A couple weeks ago, I was graciously invited to attend a local event hosted by the Nashville Wine Auction at the new 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Nashville. The Nashville Wine Auction (the oldest running wine auction in the country!) is a non-profit organization with a mission to bring together the wine community to help fund the fight against cancer. Since the very first wine auction in 1980, the Nashville Wine Auction has raised more than $20 million for organizations whose purpose is directly related to treatment, patient care and the eradication of cancer.
The Patron’s Dinner is just one of many fundraising events the Nashville Wine Auction hosts each year. All of the vineyards featured at the Patron’s dinner are based in Napa Valley—maybe one day I’ll have the chance to visit in person! The evening started with a reception in the upstairs gallery with hors d’oeuvres and wines from CADE Estate, Schramsberg Vineyards, and Hirsch Vineyards.
Chef Levon Wallace of Gray & Dudley, located inside the 21c Museum Hotel, prepared the food for the evening. Gray & Dudley had been at the top of my list of new restaurants to try so I was really looking forward to experiencing Chef Wallace’s creations for this special event.
After the reception, we were all separated into two different rooms for dinner. One room featured wines from PlumpJack Winery, CADE Estate Winery, and Odette Estate Winery and the other wines from Schramsberg Vineyards, Davies Vineyards, and Hirsch Vineyards. The menu served in each room was completely different and was developed based upon the wines being served. Since I was invited as a guest of PlumpJack Winery, CADE Estate, and Odette Estate, that was the dinner I attended.
It was an intimate event, with about 35-40 people in each room for the dinner and each table was set for 10 people. I’ll just say, there were more forks than I’m accustomed to at my place setting—4 to be exact. Here’s the menu along with the wine pairings from the evening:
Patron’s Dinner Menu
First Course
PlumpJack Estate Winery Napa Valley Reserve Chardonnay 2015
Grilled Shrimp, Heirloom Melon, Coriander, Corn Broth
Second Course
PlumpJack Estate Winery Napa Valley Syrah 2014
Stuffed Brioche-Duck Pastrami, Bread & Butter Cabbage, Soft Egg, Cave Aged Gruyere & Blackberry Mostarda
Third Course
CADE Estate Winery Howell Mountain Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (with Cork) & CADE Estate Winery Howell Mountain Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (with Screwcap)
Braised Short Rib, Baby Onions, Shiitake Mushrooms, Bourbon Barrel Five Spice
Dessert
PlumpJack Estate Winery Napa Valley Merlot 2014
Olive & Sinclair Dark Chocolate Crémeux, Black Cocoa Sponge, Cherries & Smoked Almonds
The braised short rib was by far my favorite dish and I also enjoyed the CADE Estate Winery Howell Mountain Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (with Cork) the most. We did a fun little experiment with the corked bottle and screwcap bottle of this particular wine and we had to guess which was which. While some people couldn’t tell a difference, or they got them mixed up, a few of us guessed correctly, including me! Very proud moment considering I’m not a wine expert at all 🙂
[bctt tweet=”A sneak peek into the Nashville Wine Auction Patron’s Dinner + a GIVEAWAY of @EcoVessel wine bottle! ” username=”KarmanRD”]
While the wine and food were fabulous, I also enjoyed getting to meet some new people over dinner! I was invited to the dinner solo and was a little nervous about not knowing anyone else but that soon subsided. Good wine and delicious food usually make it easier to get conversations going 😉 It was certainly an evening to be remembered and I feel fortunate to have attended such a special event.
We each received a parting gift after dinner—an amazing EcoVessel VINE Triple Insulated Stainless Steel Wine Bottle. I feel so fortunate to have even been invited to this dinner so I decided to let you guys in on the special night by doing a little giveaway! Enter below for a chance to win this EcoVessel Insulated Wine Bottle! Contest closes next Wednesday, August 16th at 12pm Central.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Finally, if you’re interested in donating or volunteering time to any of the cancer organizations listed as beneficiaries of the Nashville Wine Auction, please see the list below. Thank you for your consideration and generosity!
- American Cancer Society Hope Lodge
- Gilda’s Club Nashville
- Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
- Make-A-Wish of Middle Tennessee
- PearlPoint Cancer Support
- Saint Thomas Health Foundation
- St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center
Disclosure: I was invited as a guest of PlumpJack Winery, CADE Estate Winery & Odette Estate Winery to attend the Nashville Wine Auction Patron’s Dinner. I was not compensated to write this post.