Inaugural Wine Dinner
Blueprint on 3rd’s first wine dinner benefits TumTum Tree Foundation.
By Jan Walsh
This weekend is TumTum Tree Foundation’s Wine Auction Weekend 2018. The Foundation enriches the lives of Alabama’s children who face life-altering and life-threatening illnesses. Over 29 years, TumTum Tree Foundation has donated over $11 million to Alabama children’s charities. And the TumTum Tree Wine Auction is the longest-running charity wine auction in the United States devoted to raising money for children’s charities.
To kick off the weekend, eleven Winemaker Dinners were held on November 8, 2018 in the best local restaurants, homes and pop-up venues. Kev and I attend the Arrow and Branch and Gamble wine dinner at Blueprint on 3rd, which is the restaurant’s first wine dinner. Outside on the patio, owner Dean Robb has the wines chilling at cellar temp, as this evening’s good weather would have it. Inside we are greeted by Dean and his son, Brandon with glasses of bubbly in their private dining room, where we toast the evening ahead, while nibbling on amazing appetizers. And before the first course is served we have made new friends whom we share the wine, food, and our own terroir—common ground stories of past wine experiences. The first course is a delightful seafood melody of succulent blue crab claws and poached shrimp paired with a lovely Gamble Heart Sauvignon Blanc 2015. The second scrumptious course of Wayco Cheshire Ham and poached pears, accented by a gorgeous Chirboga bleu cheese, is served with two luscious 2015 Cab Francs, one from each of the labels. For the main course, tender slices of seared venison are accompanied by beautiful bourbon cherries, glazed turnips, and grits. This course is also paired with two amazing 2015 vintage wines: Gamble G. Thomas Cabernet Sauvignon and Arrow and Branch Dr. Crane Vineyard. And for dessert, we indulge in chocolate bourbon cake and Gamble Cairo Cabernet Sauvignon 2014.
Some of our new friends at this memorable dinner will also be attending Friday’s 29th Annual Live Auction, which includes a Grand Tasting prior to the live auction. And on Saturday they will partake in the 4th Annual TumTum Tree Foundation Tailgate that event includes pre-game beer, wine, and barbeque in Tuscaloosa before the Alabama football game. Cheers to this weekend!
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