L’Ordre Mondial, Post Hotel
Friday, May 15, 2009
Mel Miners, Vice-Chargé de Presse
Menu (pdf)
The first L’Ordre Mondial function of the 2009 season was held at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise. The theme for the event was “Pinot Noirs from Around the World”. Hosts George and Andre Schwartz and the staff were well prepared to present us with an evening and, indeed, a weekend that would remain in our memory for a long time.
s we entered the Library, we observed four round tables, each set with six wine glasses, ready to serve us for our appointed journey. First, however, the reception. Our first task was to enjoy a bit of Schramberg Blanc de Noirs Methode Champenoise – crafted from Pinot Noir – a taste of the evening to come. As we gathered, the Post’s Sommelier Kristina Long and some of the staff began pouring our wines for the evening tasting. Our convivial host George Schwartz and his lovely wife Rosalie were also in attendance to enjoy the evening.
The tasting proceeded with Kristina giving a bit of background on the wine to be tasted. We started in the Okanagan Valley at Blue Mountain to taste their 2007 “Estate Bottled” selection. I will not bore you with my notes, but will leave it up to you, the reader, to search out the wines presented during the evening and form your own opinions. We then moved to The Willamette Valley in Oregon for the 2006 Domaine Drouhin.
A large geographical leap to the Casablanca Valley in Chile found a 2006 Cono Sur “Ocio” waiting for us. Then to Central Otago, New Zealand for the 2006 Rockburn. A zig back to the Santa Rita Hills of California for the 2007 Foley ”Rancho Santa Rosa” and then a zag to Burgundy, France to sample a 1998 Ghevrey-Chambertin “Les Cazetiers” 1er Cru from Domaine Bouchard Pere & Fils which completed our tour.
Roger Baekland, Echanson delivered a summary of our tour and presented our Sommelier with a token of our appreciation. George also had a few words to say regarding the tasting and hinted that if we could not find the sampled wines at our local shops, he could probably find some in the Post’s extensive wine Library.
Before we headed downstairs for dinner, Chef de Cuisine, Hans Sauter, Officier Chef Rotisseur served a tempting morsel to whet our appetites for the coming meal.
The dining room was laid out with one very large table. A simple, but elegant floral centerpiece was flanked by a pair of candles of an appropriate size for the occasion. The place settings were also simple, but elegant, with the dark green Post menu holder laid on the burgundy-coloured table cloth.
Dinner started with an appetizer of Icelandic Scampi accompanied by a tasty White Wine Risotto and served with a Pinot Gris from Poplar Grove, the Okanagan. The main course featured two Driview Farms lamb chops roasted to perfection. They were accompanied by a gorgeous pinot – Domaine Faiveley “Clos-de-la-Marechale” Nuits-St. Geirges, 1er Cru. Dessert was a highlight – chocolate soufflé served super hot from the oven and then graced with fresh raspberry compote.
