NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jan. 13, 2020 – Pairings: Nashville’s Ultimate Wine and Food Weekend will feature some of the Nashville Wine Auction’s most supportive chefs who have worked hard to support the organization’s mission to unite the wine community to fund the fight against cancer. This year’s popular three-day celebration of exceptional wine and food will be called “Pairings with Our Favorite Chefs” and will take place Feb. 27-29, 2020.
The events begin on Thursday, Feb. 27, with 11 Private Vintner Dinners, which are held in fine restaurants and private homes throughout Nashville. The next two events are Wined Up! on Friday and Pairings on Saturday, both of which are held at City Winery, located at 609 Lafayette Street in Nashville.
The highlight of the weekend comes on Saturday with a 6-course gourmet meal where these talented and generous Chefs will create pairings for very special wines. Chef Matt Bolus of 404 Kitchen will emcee the evening bringing chefs and vintners to the stage to present the pairings.
“We are honoring these Chefs for all they have done for the Nashville Wine Auction,” said Holly Whaley, President/CEO. “Because they sacrifice their time and provide amazing meals to enjoy with the wines donated by so many wineries, our beneficiaries receive much needed funds to serve our community. They are real heroes.”
The Nashville Wine Auction is the country’s longest-running charity wine auction and has raised more than $26 million dollars over the years to support local cancer-fighting nonprofit organizations.
The Pairings Weekend has something for everyone. Explorers enjoy the casual atmosphere of Wined Up! where they taste their choice of wines and learn from the guest vintners. Enthusiasts form friendships with the vintners and enjoy visiting them in their wineries in Napa, Sonoma, Central Coast, Oregon, and Washington. The Collectors’ Showcase on Friday night offers additional wines aimed to appeal to the experts.
“Pairings is always one of my favorite Nashville Wine Auction events of the year,” said event Co-Chair Gary Rzucidlo, Executive Director of J.P. Morgan. “ In one weekend, we combine Private Vintner Dinners with some of Nashville’s finest chefs, then a Napa wine-tasting experience delivered in our backyard with up to 30 wineries visiting and showcasing their wine. The weekend is capped off by generous patrons ‘raising their paddles in the fight against cancer.”
Pairings Weekend events at a glance:
- Day 1 – Feb. 27, 2019 – Private Vintner Dinners
These popular events consist of 11 intimate dinners hosted by featured vintners in private homes and restaurants throughout Nashville. Attendees meet and socialize with winemakers while enjoying outstanding multi-course meals from Nashville chefs. Private Vintner Dinners range from $150 to $300 per person. Dinners begin at 6:30 pm. (Dinner details available online at http://bit.ly/NashWinePVDs) - Day 2 – Feb. 28, 2019 – Wined Up!
Wined Up! is held the second night of Pairings weekend and is a fun, accessible, wine-tasting party. Returning this year is the special “Collectors’ Showcase” floor which will feature 32 vintners. Wined Up! is Nashville’s best wine-tasting party and will feature specialty small plates, as well as a Silent Auction with more than 130 lots of fine wines and luxury items. Wined Up! is $135 per person; Collectors’ Showcase is $275 per person. Wine Tasting and Silent Auction starts at 6:00 pm. - Day 3 – Feb. 29, 2019 – Pairings
This is the highlight of the weekend where participants will indulge in a six-course wine dinner with featured chefs from Nashville while raising paddles in the spirited Live Auction. Nashville chefs will create perfectly paired dishes with wines from featured vintners. The live auction, once again hosted by auctioneer Charles Antin from Zachys, will include fine wines, unique dinners and tastings, one-of-a-kind trips and luxury items. Pairings is $275 per person. 6:00 pm Wine Tasting; 6:45 Dinner with Live Auction.
The featured Pairings on Saturday night include:
Reception/First Pairing:
Chris Allen, City Winery
Featured reception wines include Crocker & Starr A.V.A Cabernet Franc Blend 2016, FRIAS Reserva 2016, Harumph Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, PATEL Malbec, Napa Valley 2015, Senses Wines Charles Heintz Chardonnay 2018, ZD Wines Pinot Noir 50th Anniversary, Carneros 2018
Second Pairing: Kevin Ramquist, The Unicorn Nashville with Spottswoode Estate
Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Third Pairing: Joe Townsend, 360 Bistro with Penner-Ash Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017
Fourth Pairing: Tony Galzin, Nicky’s Coal Fired with Ackerman Family Vineyards
Le Chatelaine 2014
Fifth Pairing: Andrew Whitney, Kayne Prime with CADE Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Sixth Pairing: Burke Connelly, G Catering with Christopher Creek Petite Syrah Port and
Christopher Creek Deux Barriques
For more details and to make reservations, please visit http://www.nashvillewineauction.com/pairings or call 615-329-1760.
Sponsors for Pairings with Our Favorite Chefs:
City Winery, Parker’s Paws, Healthtrust, John Navin & Associates, Tennessee Oncology, Corkdorks, Scripps Howard Foundation, Charles Schwab, Chazin & Company, Please Be Seated, Nashville Lifestyles, and more to be announced soon.
Event chairs:
Pairings is chaired by Gary Rzucidlo and Lori Latusek; John and Jennifer Steele; and Alex and Kris Marks
Participating wineries:
Wineries – All are featured at Wined Up!
+ = Wineries featured at Private Vintner Dinners
* = Wineries featured Saturday Night
- Ackerman Family Vineyards +*
- Arrington Vineyards
- Black by Black
- Bricoleur Vineyards
- Byron Winery +
- CADE Estate Winery +*
- Christopher Creek Winery +*
- Clif Family Vineyard
- Crocker & Starr Winery +*
- Double Eagle Wines Napa Valley
- Donelan Family Wines +
- FRIAS Family Vineyard +*
- The Grade Cellars
- Grieve Family Winery Napa Valley
- Harumph Wines +*
- Hirsch Vineyards +
- Italics Winegrowers +
- JUSTIN
- Kanzler Vineyards +
- Le Pich Wines
- Lombardi Wines +
- Oakville Ranch Winery
- PATEL Napa Valley +*
- Peacock Vineyard +
- Penner-Ash Wine Cellars +*
- Purlieu Wines
- Phifer Pavitt Winery +
- PlumpJack Estate Winery +
- Roy Estate +
- Selah Wines
- Senses Wines+*
- Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery +*
- Staglin Family Vineyard +
- The Spire Collection +*
- ZD Wines +*
Nashville Wine Auction Beneficiaries:
American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Middle Tennessee, PearlPoint Cancer Support, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Saint Thomas Cancer Network and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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 three major events – Pairings: The Ultimate Wine and Food Weekend every February; l’Eté du Vin: The Country’s Longest-Running Charity Wine Auction on July 31-Aug. 1, 2020; and the brand-new Music City Harvest Party scheduled for Oct. 9, 2020. Established in 1980, the Nashville Wine Auction has raised more than $26 million for organizations whose purpose is directly related to treatment, patient care and the eradication of cancer here in Middle Tennessee.
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Media Contact:
Amy A. Atkinson of Amy Atkinson Communications
Email: Amy@AmyACommunications.com
Cell: 615-305-8118
Photos and interview subjects available upon request