temperatures. The primary vineyard pest in the area is the
cutworm that emerges in the spring to attack new buds on the vines.
Touring Washington State Wine Country
By Dolly Ammann, CCM
 Keith Pilgrim, Terra Blanca winemaker and owner; draws wine from a barrel |
Andy explained how Washington state is divided by the Cascade Mountains into two distinct climatic zones. While the West averages 48 inches of rainfall each year, the East is an arid area with only six inches of rainfall annually. In this arid growing zone, days are warm, dry and sun-drenched with cool nights. The winters have cold crisp temperatures that allow vines to go dormant. These seemingly difficult conditions are ideal for growing high-quality wine grapes with good sugar and acidity.
While Washington is now the second largest wine-producing state in the United States after California, the entire state has only half the vineyards of Sonoma County. Washington state has five AVAs: the Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Puget Sound and Red Mountain, the newest and smallest in size with land area of only 4,040 acres and 750 acres of vineyards. Our club managers began their two-day tour of Washington wine country at Terra Blanca winery on Red Mountain.
Terra Blanca, which means white earth, is one of the small premium wineries in eastern Washington that is slowly becoming nationally recognized for its exceptional quality. Keith Pilgrim the owner and winemaker built the winery just 10 years ago. Keith, who studied enology, viticulture and geology at U.C. Davis, spent 10 years gathering information on vineyard sites on the West Coast before selecting this 300-acre site on Red Mountain.
Our visit at Terra Blanca began in the vineyards. What makes this vineyard so special is a combination of slope, soil and climate. The hillside slopes toward the south and west, offering good exposure to heat from the late day sun. The result is evenly ripe fruit that translates into ripe flavors in the wines. With 75 acres currently under vine, there is room for future expansion. The concentration today is on bordeaux red varietals. There are also 48 grape varieties and clones planted in experimental plots. Some of these experimental plots are planted in Italian grape varieties. The vineyards are irrigated with a drip system. The Terra Blanca method is called deficit irrigation where the vines are starved for water and receive just enough to make them struggle. This improves the quality of the fruit. The sandy soils here are layered with rich deposits of calcium carbonate and minerals similar to the great wine regions of Europe. The high carbonate content imparts chalkiness to the wines. Unlike California, the vines are not planted on American rootstock. The vines are European Vitis vinifera. Does this make the wines taste different? Perhaps.
 Jade Kiosse and Scott Julien |
Terra
Blanca is the only Washington State winery that uses underground caves
to store and age wines. With 200 feet of underground caves, the winery
can age 1,000 barrels of wine at 58°F and 95 percent humidity. Additional
caves and production facilities are under construction.
Keith explained how barrels impart flavors to wine. He described barrels as "the winemaker's spice rack." We tasted two different barrel samples of merlot. Differences in flavor result from the differences in the barrels. Such things as toast level, type of oak and the cooper all play a part. We tasted three barrel samples of cabernet sauvignon and again noted how these differed.
In the tasting room, we enjoyed the full line of Terra Blanca's current releases. An aromatic 2001 Viognier radiated white peach aromas from the glass and finished on the back of the pallet with a nice crispness. With the chardonnay, there were flavors of apple, vanilla, toasted oak and butter. The merlot, two syrah's and cabernet were all wonderful. Onxy, the Bordeaux-style meritage, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, cabernet franc, and petit verdot, was definitely a show-stopper. It was a well-structured wine with lush flavors of blackberry, black cherry and cassis. We also tasted two barrel samples of syrah. We noted how strong the barnyard nose was in the barrel samples. In the finished wines, however, it disappeared, giving way to hints of orange essence and rose.
We stopped for lunch and a tasting at the Hedges Winery nearby.
In the afternoon, we visited Hogue Cellars in Prosser. Hogue Cellars is the third largest winery in Washington state, producing around 600,000 cases a year. If there is a grape variety that you prefer, you are likely to find a Hogue wine made from it. It produces three quality levels. The first level called the fruit-forward wines, sell at an economical price point. The second tier is the Genesis label. Reserve wines are the third and most expensive tier.
Winery founder Mike Hogue planted the first grapes in 1974 on his family farm. The first commercial vintage was 1982, when 2,000 cases of Johannisberg Riesling were produced. After that. Mike's brother Gary joined him to help with marketing. From this small beginning, the two brothers built a very successful company based on the principle of quality at an affordable price. The winery was purchased by Vincor International for $36.4 million in August of 2001.
At Hogue Cellars, General Manager Wade Wolfe led us through an exercise on blending wines. Wade Wolf came to Hogue in 1991 after working for Chateau Ste. Michelle as director of vineyard operations. Wade has a Ph.D. in grape genetics from U.C. Davis. He served as chairman of the Washington Wine Advisory Board and president of the Washington Association of Winegrowers. He received an award from the Washington Wine Commission in 1993 for his contributions to the state's wine industry. Wade also owns and operates the nearby Thurston-Wolfe Winery where he produces 1,200 cases of exceptional wines in small lots.
For the blending
exercise, we were challenged with two flights of three barrel samples
each. The first included: (1) a cabernet sauvignon from the Alderdale
vineyard that exhibited high tannins and high color, (2) a syrah from
the Tri-Cities that was low in tannins and high in color and (3) a sangiovese
from Alderdale exhibiting high tannins and low color. When blended together
to balance tannins and color, the resulting wines were superior in taste
to any of the base wines. The second flight consisted of three merlots:
(1) from the Seven Hills vineyard in Walla Walla that had moderate tannins
and high color, (2) from Wahluke Slope with moderate tannins and high
color and (3) from the Alderdale vineyards with moderate tannins and
low color. Again, blending gave the overall result of improving the
wines.
