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Meet the Winners of the 2011 Wine Ride!

KeeperTeam — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:41:03 +0000

After four days of voting we finally have our Winner of the 2011 Wine Ride, June Rodil of Congress Austin! With this honor June has now secured a spot to compete against two other sommeliers (to be determined) in Somms Under Fire in early May 2011 for the chance to win an amazing grand prize package including a trip to San Francisco and an internship in Burgundy, France from Selection Becky Wasserman. The dreary weather couldn’t stop June’s enthusiasm from selecting her perfect pairings. June was even able to name an overall Best Pairing of the Day, which included the Chestnut Soup with Fried Peanuts at Foreign & Domestic paired with the 2007 Domaine Michel LaFarge Bourgogne Aligote Raisin Dores. While all Somms showed incredible talent and educated the audience with enlightening food and wine pairing tidbits, June took the cake among voters as the most educational Somm of the Wine Ride with her secret weapon, “Jazz Hands”. “I learned that you should listen to your senses and take a human approach when pairing food and wine…have fun and explore,” said one observer. To see a recap of some of June’s pairing skills and to see her “Jazz Hands” in action, watch the videos posted below.

If you think you have what it takes to compete against June and her Jazz Hands in Somms Under Fire, visit www.sommsunderfire.com. There are still two spots available for a chance to win the grand prize package of a lifetime!

As many of you know, the Somms were not the only people racing to win at the Wine Ride. The Winner of the 2011 Wine Ride Favorite Team Blog Post is Team Mark, written by blogger Jennie Chen, of MisoHungry and her Team Members Photographer John Knox, of John M.P. Knox Photography, Facilitweeter and Blogger, Rachelle King of Blinded by the Bite! This team followed and documented the action of competing Sommelier Mark Sayre, of TRIO Restaurant at the Four Seasons. With this title, team members will receive All-Access Media Badges to cover Somms Under Fire. The many videos and diagrams Jennie included in her Team Mark Blog Post continued to educate the audience long after the conclusion of the competition. Her in depth descriptions of Mark’s pairing strategies made readers feel like they were tasting along with him.

Congrats to all of the winners and we look forward to seeing everyone at Somms Under Fire!

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Had to See for Ourselves – TRIO Four Seasons Austin

KeeperTeam — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:21:16 +0000

We’ve been so busy with travels, recipe testing, and other work-related things that we haven’t had the time to try the new wining & dining experience at TRIO at the Four Seasons Austin – yes, we should be ashamed at our poor Austinite foodie representation! Mark Sayre, Sommelier for FS Austin is one of the masterminds behind Trio’s Happy Hour and favorable Wine List Pricing, which has rightfully garnered a lot of attention lately. Combine that with the creative dishes by Chef Todd Duplechan and you know you have a winner. We saw it for ourselves (sorry no pics this time), so you will have to take the dish descriptions below and use your imagination – enjoy.

The wine list had many possibilities for our palettes (check out the wine list at the beautiful newly launched TRIO website!) here . Sadly we had to limit ourselves to two: 1999 Gosset Millennium Champagne and 1993 Ampeau Pommard. Let the fun begin!

Amuse Bouche – Torched Salmon Belly on a Rye Cracker with an Heirloom Tomato glazed in Saba Dressing (Saba was described to us as unoxidized must – juice from fresh grapes – that has been slowly cooked into a vinegar syrup) , along with Heirloom Tomato Water- out of the gate with a winner for Todd.
Chef Todd’s version of Surf and Turf –Beef Carpaccio on Puff Pastry filled with Shrimp over Sherry Schezuan Broth (the Carpaccio was from a Beef Ribeye from Niman Ranch) – texture and taste flavors worked well in this dish.
Hot Fluffy Popover with optional Salted Butter on the table – this was a delight as the bread was warm and the butter was the perfect temperature and texture. So often the butter in restaurants is served too cold, which can negatively affect the texture and taste. This small detail can have huge significance, and in this case, TRIO has it down pat!
Crispy Baby Snapper, Pan Roasted with Baby Green Fava Beans, Shiso Miso, England Sweet Peas in a Green Herb Broth (the first thing that came to our mind when we saw this dish was Chef Eric Ripert and Le Bernardin – the fish was the focus of the plate and beautifully tasty. (Interesting factoid – Chef Todd Duplechan and Chef Eric Ripert both have worked with Chef David Bouley in New York – coincidence or do you think Chef Bouley had an influence on this style?)
Brined and Pan Fried Pork Belly Lardon, Rubbed with Spices (like the flavors of Coca Cola- interesting spice thoughts), Served with a Red Wine Plum Sauce, and Topped with Pickled Veggies
Roasted Texas Quail, with Shredded Apple and Asparagus, Green Mole, and Applewood Smoked Bacon
Wild South Texas Bison, Seared & then Poached in Ginger & Chile infused Olive Oil, Topped with Blue Cheese from Brazos Valley in Waco, on a Bed of Ramp Pesto and Sprinkled with Morel Mushrooms, along with a Poached Red Wine & Brown Butter Sauce – this bison was soooo tender and the creamy blue cheese was a perfect topping – ramp pesto added color and taste and who wouldn’t love fabulous morels?

