2014 Game Dinner: Cousino Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon `10 $11.99

It has been a rough winter - cold, dark and filled with snow.  What helps me get through the seemingly endless final weeks of winter? Counting the days until the Stockbridge Sportsman's Club Game Dinner, a fundraiser that shares the bounty of the year with neighbors and brings over 200 of us all together: writers, hunters, teachers, students, healthcare activists, carpenters, tradesmen, civil servants, business owners and a transplanted Fijian. The one demographic NOT represented at the dinner was vegetarians. This was my second year attending the annual Game Dinner, and I hope that I'll be able to write about for years to come.

The dinner had a special wine pairing, a French Rhone (reviewed last year) Chapelle St Arnoux Cotes du Ventoux, and the Chilean Cousino Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon `10 above left.  There was a full cash bar for those who wanted beer, soda, juice or mixed drinks.

The fire in the member built fireplace added a glow to the room, and mounted trophies on the walls were a reminder of where our dinner came from.  This is a gathering of old and new friends sharing in the harvest, talking about the season and celebrating by raising a glass, swapping hunting stories, and online recipes while discussing schools, orchestra practice, writing groups and honeymoons. (public vs private, 9 hours practicing with 15 mins for lunch!, topics focusing on women, a B&B in Newport RI  - a fishing trip in guise of a honeymoon)

Dinner was presented in three buffet courses:

Appetizers: Smoked Trout Pâté, Smoked Pheasant, Wild Boar Meatballs with pineapple habenero sauce, Country Venison Pâté, Mini Bear Wellington with horseradish sauce, Squirrel & Rabbit Ragu, and Moose Sausage Sliders.

Main Courses: Smoked Salmon Cakes with Mango Sauce, Panko Crusted Cod and Pollack with Lemon Pepper and White Wine,  Moose and Elk Stroganoff over egg noodles, Venison Chili, Moose & Mushroom Stew, Polenta, Venison Meatloaf with a mushroom demi-glace, Grilled Moose, Smoked Bear with a Memphis Rub, Smoked Venison, Wild Fiddleheads and Winter Squash.

Dessert: Fruit cobbler, homemade fudge, and local Barrington Roasting Company Coffee.

Everything was local.  The club is set back in the Berkshire Mountain woods where generations of animals and hunters have co-existed.  The fiddleheads were harvested from a local riverbank.  Two Italian sisters made the delicious, creamy polenta, that highlighted the moose and mushroom stew.  The club's vice president made the Country Venison Pâté with pistachios, and he and his wife donated the Japanese Kabocha & Butternut squash from their garden too.

With two professional chefs in the kitchen, the Club's Peter de la Grande and David Pullano, this dinner is a meat loving foodie event.

At our table, between sips of the jammy, complex Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, as oohed and ahhd over the Venison Stew, Marc Fadding, the club VP and cook of both the Stew and Venison Pâté told us a he tweaked am online recipe for venison stew by adding red-wine and a rich, fresh venison stock he learned to make under the tutelage of Chef Gerhard Schmid. It was delicious, and the lean flavorful stew paired beautifully with the dark fruit layers of the Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon.

The real pairing highlights of the evening was the Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile's Maipo Valley with both the appetizer Moose Sausage Slider, and the main course Moose and Elk Stroganoff over egg noodles.   At 14% ETO, this Cabernet Sauvignon was well balanced, added a fruity taste to balance the meat, and was a perfect match to the sweetness in both the slider bun, and the stroganoff noodles. What a delicious meal.

I'm counting the days until next year....

Chapelle St Arnoux Cotes du Ventoux `09 ****

WARNING:  Vegetarians and PeTA Members stop reading now! (read here for a certified vegan review)

Whew, now that it is just us carnivores, let me tell you about one of the best meals I have ever had.  It was an annual Sportsmens Club Game Dinner. Just in case any pesky PeTA members are still reading this (hey, thanks for boosting my stats!) I am redacting all identifying information on the club from this blog post.  Suffice it to say that it was an all American experience (well, there was ONE French guy ooohhhlala to quote other women from our table) that could have been a Norman Rockwell tableau -  if Norman's relatives had hunted, killed, dressed, butchered then cooked that famous Thanksgiving turkey!

It was a Saturday night banquet with a cash bar.  Hiding behind a forest of supermarket brand Cabernet at the corner of the bar were some discrete green bottles.  I wasn't hoping for great wine at this dinner, and I briefly lamented not bringing a bottle of Tiburizi to go with the Bear, Moose, Elk and Venison that was being served, but when the bartender showed me the AOC Cotes du Ventoux label, well, I thought to myself, SCORE! 