Wade had a special treat for us. That morning, he captured three cutworms in his vineyard that had been enjoying breakfast al fresco at his expense. He passed around the jar in which the little varmints were imprisoned so that we could all see what this vineyard pest looked like.
On day two, we stopped for a tasting at Woodward Canyon Winery located in Lowden in the Walla Walla appellation. The tasting room is in a quaint restored 1870s farmhouse. Winemaker Rick Small established the winery in 1981. With Rick's emphasis on quality, the winery has consistently produced award-winning wines that have also received high ratings in publications such as Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. The winery produces only 15,000 case a year.
Kellie Williams from the winery staff conducted our tasting of their current releases. The 2001 Charbonneau Blanc is a blend of 77 percent semillon and 23 percent sauvignon blanc. The 2001 Columbia Valley Chardonnay, 100 percent barrel-fermented, exhibited lovely flavors of pears and peaches with notes of vanilla and toasted nut in a buttery style. We all liked the non-vintage red table wine that is only available through the tasting room. The elegant 2000 Columbia Valley Syrah from the Champoux and DuBrul vineyards had flavors of mountain berries and cracked pepper. The delicious 2000 Columbia Valley Merlot was made with 15 percent cabernet sauvignon and 1 percent cabernet franc. The 2000 Artist Series #9 Cabernet Sauvignon was a spectacular wine; unfined and unfiltered, it exhibited cassis, cherries, mocha and vanilla. My favorite was the 2000 Columbia Valley Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon made with 100 percent cabernet sauvignon from the Champoux vineyard.
L'Ecole No. 41 is located next to Woodward Canyon. L'Ecole No. 41 has been producing premium hand crafted varietal wines since 1983 in the cellars of a 1915 schoolhouse located in what is referred to as historic Frenchtown. Frenchtown derived its name from the French-Canadians who settled the area during the early 1800s. L'ecole means "school" in French. The name of the winery was selected to honor these early settlers. Jean and Baker Ferguson were the winery's founders. Today, it is operated by their daughter Megan and her husband, Marty Clubb, who serves as the winemaker.
The tasting
room in the old schoolhouse is fun to visit. It is in one of the original
schoolrooms complete with the original chalkboards, light fixtures,
fir floors and moldings. You can climb the rolling ladder to select
a book from the library to read in front of the fireplace while you
sip a glass of wine.
Brook Follett from the winery staff conducted our tasting. We tasted three semillons of exceptional quality, the 2001 Barrel Fermented Semillon, the 2001 Seven Hills Estate Semillon and the 2001 Fries Vineyard Semillon. L'Ecole No. 41 is recognized as one of the top producers of this varietal. The 2001 Columbia Valley Chardonnay made in burgundian style had rich tropical fruit flavors and a round buttery finish. The 2001 Schoolhouse Red was a blend of six different grapes. L'Ecole is probably best known for its high-quality merlot. We enjoyed four extraordinary versions. The 2001 Columbia Valley Merlot was a blend with 12 percent cabernet franc, 5 percent cabernet sauvignon and 3 percent carmènere. The 2000 Walla Walla Valley Merlot contained 19 percent cabernet sauvignon and 6 percent cabernet franc. The 2000 Seven Hills Vineyard Merlot was 100 percent. L'Ecole has been producing cabernet sauvignon since 1989. We tasted the 2000 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. My favorite was the 2000 Pepper Bridge Apogee, a meritage made from 57 percent merlot, 39 percent cabernet sauvignon, and 4 percent cabernet franc. The last wine in the lineup was a mildly sweet 2001 Chenin Blanc called "Walla Viola" (pronounced Walla Walla).
As we continued down Highway 12, our next stop was at the Three Rivers Winery. The setting of Three Rivers Winery is breathtaking, with views of the surrounding vineyards, the Blue Mountains, Mill Creek and the Whitman Mission National Historic site. The Columbia, Snake and Walla Walla are the three rivers from which the winery name is taken.
The winery
has a three-hole golf course that our managers just couldn't resist
playing. In the midst of tasting some incredible premium wines and enjoying
a fabulous lunch prepared by the executive chef from the Walla Walla
Country Club, we had to stop and take time for a mini-golf tournament.
The winners were Jade Kiosse from Oswego Lake Country Club and Scott
Julien from the Waverly City Club who both won a magnum of Three Rivers
Merlot.
The last stop on a very busy day was at the Pepper Bridge Winery, a new facility that is not yet open to the public. There we met Norm McKibben, the managing partner, and Jean-Francois Pellet, the winemaker.
Norm McKibben could be considered a visionary in the Washington state wine industry. Retiring in 1985, he moved to Walla Walla and became involved in growing commercial high-density plantings of Fuji and Gala apples. Soon, he recognized the potential of the area for growing high-quality wine grapes. In 1991, he convinced his partners to plant cabernet sauvignon and merlot at their Pepper Bridge farm. Concentrating on quality, Norm now manages more than 400 acres of the top vineyards in the area. These include Pepper Bridge, Northstar, Seven Hills and Les Collines. He works with Leonetti Cellars, Woodward Canyon, L'Ecole No. 41 and Andrew Will wineries. They all have contracts for vineyard blocks. The grapes are sold by the acre and not by tonnage. The goal is to produce the highest-quality grapes for the production of ultra premium wines. Under Norm's management, state-of-the-art irrigation systems along with soil temperature and moisture monitoring equipment were installed in the vineyards. Emphasis has been on improving farming and trellising procedures. For his outstanding work, Norm was selected "Grape Grower of the Year" in 1998 by the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. He was also appointed to the Washington State Wine Commission board in 1997 and elected chairman in 1998.
