St Michaels Fifth Annual Food and Wine Weekend

The annual St Michaels Food and Wine Festival, held in this picturesque Maryland Eastern Shore village April 26-29, showed that in its fifth year, this waterfront community has really created a midAtlantic event. Wine and food dinners, pairings of wine and food, plentiful samplings of both, and informative cooking demonstrations and wine seminars were highlights of the weekend. In the calibre of many of the presentations, and the quality of wine served, the public was generously served. And since this is an event that helps worthy local charities, it was good to see that the French and Italian wine baskets, generously donated by Bill Corace and well auctioned by Scotland’s own Joe Fattorini, this year went for worthy prices.

There were dinners on both Friday and Saturday evenings, at St Michaels and nearby restaurant locations. The one that we attended on Saturday night, at the Shore Restaurant & Lounge on Harbor Street featured a menu created by Executive Chef Steven Greene of Devereaux’s, Greenville, South Carolina, with helpful comments on the accompanying wines by Laurie Foster, “The Wine Coach.” The highlight for me was the first wine served, a 2005 Louis Michel Chablis Premier Cru “Montee de Tonnerre,”  which accompanied a scallop creation.

This was the first 2005 Chablis I have tasted, and it justified hopes that 2005 will be an outstanding year for white Burgundy wines as we already know it is for red Burgundies. This was well made, flavorful and not in the least oakey, following Louis Michel’s tradition of stainless steel vinification. Lobster ravioli followed with a deeper white wine, a 2005 Shaw & Smith M3 Vineyard Chardonnay from Australia. Fine Pinot Noir and Produttori del Bararesco Ovdello Riserva wines followed with the duck and spiced rack of lamb courses, the former a 2004 Papapietro Perry from Sonoma, and the latter a 2001 from the Piedmont region of Italy.

It is always a challenge to create a wine dinner with wines that have not approached their peaks of maturity, but this caution aside, the dinner was a fine success. Perhaps in the future, a vintage wine dinner will be created, with appropriate white wines, and a flight or two of red wines in their full maturity. Judging from the public, which was good humored and willing to spend some cash for fine dining, I think that many people would pay the necessary price for that experience.

There were dozens of exhibitors, and well over one hundred wines to taste. I particularly enjoyed the 2000 Chevalier de Rauzan-Gassies ($24 retail). This second wine of the Margaux second growth is a solid value for the money. And you can always boast that after all, Rauzan was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite house wine!

Inniskillin Vineyards, the Bordeaux VinExpo prize winning producers of Canadian icewines in the Niagara peninsula of Ontario, showcased their fine and costly wines. All were in the medium range of sweetness. I liked their 2005 Vidal (39.5 brix), 2003 Sparkling Icewine (36.1 brix) and, particularly, the 2004 Cabernet Franc icewine (39.5 brix), which would go beautifully with warm chocolate desserts. Their 2005 Riesling was a bit sweet for my taste. Oddly, the Boordy Sweet Riesling Reserve from Maryland was less so, and quite refreshing. It would be helpful if Boordy also included the standard brix sweetness indications on their labels.

Other wines tasted, and there was a very large choice, included several low cost, quality wines. Beringer’s Chardonnay “Third Century” 2006  ($12) from the California central coast, was refreshing and not too oakey. Chateau Souverain 2005 California Sauvignon Blanc ($10) was light and pleasant, not at all too grassy, as this varietal wine is sometimes. The 2006 Rosemount Traminer/Riesling from eastern Australia was very nice, at 60% Traminer and 40% Riesling.

There were a number of cooking demonstrations and wine seminars. Neither one required any further admission charge. The cooking demonstrations were held by expert chefs, including Mark Salter of the Inn at Perry Cabin in St Michaels, Tom Lewis of Monachyle Mhor, Scotland, and John Doherty from the Waldorf Astoria. Yes, there were fresh samples of their fine efforts! And there were wine seminars as well. Ben Giliberti of the Washington Post spoke, as did Laurie Foster and Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, of Wine For Dummies fame. I held two seminars, first on Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, and then on Champagne.

We were spoiled  by fine champagnes. At dinner on Saturday we were treated to a fine California product, Schramsberg Brut Rose 2003. And the Champagne Sponsor of the weekend, the Champagnes of Besserat de Bellefon, were generously available. Their Cuvee des Moines Brut and Brut Rose were light and flavorful. Too bad the superior Blanc de Blancs didn’t last through the entire weekend. It’s a fine value for the price.

For sponsors, the weekend ended with a stunning treat, a pavillion of fine wines, accompanied by excellent foods that were courtesy of the Consulate of Canada and Quebec Government House, New York City. There was foie gras, both bloc and mousse, and cooking demonstrations by Executive Chef Benoit Poliquin. His take on fresh crabmeat was a revelation, using generous chunks in butternut squash soup. It was delicious!

Kristina Sutter, a Master of Whisky, spoke regarding whisky. She corrected one of my misimpressions (a bit of water with whisky is not only not frowned upon, it’s the right thing to do, releasing flavors), and gave a word of caution (in Scotland, don’t order “Scotch”: it’s “whisky” you want)! She also noted that ice in whisky has the opposite effect of the splash of water, preventing flavors from expanding.

The 10 year old Talisker she served was delicious, but the Talisker Distiller Edition, finished in wood, an Amoroso sherry barrel, for a further year, was a revelation, richer and full of flavor. Of the 98 single malt whiskies made in Scotland, each takes characteristics from its region. Talisker, the only one made on the Isle of Skye, was full of character, smooth, distinctive and peppery. She served it with oysters, an interesting and successful combination.

But now it’s time to leave the world of malted barley (Scotch) for corn (bourbon), with Kentucky Derby being run on Saturday, May 5th! And for those anxious to celebrate this month’s thoroughbred horseracing season, here is my recipe for Mint Juleps. You don’t have to be from Kentucky to savor them. And after only one, plus a communal singing of “My Old Kentucky Home,” you’ll be sure that you are from the Bluegrass State, if only in spirit!

Real Kentucky Mint Juleps

Pick fresh mint leaves (from your garden, or the local retail store). Gently mash them with a tablespoon (or 1 ½, to taste) of confectioner’s sugar, to release the mint’s flavor and aroma, and add just the needed touch of sweetness. Very gently stir in enough branch water to liquify the confectioner’s sugar. (The water is crucial. If you have access to a free flowing stream, use it. If you use bottled water, then use a pure source water, like Evian. Definitely not treated tap water!) Wrap ice cubes in a towel and smash them with a hammer. (Better do this outside!) Fill your glasses (silver Jefferson cups if you have them) half-way with this freshly crushed ice, before it melts. Pour two full jiggers of first quality bourbon whiskey. (We like Maker’s Mark. This is definitely not the time to serve a house brand.) Stir very, very gently, take a long, contented sip. Then start to sing!