The wine was a mellow, delicious Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault, it was a great table wine - perfect for the evening, and at 14% ETOH, it was a solid pairing for the game; a subtle red with a lovely hint of spice, and a full finish.  It was so easy to sip that I had polished my first glass off even before our table was called to the buffet for dinner.

This was a packed house of 250 Sportsmen and women who hunt for the sake of eating, and have a chef that transforms their game into haute cuisine to share with the community and raise money for local charities; it was the annual tasting of the year's bounty.  After some amazing appetizers of Mini Bear Wellingtons, smoked pheasant, Elk and Wild Turkey Pate, and a special shout out to the Rabbit and Squirrel Ragout, my first glass was gone, and I was heading back to the bar for my second.  All under the watchful gaze of a 11 point buck who more than likely could have been the sausage in that mini venison and elk sausage slider that I so eagerly savored.  I said "Thank you" to the deer, and chewed on.

Drinking this French Rhone at a game dinner in a Sportsmans lodge made me feel connected to the past.  And also connected to the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast.  I may have been caught singing "No one hunts like Gaston" after the tall, dark, handsome Frenchman left our table.


I sipped my wine and surveyed my tasting plate (and cup of delicious venison chili) I heard rumors of salad, but for me, the greens on my plate were Fiddleheads.  I love fiddlehead ferns, they grow on the banks of the stream back home in Maine, and every spring, I am reminded of just how wonderful they are.  It was an amazing night. I'll leave you with a slideshow:

Argiano Non Confunditur `08 $17.99 ***

This Argiano Super Tuscan was a JPH find.  The translation of the Latin name Non Confunditur is "don't get confused".  Well, this blend is IGT, meaning that with this wine, Argiano intentionally broke with tradition and got experimental: high quality blending of French and Italian varietals.

All marketing and intentional confusion aside, it is a rich, smooth, fruity, light tannin blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 20% Syrah.  Which makes it a good Tuscan red for people who aren't fond of Sangiovese. (Look at me, I am raising my hand here - I'll say it, Sangiovese is not one of my favorite varietals) At 14% ETOH, it is a wine with some power.  The full flavor of the wine made it a memorable sipping wine, but where it really stood out for me was with dinner.

We paired it with Venison & Mushroom Pie from the National Trust's Good Old Fashoned Pie and Stew Cookbook and a side of fresh green beans and rolls from Leonetti's Pastry Shop. It was a simple, hearty meal paired with this not so simple Tuscan blended wine.  S. and JPH really liked it (I think that this was the fourth bottle purchased).

Argiano is a producer of some amazing Grand Reserves of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. I've stumbled across them in some of the better cellar tastings that I have been to over the years. They are a quality, big name in Italian wines.  It is great to see classic production side by side with innovative blends like the Non Confunditure.  This is an Estate that is well grounded in history but is also forward thinking.  Well done.

It was a long, uneventful winter, and now that it is officially Spring I want to share pictures of S.'s garden. Soon enough, we'll be sitting on the patio sipping wine and enjoying the view that she & JPH tirelessly work to create:

Cakebread Chardonnay `10 $29.00 ****

JPH was saving this for a special meal.  He had bought it by the glass for S. in Jackson Hole and it was a favorite (albeit expensive).

Delicious, rich and fruity, with a good acidic balance. Of course it is 14.2% ETOH so it makes a statement even without its beautiful nuances (fragrance), fine structure (no oakiness, but a good mouth feel) and balance (from the first taste through the final swallow). 100% Chardonnay that tastes full and unoaked (but it does spend part of its life in French Oak) Luscious is the word that I would use. Really, this is a great Napa Chardonnay.

We had it with a Tarragon & White Wine Rabbit Stew from the English National Trust Good Old-Fashioned Pies & Stews  and roasted new potatoes.

Thank you Cakebread Cellars for making such a great American Chardonnay. 
 

Cave de Tain l'Hermitage Crozes-Hermitage Les Trois Lys `07 (not TJ's) Gift/$17.99 ***

Birthday Dinner in three bottles:  #2 Cave de Tain l'Hermitage Crozes-Hermitage Les Trois Lys `07

Dinner was about to be put on the table. JPH uncorked the second bottle, a gift from European cousins who enjoy a good table wine.  This was a special occasion and it paired well with the menu win/win.

Cave de Tain is a big producer of French table wine from the birthplace of Syrah, the northern Rhône. From AOC Crozes-Hermitage, this easy to drink, medium weight slightly peppery wine is versatile, either as a sipping wine or a dinner wine and at 13 - 13.5% ETOH made it easy for us to pace ourselves for the celebratory evening.  Popular in London as a table wine, it was listed in Enjoy wine without a hangover in the Sunday Times. (This was good, as we still had another bottle to go)

As we sat in the dining room, eating through the amazing fresh chanterelles, pheasant breast and spätzle, the wine went down smoothly.  Glasses were easily refilled, and the discussion ranged from raising chickens (one firm NO) to upcoming local fairs (Count me IN for the 10/02/11 Annual Sea-Cliff Mini-Mart).

