Our Festivals
USA, New Orleans, USA
March 14-16, 2024 (Americas)
This weekend was indeed an exercise in the 'Big Easy' mood and with members from US, Canada, Cayman and the UK enjoying the experience. This special visit included a leisurely stroll along the Mighty Mississippi and a riverboat cruise that floated downriver in no hurry at all. Stand-out wines were paired with Cajun and Creole cuisine. To top it all, a New Orleans cooking class to savor entrées stirred, seasoned and cooked by us.
The Big Easy, New Orleans’ nickname, hosted The International Wine and Food Society, Americas last March 14 through March 16. The weekend was indeed an exercise of Big Easy mood. Friends gathered at a lovely hotel and restaurants to enjoy wonderful food and fabulous wines. We took a leisurely stroll along the Mighty Mississippi to hop on a riverboat that floated downriver in no hurry at all. Sparkling wine, sauvignon blancs, and pinots accompanied us over a Cajun and Creole cuisine. To top it all, a New Orleans cooking class to savor entrées stirred, seasoned and cooked by us.
The weekend started on Thursday with a meet and greet dinner at La Chinoiserie of the luxurious Windsor Court Hotel. A lovely rose champagne welcomed us to good old friends and many new friends to make. Members from both coasts and central areas of the United States, as well as, Canada, Cayman Islands, and the United Kingdom were at hand to toast for a wonderful event.
Creole cane syrup vinaigrette launched the deconstructed Nicoise Crab Salad paired by two chardonnays, South American and Californian. This comparison was the theme for the weekend. As the dinner progressed, we were regaled with wines notes and anecdotes by Randy Ullom and Larry O’Brien. The how and why these wines were made really added to the dinner enjoyment. Chef Vlad Kogan and Sous Chef Jan Tagaro presented a lovely dinner over a table of beautiful china and stemware.
The next day started with a Big Easy late morning for a stroll along South Peters along the river shore to Toulouse Street loading dock. We boarded the historic Riverboat Natchez under the tunes of a lively calliope. Sparkling wine at the Captains Hall saw us off by paddlewheel southbound on the Mighty Mississippi. Huge seagoing oilers and cargo vessels dwarfed us, yet never felt in peril. The skipper narrated the trip spiced with tales and stories about the river and it shores peppered with storms, fires, and wars. A pleasant Cajun catfish lunch awaited us in the main dining hall along with wonderful wines that calmed our palates.
That evening, we once again walked; though just across the street, to the chandelier lit hall of August Restaurant. Always known for its food, impeccable service, and lovely stemware, August did not disappoint. Chef Corey Thomas concocted a five course dinner that traced his travels to South America, Asia, and Europe, without ever forgetting his Creole roots. Specially memorable was the Crawfish Orrechiette. Randy Ullom and Larry O’Brien once again guided us through the pairings. The Dakel chardonnay and the pinot noir stand out. However, the Zeitlos sauvignon blanc cannot be forgotten.
The night went by in a whirlwind of local morel mushrooms, Bayou Cora Grits, passion fruit, rabbit, lamb, and merlitons. The conversation could not deviate from the flavors and textures served afore us. A special nod to Chris Dorion, of the New Orleans IWFS branch for his invaluable help this evening. The dinner was just spectacular!
With some difficulty, we arose the next day for the optional New Orleans Cooking Class. We walked towards the French Quarter, dragging our feet and some what fearful of the experience to come. We entered a very crowded storefront on the river side of Rue St. Louis filled with spices and seasonings for sale. Shortly, we were guided three floor up to a private classroom, The Molasses Room. A loud air conditioner wall unit roared on. Then Chef Joe entered the room. The party started!!
Chef Joe, Louisiana native, regaled us with the history of New Orleans cuisine, styles of cooking, styles of speech, tricks for making roux, and how not. Then he guided us to one of three stations to make our lunch: corn-crab bisque, crawfish etouffee, and pralines. All of us neophytes stood there taking turns stirring the pots while sipping wine and laughing out loud. Then we sat for lunch to enjoy a very good bisque, a quite good etouffee, and wonderful pralines. By the way, it is pronounced “prahlines”. We were advised that “praylines” we do in church.
The walk back home was jovial and energetic, with all trepidation set aside. An apron, spices, and recipes filled our shopping bag. All in all, a great optional event!
That evening closed our fabulous weekend. Once again at the Windsor Court, donning our best duds, we entered an elegant reception served with a Taittinger Champagne. Chef Vlad took some of New Orleans favorite dishes for us. Turtle soup, Fish Delmonico with Crawfish, Scallops, and Duck Beast danced on our tables. Catena chardonnay and malbec shined that night. The Hartford Court and Ex Post Facto syrahs were splendid.
The night and weekend ended with a touching award ceremony. Dwight Catherwood, Los Angeles branch, received the André Simon Gold Medal for his many years of outstanding service to our Society, particularly as Treasurer of the Board. Steven Greenwald, Washington, D.C. branch, received the André Simon Silver Medal for his meticulous planning of many memorable festivals and service to IWFS Americas. John Trickett, Arkansas Branch, was awarded the BDA Silver Medal for his work in communications and service to IWFS Americas. Charles Schurhammer and his team, Stephen Hipple, John Trickett, and Andrew Jones organized a superb festival that was enjoyed by all attendees. Rose Clemson, the Americas behind the scenes guru, ensured we all were looked after. The chefs, servers, and hotel staff also shined throughout the weekend. Their care for detail showed, as did our appreciation for their efforts. A weekend at the Big Easy is not as easy as it feels.
Thank you to Ivan Batlle for his report on the weekend which will also appear in issue 148 of Wine Food & Friends.
FRANCE, Loire Valley
May 28-June 1, 2024 (Europe Africa)
What an international success this was, attracting fifty-eight members across the Society. The travellers spent five days touring and soaking up the delights of the picturesque Loire Valley region. They enjoyed guided tours of some of the resplendent chateaux nestled in the valley and of course winery visits to sample and learn about the wines of the region. Members stepped back in time at many of the wineries who have their cellars in troglodyte/limestone caves. A cruise along the River Cher, a tributary of the Loire, gave members the opportunity to taste wines from Sancerre and Savennières. These are two top names of the region but over 300 km apart so the cruise was a fitting opportunity to taste them together. In addition to the wines there were fine dining experiences too with meals at two very different Michelin star restaurants where tasting menus were carefully paired with wines of the region. Other lunches were less formal, with one outstanding event deep in one of the caves near Saumur featuring traditional delicious French fare, snails and mushrooms, from the caves.
Thank you to Grape Escapes who assisted with the organisation, to Paddy Daly (our tour guide) and to Jim Budd who presented a lecture on the wines of the Loire on our opening night. We are grateful to Jim for his longstanding support as our Wines Consultant for the Loire wines and he was presented with an IWFS Diploma in recognition of his commitment and support since 2010 (see Our Awards).
A full report of this festival will appear in Food & Wine, issue 151.