What a wonderful night! Our Vancouver branch celebrated its 50th anniversary in style on June 4th in the historic Vancouver Club ballroom, the site of the very first society dinner in 1967 and also for our 25th and 40th anniversary celebrations. We started our evening with a splendid sabered Methuselah of de Venoge Champagne Brut Select Cordon Bleu and a delicious Smoked Wild Salmon Profiterole while we welcomed new members and guests for the evening. It was an opportunity to honour long time members with anniversary certificates celebrating 25 and 20 years of membership presented by immediate Past Honorary President Sid Cross who, together with wife Joan, also presented the André Simon Bronze Medal to Branch President Jim Robertson and the Gold Medal of the IWFS Americas to hardworking Milena Robertson.
Our dinner started with a Consommé Alsacienne and a 2006 Domaine Rolet Arbois Vin Jaune from the Jura region followed by a White Asparagus Salad and 2010 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, an absolutely delicious wine. Next was a Hecate Straight Line Caught Halibut paired with 2012 Domaine Laroche Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes and a 2007 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros followed by a Pear and Thyme Sorbet.
Roast Breast of Duck was dramatically presented on aromatic black truffle risotto with 2005 Domaine Doudet Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Aux Guettes burgundy after which we enjoyed a tender Braised Short Rib of Beef with a mushroom ragout paired with a nicely-aged 1998 Château Bel-Air Lagrave from Moulis en Médoc. Our sweet finish was a Chocolate & Foie Gras Terrine with roasted apricot and paired with 2001 Château Loupiac-Gaudiet and Mignardises accompanied by a taste of 1967 Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest Very Old Tawny to celebrate our 50 years. Throughout the meal, the Vancouver Club presented food that was delicious and white glove service that was superb!
A marvellous evening, enjoyed by all, and our thanks go to Sid Cross for his words about the history of the IW&FS and the Vancouver Branch, to CellarMaster Kim Mead who spoke to the wines, to Milena Robertson and Alvin Nirenberg for their photographic records of the evening. Also to the Vancouver Club's Tim Ellison for his imagination and support in presenting this superb dinner and his sabering of the Methuselah and to Jim and Milena Robertson, Sid and Joan Cross and Susan Pawlett in memory of Gordon Wilcox for their generous donations of wine for the celebrations. What a wonderful night indeed!
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