Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 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 13 years, the events have raised over $11 million for the American Heart Association, helping to support research into the number one cause of death in the United States.
See: Seven Day Wine Tour to German Wine Country: Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction (2015), Washington DC, USA
This year, Heart’s Delight took place from Wednesday, April 22 to Saturday, April 25, 2015. As in previous years, 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.
A dozen or so wine top producers from Bordeaux are always at the center of Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction. This year, Pierre Lurton of Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem was the star of the Heart’s Delight Vintners Dinner. But there was also a group of American wine producers, including Michael Silacci from Opus One in Oakville, California.
Program
Wednesday April 22 was the United States of Wine celebration showcasing American wine. A range of American wines were presented by owners and winemakers (see below). 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. Each guest shared a bottle from his/her cellar in an attempt to impress and outdo their fellow diners. In this friendly competition, there are no losers.
Thursday April 23 offered a series of intimate wine dinners with an international flair in homes, restaurants and Embassies with a host, chef and winemaker at each.
Friday April 24 featured an exclusive Vintners Dinner and highlighting the wines of Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem, presented by Pierre Lurton. The dinner was followed by a live auction led by Sotheby’s Jamie Ritchie featuring wine directly from the cellars of the Bordeaux producers in grand format.
Saturday April 25 began with a virtual tour of Bordeaux including a unique Master Class tasting of the 2012 vintage and an older vintage selected by the visiting Château owners and wine directors. 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.
During the Grand Tasting Reception guests had the opportunity to bid on exclusive travel packages, dining experiences and rare and exceptional wines during the spirited silent and live auctions.
The Wine Makers: Bordeaux
Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem, Pierre Lurton
Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac, Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy
Château Cos d’Estournel, Saint-Estèphe, Aymeric de Gironde
Château Coutet, Barsac-Sauternes, Dominique Baly
Château Guiraud, Sauternes, David Ornon
Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Daina Paulin
See also:
Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France
Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, Lucas Leclercq
See also:
A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France
Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Kinou Cazes-Hachemian
See also:
Tour and Tasting at Château Lynch-Bages in Bages, Bordeaux, France
Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan, Bruno Laplane
Château Phélan Ségur, Saint-Estèphe, Véronique Dausse
Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, Alfred Tesseron
See also:
Tour and Tasting at Château Pontet-Canet, with Owner Alfred Tesseron, Bordeaux
Château Troplong Mondot, Saint-Emilion, Myriam Ruer
The Wine Makers: US
Addax Wines, Napa, California, Brian Kearnes
Banshee Wines, Sonoma County, California, Noah Dorrance
Domain Drouhin Oregon, Willamette Valley, Oregon, David Millan
Early Mountain Vineyards, Madison, Virginia, Steve Monson
Fisher Vineyards, Napa and Sonoma, California, Rob Fisher
George Wine Company, Russian River Valley, California, George Levkoff
Hourglass Wine Company, Napa Valley, California, Samantha Shaw
Opus One, Oakville, California, Michael Silacci
Parry Cellars, Saint Helena, California, Stephen Parry
Peay Vineyards, West Sonoma Coast, California, Andy Peay
Plumplack Estate Winery, Napa, California, John Conover
Quintessa, Rutherford, California, Larry Stone
Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino and Healdsburg, California, Eric Baugher
See:
Vincent’s Wine Club: Winemaker Dinner with Eric Baugher and his Stunning Ridge Vineyards Wines, USA
Soliste, Sonoma Coast, California, Claude Koeberle
See also:
The Premium Soliste Wines of Former Famous Chef and Now Famous Winemaker Claude Koeberle and the Great Food of Chef Patrick Bazin at Bazin’s on Church in Northern Virginia, USA
Tablas Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles, California, Jason Haas
Pictures: Christian Schiller and Tablas Creek's Jason Haas in 2011See also:
Tablas Creek Wines from Paso Robles and Belgian Food at Brasserie Beck with Tablas Greek GM Jason Haas and Chef Robert Wiedmaier in Washington DC, USA
Thibaut-Janisson Winery, Monticello, Virginia, Claude Thibaut
Pictures Christian Schiller with Claude Thibaut in 2011
See also:
As Close as You Can Get to (French) Champagne at the US East Coast – Claude Thibaut and His Virginia Thibaut Janisson Sparklers at screwtop Wine Bar
Young Inglewood Vineyards, Saint Helena, California, Scott Young
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Seven Day Wine Tour to German Wine Country: Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction (2015), Washington DC, USA
Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux
Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément (in 2013), Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé, France
Visiting a “Holy” Construction Site: Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion, France
Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France
Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Beausejour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, France
Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile
Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, with Owner Bérénice Lurton, Bordeaux, France
Lunch, Tour and Tasting with Owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer) and Winemaker Julien Noel - Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros, Château Courbon and Clos Bourbon, Bordeaux, France
Visiting an Oyster Farm at Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux: Raphael Doerfler at Earl Ostrea Chanca , France
Tour and Tasting at Château Pontet-Canet, with Owner Alfred Tesseron, Bordeaux
Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Léoville-Poyferré, with Didier Cuvelier and Anne Cuvelier, France
A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France
A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, 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
Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France
As Close as You Can Get to (French) Champagne at the US East Coast – Claude Thibaut and His Virginia Thibaut Janisson Sparklers at screwtop Wine Bar
Tablas Creek Wines from Paso Robles and Belgian Food at Brasserie Beck with Tablas Greek GM Jason Haas and Chef Robert Wiedmaier in Washington DC, USA
Vincent’s Wine Club: Winemaker Dinner with Eric Baugher and his Stunning Ridge Vineyards Wines, USA
The Premium Soliste Wines of Former Famous Chef and Now Famous Winemaker Claude Koeberle and the Great Food of Chef Patrick Bazin at Bazin’s on Church in Northern Virginia, USA