When the Pepper Bridge Winery was built in 2000, Norm McKibben hired Jean-Francois Pellet from Heitz Cellars, where he had been employed for four years. Jean-Francois is a third-generation Swiss wine grower who obtained his degree in viticulture and wine making in Switzerland. He worked as a winemaker and vineyard manager in Switzerland, Germany, Spain and the Napa Valley. Jean-Francois helped design and build the new Pepper Bridge facility incorporating the latest in design and wine-making techniques.
It was interesting to note that this modern, state-of-the-art, gravity-flow winery does not have a bottling line. A truck equipped with a mobile bottling line was parked at the back door. This situation is very common among the many boutique producers in the area. Since bottling line equipment is very expensive, the small wineries generally forgo this expense. When wine is ready to bottle, they call in the bottling truck.
Grapes for Pepper Bridge wines are all hand-picked and hand-sorted. Pepper Bridge produces only two wines, a merlot and a cabernet sauvignon. The 2000 Merlot was aged 19 months in oak, 66 percent new oak and 95 percent French oak. The merlot is from the Seven Hills Vineyard. It is blended with 4.3 percent cabernet sauvignon. The wine has seductive hints of berries, cherries and mocha. There is a lot of lush fruit and a bit of chocolaty oak. The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon has 6 percent merlot in the blend. Seventy percent of the grapes come from Seven Hills Vineyard and 30 percent from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard. The wine has layers of currant, blackberries and chocolate mocha flavors with spicy undertones. The 2000 production of Pepper Bridge Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon was only 3,800 cases. The plan is to increase production by 1,000 cases a year.
Jeremy Simmons, clubhouse manager at Meadow Springs Country Club, organized our two-day workshop in Washington wine country. Jeremy is the president of the Inland Empire Chapter of CMAA. A special thank you, Jeremy, from all of us who truly enjoyed a fun educational experience. Thanks for doing such a great job!
Incidentally, this was one chapter workshop where everyone got a 100 percent on the test!
Keith explained how barrels impart flavors to wine. He described barrels as "the winemaker's spice rack." We tasted two different barrel samples of merlot. Differences in flavor result from the differences in the barrels. Such things as toast level, type of oak and the cooper all play a part. We tasted three barrel samples of cabernet sauvignon and again noted how these differed.
In the tasting room, we enjoyed the full line of Terra Blanca's current releases. An aromatic 2001 Viognier radiated white peach aromas from the glass and finished on the back of the pallet with a nice crispness. With the chardonnay, there were flavors of apple, vanilla, toasted oak and butter. The merlot, two syrah's and cabernet were all wonderful. Onxy, the Bordeaux-style meritage, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, cabernet franc, and petit verdot, was definitely a show-stopper. It was a well-structured wine with lush flavors of blackberry, black cherry and cassis. We also tasted two barrel samples of syrah. We noted how strong the barnyard nose was in the barrel samples. In the finished wines, however, it disappeared, giving way to hints of orange essence and rose.
We stopped for lunch and a tasting at the Hedges Winery nearby.
In the afternoon, we visited Hogue Cellars in Prosser. Hogue Cellars is the third largest winery in Washington state, producing around 600,000 cases a year. If there is a grape variety that you prefer, you are likely to find a Hogue wine made from it. It produces three quality levels. The first level called the fruit-forward wines, sell at an economical price point. The second tier is the Genesis label. Reserve wines are the third and most expensive tier.
Winery founder Mike Hogue planted the first grapes in 1974 on his family farm. The first commercial vintage was 1982, when 2,000 cases of Johannisberg Riesling were produced. After that. Mike's brother Gary joined him to help with marketing. From this small beginning, the two brothers built a very successful company based on the principle of quality at an affordable price. The winery was purchased by Vincor International for $36.4 million in August of 2001.
At Hogue Cellars, General Manager Wade Wolfe led us through an exercise on blending wines. Wade Wolf came to Hogue in 1991 after working for Chateau Ste. Michelle as director of vineyard operations. Wade has a Ph.D. in grape genetics from U.C. Davis. He served as chairman of the Washington Wine Advisory Board and president of the Washington Association of Winegrowers. He received an award from the Washington Wine Commission in 1993 for his contributions to the state's wine industry. Wade also owns and operates the nearby Thurston-Wolfe Winery where he produces 1,200 cases of exceptional wines in small lots.
 CMAA managers from the Oregon, Inland Empire and Evergreen chapters on front of Hogue Cellars in Prosser, WA |
Wade had a special treat for us. That morning, he captured three cutworms in his vineyard that had been enjoying breakfast al fresco at his expense. He passed around the jar in which the little varmints were imprisoned so that we could all see what this vineyard pest looked like.
On day two, we stopped for a tasting at Woodward Canyon Winery located in Lowden in the Walla Walla appellation. The tasting room is in a quaint restored 1870s farmhouse. Winemaker Rick Small established the winery in 1981. With Rick's emphasis on quality, the winery has consistently produced award-winning wines that have also received high ratings in publications such as Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. The winery produces only 15,000 case a year.
