UDSF The gala dinner
Association
des Sommeliers de Paris
A blend of prestige
and generosity
The gala dinner of the ASP held in the salons of the George V is an autumn tradition for the association that was celebrating its young professionals and supporting the Secours Populaire (People’s Aid) charity.
A wonderful evening ended in on a festive note while stressing the work of the president of the ASP, Jean-Luc Jamrozik.
Once a year the Association des Sommeliers de Paris – Île-de-France (ASP) organizes a prestigious gala evening. The 2013 vintage lived up to this tradition, enabling members to come together, to focus attention on their partners and
to support a charity in the course of the auction.
So many ingredients assembled in the salons of the Four Seasons Hotel George V, where Jean-Luc Jamrozik, President of the ASP, with the help of his team, welcomed more than 300 guests. Twenty major Champagne Houses, from Ayala to Veuve Clicquot, availed of the aperitif to present their new vintages while Éric Briffard and his whole brigade in the kitchen put the finishing touches to the dinner.
Jean-Luc Jamrozik welcomed the support of the George V and particularly Éric Beaumard, Jeff Leatham and Éric Briffard.
A menu to match the reputation of this palace, where Pearly scallops with Timut pepper, chopped pecan nuts, Champagne broth with passion fruit went side by side with Grilled Presa of black Iberian pork, Teriyaki with chanterelle mushrooms, tangy Pippin apples. All served with matching and equally remarkable wines, as observed by the starred chefs Christian Le Squer and Alain Dutournier, but also Gérard Margeon, Head sommelier with the Ducasse group.
In the presence of four Best Sommeliers of the World, Jean-Luc Pouteau, Serge Dubs, Philippe Faure-Brac and Olivier Poussier, the young professionals in the association commented on the first wines. Éric Beaumard, Benjamin Roffet and David Biraud also participated in this little exercise.
Two show business personalities, Virginie Lemoine and Stéphane Freiss, presided over the traditional main event of the evening, the auction sale of superb lots of wine, and a painting by the Canadian painter, Charles Carson. They thus contributed to supporting the Secours Populaire, for which a share of the sale was destined.
Virginie Lemoine and Stéphane Freiss came to support the Secours Populaire, represented by Julien Chené, Director of communication.
At the end of this friendly jousting for some of the lots, a cheque for €27,000 was presented to the charity association, thus proving that the world of wine and gastronomy can also join in a generous and supportive action.
As for Éric Beaumard, he made an impression a little earlier in the evening by reminding the assembly that
“there's nothing dangerous about drinking wine. We've been living with it for 900 years!” Thus silencing the anti-wine lobbies that have made such a fuss in the last few months.
Jean Bernard
www.sommelier-paris.org
