In fact, Cakebread Cellars invites devotees to submit photos of themselves having fun with their Cakebread wines for an annual contest. Skinny dipping at the beach with a bottle of Cakebread took the prize one year; surfing and fishing have also been winners. The 2011 top prize went to a military helicopter pilot who is shown standing in front of his chopper, hanging onto a bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay after his final flight.

Cakebread Cellars was an early entrant in Napa Valley wine production. Dennis’ father, Jack Cakebread, was an accomplished photographer who trained under Ansel Adams. He originally came up to Napa some 30 years ago, to capture the beauty of the landscape for a wine book. His family owned peach and almond orchards, but on this trip he found his calling in grapes. With the $1,500 advance from the photography assignment, he put a down payment on a friend’s ranch and became a grape farmer. Today the family business is one of Napa’s most beloved. Jack still reigns as CEO, son Bruce is COO and President, and son Dennis is Senior VP of Sales and Marketing.

Since the first vintage, a 1973 Chardonnay, the family winery has become renowned for its Chardonnays. Yet the winery has great breadth: one of the top selling wines of 2011 was Cakebread’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. The family also produces the Dancing Bear Ranch and Vine Hill Ranch labels, appreciated for their Cabernet Sauvignon as well. Today Cakebread wines include pinot noir, syrah, merlot, sauvingnon blanc, zinfindel, a rosé they call Vin de Porche, and a light red wine blend they named Rubaiyat after the famous poem “Rubáiyát” by Omar Khayyám. Cakebread wines are exported to 21 countries.

The high quality of Cakebread wines can be attributed to the winery’s finely honed mix of old world and modern technology. A subterranean neutron probe system that measures ground moisture is utilized, but so are French oak casks. A secret of the remarkable Chardonnay is whole cluster pressing, not used by many wineries. The juice is carefully extracted without crushing the grape, and only the juice is fermented.

Another unique aspect of Cakebread is its emphasis on food, and food and wine pairings. In fact it’s one of the only vineyards in Napa offering a “wine & food pairing experience” as one of its public tours. That’s thanks to Delores Cakebread, the matriarch of the family, who serves as VP of Ambience and Culinary, and oversees her organic kitchen garden. For 25 years, the winery has hosted American Harvest Workshops in September, bringing together five up-and-coming chefs, local farmers and Cakebread winemakers. For a peek at the fun, mouth-watering recipes from the chefs – many of whom have become quite famous – and guidelines for wine pairings, take a look at Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Cookbook, by Jack and Delores Cakebread and Jack Streeter, Culinary Director.

(l-r) Susan Hosbach and Faith Holley of Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation

What an amazing year.  Though 2011 was certainly a year of rebuilding and change, we are so truly grateful to have spent this year with all of you – our dear friends. After a successful auction in July we moved right into our “$29 and Under” wine event and then, in November, held the inaugural and wildly popular “Champagne & Chardonnay” women’s wine event.  In addition to the events, we have also added Wine Tours to amazing wine destinations of the world.  All of these events and trips help the Nashville Wine Auction further its mission of uniting the wine community to fund the fight against cancer.

(l-r) Jeff Lynch, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle TN; Holly Whaley

With that in mind, last night we held one of our most special events.  Pam and Steve Taylor graciously opened their beautiful home on Richland Avenue to help us celebrate the beneficiaries of the Nashville Wine Auction.  The party was well attended by our sponsors, beneficiaries and key leaders. Our Board of directors and staff expressed that our 2011 goals to strengthen our organization’s foundation have been met.  This operational focus enables us to increase our proceeds in 2012 and ultimately expand to quarterly events in 2013.

Present at the Holiday gathering were Sandy Towers of Gilda’s Club Nashville, Elaine Gordon and Board Chair, Rene Chevalier of American Cancer Society, Jeff Lynch, Board Chair of Make a Wish Foundation of Middle TN, Beth Jones of Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Susan Hosbach and Faith Holley of Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and Kimberly Parham and Kevin Cherep of Dan Rudy Cancer Center. This dynamic group of organizations all works hard to fight cancer and comfort patients and the families of patients, right here in Middle Tennessee.  In other words, money YOU helped raise at all of our great wine events directly impacts those in our community who have been touched by this disease.

