Master winemakers. Celebrity Chefs. You. Everyone needs to be a part of the nation’s only four-day celebration of exceptional food and wine benefiting the American Heart Association. Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting & Auction is a premier destination event, welcoming guests to enjoy unique food and wine experiences, intimate access to acclaimed winemakers, chefs as well as members of Congress and international ambassadors, and one-of-a-kind auction lots. With an 18-year history of generosity from around the world, Heart’s Delight has raised more than 16.5 million dollars for the American Heart Association. This year’s event takes place in various locations throughout the District from Wednesday, May 9 – Saturday, May 12 and will feature more than 40 world-class winemakers and chefs from around the world.
“If you like drinking wine, eating great food, and having fun, then what’s not to love about Heart’s Delight,” said event auctioneer Jaimie Ritchie of Sotheby’s. “Each night brings new experiences and they’re all unpretentious, filled with nice and fun people. There’s no requirements to do anything other than to enjoy yourself.”
Heart’s Delight is a unique combination of a welcoming, convivial atmosphere and experiential events ranging from intimate dinner party gatherings to grand receptions with exclusive live auctions. Everyone has a favorite part because each night is distinctly different from one another. “The Saturday night, for example, is like going to a fantastic party at a friend’s house. For me it’s the greatest party of the year in DC,” said David White, founder of celebrated wine blog, terroirist.com. “It is this family-like environment because folks tend to go with friends who go year after year, and every time you go you end up running into friends that you haven’t seen since last year’s event, or that you didn’t know even know were involved in Heart’s Delight!”
Wednesday features the Congress Has Heart celebration that showcases some of the best in American wine. Highlighted wines are presented by owners and winemakers, and occasionally poured by the state’s elected representative. “I am a proud supporter of the Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting & Auction,” said Congressman Mike Thompson of California’s 5th District which includes Napa Valley. “Not only do I get a fun chance to showcase my pouring skills honed in my district over the years, but I get to support a critically important cause and be part of a community working to build a healthier future for everyone.”
Thursday offers a series of intimate wine dinners with an international flair in homes, restaurants and Embassies with a host, chef and winemaker at each. “Every year, guests flock to Heart’s Delight to enjoy exceptional wine and food,” said Brian Kearney, member of Heart’s Delight Executive Committee. “We’re excited to welcome such a generous group of food and wine superstars, all of whom are giving their time to share with us their incredible talents.”
Friday brings the elegant Vintners Dinner and Auction. The black-tie event hosts 300 guests where dinner is followed by a live auction that features wine directly from the cellars of master winemakers from Bordeaux, France, in grand format.
Saturday begins with the Master Class from Bordeaux and seminars where guests can taste and learn from unrivaled vintners. The rest of the evening, the Grand Tasting, allows attendees to explore food and wine from top chef superstars and the world’s best vineyards. The night holds spirited silent and live auctions giving attendees the opportunity to bid on exclusive travel packages, dining experiences and rare and exceptional wines.
“There is no other event, in DC for sure, and even if you look internationally that I can think of, that better curates a group of chefs and better curates a group of winemakers that you would want to have in one room at one time,” said White. “Heart’s Delight does such a good job at combining two different things that so many people are so passionate about – food and wine.”
“You’ve got this group of people between the chefs, the winemakers, and the attendees who gather every year together. There is a sense of support, camaraderie, and friendship that goes well beyond the event,” said Richie. “I think that is the fundamental thing that makes the Heart’s Delight event different from everything else.”
In addition to providing an unmatched experience for attendees, Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting & Auction offers companies unique sponsorship opportunities. To learn more about the event, visit: heartsdelightwineauction.org/
A sampling of the winemakers and chefs attending the 2018 Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting & Auction are:
US Wines:
- Russell Bevan of Bevan Cellars in Santa Rosa, California
- Dan Petroski of Larkmead Vineyards in Napa Valley, California
- Larry Stone MS of Lingua Franca in Willamette Valley, Oregon
- Rajat Parr of Sandhi Wines in Lompoc, California
French Wines:
- Dimitri Augenblick of Château Cos d’Estournel in Saint-Estèphe
- Stephen Bolger of Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac
- Thibault Pontallier of Château Margaux in Margaux
Chefs:
- Daniel Boulud of DCBG D. C. in Washington, D.C.
- Scott Drewno and Danny Lee of CHIKO and Mandu in Washington, D.C.
- Miro Uskokovic of Gramercy Tavern in New York, New York
- Kwame Onwuachi of Kith/Kin in Washington, D.C.
- David Kinch of Manresa in Los Gatos, California
For the full list see http://heartsdelightwineauction.org/wines/ for winemakers and http://heartsdelightwineauction.org/chefs/ for chefs.
