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A dark horse Chilean sauvignon blanc won the most votes at the 11th annual International Wines for Oysters Competition at the Old Ebbitt Grill Monday night, but what many will remember most is that they witnessed one man save another man’s life.
The victim, Ronald Kessler of Potomac, a best-selling nonfiction author and chief Washington correspondent for the right-of-center NewsMax.com, fell to the floor from his barstool with no apparent warning while chatting with the judges after the competition. Dr. Michael Apstein, a gastroenterologist and James Beard-nominated wine writer from Boston, was standing nearby and jumped to his aid.
Dr. Apstein checked Kessler’s vitals and began performing chest thumps and mouth-to-mouth on him right there on the cold, white tile floor of the bar while waiting for the emergency response team to arrive. Kessler miraculously came to after a few minutes, and the ambulance took him away on a stretcher with surprisingly little disruption in the noisy and crowded restaurant.
A visibly shaken Apstein later said Kessler appeard to have experienced “sudden death,” i.e. his heart stopped. Had it not been for the resuscitation, he would not have survived, Apstein said. Kessler was admitted to George Washington Hospital and is reportedly recovering.
UPDATE: Kessler left the hospital Tuesday after experiencing vasovagal syncope, when blood rushes to the feet after too much drinking, causing the heart to slow. Kessler attributed it to taking his judging duties too seriously. Next time, he said, he will spit like the professionals!
Kessler filed this article on a post-election Bush today. Good thing specialty docs maintain their basic skills!
The oyster and wine pairing event featured an eclectic mix of panelists from food and wine journalists (including this one) to luminaries like Chilean Ambassador Mariano Fernandez and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Wine writers Michael Franz and Paul Lukas presided.
Each judge was asked to conduct a blind tasting of 20 white wines and to judge them on their affinity for oysters. No talking allowed. It was very serious. Justice Scalia swirled and swished and spit as conscientiously as we hope he considers constitutional amendments. Food Critic Phyllis Richman asked for another plate of oysters. Several judges asked to try a few wines a second time. Washingtonpost.com's Erin Hartigan, a first time judge, couldn't finish her crabcakes after all those oysters, and took home a doggie bag.
The winner was a 2006 Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc from Casablanca Chile. The Chilean ambassador sheepishly admitted after the competition that it was not at the top of his list. I thought it tasted like soft tires, but others described it as bringing out the smooth, coppery taste of the oysters.
The top ten wines chosen by the panel, in this case 11, as there was a tie, will be featured at Old Ebbitt’s Oyster Riot on November 17th and 18th. New Zealand cleaned up at the top of the list (kind of like last year) with its clean and bright and not-too-sweet sauvignon blancs, but surprisingly, the sparkling wines usually associated with raw oyster consumption rated seven and lower. Traditional Italian and French powerhouses have little to brag about, with one each coming in at 10th and 17th.
Featuring dancing and blues, too, the event drew 1,800 people last year, so come early.
Best Wines With Oysters 2006:
• Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Casablanc, Chile
• MillsReef “Reserve” Sauvignon Blanc 2005, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
• Oyster Bay Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Marlborough, New Zealand
• Giesen Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2005, Marlborough, New Zealand
• Ferngrove Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2005, Franklano River, Western Australia
• Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc 2005, California
• J Vintage Brut 2001, Russian River Valley, California
• Lindauer Brut NV, New Zealand
• Staete Landt Sauvignon Blanc 2005, Marlborough, New Zealand (tied for 9th)
• Santa Rita Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Casablanca Valley, Chile (tied for 9th)
• Castello de Gabbiano Pinot Grigio 2005, Delle Venezie, Italy
Photo by Flickr user Dr Rothstein
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What the hell? Not a single Sancerre?! That's insane!
Author's Note: Kessler is just fine and passed his cardio tests with flying colors. The story has been updated above.