(l-r) Elaine Gordon, American Cancer Society; Billy Ray Hearn; Keri McInnis, Beneficiary Chair; Nancy Hearn

With 2012 on the horizon, our plans for l’Eté du Vin on July 21 are well underway.  But you can still help us this year.  Would you please consider a gift to the Nashville Wine Auction to help us continue uniting the wine community to fund the fight against cancer?

Wishing you and yours the very happiest of holidays.

]]> http://www.nashvillewineauction.com/news/2011-holiday-party-for-beneficiaries/feed/ 0 http://www.nashvillewineauction.com/news/the-catbird-seat/ http://www.nashvillewineauction.com/news/the-catbird-seat/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:09:40 +0000 Taylor Vick http://www.nashvillewineauction.com/?p=1076 By: Diane Madison-Jammal

Can I just say OMG!? Holly and Mark Whaley invited us to dinner last night at The Catbird Seat. We had heard great things about this little “eat in the kitchen” restaurant. WELL, let me just say that at the end of the evening we all agreed that we have just had one of our best meals ever.

There is no menu; the only choice you have to make when you go in is whether you want the meal paired with the perfect libation, perfect non-alcoholic pairing, or if you want to stick with wine only, (yours or theirs). The menu changes slightly during the week but almost totally once a month. During the meal you meet all six staff members and you watch them all evening. They prepare the food right in the center of the restaurant “in the round” where they serve between 32 and 40 customers a night. The chefs and the cooks bring the food to your table and describe each of the nine courses you will so enjoy. Each is so delicious you can’t wait to taste what is next.

The preparation is fantastic and original. The food is inventive and has so many flavors it is like a symphony going on in your mouth. Each is served as a work of art, food almost as beautiful to look at as it is to taste. At the end of every single course we looked at each other and said WOW! The hard part was choosing a favorite course. I think the consensus of the evening was a toss up between the Pressed Duck with quince, brussels, granola and duck liver mousse and the Nantucket Bay Scallops, with bits of country ham, Island Creek Oysters, celery, shallots and mustard greens. The Sweet Potato soup with black truffle was elegant, the Octopus course surprisingly tender and memorable. The Kale ash encrusted Wagu Beef was completely original and paired well with the awesome 1994 Beringer Private Reserve we brought.

Between the four of us wine loving foodies we have eaten in some of the best restaurants in the world. Well, we believe one of the world’s best restaurants opened in Nashville 10 weeks ago, and we can’t wait to go back. You should make your reservation soon because when word gets out the wait for a reservation will be forever.

Wine Spectator editors rated more than 16,000 new releases in independent blind tastings in order to compile the Top 100. Wines were rated on quality, value, availability, and significance, with editor preference making the final calls. All of the wines scored 90 or above in Wine Spectator’s 100-point ratings scale.

Saxum’s James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles 2008 scored a 97, tied for the highest score awarded any wine on the Top 100 list.

We hope the winners of these distinguished wines have been enjoying their bounties. If you took home one of these bottles, please take a few minutes to email us with your own impressions. We’d love to share them in the newsletter.

Who knows which wines in next summer’s wine auction will turn out to be Top 100 for 2012!

“If the Wine Matters, So Does The Glass.” Bottega del Vino Crystal’s single mission: creating the finest possible wine glass from which to savor and appreciate the result of years of work in the vineyard. These crystal glasses can only be produced by hand using centuries-old techniques, and are made of lead-free crystal. This ensures that although the stems are of miracle lightness and balance, they are not fragile. These fine crystal glasses are made for every day use and are dishwasher safe.

There are 15 different styles of wine glasses, as well as beautiful barware including martini, whiskey tots, double old-fashioned as well as cordial glasses, water glasses and decanters to make a complete set.

The most popular styles are the BV-5 Chardonnay/Cabernet ($54/stem), BV-7 Rosso Amarone (great for most reds), ($54/stem), BV-6 Champagne, ($50/stem), BV-14 Super Venetian for bigger reds, ($60/stem).

