Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin

Massachusetts Sous-Commanderie History

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We now return to the fall of 1965 when John Sprague was head of all technical activities at the Sprague Electric Company, and was simultaneously pursuing a crash course in Burgundian enology. More than once the twin tasks came close to overwhelming his natural enthusiasm for all things new. Almost, but not quite.

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In anticipation to applying for membership in the Sous-Commanderie de New York, he asked Fred Lack to send some books to read as well as any suggestions he had concerning what types of questions he might be asked at the Candidates’ Dinner. Alexis Lichine’s The Wines of France and Frank Schoonmaker’s Encyclopedia of Wine soon arrived along with a list of typical questions. The Encyclopedia became John’s bible as he wrestled with such questions as: name the four departments from which Burgundy wines may come; give the names of two of the seven Grand Cru Chablis and two of the eleven Premier Cru Chablis; provide the origin of the name “Chambertin”; define “Chaptalisation”; describe “Les Trois Glorieuses”; name the four classifications of Beaujolais; and the like. He found, to his chagrin, that he was violating a pledge he had made to himself after successfully completing his Ph.D. orals at Stanford. That pledge was to never, ever take another test!

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With three proposers from the Sous-Commanderie, John hit a snag when it came to the Candidates’ Dinner. It was scheduled at the same time he had to be in Europe on business. More specifically he would be visiting the Philips Research Laboratories in Einhoven and Siemens Laboratories in Munich. On the actual evening of the New York dinner he was “enjoying” another very different experience in Germany. He was in one of the giant tents of Octoberfest in Munich with a group of loud and vociferous associates from Siemens. But that evening is a story for another time and place.

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As an alternative to the Candidates’ Dinner, his old friend Fred Lack was able to arrange for a much more enjoyable and demanding option. John was to take two giants from the Commanderie d’Amérique, Michel Dreyfus and “Tex” Bomba to lunch at Lutèce. This was during the early years when the restaurant was new and very wonderful. Still a novice, John was concerned whether or not he could handle such a challenge. However, his guests could not have been more charming and they quickly put him at ease. As the delicious food continued to arrive accompanied by wonderful bottles of wine wrapped in foil, he gradually fell into a warm and wonderful routine. In order to try and hide his ignorance, he attempted to ask rather than answer most of the questions. Not quite sure how, he passed with flying colors, perhaps in part due to the fact that he picked up the check! Subsequently, on Tuesday, January 11, 1966, he was inducted as a Chevalier into the Sous-Commanderie de New York at the twenty-fifth Anniversary Chapitre held at the Waldorf Astoria.

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While now a member of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, John still lived one-hundred and fifty miles from New York City and was only able to attend occasional dinners. During the summer of 1966, he served as co-host with Fred Lack and Fred Hotchkiss of his first event, a sumptuous dinner at Albert Stockli’s Stonehenge in Ridgefield, CT. Swiss-born Stockli had been Executive Chef of New York City’s Restaurant Associates and now was owner-chef of one of the best restaurants in the New York area. In a way, preparation for the event was even more enjoyable than the dinner itself. Under the direction of demanding New York Grand Sénéchal Ed Benenson, there were four practice luncheons and dinners over several months during which a variety of wine and food combinations were tried. As the co-host doing most of the work, John somehow was able to attend all of them. The dinner was an outstanding success and, although the menu is long gone as are its exact details, John remembers two Stockli specialties, Truite au Bleu, from the restaurant’s own pond, with three sauces, and Baby Lamb en Croûte Wellington. The trout was accompanied by perhaps the finest white Burgundy of his life, a spectacular Le Montrachet, 1964.

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In the course of planning the Stonehenge dinner Ed Benenson became John’s mentor and several years later promoted him to Commandeur. Life also took a dramatic new direction, chez Sprague, when, in 1968, John abandoned the research environment that had dominated his life and moved with his family to Worcester, Massachusetts to assume responsibility as head of Sprague Electric’s troubled Semiconductor Division. The Division’s woeful financial performance was threatening to destroy the entire Company and visits to New York for dinners hosted by the Sous-Commanderie de New York became few and far between.

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Shortly after assuming the reins as Grand Pilier Général in 1975, “Tex” Bomba approached John about forming a Sous-Commanderie in Boston. Even though the fortunes of the Semiconductor Group had slowly begun to improve, John at first declined since he saw no way he could do this with his extremely heavy business travel schedule. He also wondered whether or not there were adequate fine restaurants in the area. Not to be put-off, “Tex” next approached another member of the Sous-Commanderie de New York, Robert D. Ouellette, M.D. who also lived in Worcester. While John and Bob had not met before, John decided he rather liked the idea of becoming a Grand Sénéchal and felt he could handle the responsibility if Bob would undertake the lion’s share of the early organization and planning. So they told “Tex” that they would take the job and began an increasingly effective partnership. John would become Grand Sénéchal and frontman, so to speak, and Bob Chambellan-Argentier and chief planner and organizer. They wanted members from all over Massachusetts and even outside of the State, with an emphasis on knowledge and interest in Burgundy wines rather than social relationships. Bob was certainly the more knowledgeable of the two in enology and was already a member of several serious wine tasting groups in the Worcester area made up primarily of medical professionals. John’s corporate experience led him to propose potential new members who came from the business rather than the professional world. In the early years of the Sous-Commanderie, the membership would show a balance between these two constituencies. The general membership criteria were the following: potential candidates should have an interest and knowledge in Burgundy wines (not all did, but they all had an avid desire to learn); they must have a reasonable wine cellar from which they were willing and able to provide some of the event wines; and each must be willing to host or co-host a dinner on a regular rotating basis. The “Membership Committee” (John and Bob in the beginning) must also believe that the members would be reasonably compatible with one another. While less a social organization than is true of so many other Sous-Commanderies, these criteria have stood in good stead over the years. In the beginning there were also no lady members. This was less philosophical than a practical consideration. Many of the wives of potential candidates and members were as knowledgeable as their husbands and there was no desire to have the chapter become a husband and wife organization.