Kellie Williams from the winery staff conducted our tasting of their current releases. The 2001 Charbonneau Blanc is a blend of 77 percent semillon and 23 percent sauvignon blanc. The 2001 Columbia Valley Chardonnay, 100 percent barrel-fermented, exhibited lovely flavors of pears and peaches with notes of vanilla and toasted nut in a buttery style. We all liked the non-vintage red table wine that is only available through the tasting room. The elegant 2000 Columbia Valley Syrah from the Champoux and DuBrul vineyards had flavors of mountain berries and cracked pepper. The delicious 2000 Columbia Valley Merlot was made with 15 percent cabernet sauvignon and 1 percent cabernet franc. The 2000 Artist Series #9 Cabernet Sauvignon was a spectacular wine; unfined and unfiltered, it exhibited cassis, cherries, mocha and vanilla. My favorite was the 2000 Columbia Valley Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon made with 100 percent cabernet sauvignon from the Champoux vineyard.
L'Ecole No. 41 is located next to Woodward Canyon. L'Ecole No. 41 has been producing premium hand crafted varietal wines since 1983 in the cellars of a 1915 schoolhouse located in what is referred to as historic Frenchtown. Frenchtown derived its name from the French-Canadians who settled the area during the early 1800s. L'ecole means "school" in French. The name of the winery was selected to honor these early settlers. Jean and Baker Ferguson were the winery's founders. Today, it is operated by their daughter Megan and her husband, Marty Clubb, who serves as the winemaker.
 At Hogue Cellars, Wade Wolf, the general manager; discusses the characteristics of the principal viticultural areas in Washington State |
Brook Follett from the winery staff conducted our tasting. We tasted three semillons of exceptional quality, the 2001 Barrel Fermented Semillon, the 2001 Seven Hills Estate Semillon and the 2001 Fries Vineyard Semillon. L'Ecole No. 41 is recognized as one of the top producers of this varietal. The 2001 Columbia Valley Chardonnay made in burgundian style had rich tropical fruit flavors and a round buttery finish. The 2001 Schoolhouse Red was a blend of six different grapes. L'Ecole is probably best known for its high-quality merlot. We enjoyed four extraordinary versions. The 2001 Columbia Valley Merlot was a blend with 12 percent cabernet franc, 5 percent cabernet sauvignon and 3 percent carmènere. The 2000 Walla Walla Valley Merlot contained 19 percent cabernet sauvignon and 6 percent cabernet franc. The 2000 Seven Hills Vineyard Merlot was 100 percent. L'Ecole has been producing cabernet sauvignon since 1989. We tasted the 2000 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. My favorite was the 2000 Pepper Bridge Apogee, a meritage made from 57 percent merlot, 39 percent cabernet sauvignon, and 4 percent cabernet franc. The last wine in the lineup was a mildly sweet 2001 Chenin Blanc called "Walla Viola" (pronounced Walla Walla).
As we continued down Highway 12, our next stop was at the Three Rivers Winery. The setting of Three Rivers Winery is breathtaking, with views of the surrounding vineyards, the Blue Mountains, Mill Creek and the Whitman Mission National Historic site. The Columbia, Snake and Walla Walla are the three rivers from which the winery name is taken.
 L'Ecole No. 41 has been producing premium hand-crafted varietal wines since 1983 in the cellars of a 1915 schoolhouse |
The last stop on a very busy day was at the Pepper Bridge Winery, a new facility that is not yet open to the public. There we met Norm McKibben, the managing partner, and Jean-Francois Pellet, the winemaker.
Norm McKibben could be considered a visionary in the Washington state wine industry. Retiring in 1985, he moved to Walla Walla and became involved in growing commercial high-density plantings of Fuji and Gala apples. Soon, he recognized the potential of the area for growing high-quality wine grapes. In 1991, he convinced his partners to plant cabernet sauvignon and merlot at their Pepper Bridge farm. Concentrating on quality, Norm now manages more than 400 acres of the top vineyards in the area. These include Pepper Bridge, Northstar, Seven Hills and Les Collines. He works with Leonetti Cellars, Woodward Canyon, L'Ecole No. 41 and Andrew Will wineries. They all have contracts for vineyard blocks. The grapes are sold by the acre and not by tonnage. The goal is to produce the highest-quality grapes for the production of ultra premium wines. Under Norm's management, state-of-the-art irrigation systems along with soil temperature and moisture monitoring equipment were installed in the vineyards. Emphasis has been on improving farming and trellising procedures. For his outstanding work, Norm was selected "Grape Grower of the Year" in 1998 by the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. He was also appointed to the Washington State Wine Commission board in 1997 and elected chairman in 1998.
When the Pepper Bridge Winery was built in 2000, Norm McKibben hired Jean-Francois Pellet from Heitz Cellars, where he had been employed for four years. Jean-Francois is a third-generation Swiss wine grower who obtained his degree in viticulture and wine making in Switzerland. He worked as a winemaker and vineyard manager in Switzerland, Germany, Spain and the Napa Valley. Jean-Francois helped design and build the new Pepper Bridge facility incorporating the latest in design and wine-making techniques.
It was interesting to note that this modern, state-of-the-art, gravity-flow winery does not have a bottling line. A truck equipped with a mobile bottling line was parked at the back door. This situation is very common among the many boutique producers in the area. Since bottling line equipment is very expensive, the small wineries generally forgo this expense. When wine is ready to bottle, they call in the bottling truck.
