The Omaha Metro
Event Report:
First Downs, Fine Wine & Five-Star Bites with Friends
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A good friend knows all your stories. A Best Friend helped you to write them.
Event Report: All American Wines: A PreCelebration of America’s 250th Birthday & the 50th Anniversary of the Judgement of Paris
Susan Rauth and Brent Rasmussen opened up their home for our end of August event. They brought on Dan Bengino, Chef/Owner of Chef Around the Block to do the catering. The theme was a relaxed meeting of friends on the Labor Day weekend, with the whole range of wines sitting out available to drink as you pleased. We started with a French Champagne and a Schramsberg Rose sparkler. Dinner was served cafeteria style. You made your own plate from salad, Sliced New York Strips with or without Roquefort Crème, Herb-Crusted Lamb Chops with Red Wine Demi-Glace and Pomegranate Molasses, Champagne Beurre Blanc Sea Bass with Citrus Zest. Sides consisted of Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes and Charred Asparagus with Lemon Gremolata. Pastry desserts came from The Bubbly Tart. My fav was the outstanding Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes. Asked what the secret was, Bengino said Yukon Gold potatoes were boiled whole, not peeled or sliced.
Story by Tom Murnan. Photos by Tom Murnan
California Rhone Rangers Part 1
Written by Tom Murnan, Photos by Tom Murnan
For our November event at Le Bouillon, our event theme will be the Rhȏne Rangers: Syrah vs. Grenache. The term seems to be fading just a bit, but the Rangers were presented to the wider
wine world in the April 15, 1989, issue of the Wine Spectator. On the cover was one of the founding fathers of the movement, Randall Grahm, replete with a Lone Ranger costume and mask.
The Rhȏne Rangers represent an important effort in the history of California wine and to my knowledge, has not been featured at an IWFS Omaha Metro Branch event. It deserves to be better known by our members.
Having conquered Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, California winemakers were looking for new vinous challenges. The Rhône was a prestigious French area with its own grape varietals, winning many accolades from wine lovers. Named after the Rhône River, the AOC is divided into two areas, north and south. The Northern Rhône is the cooler region and home to the its most important grape, the Syrah. White varietals include Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne. Important appellations are Hermitage and Côte Rôtie for reds and Condireu (Viognier) for white. Hermitage Blanc (Marsanne and Rousanne) is also made at that appellation. The red wines are elegant, complex and powerful, yet not too hard or tannic. White Hermitage is minerally and longlived. The Southern Rhône is warmer, and home to the well-known Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Syrah grapes, although many other varietals are grown as well. The most famous appellation is
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where up to 18 varietals can be included in the blend.
So, early California efforts were trial and error, hit and miss until the winemakers experimented enough to find the best growing areas.
One of the early pioneers was Randall Grahm who started Bonny Boon Vineyard in 1983, “in a foolish attempt to replicate Burgundy in California” as Grahm himself said. He did have success with experimental batches of Rhône varietals, and realized that Rhône varietals were better suited to the Central Coast. He replanted his vineyards with Syrah, Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier. Willing to take risks, in 1986 he released his 1984 Le Cigare Volant, California’s first attempt to replicate Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and Old Telegram. (The term Cigare Volant, or flying cigar, refers to a hilarious 1954 Châteauneuf-du-Pape village council ordinance banning UFO’s.)
California Syrah is less tannic than Cabernet Sauvignon, and more like a full bodied, powerful Pinot Noir. It is quite food friendly to meats and even seafood giving off earthy aromas in the nose, and berry and plum flavors.
2025 UPCOMING OMAHA METRO EVENTS
Producers: Tom Murnan. NOV 21 LE VOLTAIRE
Theme TBD
Producers: Hyders & Overholtzers.
LE BOUILLON
Rhȏne Ranger theme
Happy Hollow Club
Producers: Mike Wilke & Joe Goldstein.
