by Julian Schultz
julian@oxfordwineroom.com

                     
"Yikes! My rosy royal aarse will be adraggin'." Willy the Woebegone was frowning over his pocket calendar.

"Why don't you say 'ass'? I asked. "You're not in snobby England, but in blue collar...the ga-reat U. S. of A."

" 'Aarse' is more genteel. When it comes to wine tastings and wine dinners, my expressions are necessarily trés élégant." Willy's nose was disdainfully and haughtily pointed heavenward.

"I'm perplexed. So what's with the 'adraggin'? Why should your rosy royal rump be 'asufferin'?"

Willy threw his arms up: "Are you aware of the recent wine events we have already participated in - forgive this purist's preposition placement - and those that are in the offing? Zounds! My R R rump will be bouncing off the ground like a tennis ball!! Oh, woe is me...woe-o-o-o is me."

Willy handed me his calendar: He was correct. I am surprised that I am still sober and standing and that as far as know my liver is still functioning.

Willy: "So how will we manage to continue with these wine events?"

I said that by limiting my attendance in April, I would manage and that I would try to report all the events in one column.

Willy made a woeful face: "That makes you a reporter bore, a dull diagnostician, a have-nose-will-sniff sniffer; not your hedonistic style, your penning your passion applying the pleasure principal, Julian."

I nodded yes, perhaps, maybe, we would see; I might change my mind, something that is not unlike me.

The wine events of March: Castle game dinner, Castle pinot noir tasting, Webster House spring fling dinner, Castle Chaine des Rotisseurs dinner, Castle Victor Hugo wines dinner, Opia 1541 International Wine & Food Society dinner, Webster House April trial dinner.

Upcoming April wine events that I will limit myself to attend: Castle Equine Rescue grand tasting, Les Compagnons des Bons Vins tasting, Castle Sicilian wines tasting, Worcester Wine Tasters Silver Oaks/Beringer tasting, Webster House dinner with So. African wines.

Report on March's Victor Hugo wines dinner at the Castle: The mushrooms first course was exceptional. Gourmet all the way! Better than my imagination could have conceived: roasted golden oyster giant mushroom nestled on a creamy caramelized leeks risotto ringed with a sautéed shiitake mushroom. It blew me away, and I saw other bodies in euphoria similarly flying about.

Willy suggested we "let's nurse" the mushrooms/risotto dish with the six Victor Hugo wines and "ascertain which ones of them are most compatible with the fleshy fungi and the starchy rice. This should raise our woebegone spirits and influence our buying decisions."

"Speak for yourself, Willy. My spirits are already raised and I already own Victor Hugo wines, so your woebegone dispirit does not apply."

Castle sommelier/maitre d' Jim Nicas had already poured Viognier 2004, $15.99 (Mass. Liquors special discount prices for this dinner are shown here); "The Hunchback" red wines blend '02, $11.99; Syrah '03, $15.99; Cabernet Sauvignon '01, $15.99; Zinfandel '02, $14.99; Petit Sirah '02, $15.99.

My palate was more comfortable with the red wines; it experienced temporary awkwardness with the white Viognier's peaches, pears, apples, spice flavors and the adolescent imbalance zinging fruit acids. Willy predicted that in five years this "unstable duck of coveted Rhone Valley vines will become a graceful swan and will deliver loads of spicy lush rich fruit, smooth velvety balance, viscous swallow and persistent aftertaste." 

Wendy Leo, Gilbert Distributors sales consultant, supplied factual details about the Viognier and other Victor Hugo wines, assisting Victor Hugo winery owner who also spoke and answered questions about his wine growing and wine making policies.

I agreed, adding that Viognier is a bigtime 'comer': "In 1991, California crushed 78 tons; in 2001, it crushed 7791 tons, which says something about its increasing popularity."

My red wine favorites were "The Hunchback," a blend of 50 percent Cabernet Franc, 30 Merlot, 19 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1 Petit Verdot. I bought six. I also bought three of the Zinfandel that offered a variety of intense fruit jams, perfectly balanced with black pepper, spice, fruit acids and tannin.

Willy sneered at my limiting my purchases to the two reds: "I am constrained to voice my disappointment over the paucity of your purchases. I'm buying three of each wine already tasted and three of every other wine in the tasting if they fulfill my expectations; the prices are right; their quality can only improve. I've remonstrated with you so many times: Why are you so loath to lighten your purse with purchase and to back up the positive pronouncements of your lips?"

