An Evening of Vintage Veuve Clicquot with Winemaker Pierre Casenave!

The Lovely Lineup!

Vintage Champagne. 

This is definitely one of my favorite word combinations of all time. As a bona fide Bubbly Girl I was thrilled to receive an invitation to an exclusive winemaker dinner featuring vintage offerings of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Let's just say it didn't take me long to accept!

Pierre Casenave, Moi & Don Derocher

The dinner took place at one of my favorite wine venues in South Florida, the Via Luna Wine Room at The Ritz Carlton, Fort Lauderdale presided over by the dapper, yet down to earth Sommelier in Residence, Don Derocher. Our special guest for the evening was Pierre Casenave, winemaker for Veuve Cliquot since 2008, who expertly guided us through the five featured vintages. Ritz Carlton Chef de Cuisine Christian Clair, also from Champagne as luck would have it, created delicious dishes to complement each wine.

Madame Clicquot at the Champagne House in Reims, France

While many people know Veuve Clicquot for their signature "Yellow Label" Brut bottling, there is quite a bit of historical significance behind this Champagne House which was founded by Philippe Clicquot in 1772. The House actually gave rise to one of the first businesswomen in history when Madame Clicquot (née Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin) was widowed at the age of 27 and took over the family business in 1805. During her life she made many contributions to the history of Champagne including the production of the first rosé champagne, the production of the first vintage champagne in 1810, and the development of the riddling table in 1816. The Champagnes of the House still reflect Madame Clicquot's penchant for Pinot Noir, Veuve Clicquot's signature grape.

Our tasting began with the 1978 Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé whose color was a fusion of copper and salmon pink with a faint bead of bubbles tracing its way to the surface. This 34-year old wine had aromas of stewed strawberry and hazelnut with conspicuous oxidative notes; it was almost Port-like in nature. Casenave pointed out that the wine's tertiary flavors might lead you to believe the wine was aged in oak although no oak was used in its production. Chef Clair prepared Shaved Prosciutto di Parma with Roasted Eggplant and Ciabatta Crostini to pair with this wine, which harmonized particularly well with the roasted eggplant.

Next was the 1985 Veuve Cliquot Brut Rosé which was an interesting contrast to the '78. The '85 was a bright salmon pink with hints of copper and an active bead. This wine had lovely, subtle aromas and flavors of strawberry, raspberry and spice and seemed much fresher and younger than you might guess given its age. It also had a crisp, food friendly acidity and paired wonderfully with Diver Scallops with Forest Mushroom Risotto and White Truffle Oil. The flavors of the rosé synergized especially well with the truffle notes! Casenave used the comparison of the '78 and the '85 to illustrate the distinct personality of every vintage.
 
Our third bubbly of the evening was the 1993 Veuve Cliquot "Gold Label" Brut which was pale gold in color with a vibrant bead. It had a delightful toasty, yeasty nose and flavors of citrus, toasted brioche, hazelnut and spice. This wine was rich and complex with lovely structure. It was paired with Seared Branzino Filet with Rosemary Polenta Cake and Tomato Caper Vinaigrette and the nuttiness of the wine beautifully highlighted the flavor and texture of the fish. 

Next was the House's tête de cuvée, the 1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame. In contrast to the '93 "Gold Label" Brut's richness, the '98 La Grande Dame was very delicate with aromas and flavors of white flowers, citrus, toast and minerals. It was pure and poised and exceptionally elegant. Casenave explained the first vintage of La Grande Dame was created in 1972 to celebrate the House's bicentennial and as a tribute to Madame Clicquot. While the Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Puree, Baby Carrots and Cipollini Onions accompanying the wine was delicious, I was secretly craving the simple, elegant flavors of lobster with drawn butter.

Our final wine of the evening was the 1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé. This wine had a gorgeous, deep raspberry hue and perfumey aromas of juicy red berries, vanilla and cassis. The enticing flavors of ripe raspberry, black currant and spice were delightful and while this wine was somewhat opulent, it demonstrated remarkable balance. I didn't know whether to dab some behind my ears or drink it - so I did what any bubbly-loving girl would do: both! This fabulous rosé paired beautifully with Chef Clair's Strawberry Bavarois with Strawberry Mint Salsa and Fresh Whipped Cream.

Cheers to Don, Christian and the team at The Ritz Carlton for a most enjoyable evening! If you have the chance to stop by the Via Luna Wine Room, be sure to make the acquaintance of Sommelier Don Derocher and request a tour of his fabulous Wine Vault. 

Cheers,

A Provençal-inspired Lunch with the Original Ladies of "Savor the Moment!"

Me and Cindy Krebsbach

Since starting this blog over a year ago, there are two ladies in particular I have been looking forward to having over to Chez Miskew for a "Savor the Moment" lunch. They were instrumental in the creation of the JLBR's James Beard Award-winning Cookbook and have continued to be a wonderful and willing resource for the Cookbook Committee ever since. They have also been incredibly supportive of this blog which I, of course, greatly appreciate. They are both past presidents of the Junior League of Boca Raton and, in case you haven't guessed, I am referring to the inimitable Cindy Krebsbach and Lisa Mulhall. 



The Fabulous Lisa Mulhall!

Cindy was the Cookbook Chairperson and Lisa was Sales Chairperson on the Original Cookbook Committee that rallied an entire league of ladies to create our James Beard Award-winning cookbook. They were even in attendance at the 2001 James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony in New York City and, by their own admission, were delighted and surprised to hear the announcement that "Savor the Moment" had won this prestigious culinary accolade, beating out publications by both Bon Appétit and well-known New York City socialite, Nan Kempner.