BDV has also introduced a beautiful padded gift box suitable for shipping and makes a great presentation!  The Champagne Box includes two champagne flutes and room for a bottle of sparkling for $140, The Super Venetian is two BV-14s and room for a bottle of red wine for $150.  Come by Apropos to see the box and glasses in person.  We will even pour some wine and let you experience the taste!

Purchase today through Apropos Advanced Skin Care & Day Spa and they will donate 10% of the profits to l’Eté du Vin! BDV is graciously offering lower shipping rates and foregoing the drop-ship charges when ordering through Apropos.

On the evening of November 1, 2011 l’Eté du Vin launched its first annual Champagne and Chardonnay event.

Hosted at Teri Worthington’s lovely home in Belle Meade, the event was Chaired by Amy Smith and Sponsored by Carrie and Tristan Kinsley of The Wine Shoppe at Green Hills along with distributor, Jeanne Boone of Boonedocks Distribution. The all-women event was a huge success in the fight against cancer.

Ladies enjoyed a silent auction featuring over 20 different lots of Champagne and Chardonnay. One “mystery” sale featured 12 different Champagne or Chardonnay for $50.00 each. One lucky lady walked away with a bottle of Dom Pérignon for $50.00! Featured retail donors included, Lindell Jewelers, Juel Salon and Na-Ann’s Interior design. Jewelry by Brooke Worthington along with handbags by Kathy Capp were also featured at the party.

Holly Hearn Whaley, Seema Prasad, Carrie Kinsley, Amy Smith

A delicious fall menu was provided by Seema Prasad, owner of Miel restaurant to include carefully crafted hors d’oeuvres that paired with the wines and satisfied the palate. Wine served for tasting included: Le Baron Blanc de Blancs (France), Ruggeri Prosecco (Italy), Apaltague Chardonnay (Chile) and Starry Night Chardonnay (Sonoma). Party rentals were generously provided by Cynthia Himmelfarb of The Premiere Event.

In typical l’Eté du Vin fashion, proceeds from the event helped provide much-needed funds to local cancer charities including: American Cancer Society’s Camp Horizon and Hope Lodge, Dan Rudy Cancer Center, Gilda’s Club, Make a Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee, The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

This year Champagne and Chardonnay featured Gilda’s Club. Executive Director, Sandy Towers, shared how the organization offers counseling to patients, their family and friends to assist throughout the hardship of cancer. A testimonial was given by Kim Amsilli, in attendance with her sister Lea Amsilli about how Gilda’s Club counseled them throughout their father’s struggle with cancer. With over 100 women in the room, tears flowed as the heartfelt story brought to light that in addition to enjoying great wine and friends, they were helping people like Kim and Lea gain the strength and understanding they deserve and needed.

Sandy Towers, Lea Amsilli, Kim Amsilli, Amy Smith

Upon leaving the event, guests were given gift bags that included a bottle of champagne and a $50.00 gift card, donated by Carolyn Linder of Lindell Jewelers in Brentwood.

Overall, the event was an enormous success full of wine, laughter, girl power and netting more than $12,000 to uniting the wine community in the fight against cancer!

For all those who attended thank you for your support! And for those who weren’t able to, we look forward to seeing you at the second annual Champagne and Chardonnay!

In 2011, your wine donations helped us raise more than $600,000 at our Nashville Crush Wine Auction, $29 & Under, and Champagne and Chardonnay events. The money your wines helped us raise is used to support our beneficiaries.

This year, we were able to visit American Cancer Society’s Camp Horizon and see those dollars in action providing a safe place for children fighting cancer and their brothers and sisters to enjoy summer camp. We were able to name rooms at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge for our patrons who lost their fight to cancer in hopes that their legacy will encourage current cancer patients to keep fighting. We’ve also participated in events with the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation, and were blessed to hear one woman’s story about losing her Dad and the support Gilda’s Club Nashville was able to provide her and her family. We are also able to contribute financial support to both the Dan Rudy Cancer Center and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center where your dollars provide the best care and access to cutting edge research that will save a cancer patient’s life.

