On the evening of December 10, 2022 the German Wine Society Capital Chapter returned to the Cosmos Club for the annual Holiday Dinner. The club was beautifully decorated for the holidays once again, and we had a very strong turnout for the event, with 52 guests attending including 40 members and 12 non-members.
Tour
Before the event, guests were able to tour the Cosmos Club, conducted by Dean Collins.
Welcome and Hors d’oeuvres
At 6 pm, Hors d’oeuvres and Sekt were served.
Endive Boat with Blue Cheese, Candied Walnuts, Anchovy-Lemon Vinaigrette
Smoked Idaho Trout with Feuille de Brick, Salmon Roe
Tandoori Chicken Satay, Mint and Cilantro Chutney
nv Dr. Loosen “Dr. L” Sparkling (Sekt) Riesling
Remarks
Following the welcome reception, GWS (Capital Chapter) President Carl Willner delivered opening remarks and a review of the program for the evening, followed by welcoming remarks offered by Astrid Jakobs de Padua, representing the German Embassy, and by Denman Zirkle, discussing his Richard Bocking wine estate in the Mosel which is coming up on its 400th anniversary.
Dinner
The paired dinner included a variety of seven wines (mainly German, with two Austrian), one sparkling, five whites and a red, among them two high-prädikat dessert selections, accompanied by a three-course meal including a salad appetizer, entree and dessert, preceded by passed hors d’oeuvres during the reception.
Salad Appetizer
Radicchio and Arugula Salad with Naval Orange, Hazelnuts and Blue Cheese
Popover Bread
2015 Richard Böcking Trarbacher Burgberg “M” Riesling Kabinett Mosel
(this wine is produced and provided to us by a member of the German Wine Society, W. Denman Zirkle)
2021 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühtau Riesling Trocken Nahe
Entree
Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Truffled Potato Puree, Carrot, Asparagus, Red Wine Sauce
Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast with Honey Spiced Skin, Mustard Greens, Celeriac, Yams, Pomegranate
Olive Crusted Atlantic Halibut with Artichokes, Cauliflower, Pee-Wee Potato, Barigoule Jus
“Chef’s Choice” gluten free vegetarian meal
2010 Fitz-Ritter Gewürztraminer Spätlese Pfalz
2019 Steindorfer St. Laurent Reserve Burgenland, Austria
Dessert
Chocolate Bombolini with Cinnamon, Chocolate Sauce
2018 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Beerenauslese Mosel
2015 Steindorfer Cuvée Klaus (70% Ottonel/30% Sauvignon Blanc) Beerenauslese Burgenland Austria
Musical Entertainment
There was piano music during the reception, and there was also musical entertainment during the dinner between the entree and dessert courses, with an opportunity for guests to sing along with some of the holiday songs and ring bells provided on the tables. This has been a very enjoyable part of our past holiday dinners in recent years! We had a medley of six traditional German holiday songs with the first verses sung in English and German, followed by two holiday songs in English.
Bye-bye
The dinner concluded by about 9:30 pm, with thanks to staff for their efforts and donation of a bottle of Dr. L Sekt to them, and a number of guests lingered until about 10 pm to continue their discussions and view the holiday decorations in the club. One couple from Pennsylvania even stayed overnight at Cosmos, with Lisa Olson, our host for the evening and one of several Cosmos members in the GWS, sponsoring them for a room in the club.
Overall, a very enjoyable time was had by all, with many favorable comments on the dinner and entertainment! We have brought our 2022 45th Anniversary wine year to a fitting conclusion, and can look forward to 2023, with a board meeting to be scheduled for January and a members meeting for February.
Tables:
1 – Carl and Nina Willner, Lisa Olson, Roger Hillas, Vin Kamath, Walter and Mary Wisniewski, Marc Lippman and Nanette Bishopric = 9
2 – Thomas and Renate von Duebendorf-Solenberger, W. Denman Zirkle and Ann Zirkle, David and Marina Gelles, Gregory and Christa Fleck, Kohei Asao = 9
3 – Karen Stokes, Roland and Ann Young, Greg and Barbara Furst, David and Gayle Roehm, Jim Palanchar = 8
4 – Maria So and John Edmonds, Barry and Barbara Grofic, Leo Settler and Joel Cuffman, Dean Collins, Charles Franklin = 8
5 – Astrid Jakobs de Padua, Sarah Simons, Christian and Annette Schiller, Sarah Sappenfield and Wayne Knoll, Michael and Rozania Smith, Walter Ottesen and Karola Herold = 10
6 – Maura Winkworth, Ade Alli, Susan Winkworth, Carolyn Sung, Georgette Dorn, Wallace and Suzanya Vitez, Natasha Porter = 8
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