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To try and get a jump-start on membership, John and Bob approached some half dozen individuals who were already members of other Sous-Commanderies (mostly New York) and who were living in the Boston area. Most declined, primarily because they felt the new chapter would fail. Of these several later attempted to transfer when success of the Sous-Commanderie de Massachusetts was obvious. In most cases, these requests were met with cold shoulders by the Membership Committee. “We had a long memory”.

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Back in 1975 there was no minimum number of members for a new Sous-Commanderie, such as the twenty-five required today. So the charter members numbered only nine, and, in addition to John Sprague and Bob Ouellette, included Roger P. Plourde, Edward L. Clifford, Robert A. Charpie, Dr. Roland R. Caron, Dr. Paul Martin, Lewis A. Nassikas, and James Heald, II. As Grand Sénéchal John Sprague was elevated to Grand Officier and Bob Ouellette to Officier-Commandeur. With the exception of Clifford, Martin, and Nassikas, all are still active today.

The founding Chapitre took place on a dark and stormy night on November 12, 1975 at La Petite Auberge Restaurant in Maynard, MA. For a time it seemed questionable whether or not it would take place at all. Planes carrying key out-of-state participants were late, airport pick-ups were missed and after inductions, elevations, and a brief reception, the dinner started over an hour later than planned, much to the chagrin of chef Barduzzi. However, when the first course, a magnificent poached sea bass held high on a great platter, was finally introduced, all was well including the future of the Sous-Commanderie de Massachusetts.

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Grand Pilier Général of the Commanderie d’Amérique I. M. “Tex” Bomba appropriately served as inducting officer ably assisted by several other national officers including Grand Officier Charlie Stewart, an old friend of John Sprague from Philadelphia. Other than the sea bass, there remains little memory of the rest of the dinner except the wines: a Clos de Vougeot 1964 for the Induction, a Macon Blanc 1973 at the Reception, and with the dinner a Clos de Vougeot Blanc 1972, Grands Echezeaux 1969, and Romanée St. Vivant 1970. It was a memorable evening. One year later five additional Chevaliers (George V. Buehler, Robert J. Cronin, Dr. Edgar Haber, Robert K. Mueller, and Gregg B. Rains) were inducted at the Hotel Ritz-Carlton in Boston. The Sous-Commanderie de Massachusetts was off and running.

Bob Ouellette succeeded John as Grand Sénéchal in 1980 when John became Northeast Délégué Général and then Bob moved on to this position in 1993 when John was elevated to Grand Connetable. One can see that the two founders of the Sous-Commanderie de Massachusetts worked closely together over the years from the time they met in 1975. Completing his “run for the roses”, so to speak, John finally served as Grand Pilier Général de La Commanderie d’Amérique from 1996 to 1999 and now is Grand Historiographe. Following Ouellette, the subsequent Grands Sénéchaux in Massachusetts were Dr. Frederick L. Busch (1993 – 1998) and then Gerald Kraft (1998-2003). In 2003, Jerry Kraft was succeeded in turn by the incumbent Grand Sénéchal Dr. Ronald H. Goldenson for a five-year term. Ron had worked closely with Jerry both as Connétable and also as Program Chair of the Wine and Food Society of Boston.

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As the Sous-Commanderie grew from its humble beginnings there was an attempt to cap membership at twenty-five, primarily because of supposed limits on the number of attendees at many local restaurants. This attempt obviously failed since the roster now lists more than sixty members including two Honoraire and four Honoris Causa. 

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In addition to periodic wine tastings, there are a variety of principal events each year in Massachusetts: a fall black-tie induction dinner; a members-only “business” dinner, another spring dinner and a summer Paulée. Recent venues have included Cape Cod, the Light-Keepers House in Cohasset harbor, the Boston Harbor Hotel, and members’ homes. The Induction Dinner is usually at a large hotel or venue in Boston, previously hosted at the Boston Harbor Hotel or the State Room. Over the years there have been periodic group trips to Burgundy, the latest in the summer of 2019.

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The Sous-Commanderie de Massachusetts has evolved significantly over the years of its existence. The membership in Massachusetts is diverse including men and women from across the state, wine merchants, doctors, engineers, and members of the arts. Events are both social and educational. Over recent years, the Sous-Commanderie de Massachusetts has become increasingly collegial while still emphasizing knowledge and appreciation of Burgundian wines and traditions. New members are still required to take an oral examination to demonstrate their interest and knowledge about our beloved Burgundian wines and customs. This has assured us of a membership truly interested in Burgundy and its wines. The Cadets de Bourgogne in Massachusetts number nine vocalist-members, and their songs and antics enliven events and reflect the camaraderie and festivity loved by all at Clos de Vougeot.