Nashville Wine Auction is pleased to announce that Pairings: The Ultimate Wine and Food Weekend, held from February 25-27, 2016, raised over $340,000 to fulfill the organization’s mission to fund the fight against cancer in Middle Tennessee. The amount raised this year represents a $70,000 increase from 2015 and a $175,000 increase from 2013’s inaugural event. Pairings was co-chaired by Jodi Pfaff Gillman and Mark Gillman and Kristen and Brian Junghans.
As one of Nashville’s premier wine and food events, the attendance at Pairings increased from 660 guests in 2015 to 802 guests in 2016 – a 22% increase. Over four years, attendance at Pairings has increased 325%.
Pairings: The Ultimate Wine and Food Weekend kicked off on Thursday, February 25 with 17 Private Vintner Dinners, chaired by Melanie Cansler, in restaurants and private homes throughout Nashville. These intimate dinners, which ranged from 10 to 24 guests, allowed guests to meet winemakers and winery owners and taste their wines with food pairings from many of Nashville’s best chefs. “Being able to build relationships between wine enthusiasts in our community, West Coast wineries, and the fantastic creative culinary talent in Nashville, has been an important step in the development of Pairings,” said Holly Whaley, President/CEO of Nashville Wine Auction. “We are working hard to create the ultimate pairing – enjoyment of wine and generous giving to fund the fight against cancer.”
On Friday, February 26, Wined Up! – Nashville’s Ultimate Wine Tasting – brought together over 27 quality winemakers, 9 chefs and 125 wine-centric Silent Auction lots for one exciting night. “We refer to Wined Up! as your insider’s guide to wine country,” notes Whaley. “There are very few tastings where you get to meet the winemaker or winery owner. At Wined Up! guests were able to go to the Cakebread Cellars table and see Dennis Cakebread, or taste the wines of Bougetz Cellars with Joan and Thomas Bougetz or have a conversation with Korbin Ming of Korbin Kameron Winery.” In addition to tasting rare and limited offerings from many wineries, guests were able to enjoy the cuisine of Nashville’s MStreet Restaurants as well as appetizers from visiting chefs from Austin, which paired beautifully with the wines being poured.
The culmination of Pairings was held on Saturday, February 27 at The Rosewall, where three Nashville chefs and three Austin chefs came together to host a spectacular six course meal, paired with California wines. All chefs received a bottle of wine for their course and created a delicious menu to perfectly pair their cuisine with the wines. The menu for the night was as follows:
Reception Pairing
Latkes, Crème Fraiche, Caviar
Snapper Crudo, Fennel, Olive Oil, Compress Pear, Green Apple Granita, Aji Amarillo
Prepared by Chef Robert Grace, Kayne Prime – Nashville, TN
Domaine Carneros Estate Brut Cuvée Sparkling Wine 2011 presented by TJ Evans
First Pairing
Grilled Oysters, Tamarind Broth, Charred Meyer Lemon, Pea Tendrils, Texas Pecan Oil Prepared by Chef Sonya Coté, Eden East – Austin, TX
Cakebread Cellars Reserve Chardonnay 2013 presented by Dennis Cakebread
Second Pairing
Bear Creek Farms Pork Neck, Porridge of Fermented Grits, Dried Collard Greens, Masa Miso Jus Prepared by Chef Brian Baxter, Husk – Nashville, TN
Merry Edwards Meredith Estate Pinot Noir 2013 presented by Doug Bowman
Third Pairing
Beet Tataki, Apple-Ginger Puree, Coriander, Benne Seed prepared by Chef Andrew Wiseheart, Contigo, Gardner – Austin, TX
Bougetz Cellars Eminence Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 presented by Joan and Thomas Bougetz
Fourth Pairing
Molasses Braised 44 Farms Beef Cheek, Potato Puree, Rainbow Carrots, Scarlet Turnips, Spring Onions, Fennel prepared by Chef Harold Marmulstein, Salty Sow – Austin, TX
Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 presented by Claire Ducrocq Weinkauf
Dessert Pairing
Milk Chocolate Cremeux, Chocolate Shortbread, Orange Crème Fraiche, Espresso Meringue, Goat’s Milk Caramel prepared by Chef Megan Williams, Etch – Nashville, TN
Herman Story Casual Encounters 2013 presented by Russell P. From
Throughout the meal, guests enjoyed a spirited Live Auction with Charles Antin, Auctioneer and Wine Specialist at Zachy’s, who returned for his third year. The Live Auction featured some very special wine lots, rare wine dinners and tastings as well as extraordinary wine excursions. Some of the top grossing lots of the night included:
- Not Your Grandmother’s Trip to Napa sold for $12,500
A six-day trip to Napa for two couples which included stays at two winery guest houses, luxury transportation, and tastings at Gamble Family Vineyards, Chanticleer Wines, Cimarossa, Keever Vineyards, Revana Family Vineyards, St. Helena Winery, Clif Family Winery, Gemstone Vineyards, Napa George, Spottswoode Vineyard & Winery and Taylor Family Vineyards.
- Arnold’s After Dark sold for $16,000
This one-of-a-kind experience celebrating Nashville’s venerable meat-and-three, Arnold’s Country Kitchen allows lucky winners to come to Arnold’s for dinner (which you can’t get regularly) on a weekend (when they aren’t open). To top it off, some of Nashville’s best chefs will join Kahlil Arnold behind the line, including Chefs Sean Brock, Tandy Wilson, Tyler Brown, Karl Worley, Trey Cioccia, Edgar Pendley and Lisa Donovan. Nashville Wine Auction is providing large format wines from Au Bon Climat and there will be live music too!
- 16 Year Vertical of Penfolds Grange Dinner at Kayne Prime sold for $10,000
This very special dinner allows lucky winners to taste Penfolds Grange from 1995 until 2010 – a 16-Year vertical! Chef Robert Grace will prepare a delicious feast at Kayne Prime for what will be an unforgettable night celebrating Australia’s most famous wine.
- Hedonism a la Herman Story sold for $8,500
Russell From has become quite a celebrity in Nashville through Pairings. This year he offered up dinner for 8 at his winery in Paso Robles in addition to 3 magnums of his wines.
- The Beauties of Spottswoode in a Comparative Vertical sold for $4,500
The highest grossing wine lot of the night was this lovely vertical from Spottswoode, featuring a four year vertical of their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon in magnum!
“We are extremely pleased with the growth of Pairings over these past four years. We love being able to present Nashville with events that don’t just serve wine, but are all ABOUT wine,” says Whaley. “We focus on all the important details – presenting quality wines in proper glassware at the perfect temperature and of course with delicious food. It’s a joy to see our wine community embrace Pairings, as our continued growth will mean more funds for our beneficiaries.”2016 SPONSORS: Saint Thomas Health, MStreet, KPMG, Tennessee Oncology, Pinnacle Financial Partners. In-Kind: Emma, ImageQuest
ABOUT NASHVILLE WINE AUCTION: Nashville Wine Auction’s mission is to unite the wine community to fund the fight against cancer. Throughout the year, Nashville Wine Auction hosts four major events – Pairings: The Ultimate Wine and Food Weekend, l’Eté du Vin: The Country’s Longest Running Charity Wine Auction, Champagne and Chardonnay: A Sparkling Evening Just for Ladies and The Men’s Event. Established in 1980, the Nashville Wine Auction has raised more than $20 million for organizations whose purpose is directly related to treatment, patient care, and eradication of cancer here in Middle Tennessee. The 2015 list of beneficiaries includes: American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, Pearl Point Cancer Support, Gilda’s Club/Nashville, Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Middle Tennessee, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Saint Thomas Cancer Network.
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