In addition to their numerous charitable achievements, these ladies are also alot of fun! When I invited them over a few weeks ago, the Cookbook Committee was hard at work formulating our proposal for the 10th Anniversary Celebration and they were kind enough to help us plan. For lunch, I decided to go with a delicious, Provençal-inspired theme and "Savor the Moment" had the perfect recipes to fit the bill: Pan Bagna (pg. 136), Mesclun with Walnut-Crusted Goat Cheese Rounds (pg. 31) and the Tarte Tatin with Oatmeal Crust (pg. 270). Of course we started the afternoon with a glass of De Margerie Grand Cru Brut Champagne NV for a toast to "Savor the Moment!"

Pan Bagna (also Pan Bagnat), which translated, means "wet bread," is a sandwich that is a specialty of Nice, France. It is essentially a Salad Niçoise layered between two pieces of French bread usually consisting of raw vegetables, hard boiled eggs, tuna and olive oil. The delicious "Savor the Moment" version calls for goat cheese, kalamata olives, arugula, radishes, tomatoes, basil and a cooked tuna steak. While the tuna usually called for is cooked through or even packed in olive oil, I grilled the tuna steak until medium-rare, leaving it still nice and pink in the center. Once assembled, the sandwich is then wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a shallow baking dish with a weighted baking sheet placed on top, and popped in the fridge for 1-6 hours to allow all the fabulous flavors to meld. Not only was this recipe easy to make, it was positively delicious and I cannot wait to make it again!

The Mesclun with Walnut-Crusted Goat Cheese Rounds turned out to be a new favorite as well - easy to put together and very tasty! The dressing calls for minced shallots, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and mixed chopped herbs (I used basil and thyme) and has really great flavor. While the recipe calls for only 2 tablespoons of olive oil and/or walnut oil, it wasn't quite enough and I ended up adding about 1/3 cup of oil total, which gave the dressing a great consistency. I used half walnut and half olive oil - walnut oil gives such a fabulous nutty, smoky flavor! The walnut-crusted goat cheese rounds were very easy to assemble and held up nicely in the oven for a few extra minutes. The combination of walnuts and goat cheese gave the salad great texture and melded beautifully with the flavors in the vinaigrette. I will definitely be adding this salad to the rotation!

To drink, I served a deliciously pink, Côtes de Provence Rosé, the 2009 Chateau D'Esclans Whispering Angel. This blend of Grenache, Rolle, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvedre is done in a dry style with lovely fruit flavors, a delicate, creamy texture and almost spicy finish. If you have not tried this wine, I highly recommend it! Chateau D'Esclans specializes in making rosé and I recently had the chance to taste all four wines in their fabulous portfolio which happens to include the world's priciest rosé, Garrus, that sells for $100 a bottle! (full story here) Luckily, the Whispering Angel retails for around $20 and was the perfect accompaniment to our Provençal-inspired meal.

Cupcake Couture!

While the rest of the meal went off without a hitch, I have to confess, dessert did not - the Tarte Tatin with Oatmeal Crust completely kicked my butt! I am a fan of this classic French dessert that is essentially an upside-down apple tart with apples that are first caramelized in butter and sugar before being baked in the oven. I am not much of a baker but I followed the directions to a tee and even started over once after burning the initial butter/sugar mixture. Sadly, in the end I was left with burnt, apple goop that even a gallon of vanilla ice cream couldn't fix - c'était horrible!  If anyone has made this dish before, I would greatly appreciate any advice. Luckily, I had my back up plan in place: a selection of delicious cupcakes from Cupcake Couture here in Delray Beach. We enjoyed Cocoa Chanel, Christian Louboutinilla, Mound-olo Blahnik and Jimmy Chooocolate cupcakes - all named after designers, how fabulous is that? I am happy to report they more than made up for the Treacherous Tarte Tartin!

After our Provençal-inspired lunch, we flipped through "Savor the Moment" coming up with fabulous and festive ideas for the 10th Anniversary Celebration which will be held Friday, November 12th at the Seagate Beach Club from 7-10pm and is sure to be "A Night to Remember!" For more information and/or to purchase tickets, please visit the Junior League Website by clicking here. I have included the recipe for the Pan Bagna below and hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Cheers to Cindy and Lisa for a delightful afternoon that was definitely one to savor!

XO,



Pan Bagna (pg. 136)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove
salt to taste
1 (16 inch) sourdough or whole wheat baguette
1 tablespoon olive oil 3 ounces mild goat cheese
6 kalamata olives, sliced
1 cup arugula leaves
3 large radishes
pepper to taste
1 (6-ounce) tuna steak, cooked
3 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
8 large fresh basil leaves, shredded
Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, garlic and salt in a blender container and process until smooth.
Cut the bread into halves horizontally. Hollow the bread form both halves, leaving 1 1/2 inch shells. Brush the bottom shell with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Spread the cheese in the bottom shell. Layer the olives, arugula and radishes over the cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1/3 of the dressing.
Arrange the tuna over the layers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with half of the remaining dressing. Layer the tomatoes and basil over the tuna. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
Fit the top shell over the layers and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a shallow dish and place a baking sheet on the top. Weight the baking sheet with several 1-pound weights.
Chill for 1 to 6 hours. Cut into 2-inch slices to serve.
Serves four