Second course roasted gigantic veal chop stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese -- a meal in itself -- with white bean ragout, squash sauce on sweet apple, honnied carrots and tender asparagus. It was like the royalty of gourmet dining was escorted by the royalty of complex wines: The consorting wines were five Opulence meritage reds, vintages of 1997, '98, '99, '00, and '01.

All wines were barrel aged for leaching complexity into the wines; each vintage dictated a variation of the wine blends; all were excellent, but the '00 and '01 were mind boggling superb. Price values at $19.99: 125 to 150/100.

The blends:
The '97: 48 percent Cabernet Franc, 36 Merlot, 16 Cabernet Sauvignon.
The '98: 45 Merlot, 32 Cabernet Franc, 19 Cabernet Sauvignon, 4 Petit Verdot.
The '99: 40 Cabernet Franc, 33 Merlot, 20 Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 Petit Verdot.
The '00: 38 Merlot, 29 Cabernet Franc, 14 Cabernet Sauvignon, 14 Petit Verdot, 5 Malbec.
The '01: 30 Cabernet Franc, 25 Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 each of Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

I described the '98 in a wine column of a few years ago: "The '98 was a proud chest out consort to the salad. My notes: 'big fruit, berries, plums, balanced fruit acids, soft texture, gentle tannin, smooth swallow, persistent aftertaste; reflection impression: layered pulsating fruit, moving hither, and thither, and yon, flooding the palate. A to A-plus. I bought three.' "

The wine dinner/tasting was over; Willy wrote his Victor Hugo order for three of everything; he added and multiplied totals; his loud incredulous gasp reverberated throughout the room: "Hell's fire and brimstone! This uncustomary enthusiasm will cost me almost $500! I must review the situation before I commit myself to the poorhouse."

"Oh, come on Willy," I said. "I understand your late wife left you well provided for. Although I knew her as an unpretentious purring pussycat, reputation had ordained her the wily wizard of Wall St. So go on, take your money from the bank and put it where your mouth is."

"Wizard, shmizard! Wall St., Shmall St.! She would not countenance wastefulness, extravagance and self-indulgence. I will reduce my spending to $250, focusing mostly on the less expensive wines like 'The Hunchback' the 'Zinfandel' and the 'Viognier'...and one each of the 'Opulence'." And despite this self-restraint, I am woebegone and to the poorhouse bound."

Willy morosely handed his order to Wendy, whose ever flashing sunny smile that could thaw an iceberg, failed to lighten his mood and elicit a response." Bowed, woening and moaning, Willy slowly left the Castle. 

OPIA 1541 RESTAURANT AND I.W.&F.S. WINE DINNER

"Awesome," said Executive Chef Antonio Sabino...about everything.

Woeful Willy and Melancholy Mikey, I didn't need.

Calluses on my ass were uncomfortable.

Here's how Awesome Antonio's awesome wine dinner awesomely played out: 

First, I phoned Antonio beseeching him to eliminate the dreaded garlic from my salad course and the bacon from my duck main course. "Awesome! No problem," he said reassuringly.

Second, Mikey approached Willy, mocking: "Hey, Willy, how are they hanging?"

Willy, annoyed: "Evenly, thank you...I understand your libido struck out with the Viagra and Cialis, and the Levitra didn't do much for it either. So how is it standing these days?"

"Hey! This is a wine dinner of prestige and gentility. What kind of disturbing street talk is this?" I said remonstrating. "My moral sense and patented dignity are compromised."

"Oh, that's just good old-boy, common man street talk," Mikey said dismissively. "My spleen goes into an uproar and I am rife with melancholy when I am subjected to la-de-da genteel, effete conversation, such as I am hearing here."

"Well, do your common man street talking in a girly bar," I answered with unconcealed disapproval. "This is an International Wine And Food Society prestigious event, and all of us here are expected to comport ourselves only with exalted decorum. So play the game like gentlemen, not street bums.

"And melancholy - you!! That contradicts my unfavorable impression of you, which is that of a hard hat, a hard nose, an earthy blue-collar culture wiseguy. You, the melancholy Dane? Come off it! "

Mikey: Yeah? Well, how does this grab you? 'Hence, all you vain delights, as short as are the nights wherein you spend your folly, there's not in this life so sweet if man were wise to see it but only melancholy, ohhhh sweetest melancholy. Welcome, folded arms and fixed eyes, a sigh' -- "

"Enough already! I beseech you. Spare me the poetry, an anomaly to your personality. Are you inherently a contradiction of yourself or are you assuming the artificiality of persona?" 

Mikey turned to Willy: "I thought you said he was a good guy. He sounds like a black belt jerk to me." Turning to me for the coup de grace, he said with thespian intonation and gesture, "And nothing's...so dainty sweet...as lo-ov-ov-ov--vely melancholy."