Grapes for Pepper Bridge wines are all hand-picked and hand-sorted. Pepper Bridge produces only two wines, a merlot and a cabernet sauvignon. The 2000 Merlot was aged 19 months in oak, 66 percent new oak and 95 percent French oak. The merlot is from the Seven Hills Vineyard. It is blended with 4.3 percent cabernet sauvignon. The wine has seductive hints of berries, cherries and mocha. There is a lot of lush fruit and a bit of chocolaty oak. The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon has 6 percent merlot in the blend. Seventy percent of the grapes come from Seven Hills Vineyard and 30 percent from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard. The wine has layers of currant, blackberries and chocolate mocha flavors with spicy undertones. The 2000 production of Pepper Bridge Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon was only 3,800 cases. The plan is to increase production by 1,000 cases a year.
Jeremy Simmons, clubhouse manager at Meadow Springs Country Club, organized our two-day workshop in Washington wine country. Jeremy is the president of the Inland Empire Chapter of CMAA. A special thank you, Jeremy, from all of us who truly enjoyed a fun educational experience. Thanks for doing such a great job!
Incidentally, this was one chapter workshop where everyone got a 100 percent on the test!
 |
 |
| Horse
race in progress |
Norm
McKibben at Pepper Bridge |
Society
Happenings
Planning for 2004 Wine Auctions in Anaheim is Underway
By Mike Kraus, CCM, Co-Chair, 2004 IWS Wine Auctions
It
is that time of year again. Most of us are in the busiest times and
it's hard to concentrate on February 2004. But as dedicated Wine Society
members, there is always time to think about the Silent and Live Auctions
held at Conference. This coming year is no exception.
There are some great changes taking place at the 2004 auctions. For one, the Silent Auction times have changed. We are starting earlier in the week. The Silent Auction will start on Sunday, February 15, from 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. (there will be an IWS Hospitality Suite for IWS Members Only immediately following with some special surprises). The Silent Auction will resume on Monday at 11:00 a.m., immediately following the opening business session, and closing at 6:00 p.m. On Tuesday, February 17, it will be held from 7:30 a.m.-5: 30 p.m. (or 15 minutes after the last education session ends). The Live Auction will be on Wednesday, February 18, at 5:45 p.m. The new format has been adopted to accommodate all the managers in their quest for great wines at great prices as well as the hotel and our National Headquarters staff.
So, start talking to your fellow managers and your members and distributors about their donations. Our clearinghouse is the South Hills Country Club in West Covina, CA (more info will be sent at a later date). We have petitioned The Club Foundation to again reimburse for shipping to California. I am confident that the foundation will once again agree to this policy. So start collecting your wine and other wine-related items for the auctions. Art Barajas and I look forward to raising more than $50,000 in Anaheim.
Donate here
Planning for 2004 Wine Auctions in Anaheim is Underway
By Mike Kraus, CCM, Co-Chair, 2004 IWS Wine Auctions
It
is that time of year again. Most of us are in the busiest times and
it's hard to concentrate on February 2004. But as dedicated Wine Society
members, there is always time to think about the Silent and Live Auctions
held at Conference. This coming year is no exception.There are some great changes taking place at the 2004 auctions. For one, the Silent Auction times have changed. We are starting earlier in the week. The Silent Auction will start on Sunday, February 15, from 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. (there will be an IWS Hospitality Suite for IWS Members Only immediately following with some special surprises). The Silent Auction will resume on Monday at 11:00 a.m., immediately following the opening business session, and closing at 6:00 p.m. On Tuesday, February 17, it will be held from 7:30 a.m.-5: 30 p.m. (or 15 minutes after the last education session ends). The Live Auction will be on Wednesday, February 18, at 5:45 p.m. The new format has been adopted to accommodate all the managers in their quest for great wines at great prices as well as the hotel and our National Headquarters staff.
So, start talking to your fellow managers and your members and distributors about their donations. Our clearinghouse is the South Hills Country Club in West Covina, CA (more info will be sent at a later date). We have petitioned The Club Foundation to again reimburse for shipping to California. I am confident that the foundation will once again agree to this policy. So start collecting your wine and other wine-related items for the auctions. Art Barajas and I look forward to raising more than $50,000 in Anaheim.
Donate here
Managers
Answer Your Wine-Related Questions via the Wine Forum
Are
you looking for answers to your wine-related questions? Do you wonder
how other clubs handle wine mark ups, market their wines or train their
staff in alcohol awareness? Look no further! You can find your answers
on the Wine Forum available on ClubNet® at http://www.cmaa.org/forum.
This new and updated forum allows CMAA members to post questions and seek advice from other members on wine and alcohol-related issues. When you first open the page, you should log on to the page. The login box is located in the upper-right-hand corner of your screen. Your login name and password are the same as those for ClubNet®. The name which your messages will post from will be your login name.
To read a specific message, simply click on the message topic and the entire text is then displayed.
To post a new message or question, simply select the "New Message" button. To reply to a previously posted question, select the specific topic on the main page. Once the full text of the question is displayed, you can select the reply button which looks like a letter with an arrow going toward the left on top of it. This will allow you to share you advice and opinions related to this particular question. For more information on how to format your messages, please visit the FAQ portion of the Club Management Forum site.
As an added feature, you can be notified of all new messages and responses by subscribing to the list. Each time a new message or response is submitted, you will receive an e-mail notification. To subscribe to the Wine Forum, select the "E-mail Central" button in the upper-right-hand corner of your screen. A new box will pop up and allow you to select the forums to which you would like to subscribe. After selecting the particular forums you are interested in, please remember to scroll to the bottom of the box and select the "Save" key.
