Back from Nantucket Wine Festival

[wondersofwine]

I attended a winemakers' panel on what elements of nature have the most effect on the wine. Majority gave the vote to climate which is the one element over which winemakers have the least control. One French winemaker opted for soil as the main determining factor. (Panel had California, French, South African representatives.)
Notes on DeLoach tasting under Zinfandels. Notes on great white burgundy tasting under
Chardonnay. Notes on random tastings at the Grand Tasting at the casino under Rants and Raves.
I attended a Jed Steele dinner at Cioppino's.
We had the 2000 Shooting Star Sauvignon Blanc with assorted (very tasty) hors d'oeuvres such as artichoke stuffed with soft cheese (boursin?), mushroom caps, crabcake rounds, minishishkabobs, smoked salmon with dill on toast triangles, and bacon-wrapped scallop. Just when you think you will stop nibbling they bring out another delicious appetizer.
First course was duck and lobster crepes with raspberry hoisin-apricot sauce with 2000 Steele Cuvee Chardonnay. Entree was veal chausseur with mushrooms, prosciutto, tomato, basil, and madeira (really good mushrooms). The wine was 1998 Steele Syrah Lake County. The Syrah was a hit at our table. Generally I prefer Steele's red wines to his whites although he has sometimes produced an interesting late harvest Chardonnay. Dessert was Tiramisu Kahlua Anglaise with berries in drizzled sauce. Wine was the aforementioned 1997 Steele Late Harvest Chardonnay. It can be cloying by itself or in too large a glass but is a nice dessert wine in a small server.
Most of the people at my table were connected to the food or wine industry (a sales rep for an Italian importer from Boston, a restaurant owner from Boston, a partner in a sandwich shop on Nantucket). A Long Island couple got called away for a business emergency early on.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 05-28-2002).]

[Innkeeper]

Sounds wonderful.