Willy: "Well, sometimes he can be a stuffed shirt, a gourmet snob, and an insufferable bore. Most times, though, he's good company. Let's haul ourselves over there to where Dr. Mike Polseno and his lovely wife are sitting."

Third, I found that sitting for almost four hours on the oi vey hard wooden, unpadded chair - and with my posterior bereft of padding, also - it was aching my ass and putting undesired calluses on it. Otherwise, now absent Willy and Mikey and with the excellent food and wine, the evening was a resounding triumph for chef Awesome Antonio and for Karen and Jeff Davis who selected the Opia 1541 (Main St., Worcester) to host our dinner.

The dinner hors d'oeuvres: smoked trout, barbecued eel with avocado and pickled carrots, and wild mushroom in phyllo. Matching wine Chateau Courtiade Bergerac, 50-percent each of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, was a successful escort to the gently seasoned canapés with its crisp, dry fruit of citrus and melon; properly balanced with fruit and fruit acids, it finished smoothly and lingered after the swallow.

So far, so good for those of us seated near the kitchen, with the waitstaff scurrying around trying to serve the 56 members at the same time. Those who were located in the hinterlands of the room had their patience tried as they waited for the waitresses to reach them.

Two appetizers: Grilled marinated giant size prawn with salad of stone fruits; watermelon gazpacho with apricot slice - both delicious! - were paired with Chateau Grade Cassagne Rosé, a vigorous wine with a forthcoming nose and flavor reminiscent of pomegranate. And again, the pairing was on target. 

Salad course: Peppercress with spring strawberries and blueberries in a Port wine reduction under a pepper/fruit dressing was further elevated in flavor with Domaine de Boissieu Beaujolais Blanc. The wine was neatly layered with fruits reminiscent of apples, plums and pears; the more discerning gourmets also discovered fennel and honey. The matchup of sensational salad and wine was excellent.

Some bellies, including mine, were becoming bloated from generous servings of food and refills of wine...and the best was yet to come, Awesome Antonio promised.

Preliminary course: tasty, tender porcini mushroom-dusted petit filet of tenderloin beef, prepared deliciously medium rare, with grilled white asparagus and onion/blood orange sauce was accompanied by Domaine St. Antoine Syrah, a superb big-bodied wine of deep fruit, reminiscent of black cherries with balancing black pepper and soft tannin. The swallow and aftertaste in conjunction with the filet were a delight that elicited approving murmurs throughout the room.

Came the Main Event to plague already bursting bellies and drowning gizzards: trilogy of duck with smoked bacon and creamed leeks under foie gras sauce was paired with Domaine Santa Duc Cote du Rhone Village Cairanne. What little I could manage of the delectable duck, before I took home Dr. Roland Caron's and my unfinished portions, was ecstatically excellent...and similarly as successful was the Cairanne. 

Yes, Executive Chef Awesome Antonio is doing all things right at Opia 1541 - well, except for ruining svelte waistlines; inasmuch as his waistline isn't, we got no compassion from him. 

Wait! With so much deliciousness to eat and to drink and to savor and to talk about, and some speeches yet, 'twas now the very witching time of night when graveyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world. (Alas! Convinced am I that I supped too good and too recklessly when I quoted from Shakespeare...Hamlet...to Dr. Roland Caron and Dr. Richard and Lynda Heller.)

Many members with obligations the following morning had to depart, leaving uneaten their exquisite black forest chocolate/mint torte with cherries and espresso foam. I added half of mine to my pig-eat-at-home container and looked to snatch more of what was left behind. But more agile diehards beat me to them.

Congratulations to Awesome Antonio Sabino; Steven Worcester, sous chef; Jonathon Giddix, pastry chef; Bethany Miczek, Ashley Catino and Nicole Fortune, waitstaff; and Adam Halterman who selected the wines. You guys were well deserving of our exuberant accolades for a magnificent evening of imagination, innovation and diversity in gourmet dining.

Now, Awesome Antonio - how do I treat the calluses on my ass?

Wine Pick: Clos du Val Pinot Noir 2003, $24. Intense red and black fruit aromas - cherries, strawberries - transfer to the palate adding richness and supple tastes; fruit acids and tannin are balanced with ripe fruit; the wine finishes velvety and persists in the aftertaste. Superb!

Wine Pick: Trinchero Main Street Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, $40. Taste compare with a Bordeaux classified growth and determine for yourself why this cab at half the price is as good...if not better! Nose and mouthful of rich ripe fruit varieties with balancing black pepper, tannin, and fruit acids. Price value is solid, the $40 price not withstanding.

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