Are
you looking for answers to your wine-related questions? Do you wonder
how other clubs handle wine mark ups, market their wines or train their
staff in alcohol awareness? Look no further! You can find your answers
on the Wine Forum available on ClubNet® at http://www.cmaa.org/forum.This new and updated forum allows CMAA members to post questions and seek advice from other members on wine and alcohol-related issues. When you first open the page, you should log on to the page. The login box is located in the upper-right-hand corner of your screen. Your login name and password are the same as those for ClubNet®. The name which your messages will post from will be your login name.
To read a specific message, simply click on the message topic and the entire text is then displayed.
To post a new message or question, simply select the "New Message" button. To reply to a previously posted question, select the specific topic on the main page. Once the full text of the question is displayed, you can select the reply button which looks like a letter with an arrow going toward the left on top of it. This will allow you to share you advice and opinions related to this particular question. For more information on how to format your messages, please visit the FAQ portion of the Club Management Forum site.
As an added feature, you can be notified of all new messages and responses by subscribing to the list. Each time a new message or response is submitted, you will receive an e-mail notification. To subscribe to the Wine Forum, select the "E-mail Central" button in the upper-right-hand corner of your screen. A new box will pop up and allow you to select the forums to which you would like to subscribe. After selecting the particular forums you are interested in, please remember to scroll to the bottom of the box and select the "Save" key.
Click here to see the Wine Survey Results
Cellar
Notes
Chefs' Night Out VIII
By Thomas Bertani CCM, General Manager, The Racquet Club
A Benefit for Edgewood Children's Center*
The Saint Louis Club Monday, April 14, 2003
Outstanding cuisine, wonderful wines, a stunning view atop the 16th floor of the Saint Louis Club and, most importantly, money raised for the Edgewood Children's Center all conspired to make the 8th Annual Chefs' Night Out in April a noteworthy evening. This year's major sponsors of the event included the CMAA-St. Louis Chapter and Club Management magazine — Publisher Tom Finan. Also contributing to the evening were A. Bommarito Wines, F&K Cigar/Jon's Pipe Shop and PFG-Middendorf. Of course, the event would not have been possible without the talents and efforts of a number of the most decorated private club and restaurant chefs in the St. Louis area who volunteered their time. Through their hard work and diligence, "Chefs' Night Out" is a forum for outstanding culinary delights. A special note of thanks also to Mike Brady, assistant manager of the Saint Louis Club, and his fine service staff. The Committee for Chefs' Night Out consisted of Helane Bernath, director of marketing for the Saint Louis Club, Michael Chollet, general manager of The Noonday Club, Divina Elster, Teri Finan, Tom Finan, Lynn Horsfield, Drew Karandjeff and Mydie Sant. Thank you to all.
The event's reputation for excellent cuisine, a plethora of wines and an opportunity to assist Edgewood ensures a sell-out each year. As Terry Finan stated in her opening comments, "We took a leap of faith this year moving the event from the Noonday Club (where the event had been hosted since its inaugural) to the Saint Louis Club to accommodate more attendees." The move proved to be a wise one as attendance increased from 150 guests to almost 200 guests. Dinner was a series of food stations staffed by restaurant and private club chefs. Wines were available to sample throughout the evening to enhance the food offerings. Participants also had an opportunity to bid on silent auction items that included bottles of wine, golf packages, vacation packages and other gifts, which were donated by private clubs, restaurants and other businesses.
Private club chefs who participated included John Kennealy, Noonday Club; Chris Desens, The Racquet Club Ladue; Matt Agnew, Meadowbrook C.C.; John Bogacki and Don Grace, Westwood C.C.; Aidan Murphy, Old Warson C.C.; Paul Kampff, The Country Club of St. Albans; Alan Hellyer, Missouri Athletic Club; Craig Meyer, Algonquin Golf Club; Gary Suarez, University Club; and Pierre Chambrin, Saint Louis Club. Managers from many St. Louis private clubs were in attendance.
Wines of the Evening
Chianti Classico-Paneretta, 2000, Bolgheri Bianco - Santini, 2001, Bourgogne Chardonnay - Pernot, 2001, Marsannay Rouge - Naddef, 2000, Cabernet Sauvignon - Ramsay, 2000, Chardonnay - Olivet Lanes, Sauvignon Blanc Bernardus, 2000, Zinfandel, Pacini, Steele, 1999, Shiraz, Woop Woop, 2002 and Sparkling, Toad Hollow, Risque, NV.
It is expected this event will raise $38,000 for Edgewood Children's Center.
* Edgewood Children's Center primarily serves abused and neglected children who are between the ages of five and 17. As a result of their abuse, these children have emotional, behavioral and learning problems. Edgewood provides therapy and specialized education at three locations. Edgewood has been helping troubled children for 164 years, making it the oldest children's institution west of the Mississippi River.
