Heart’s Delight is an annual four-day celebration in Washington DC, USA, bringing together winemakers, celebrity chefs, gourmands, and wine enthusiasts to raise money for the American Heart Association. It is very much Bordeaux-centered, although American winemakers also participate.
The events are not cheap, but high-class and tax deductible (partly). Over the past 14 years, the events have raised over $12 million for the American Heart Association, helping to support research into the number one cause of death in the United States.
This year, Heart’s Delight took place from Wednesday, March 9 to Saturday March 12, 2016. Unusually this year, some of the events of the first day – Wednesday - will take place almost 6 weeks after the other events, on Wednesday, April 20, 2016.
As every year, there were exciting dinners with celebrity chefs and winemakers at embassies, private homes and top restaurants, tastings, receptions, after-dinner-parties as well as auctions.
At a special side event, Annette and Christian Schiller hosted Sophie Schÿler Thierry from Château Kirwan, a second growth, which is owned by the Schÿler family, at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia, for lunch.
Program
Wednesday March 9 was the United States of Wine celebration showcasing American wine. A range of American wines were presented by owners and winemakers. It included a silent and live auction featuring wine from participating winemakers and exciting trips. This was followed by a byo - style Collectors Dinner celebration.
Thursday March 10 offered a series of intimate wine dinners with an international flair in homes, restaurants and Embassies with a host, chef and winemaker at each.
One of the highlights was the luncheon at the French Embassy.
Host: His Excellency, The Ambassador of France to the United States, Gérard Araud
Sponsor: General Dynamics
Wine: Château Montrose presented by Hervé Berland
Residence of the Ambassador of France, 24 guests - US$2,000/ticket
Friday, March 11: Vintners Dinner - This year, this evening featured a retrospective of the 16 years of Vintners Dinner history, including the wines of Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Haut-Brion, Château Cheval Blanc, Château Latour and Château Margaux. The dinner was followed by a live auction led by Sotheby’s Jamie Ritchie featuring wine directly from the cellars of our friends from Bordeaux in grand format. US$ 15.000 for a table of 8.
Saturday, March 12 began with a virtual tour of Bordeaux in the afternoon, including a wine tasting of the 2013 vintage. The adventure continued with exciting seminars and food prepared by some of the nation’s top chefs, making Heart’s Delight the place to discover the latest in epicurean trends and new talent. Guests could also bid on exclusive travel packages, dining experiences and rare and exceptional wines during the spirited silent and live auctions.
Wednesday, April 20: Congress Has Heart: United States of Wine Reception - This Capitol Hill celebration will showcase some of the best in American wine and will host Members of Congress; some will be pouring wine from their home state. Special Invited Guest, Speaker Paul Ryan, will be presented with the Congress Has Heart Award. This will be followed by the New Vintage Reception for young professionals to network and learn more about the American Heart Association’s mission. These events are normally the first of the annual Heart’s Delight celebrations. This year, however, because of scheduling conflicts, these events will take place more than a month after the other events.
Auctions
During the events, there were live and silent auctions. Guests (as well as absent bidders) had the opportunity to bid on exclusive travel packages, dining experiences and rare and exceptional wines during the spirited silent and live auctions. ombiasyPR and WineTours donated a “Seven-Day Wine Tour through Germany’s Riesling Country”.
Auction Item #514: Seven-Day Wine Tour through Germany’s Riesling Country
Estimated value: US$4,200
Auction Item # 514
Donated by Ombiasy PR & Wine Tours
See:
Auction Item #514: Seven-Day Wine Tour through Germany’s Riesling Country - Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction (2016), Washington DC, USA
This seven-day tour (May 5-11, 2016) lets you explore the regions that are quintessential to understand Riesling and the concept of terroir: The Rheingau, Mittelrhein, Ahr, Mosel, and Nahe wine regions. You will visit many picturesque wine towns and take a cruise on the romantic Rhine River with its castle- and vine-ribboned bank; the Mosel valley with its dizzying steep vineyards; delving into 2,000 years of history and tasting premium wines at 16 world-class wine estates, such as J.J. Prüm, Leitz, Molitor, Zilliken, and Meyer-Näkel. The tour starts and ends in Frankfurt am Main. You will travel with the husband and wife team Dr. Christian Schiller, wine writer, and Annette Schiller, organizer of wine classes, wine tours, and wine events. Their expert knowledge about German wines and their personal relationships with the wine estate owners and winemakers will give you an unparalleled, personal, and authentic experience and an inside view behind the scenes of premium German wineries.
Spot for 1 person. Flight to and from Frankfurt is not included in the tour. Six nights accommodation, transport in the wine regions, all visits and sightseeing, all wine tastings, and meals are included
Bordeaux Producers at Heart’s Delight 2016
Château Barde-Haut, Saint-Émilion, Hélène Garcin-Lévêque
Château Clos l’Église, Pomerol, Hélène Garcin-Lévêque
Château du Tertre, Margaux, Alexander van Beek
Château Gazin Rocquencourt, Pessac-Léognan, Véronique Bonnie-Laplane and Bruno Laplane
Château Giscours, Margaux, Alexander van Beek
Château Guiraud, Sauternes, Luc Planty
Château Kirwan, Margaux, Sophie Schÿler
Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, Lucas Leclercq
Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien, Charlotte Denjean
Château Lascombes, Margaux, Karine Barbier
Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Stephen Bolger
Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan, Véronique Bonnie-Laplane and Bruno Laplane
Château Montrose, St.-Estephe, Hervé Berland
Château Phélan Ségur, Saint-Estèphe, Pamela Wittman
schiller-wine - Related Postings
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Announcement: 5 Exciting ombiasy WineTours in 2016 - BURGUNDY BORDEAUX GERMANY
Auction Item #514: Seven-Day Wine Tour through Germany’s Riesling Country - Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction (2016), Washington DC, USA
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) on the 2016 North America Tour - Schiller’s Favorites
Sophie Schÿler, Owner of Château Kirwan, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, for a Wine Pairing Luncheon at Evo Bistro in McLean, with the Wines of RdV and Clemens Busch, USA/ France/ Germany
A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France
Tour and Tasting at Château Lynch-Bages in Bages, Bordeaux, France
Tour at Tonnellerie Berger and Fils: How is a Barrique Made? Bordeaux, France
No comments:
Post a Comment