The wine was smooth, dinner was filling and the company was entertaining. Soon enough it was time for dessert and bottle #3 Banfi Rosa Regale NV

Chateau La Touche Muscadet `09 $14.00 ***

A Birthday Dinner in three bottles.

Bottle # 1  Chateau La Touche Muscadet  `07 was opened as the family started to arrive and the fire pit was lit.  Made from Melon de Bourgogne grapes, this wine is light (12% ETOH), bright (hints of melon and a ghost of a taste of tart citrus - grapefruit) and refreshing; there is a crisp minerality that some say comes from proximity to the sea.  AOC Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine is where the Loire river meets the Maine and the Sevre rivers in western France.

The sur-lie fermentation process produces a rustic, flavorful wine with the harvest pressings spending their first winter fermenting with the skins and dried yeasts.  This adds a crispness and a real depth of flavor to the finished product. The wine was a perfect foil for the salty almonds, nuts and crackers that we nibbled on as the pheasant braised.  At 12% ETOH, it was a great was to ease ourselves into the next bottle.

photo by MEH

This was JPH's Birthday Dinner, all hands were on deck.  For the occasion, S. planned the menu, sourced the amazing ingredients from Marx Foods and brought out the good glassware; everything was perfectly in place as we sipped wine and watched the day turn to dusk. 


Our Menu:  Braised Pheasant, Spetzel and fresh Chanterelles sauteed in a butter cream sauce.  For dessert, I made Panna Cotta.

As the fire started outside, the fire was about to start inside:  JPH played with fire as I tried to snap a picture. On the right is what the stove looked like as he poured the flaming cognac onto the pheasant....


As we were about to plate, JPH opened Bottle # 2, our dinner wine: Cave de Tain l'Hermitage Crozes-Hermitage Les Trois Lys `07

Here is dinner just before it came off the stove:

Banfi BelnerO `05 $35.99 (Not TJ's) ****

Tonight's bottle was the Banfi Belnero `05.  As a fourth course, S. & JPH had tasted the `07 with Pepper Seared Yellow Fin Tuna with a Vegetable-Miso Broth.  S said that it was her favorite course of the meal.  We opened the `05 just before we had our dinner of Braised Elk Ribs with Roasted Tomatoes and Scalloped potatoes.

This is a smooth, luscious Sangiovese that stands as a proud representative of the southern hills of Montalcino.  Ornate, Tuscan and enjoyable. There is a hint of coffee to this wine.  Just enough acid to stand up to meat, but soft enough to have with cheese. Blending a juiciness with an undercurrent of coffee makes this an enjoyable special occasion wine.

Banfi Tasting second course:  Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio `09 $18.49 (not TJ's) ***
Banfi Tasting third course:  Banfi Centine Rosso `07 $10.89 (not TJ's)
Banfi Tasting fourth course: Banfi BelnerO `05 $35.99 (Not TJ's) ****

Sattler Zweigelt `08 (not TJ's)$18.99 *

I was seduced by the label and the varietal.  I have never had Zweigelt before.What can I say?  I was seduced by something foreign, exotic,... new.... JPH let me bring it home.

At lunch, we were looking for something "Cheap & Cheerful" I forgot the price, and pulled this from the rack.  Time for an exotic Austrian grape to spice up our Sunday lunch.

The time from uncorking to irredeemable first sip, less than five minutes. If this bottle had been a tryst, it would have been the WORST first date ever - I apologized to S. for bringing this bottle home.

This was a musty, bitter, wine wrapped in a chic label.  S. shuddered after she took a sip.  (And she had been drinking 3 day open Palin with lunch!)  I grabbed my glass and tasted.  Bleech.  Tart, acidic, rough, and with an after burn that was epic. That was when I apologized for picking the bottle out.  JPH simply grabbed a bottle of Henry Fessey Cru Beaujolais, and lunch was saved.  (but I bet he'll think twice the next time I grab a bottle and say "Let's try this, I've never had it before!")

The bottle wasn't corked.  It just was terrible.  I looked on line at her reviews.  People out there like it!  Huh?  I am scratching my head.  Maybe the bottle that we bought was stored wrong before it made it to the shelves.  Or maybe it is just a really bad wine.  I will try Zweigelt again.  It has put me off Austria a little bit. (Is it possible for a wine to singe your taste buds?)

I didn't even bother to aerate it.  In my opinion, it was beyond redemption.

The bottle did not go to waste. S. used it to braise Elk Short Ribs for that night's dinner. 

"With enough of garlic, you won't taste it."

Thank you S. for redeeming this undrinkable wine.