As the country plunged deeper into the Covid-19 pandemic, the Cincinnati Bailliage escaped for a few hours of respite during the evening of Beaujolais Nouveau Day with a virtual Mondiale event.

Carefully orchestrated by Echanson Provincial Mary Horn, the event celebrated the traditional third Thursday of November not with Beaujolais Nouveau, but with two cru Beaujolais and an outstanding dinner catered by Chef Renee Schuler of Eat Well Celebrations and Feasts.

Chef Schuler began her career at the Institute for Culinary Education in Manhattan and honed her skills with legendary chefs at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Catering Company and Daniel Boulud’s Feast and Fetes to name a few. In 2005, she established Eat Well Celebrations and Feasts in Northern Kentucky where she has provided outstanding catered events to the people of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

On the afternoon of the event, members were provided with a scrumptious food basket and two bottles of cru Beaujolais wine all of which were dropped off at their homes. The first bottle of wine was Domaine Chignard Fleurie 2018 Les Moriers which was crafted from 60-year-old Gamay vines and aged in large oak barrels for 13 months. The vineyard has been overseen by Michel Chignard for many years and now his son Cedric has seamlessly taken over the helm.

The second cru Beaujolais offering was Claude Geoffrey’s Chateau Thivin Côte de Brouilly 2019 which is derived from 50-year-old Gamay vines grown in a famous blue volcanic rock and also aged in large oak barrels for 6 months. Both of these wines serve as benchmarks from which all other cru Beaujolais are compared.

At the beginning of the evening, members enjoyed a French cheese and paté plate while catching up on local happenings through the Zoom connection. This was followed by a salad of local greens with a red wine vinaigrette and baguette while Ms. Horn provided information about the wines with wit and insight as only she can.

Main courses of Classic Cassoulet or Mixed Mushroom Lasagne were brought into play which served to accentuate the outstanding flavor profiles of the wines. Chocolate Mousse parfaits rounded out a perfect evening of camaraderie and culinary perfection that allowed a well needed break from the world’s woes.

At the culmination of the well-coordinated event, members gave rounds of applause to Echanson Provincial Horn, Chef Schuler and Bailli George Elliott for providing such a superb event in a safe environment under trying times. The evening symbolized the hope that we all have for a better way of life in the months and years to come.

Graig Smith, Vice Chargé de Presse