THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 22, 1995 TAG: 9510190069
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: HUMBLE STEWARD
SOURCE: JIM RAPER
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
PLANNERS OF last weekend's fifth annual Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic had promised events bigger and better than ever, and they delivered.
Here are some wine-with-food triumphs of this year's festival:
Patrick Duffeler hosted 60 people in the grand hall of his Williamsburg Winery at a dinner on Thursday night, before the main events of the weekend. This was the first year for this kickoff dinner; I hope it will not be the last.
My compliments to Duffeler, who planned the meal, and to the young guest chefs who prepared it. Here are the courses by number:
1. Marinated lox, grilled tuna and Russian caviar on blinis.
2. Spinach mousse.
3. Antipasta with prosciutto.
The first three courses were served with a lively Williamsburg Winery 1993 Chardonnay Acte 12 and a Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion 1989 Pessac-Leognan white Bordeaux that tasted of herbs and honeydew melon.
4. Goose liver pate on toast.
This course was paired with a Chateau Manos 1993 Cadillac, a sweet Bordeaux white that was new to me. The Cadillac appellation is in a district north of Graves, and is more delicate and less expensive than the well-known Sauternes.
5. Prawns, crayfish and scallops on a pastry shell with mushroom sauce.
The wines with this course were the Williamsburg Winery 1991 Chardonnay Vintage Reserve, a very ripe and buttery example of the varietal, and Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin 1988 Corton Charlemagne, a lovely French chardonnay with a long peaches-and-cream finish.
6. Grilled tenderloin of beef, tarragon chicken and breast of duck.
Poured with this main course were the Chateau La Serre 1989 St. Emilion, which had deep cherry and spice flavors, and the Williamsburg Winery 1993 Cabernet Reserve, which is just now being released and seems destined to be one of the best red wines ever made in Virginia.
7. Plate of cheeses.
This course was paired with the Albert Bichot 1993 Pommard Le Clos du Pavillon, a young pinot noir from the Cote de Beaune that shows well now, but will improve with age.
8. Williamsburg chocolate cake.
The dessert wine was the Loberger 1989 Gewurztraminer Vendage Tardive, a delicious, honeyed wine from Alsace.
At Saturday's reception prior to the Wine Classic Auction, Taste Unlimited turned in its usual fine catering performance, serving oysters and clams on the half-shell, ginger tuna on skewers and clam and artichoke fritters.
For the first time, too, the reception featured foods prepared on site by the chefs and staffs of some of the area's better restaurants.
I doubt if anyone who was there will forget the image of Amy Brandt of the Lucky Star laboring over a hot griddle preparing her delicious crabcakes. Or of Todd Jurich of Bistro! shaving white truffles over his bowls of oyster stew and mashed potatoes. The folks from Mahi Mah's also deserve praise for their soy-marinated, grilled pork tenderloin.
The wines of the reception that I enjoyed most with these foods were the Flora Springs 1994 Sauvignon Blanc Napa ($10), Gallo 1993 Sonoma Estate Chardonnay ($30), McDowell 1994 Bistro Syrah California ($12) and Napa-Villages 1991 Pinot Noir Napa ($24).
I regret that I missed the Wine Classic Brunch on Sunday at the Town Point Club, and hosted by wine importer Robert Kacher. There were enough rave reviews to persuade me that it was an extraordinary meal.
Club manager John Milleson organized the event. The menu was planned and the preparation directed by the club's executive chef, John Zinitz, and sous chef, Robert Gedman. The wines were all imported by Kacher. Here is what I missed:
Veal and foie gras pate, oven-roasted rabbit and petit vegetables with Domaine Belle 1993 Crozes-Hermitage.
Cold-smoked and grilled loin of venison tart, cranberry demi-glace rotisserie chicken, and red potato and apricot casserole with Brunel 1993 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Cailloux.
Baby lamb chops, mustard crust veal breast with apple jack demi-glace, and tossed greens with raspberry vinaigrette with Chateau Fourcas Loubaney 1992 Listrac, red Bordeaux.
Smoked mahi mahi and mini potato latkes, bourbon-cured salmon, bagels and garnishes with Toques and Clochers 1993 Chardonnay Limoux.
Crepes Suzette, tiramisu and assorted chocolate cakes with Domaine de Beaumalric 1993 Beaumes-de-Venise, a sweet muscat wine from the southern Rhone Valley.
by CNB