CLUB 23 Comes to Chicago

CLUB 23’s landmark dinner in Chicago—the club’s first-ever event in a venue other than Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars—was an evening filled with good conversation, great food, and fantastic wines. The dinner was held at Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush Restaurant in Chicago on May 1, 2003. Club 23 Manager Nancy Burton and John Calmeyer, the winery’s Director of Marketing, were on hand to welcome the more than three dozen club members and guests who turned out for the event.

The reception began with a delicious assortment of canapés,including prime beef carpaccio with violet mustard butter, speckprosciutto with cucumber and caper butter, and shrimp in grapevine tomato and chive gelatin. These paired beautifully with Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ 2001 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

Once we sat down, we enjoyed the 2000 Beckstoffer Ranch Chardonnay with sea scallops tartare, served in the shell with spring vegetables. Next came a risotto with porcini, pancetta, and lake perch that beautifully brought out the 2000 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon’s breadth of flavors.

The entrée, a “cut with your fork” roasted filet encrusted in duck foie gras and black truffle bread on a crunchy potato crust, was served with a sauce made with the 1997 FAY Cabernet Sauvignon. It was heaven paired with the 1997 and 1999 vintages of FAY.

The 1999 FAY made a return appearance in the sauce for the dessert, a mousse of ricotta di bufala and sweet gorgonzola in a walnut bread basket, served with a compote of caramelized Bosc pears. This wonderful combination paired beautifully with all three of the red wines served at the evening’s dinner.

As a memento of the evening, guests were presented with etched, velvet-lined silver boxes containing two grape seeds from vines found in Pakistan, a primitive form of vitis vinifera that likely predates the varieties that have been cultivated in Europe and the New World by many thousands of years. These seeds are as close as we can get to the “primordial” vine, and they remind us that the tradition of gathering together to enjoy wine, food, and friends is as old as civilization itself.

Private dining room at Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush Street Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois.	Judy and Bob Stewart
(l to r) Hank Zenola, Lori Bakker, Erin Ryan and Alan Cervenka	“Mom”, Kathy Wolf, Edith and Michael Goldman
Philip Kroovand	Michael & Gayle Gavagan with John Calmeyer, Director of Marketing at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
Leah and Jim Pacana, Patty and Jack Chodor	Stratos and Sheryl Athanassiades, Jane and Mark Frillici
Carol and Danny Kent	John Calmeyer with Terri and David Zednick
(l to r) Hank Zenola, Lori Bakker, Erin Ryan and Alan Cervenka	Courtney Hall with Diane Mautner-Markhof (back)
Pete and Patricia Stiles	Chef Federico Camacchio (Herb Gross and Tom Halquist foreground)
Leah & Jim Pacana	Terri and David Zednick – Smile for the camera!
Herb Gross, Tom and Julie Halguist	Nancy Burton, Club 23 Manager and Bob Stewart
John Hessler with some newfangled corkscrew!	Ted and Jean Dziedzic, Nancy Burton, Frank Schneider and Budd Bird