Chefs' Night Out VIII
By Thomas Bertani CCM, General Manager, The Racquet Club
A Benefit for Edgewood Children's Center*
The Saint Louis Club Monday, April 14, 2003
Outstanding cuisine, wonderful wines, a stunning view atop the 16th floor of the Saint Louis Club and, most importantly, money raised for the Edgewood Children's Center all conspired to make the 8th Annual Chefs' Night Out in April a noteworthy evening. This year's major sponsors of the event included the CMAA-St. Louis Chapter and Club Management magazine — Publisher Tom Finan. Also contributing to the evening were A. Bommarito Wines, F&K Cigar/Jon's Pipe Shop and PFG-Middendorf. Of course, the event would not have been possible without the talents and efforts of a number of the most decorated private club and restaurant chefs in the St. Louis area who volunteered their time. Through their hard work and diligence, "Chefs' Night Out" is a forum for outstanding culinary delights. A special note of thanks also to Mike Brady, assistant manager of the Saint Louis Club, and his fine service staff. The Committee for Chefs' Night Out consisted of Helane Bernath, director of marketing for the Saint Louis Club, Michael Chollet, general manager of The Noonday Club, Divina Elster, Teri Finan, Tom Finan, Lynn Horsfield, Drew Karandjeff and Mydie Sant. Thank you to all.
The event's reputation for excellent cuisine, a plethora of wines and an opportunity to assist Edgewood ensures a sell-out each year. As Terry Finan stated in her opening comments, "We took a leap of faith this year moving the event from the Noonday Club (where the event had been hosted since its inaugural) to the Saint Louis Club to accommodate more attendees." The move proved to be a wise one as attendance increased from 150 guests to almost 200 guests. Dinner was a series of food stations staffed by restaurant and private club chefs. Wines were available to sample throughout the evening to enhance the food offerings. Participants also had an opportunity to bid on silent auction items that included bottles of wine, golf packages, vacation packages and other gifts, which were donated by private clubs, restaurants and other businesses.
Private club chefs who participated included John Kennealy, Noonday Club; Chris Desens, The Racquet Club Ladue; Matt Agnew, Meadowbrook C.C.; John Bogacki and Don Grace, Westwood C.C.; Aidan Murphy, Old Warson C.C.; Paul Kampff, The Country Club of St. Albans; Alan Hellyer, Missouri Athletic Club; Craig Meyer, Algonquin Golf Club; Gary Suarez, University Club; and Pierre Chambrin, Saint Louis Club. Managers from many St. Louis private clubs were in attendance.
Wines of the Evening
Chianti Classico-Paneretta, 2000, Bolgheri Bianco - Santini, 2001, Bourgogne Chardonnay - Pernot, 2001, Marsannay Rouge - Naddef, 2000, Cabernet Sauvignon - Ramsay, 2000, Chardonnay - Olivet Lanes, Sauvignon Blanc Bernardus, 2000, Zinfandel, Pacini, Steele, 1999, Shiraz, Woop Woop, 2002 and Sparkling, Toad Hollow, Risque, NV.
It is expected this event will raise $38,000 for Edgewood Children's Center.
* Edgewood Children's Center primarily serves abused and neglected children who are between the ages of five and 17. As a result of their abuse, these children have emotional, behavioral and learning problems. Edgewood provides therapy and specialized education at three locations. Edgewood has been helping troubled children for 164 years, making it the oldest children's institution west of the Mississippi River.
| Chefs' Night Out VIII - Culinary Treats |
Fennel
poached eastern halibut with an olive and tomato concasse, sweet
pepper rouille Grilled Vermont maple-glazed jumbo shrimp with Pennsylvania Dutch barbecue Veal sweetbread timbale, winter truffle glace de viande Pan-seared Asian duck breast on a Saigon crepe, baby coriander greens and Nam Plak sauce Serrano ham wrapped Georges Bank sea scallop, Israeli cous cous, star anise emulsion Braised boneless short ribs with a truffle and celeriac polenta tart, cabernet reduction Artichoke, asparagus and crab-stuffed salmon roulade on Yukon Gold potato wafer Smoked shrimp on succotash with BBQ onions and buttermilk-herb cracker Mini pastry, ice-cream, sorbets and Brittany crepes |
Cellar
Notes
Flora "Springs" into Metropolis
By Mitch Marron
Members
at Metropolis CC in White Plains, NY, were treated to a very special evening
as they sampled the culinary brilliance of their Executive Chef Lorcan
O'Connell while savoring the top of the portfolio of one of Napa's finest,
Flora Springs. Flora Springs, located in St. Helena, was founded by John
and Flora Komes on the verge of Mr. Komes' retirement as president of
Bechtel Corporation. Located on 325 acres and home to the original Louis
Martini Vineyard, The Komes family currently owns nine vineyards of more
than 1,100 acres in five different appellations throughout Napa Valley.
Members at Metropolis were fortunate to begin the adventure with Soliloquy, a single vineyard, single clone from Oakville made in the Loire style of Berendale. Because sauvignon blanc was becoming nomenclature, the Komes family wanted to develop a proprietary name that could be singled out as their own. Members were then invited to sit down for dinner and were enticed with the 2001 barrel-fermented Chardonnay. This Chardonnay is a wonderful combination of three of their select vineyards, including Lavender Hill in Carneros Crossroads Ranch in Oakville and P&J Vineyard, located along the Napa River. It was paired with rabbit confit over baby greens with candied walnuts, yellow grape tomatoes, laced with maple vinaigrette. Winemaker Ken Deis, the original winemaker since 1980, noted that the fruit is forward and marries beautifully with the new French oak barriques, which imparts a wonderful vanilla flavor to the wine. It has wonderful balance and length of flavors, including apple and peach, with the creamy after-tones of oak, offering a wonderful complement to the rabbit.
