Une grande soiree, the Aerie – A French Wine Dinner
By Sue Geary, Vice Chargee’ de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS
We could not have picked a more beautiful autumn day than that of October 9, 2021. Our dinner event at Snowbird Resort required a 20-minute drive through Little Cottonwood Canyon at the peak of its coat of fall colors. The vivid pallet of orange, red, and yellow against the dark green evergreens and the granite mountainside was simply breathtaking. The view was even more spectacular from the Aerie Restaurant, located on the top floor of the Cliff Lodge, with its panorama view of the ski area and the surrounding canyon.
Chef Ken Ohlinger--who took the reins at the Aerie in 2011 following a tenure at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Winter Park, Colorado—prepared a most exquisite dinner for this fall gathering. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Ohlinger apprenticed at a Michelin three-star restaurant in Germany and was later named one of Bertolli’s Top 10 Sous Chefs in the United States. His culinary artistry relies on local, seasonal, and organic ingredients. Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Sammie Doyle worked with Chef Ohlinger in assembling the perfect menu.
Bailli Sheral Schowe procured the MV Michel Genet Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature Champagne to accompany the Hors D’oeuvres of Quinoa Fritters with mushroom and white truffle herb aioli, Oyster Shooters with jalapeno cocktail sauce, and Beef Tartar with anchovy dressing and parmesan. Echanson Kasey Dubler dug deep into our bailliage cellar to select the perfect French wines for the four-course meal.
The first course of Peppercorn-encrusted carpaccio of bison with pickled peppers, parmesan crisp, and anchovy oil was perfectly paired with the NV Olivier Morin, Cuvee Tentation, Cremant de Bourgogne. Kasey chose a 2009 Louis Jadot Boucherottes Domaine des Heritiers Premier Cru, Côte de Beaune, Bourgogne for the second course of House-made Gnocchi with roasted mushrooms and boursin cream. The third course offering was a choice of local Grilled Double R Ranch beef tenderloin with mushroom butter and fingerling potatoes in roasted red onion sauce or Ratatouille roasted vegetables and timbale with lentil puree and toasted farro. Both paired superbly with the 2008 Château Montrose, St. Estephe, Medoc, Bordeaux. The perfect finale 1998 Domaine Gardies Ambre, Rivesaltes, Languedoc-Roussillon accompanied the last course of assorted domestic cheeses, spiced pecans, fruit compote, and crostini.
The highlight of the evening was the celebration of the birthday of Dame de la Chaîne Anne Cullimore Decker. Bailli Honoraire Ashby Decker, who served a 26-year term as our Bailli, gave the birthday toast to his wife. Vice Echanson des Etats-Unis David Merrill and his wife, Colleen, generously provided a Jeroboam of 1990 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin La Grande Dame Champagne for this special occasion. As we discovered, both Grande Dames are still in their prime!
Thank you to Chef Ohlinger and his staff. Thank you also to Vice Charge des Medias Sociaux Cole Johnson, who was released from the hospital just in time to take photos of our attendees for the evening. Finally, thank you to Vice Chargee de Missions Cessily Johnson and Vice Chancelier Argentier Richard Pater for taking such excellent care of the guests they brought to this event.
