Wine lovers already know about the Nashville Wine Auction's glamorous summertime l'Eté du Vin auction, but the organization’s Pairings weekend of wine and charity is definitely another highlight for local oenophiles' calendars. Scheduled for Feb. 22 through 24, this year’s Pairings features three nights of events to raise significant funds for a dozen charities that contribute to caring for those battling cancer.
Thursday night, Feb. 22, will feature a series of Private Vintner Dinners, pairing West Coast wineries with local chefs to prepare special meals in private homes. Some of the dinners have already sold out, thanks to the horsepower of notable chefs like Matt Bell, Kelsi Armijo, Tony Galzin and the team from Miel, but others still have spots at the table for patrons to enjoy the offerings of chefs such as Kristin Beringson of Henley, Brack May from Marsh House and longtime local favorites Joe Shaw and Kevin Ramquist.
Friday night will welcome hundreds of fans to City Winery for the signature Wined Up! tasting event. Attendees will enjoy food from the City Winery kitchen, along with pours from 25 wineries, mostly from California. Guests who opt for the Collector’s Showcase tasting will get the chance to start a little earlier with a private tasting in one of City Winery’s upstairs rooms where the vintners will be pouring from their special stashes while interacting with the guests.
Saturday night is the big Pairings Dinner & Auction event, hosted by Loews Vanderbilt Hotel from 6 to 10 p.m. Chefs Shaw, Ramquist and Bell will be joined by Sean Strolle from Loews and pastry chef extraordinaire Alyssa Gangeri to prepare a five-course feast paired with upscale wines from Hyde Vineyard Estate, Three Sticks, Collateral, Lithology and Roederer Estate. In addition to a silent auction featuring collections of rare bottles of wine and spirits, curated trips to wine country plus other coveted items, the biggest auction lots will come under the gavel between courses, with entertaining auctioneer Charles Antin driving the bidding.
(Full disclosure: I’ll be the emcee of Pairings again this year, so if you’ve ever wanted to give me a piece of your mind over something I’ve written, all you have to do is buy a ticket for $375, and I’ll be happy to discuss it with you and thank you for helping out in the fight against cancer.)
If you want more information or are ready to buy tickets to any or all of these events, head over to the Pairings website.