Next
on the culinary agenda was duck prosciutto-wrapped monkfish served with
2000 Windfall Merlot (located in the Rutherford Appellation on Bella Oaks
Lane). Originally planted with Cabernet Franc, this stellar vineyard was
replanted with Merlot in 1993.This wine is the epitome of the importance
of terroir. Windfall was opened at 2:00 p.m. the day of the dinner and
was absolutely a magnificent fruit bomb, laced with 4 percent percent
Malbec providing the jammy, pluminess of the flavor and rich color in
the wine.
The entrée, lamb loins crusted with a fois gras duxelle, was complimented with double the pleasure, double the fun as 1999 Trilogy and 1998 Wild Boar were paired side by side. Trilogy, first released in 1984, is a velvety blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec made in the Bordeaux tradition. According to winemaker Ken Deis, the forward fruit characteristic of Cabernet Sauvignon imparts black cherry, cassis and cocoa and the Cabernet Franc adds hints of coffee and toffee. The rich pluminess of Malbec rounds out the wine and the result is an approachable, complex, seamless wine with great potential for further aging. Wild Boar, whose namesake was derived because of the wild marauding boars who love grapes as much as wine lovers do and roam throughout the vineyards, are 100 percent cabernet sauvignon from the Pope Valley and is aged in French oak for 30 months. The rich, regal and robust fruit forward composition was a heavenly compliment to the lamb.
The Komes family desires to become an ever-increasing presence in the club industry. I encourage you the next time you desire to provide a winemaker's dinner, have Flora Spring spring into your club!!!
Flora "Springs" into Metropolis
By Mitch Marron
Members
at Metropolis CC in White Plains, NY, were treated to a very special evening
as they sampled the culinary brilliance of their Executive Chef Lorcan
O'Connell while savoring the top of the portfolio of one of Napa's finest,
Flora Springs. Flora Springs, located in St. Helena, was founded by John
and Flora Komes on the verge of Mr. Komes' retirement as president of
Bechtel Corporation. Located on 325 acres and home to the original Louis
Martini Vineyard, The Komes family currently owns nine vineyards of more
than 1,100 acres in five different appellations throughout Napa Valley.Members at Metropolis were fortunate to begin the adventure with Soliloquy, a single vineyard, single clone from Oakville made in the Loire style of Berendale. Because sauvignon blanc was becoming nomenclature, the Komes family wanted to develop a proprietary name that could be singled out as their own. Members were then invited to sit down for dinner and were enticed with the 2001 barrel-fermented Chardonnay. This Chardonnay is a wonderful combination of three of their select vineyards, including Lavender Hill in Carneros Crossroads Ranch in Oakville and P&J Vineyard, located along the Napa River. It was paired with rabbit confit over baby greens with candied walnuts, yellow grape tomatoes, laced with maple vinaigrette. Winemaker Ken Deis, the original winemaker since 1980, noted that the fruit is forward and marries beautifully with the new French oak barriques, which imparts a wonderful vanilla flavor to the wine. It has wonderful balance and length of flavors, including apple and peach, with the creamy after-tones of oak, offering a wonderful complement to the rabbit.
Next
on the culinary agenda was duck prosciutto-wrapped monkfish served with
2000 Windfall Merlot (located in the Rutherford Appellation on Bella Oaks
Lane). Originally planted with Cabernet Franc, this stellar vineyard was
replanted with Merlot in 1993.This wine is the epitome of the importance
of terroir. Windfall was opened at 2:00 p.m. the day of the dinner and
was absolutely a magnificent fruit bomb, laced with 4 percent percent
Malbec providing the jammy, pluminess of the flavor and rich color in
the wine.The entrée, lamb loins crusted with a fois gras duxelle, was complimented with double the pleasure, double the fun as 1999 Trilogy and 1998 Wild Boar were paired side by side. Trilogy, first released in 1984, is a velvety blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec made in the Bordeaux tradition. According to winemaker Ken Deis, the forward fruit characteristic of Cabernet Sauvignon imparts black cherry, cassis and cocoa and the Cabernet Franc adds hints of coffee and toffee. The rich pluminess of Malbec rounds out the wine and the result is an approachable, complex, seamless wine with great potential for further aging. Wild Boar, whose namesake was derived because of the wild marauding boars who love grapes as much as wine lovers do and roam throughout the vineyards, are 100 percent cabernet sauvignon from the Pope Valley and is aged in French oak for 30 months. The rich, regal and robust fruit forward composition was a heavenly compliment to the lamb.
The Komes family desires to become an ever-increasing presence in the club industry. I encourage you the next time you desire to provide a winemaker's dinner, have Flora Spring spring into your club!!!
A
list of wines on the Flora Springs Winery Web site at http://www.florasprings.com/index.html
Flora
Springs Wine Dinner
Saturday
May 31 2003 |
|
A
selection of passed Hors D'oeurves • Carving Station •
2000 Soliliquy |
|
|
First
Course Seared Rabbit Confit Baby Greens, Toasted Walnuts, Dried Cherries Maple Vinaigrette 2000 Barrel-Fermented Chardonnay |
Main
Course Roasted Lamb Loins Foie Gras Duxelle Sundried Tomato-Scented Yukon and Celeriac Puree Rosemary Demi Glace 1998 Wild Boar |
| Second
Course Duck Prosciutto-Wrapped Monkfish Roulade Red Swiss Chard and Spinach and Crispy Prosciutto Mango Bordelaise 1999 Landmark Merlot |
Dessert Chocolate Ganache Ravioli White Chocolate Anglaise Sour Cream Raspberry Ice Cream Cocoa Churros Selection of Petit Fours |
For
more Wine Society news click next
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