As usual, we didn’t think we had room for any more food, but the desserts arrived and we magically uncovered that dessert compartment in our stomachs:

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse with Chicory Ice Cream, Candied Hazelnuts (from Alba, Italy)
Coconut Lemon Curd with Candied Lemon and Toasted Coconut Curd Ice Cream

The champagne and wine paired beautifully with this meal, and the attention from a service perspective was spot on! Thanks to Mark Sayre, Chef Todd Duplechan, and the wonderful staff at TRIO Four Seasons – we know why the restaurant was crowded with happy diners on a Wednesday night, no less!

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Exceeding Expectations: A Food & Wine Pairing Extraordinaire – Thanks to an Extraordinarily Talented Master Sommelier

KeeperTeam — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:08:22 +0000

Not too long ago, the Keeper Team had the opportunity to support TEXSOM, during a dinner at Mirabelle Restaurant in Austin, TX. Combining our resources with some close friends, we decided to advance the TexSom cause by experiencing how a “full-blown” Master Sommelier (or “MS” as they call it in the biz), James Tidwell – and Founder of TexSom- would pair wines from the Four Seasons, Las Colinas Wine List with the menu of Executive Chef Katie Natale. Wow, what a smart move we made – James exemplified the Four Seasons mark of exceptional product and service, resulting in a dining extravaganza that exceeded our expectations. It was a unique experience to have two wines paired side by side with each course, both from a wine perspective and a wine/food pairing. To heighten the experience, each course included two different food preparations to share among each couple. The combined thought and effort by Chef Natale and MS James resulted in each couple sharing 12 food presentations, matched with 2 wines each!! Next is a brief highlight on the food and wine- we invite James to add his comments about the unique wines as he so aptly and interestingly shared with our group.

Let the pairing begin!

Amuse Bouche:

Crispy Calamari, with Basil Pesto Aioli & Orange-Sweet Chili Vinaigrette

• Txomin Etxaniz, Getariako Txakolina Spain 2006
• Jim Clendenen Skin & Bones Reisling, Santa Barbara California 2006

Chestnut Apple Shooter with Herb Crème Fraiche

• Jim Clendenen Skin & Bones Reisling, Santa Barbara California 2006
• Eric Brodelet Poire Granite Loire Valley NV – (This selection was unique to all and really did well with the chestnut)

First Course- Dish #1:

This was kind of an Asian version of Oysters Rockefeller…

Cape May Tempura Oysters over Wilted Spinach & Apple Wood Smoked Bacon

• Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-St.-Georges, 1er Cru La Perrieres, Burgundy, France 2004
• Querciabella, Batar, Tuscany, Italy 2004

First Course- Dish #2:

This next combo was awesome – the texture of crispy polenta went well with the quail egg…

Serrano Ham & Poached Quail Egg with Crispy Polenta & Leek Vinaigrette

• Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-St.-Georges, 1er Cru La Perrieres, Burgundy, France 2004
• Querciabella, Batar, Tuscany, Italy 2004

Second Course – Dish #1:

Yellow & Red Beet Tartar with Foie Gras Mousse & Spicy Pecans

• Robert Ampeau Volnay, 1er Cru Santenots 1990
• Weingut Brundlmayer Gruner Veltliner Reid Loiser Berg Kamptal Austria 2005

Second Course- Dish #2:

Grilled Buffalo Brochettes with Nopalitos Fritos & Blood Orange Aioli

• Clos de Gat Har’El Syrah, Judean Hills Israel 2006
• Gilles Robin Crozes-Hermitage Papillon, Rhone Valley France 2007

Third Course- Dish #1:

Belgium Endive & Pear Salad with Dried Currants, Candied Walnuts, & White Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Tilenus Mencia, Bierzo Spain 2000
• Nino Negri 5 Stelle Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG, Lombardy Italy 2004

Third Course- Dish #2:

We easily awarded this dish most unique presentation of the night and one that all of the foodies at the table want to recreate!

Baby Greens Salad with Cucumber Belt, Prosciutto Crisp, Pear Tomatoes, & Gorgonzola Mousse

• Tilenus Mencia, Bierzo Spain 2000
• Nino Negri 5 Stelle Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG, Lombardy Italy 2004

Fourth Course – Dish #1:

Crispy Skin Black Cod, with Bacon & Leek, Green Lentils & Saffron Beurre Blanc

• Leonetti Sangiovese, Walla Walla Washington 2006
• Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional, Douro Portugal 2004

Fourth Course- Dish #2:

Pan Roasted Axis Venison Loin with Braised Red Cabbage & Huckleberry Demi

• Leonetti Sangiovese, Walla Walla Washington 2006
• Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional, Douro Portugal 2004

Dessert #1:

Brown Butter Pineapple Cake with Toasted Coconut Gelato

• Chateau Gilette Sauternes, Crème de Tete Bordeaux France 1975

Dessert #2:

Pumpkin Empanadas

• D’Oliveiras Bual Reserva, Madeira Portugal 1908

Thanks to James Tidwell, MS, Chef Natale, and the Four Seasons Los Colinas for your support of TexSom and for the opportunity to have yet another memorable evening of wining and dining!

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