Grand Award Banquet
Annual gala celebrates Joan Dillon, Emeril Lagasse, Rieussec, the world's best wine lists and the era of disco
By Tim Fish
Nostalgia was in the air at Saturday night's Grand Award banquet, as the Wine Experience marked its 25th year by honoring friends both old and new. While the dress code was black tie and evening gown, the guests also brought their boogie shoes, eager to turn back the musical clock and relive the days of disco with KC and the Sunshine Band.
The climax of three days of tastings and seminars in New York, the soirée drew a crowd of 1,300 people from around the world. Wine Spectator editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken presented two Distinguished Service Awards, the first to Joan Dillon, the Duchesse de Mouchy and owner of Château Haut-Brion in Bordeaux.
"Thomas Jefferson said, 'Haut-Brion is a wine of the first rank,'" Shanken told the crowd, "and we recognize that Joan Dillon is a woman of the first rank." Dillon graciously accepted the award and showed her gratitude by bringing 25 cases of the classic Haut-Brion 1982, along with Haut-Brion White 2001, Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1985 and Château Laville-Haut-Brion White 1990, to pour with dinner.
The second Distinguished Service Award was a surprise. "Ten years ago we gave a Distinguished Service Award to Julia Child. That was the only person in the food world who has received the award," Shanken said. "This is someone who has done so much to educate people about food and wine. I have a speech, but I don't feel like reading it. I just want to say ... 'Bam!'"
Of course, "Bam!" is the catchphrase used by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. Coming to the stage, Lagasse struggled to keep his composure. It had been a challenging few months for the chef, who has three restaurants down for the count in New Orleans and who has been struggling to keep his restaurant family together. "I wish all my colleagues from the Gulf Coast could be here, but they are in spirit," he said.
The magazine also saluted its 2004 Wine of the Year, Château Rieussec Sauternes 2001. The wine, which comes from a classic vintage and a benchmark château, received a perfect 100-point score, and Baron Eric de Rothschild, whose Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) owns Rieussec, was on hand. "Sauternes is a labor of love," he said. "I'm delighted that Sauternes this year really have been recognized."
Shanken went on to congratulate the four newest winners of the Wine Spectator Grand Award, the top honor the magazine gives to restaurants to recognize excellence in wine lists. The four joined the existing 82 Grand Award winners located around the world.
Cru in New York was honored in particular for its extensive collection of Burgundy, and wine director Robert Bohr and owner Roy Welland accepted the award.
The Greenhouse in London became the only current Grand Award winner in the United Kingdom, and Robuchon a Galera is the first in China. Alan Ho, whose company owns Robuchon a Galera, in the resort town of Macao, told the crowd, "This is particularly gratifying because all of my favorite wine lists are Grand Award winners, and it's nice to be one of them."
Finally, there was Restaurant Michael Mina in San Francisco, and chef/owner Michael Mina and sommelier Rajat Parr came to the stage. "Without sommeliers, the wine industry would not be what it is," Parr said. "Cheers to all the sommeliers out there at all the restaurants." They must be doing something right, as this year saw 3,606 restaurants-the biggest group ever-earn one of the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards, which the magazine has given out since 1981.
The evening began with a Champagne reception, and guests nibbled on diminutive crab cakes and smoked trout on horseradish mousse as they sipped such wines as Veuve Clicquot Brut 1999, Louis Roederer Brut Rosé 1999 and Charles Heidsieck Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Blanc des Millénaires 1995.
Before dinner started, Shanken recognized many of the leading names in the global wine industry who were on hand to commemorate the Wine Experience's 25th year, including Angelo Gaja, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Michael Broadbent and Ab Simon. Perhaps the emotional highlight of the evening came when vintner Robert Mondavi was introduced and the crowd spontaneously rose to its feet in tribute. The applause went on for minutes.
Following a meal of smoked salmon carpaccio with horseradish flan and filet mignon with chanterelles, Shanken introduced the evening's entertainment, KC and the Sunshine Band. It was an appropriate choice, since the band scored a string of hits (inspiring a generation of gold-chain-wearing dance kings and queens) from the mid-1970s to the early '80s-when the Wine Experience got its start.
With a disco ball glittering and a four-piece horn section laying down the band's patented staccato rhythm, KC arrived on stage wearing a shocking red sport coat and singing one of his biggest hits, "Shake Your Booty." Before the song was through, the dance floor was overflowing, and KC continued with a string of familiar songs, including "Boogie Shoes" and "Get Down Tonight." At one point, Emeril even got into the act, joining the band on stage to take an energetic turn on the bongos (perhaps giving new meaning to "Bam!").
Shanken summed up the night's sentiment when he told the crowd, "Thanks for being part of this great ride we've had, and let's start another 25 years next year in San Francisco."