Your donations and financial contributions to l’Eté du Vin do affect the lives of countless cancer patients and their caregivers throughout the Middle Tennessee area. We hope you will consider giving before the year’s close to help us create opportunities for our beneficiaries to save and support the lives of those affected by cancer.

Click here to email Taylor Vick, our Donations Specialist, to make a donation before the end of the year.

For decades, glowing accounts of Bordeaux wines have been written around the world. The elegance, balance, sensory-enthralling and palate-refreshing qualities of fine Bordeaux wines are the standard for discerning palates worldwide.

Lead on Tom Milam and take us to Bordeaux!
May 6, 2012 through May 12, 2012

TOUR INCLUDES
Business Class Airfare
Ground Transportation
Hotel Accommodations
Tasting Fees and All Meals
$10,000/person

Tom Milam will lead you on a 7 day, 6 night adventure on the wine routes to and throughout Bordeaux….including the Médoc (St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien and Margaux), the Graves and Pomerol/St. Emilion on the right bank.

The l’Eté du Vin Bordeaux Wine Tour will begin in the northern Médoc, with accommodations planned at Jean-Michel Cazes’ lovely Cordeillan- Bages property in the village of Pauillac. From our base here, we will plan to spend three days “working hard” up and down the Médoc.

Châteaux to be visited, subject to final confirmation, will likely include Cos d’Estournel and Montrose in St. Emilion, either Lafite-Rothschild or Latour in Pauillac, along with Lynch-Bages, Pichon-Lalande and others; Ducru-Beaucaillou and Léoville-Barton in St. Julien, and Margaux, Palmer and Lascombes in the southern appellation of Margaux.

We’ll then move our headquarters to the Graves, staying at the hospitable La Caudalie, owned by Daniel and Florence Cathiard and situated adjacent to their lovely Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, where we’ll enjoy a tour and tasting. Also to be visited in the Graves will be the wonderful Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, other tastings will be revealed.

Our bus will also take us to St. Emilion and Pomerol for a day trip. These are generally smaller properties with limited access, and we will work with the Commanderie de Bordeaux for one appointment each in St. Emilion and Pomerol, in the lovely hilltop Roman-walled, medieval town of St. Emilion, generally considered to be the most beautiful wine town in all of France.

This is a wine trip where enthusiasm and good cheers are paramount requirements, as we take Nashville’s personality and enthusiasm to Bordeaux.

About Tom Milam
Tom Milam’s 35 years’ of passion for the pleasure of the table and friends accompanied and enlivened by the wines of the world, especially Bordeaux. It was a bottle of 1970 Mouton Cadet (a Bordeaux shipper’s wine) that piqued his interest, just after being served and drinking Paul Masson Burgundy. The difference experienced at that moment set off a lifetime of enjoyment and sharing this passion with others.

A founder of l’Eté du Vin, he has been involved as a member and officer of a number of wine and food organizations, including the Commanderie de Bordeaux à Nashville, La Chaine des Rotisseurs, Escoffier Society, and was named Mr. Gourmet 1993 by The Society of Bacchus America. Milam has also helped organize and has participated in numerous “grand format” tastings of Bordeaux wines (up to 50 vintages), including Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Pichon-Lalande, Haut-Brion, Cheval-Blanc and Pétrus.

Saturday, July 21, 2012
Loews Vanderbilt Hotel
5:30 pm

l’Eté du Vin is proud to announce our Guests of Honor, Jean-Charles Cazes of Chateau Lynch Bages and Dennis Cakebread of Cakebread Cellars.

Plan to join us on Friday night, July 20th, for special dinners with these winemakers and auction previews.

Wines Tasted at the Kayne Prime Dinner

• 2001 Behrens & Hitchcock “The Heavyweight”
• 2001 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
• 2002 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvingon Reserve
• 2002 Pierre Morlet Champagne “Millesime”
• 2004 Agharta Syrah
• 2004 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
• 2005 Sine Qua Non Atlantis Syrah
• 2005 Seven Stones Cabernet Sauvingon
• 2006 Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2007 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Couer de Vallee
• 2007 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2006 Inniskillin Riesling Icewine

All in all, it was an amazing night.

- Hosted and Written by: Adam Landa