09 Dec Preview Pairings 2025 Dinner Wines
We are thrilled to host the 13th annual Pairings Dinner & Live Auction to help fund the fight against cancer on Saturday, February 22, at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.
The evening begins with a wine reception featuring wines donated and poured by nine guest vintners from 5:45 pm to 7 pm. The Pairings Dinner & Live Auction features 5 unique and fabulous wines, each specially paired with a dinner course throughout the evening. Let us entice you to join us for Pairings by sharing more about the exceptional wines to be served with dinner!
DuMOL Sonoma Coast Rosé of Pinot Noir 2023
Founded in 1996, DuMOL is dedicated to crafting highly nuanced, vineyard-focused Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from distinctive sites in the cool-climate Russian River Valley. Winegrower and Partner Andy Smith lead a small and experienced team at DuMOL to craft wines of depth, clarity, and elegance through attention to detail in the vineyards and vintage-specific winegrowing.
A note from the Winemaker, Andy Smith
“Even an old rosé skeptic/curmudgeon like me will find lots to love in our new 2023 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Rosé, which hails from exceptional vineyard sources. It’s packed full of pure, unbridled deliciousness, so let’s neither dissect nor over-analyze it. Suffice it to say, the wine is quite lovely and will deliver much pleasure. The bright pale peach color leads to intensely fragrant aromas of grapefruit, watermelon, and passionfruit with an edge of fresh green herbs. The palate is full of lime pith, lemongrass, and soft strawberry flavors and then deeper nectarine richness. Dynamic and clean, there are broad layers of oily richness uncommon for this wine style. The vibrant mineral acidity cuts through the wine’s texture to lengthen the flavors and layers. Serve at 53-55F and drink over two nights to watch the wine’s richness develop.”
Learn more here.
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Donelan Family Wines Nancie Chardonnay 2021
Donelan Family Wines is a small, boutique winery founded in 2009, with a focus on Rhone and Burgundian varietals that come from dynamic cooler climate vineyard sites throughout Sonoma County. They have elected to prize quality over all other factors. Simply put, they think wine should taste great.
The Nancie Chardonnay is a blend of vineyard sites throughout Sonoma County with a few commonalities; emphasis on vine age, dry farming, and vineyards rooted in well-drained, gravelly loam soils. These consistent variables present a wine that embodies complexity, poise, and grace. The assemblage of this wine changes every vintage and begins in their minds during fermentation. The result is a mix of lots that have received different treatments – partial malolactic fermentation, selective lees stirring, and a symphony of flavors and aromatics. The 2021 vintage was a good return to normal after 2020. It was a warm growing season but still cooler than the previous year. During crop estimations, they super low cluster rates, which was a telltale sign for great, concentrated, flavor-forward wines.
Tasting Note
On the nose, the Nancie Chardonnay opens with nutmeg, ginger snap, and chai spice leading to high-tone fruit like red apple skin, orange blossom, orchard fruit, and green pineapple. Judicious acidity makes this a great candidate for pairing with food. It’s very fresh on the palate, engaging, and invigorating, and it has quite a finish for Chardonnay. This is a stand-out wine among its peers, with one foot in California and one foot in the old world.
Learn more here.
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Résonance Wines Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022
It was a crisp spring day in April 2013 when Thibault Gagey and Jacques Lardière set out to survey a well-established Oregon vineyard named Resonance, tucked into the hills of the coast range near Carlton. Jacques had just retired after leading winemaking at Maison Louis Jadot for 42 years, and Thibault, whose family has operated Maison Louis Jadot since 1962, was ready to enter the business with a bold new project. They immediately felt a deep connection with the place, and after tasting through dozens of wines made with the vineyard’s fruit, Jacques sat back and said, “Perfect.”
Pierre-Henry Gagey, the President of Maison Louis Jadot and Thibault’s father, agreed. They decided to keep the vineyard’s title, and they also named their new winery—Maison Louis Jadot’s first outside of Burgundy—in its honor. With the same meaning in English and French, Résonance evokes many great things to come. They added the tiny but all-important accent mark to represent this small but special connection between Oregon and France.
The Willamette Valley Pinot Noir represents a blend of the finest vineyards in the Willamette Valley and includes grapes from their estate vineyards, Résonance and Découverte. They work with like-minded wine growers throughout the area who share our commitment to cultivating terroir-driven Pinot Noir. The result is a cuvée that offers an authentic representation of the Willamette Valley AVA.
Tasting Note
A beautiful bright ruby color for this expressive wine, with aromas of blueberry, raspberry, orange peel, rose, lavender, black pepper, and morel mushroom. The palate is generous, fresh, and fruity, and the tannins are well balanced by a pleasant acidity: a wine that is very alive!
Learn more here.
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The Setting Wines Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Established in 2014, The Setting is a collection of luxury wines created by three friends: Jeff Cova, Noah McMahon, and winemaker Jesse Katz. As the first winemaker to make the Forbes “30 under 30” list, Jesse’s experience spans 19 harvests at internationally acclaimed wineries such as Chateau Petrus, Robert Foley, and was a part of the winemaking team at Screaming Eagle. The Setting Wines is a culmination of relationships spanning decades from Napa to Sonoma County, sourcing from some of the most prestigious vineyards both valleys have to offer.
The Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 consists of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from two unique vineyard sites within Alexander Valley; the different elevations, soil types, and microclimates within each property make for one stunning and multifaceted Cabernet Sauvignon. The majority of this fruit comes from a special property called “Battle Family Vineyard” which sits at the very top of Chalk Hill Road overlooking the entire Alexander Valley. The grapes are sourced from four blocks, each adding its own personality and complexity to the wine.
Tasting Note
Jesse Katz crafted this wine to be vibrant and fresh in style. It is refined and elegant with rich notes of dark chocolate, rose petal and a hint of cinnamon. Bright acidity accentuates the tannins and formulates a beautiful texture throughout the palate. This wine may be enjoyed now with a one to two-hour decant or may be cellared for another 5-10 years.
Learn more here.
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L’Aventure Winery Côte a Côte 2021
L’Aventure’s story is about Stephan Asseo’s adventure to create world-class wines through passion, innovation, and sustainable viticulture in Paso Robles, California. Stephan’s winemaking philosophy is rooted in a production-driven approach, focused on crafting wines that truly reflect the vintage and terroir of Paso Robles. Their wines result of carefully blending the estate’s premium varieties, enhancing the authenticity, complexity, and balance of each cuvée.
Côte à Côte is an homage to Southern Rhône while still respecting the style of Paso Robles. This wine is seductive, fruit forward, and has a lot of pleasure. It may be e enjoyed now, or it can be easily aged 20+ years.
Tasting Note
“The 2021 Cote a Cote checks in as nearly equal thirds of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. It’s a killer bottle of wine revealing full-bodied richness, an expansive, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a complex bouquet of blackberries, savory herbs, peppered meats, and hints of violets. This concentrated, powerful wine stays just about weightless, has ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. The élevage here was 14 months in 30% new French oak, with 16% in amphora and 18% in concrete, and the balance in once-used barrels.” Jebdunnuck.com
Learn more here.
While guests are welcome to bring their own wine to share with dinner, there is no need to do so with these fabulous wines on the table! We hope to see you at Pairings!
Learn more about Pairings here and buy tickets now!