Funds benefit cancer research and patient support in Middle Tennessee
March 10, 2026 (Nashville, TN) — More than $1 million was raised during Pairings: Solid Gold, the 14th iteration of Nashville’s Ultimate Wine and Food Weekend on February 26-28.
For 47 years, Nashville Wine Auction has engaged the Nashville wine community in generous giving at world-class events, supporting the lives of thousands through donations and event attendance. Pairings: Solid Gold was co-chaired by Carrie Kitko & Matt Leavitt and Jennifer & Chris Cordes, each a longtime supporter of Nashville Wine Auction’s mission and events.
“Thank you to the generous Nashville wine community, our vintners and chefs. You all came together in the best way to help fund our fight against cancer,” Carrie says. “We exceeded our fundraising goals and raised more than $1 million to help support our beneficiaries. I am beyond thrilled with the success of the Pairings weekend.”
Nashville Wine Auction welcomed renowned Guest Chef Dustin Valette, Chef/Owner of Valette, The Matheson, Roof 106, and Valette Wines, who prepared an exquisite five-course meal for Saturday evening. Valette also participated in a Private Vintner Dinner earlier in the weekend, where Valette Wines were poured.
“I was honored to bring our restaurants, Valette and The Matheson, along with Valette Wines, to beautiful Nashville as we united in the fight against cancer,” Valette says. “The generosity of the Nashville community was truly inspiring, and I look forward to the day I can bring a little Sonoma Style back and enjoy some more of your famous hot chicken!”
The weekend kicked off with Private Vintner Dinners hosted in homes and restaurants across Nashville on Thursday. More than 275 guests enjoyed meeting winemakers and tasting their fantastic wines at 13 special dinners prepared by renowned chefs.
Friday evening, Nashville Wine Auction hosted Wined Up! & The Collectors’ Showcase, a lively walk-around tasting and Silent Auction at City Winery. Nearly 400 guests attended across both events, with more than 100 wine lovers experiencing exclusive pours at the Collectors’ Showcase.
Featured vintners for Wined Up! included: Aperture Cellars, Arrington Vineyards, CIRQ. | CHEV. Estate, City Winery, Clos Solène Winery, Col Solare, Compris Vineyard, Covert Estate, Dakota Shy Winery, DuMOL Winery, Hyde de Villaine, Innumero, Kelly Fleming Wines, L’Aventure Winery, Limerick Lane Cellars, Linne Calodo, Lombardi Wines, Nysa Vineyard, Outpost Wines, PATEL Napa Valley, Peay Vineyards, RAEN Winery, Ramey Wine Cellars, Small Vines, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Stonestreet Vineyards, The Setting Wines, Three Sticks Wines, Valette Wines and WillaKenzie Estate.
“Brian and I are in awe of the Nashville community and its unwavering commitment and support of the vintners and this event,” Sheree Thornsberry, owner of Innumero Wines, says. “The Nashville Wine Auction team continues to be number one in effectively managing an event of this magnitude. Their support of all the vintners, but particularly of a boutique brand like Innumero Wines is more meaningful than any words can describe.”
Pairings Dinner and Live Auction capped the weekend, indulging guests in a five-course gourmet dinner featuring West Coast wines at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. Throughout the evening, attendees raised their paddles to bid in the always-exciting Live Auction.
Guest Chef Dustin Valette, Chef/Owner of Valette, The Matheson, Roof 106, and Valette Wines, carefully prepared a “Pairing” for each dinner course. Dinner featured wines from Gran Moraine, Peay Vineyards, Innumero, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Clos Solène Winery.
Guests enthusiastically raised their paddles throughout the evening, bidding on exclusive wine collections, luxury travel experiences, and unique dinners and tastings.
“As always, the Nashville wine community generously supported the fight against cancer,” Nashville Wine Auction President/CEO Loren Chumley says. “For the third year in a row, we raised more than $1 million and enjoyed a fantastic weekend of great company, incredible food, and exceptional wine.”
The top lots sold in the Pairings Live Auction on Saturday included:
- Refined & Romantic Yet Rustic; Relais & Châteaux Resort in Montana for Two – $40,000: This all-inclusive, adults-only retreat for two at Triple Creek Ranch, nestled in the Bitterroot Mountains, offering refined rustic luxury in the Montana Rockies, was popular, selling four times at the auction.
- Next Gen Mondavi Dinner – $36,000: Robert Mondavi’s grandchildren, Carissa Mondavi and Brian Mondavi Borger, will host an intimate dinner for 15 couples featuring a curated tasting of exceptional bottles from the exquisite cellar of Pam & Steve Taylor.
- Another Shucking Good Time – $32,000: It is the return of the Shucking Good Time party, the fabulous Raw Bar and Seafood Boil featuring top-level wine pairings at the preeminent party home of Loren Chumley and Scott Peterson for 40 guests.
- The Keys to Whiskey House; Tasting for Ten – $28,000: With a name like Whiskey House, expectations run high — and this one delivers. This lot also sold four times; each winning bidder and their group of 10 will each experience a customized whiskey tasting.
- A Dinner to Celebrate the Women of Wine and Food – $24,750: This dinner for 32 winning bidders will be held at The Butter Milk Ranch with featured Chefs Alyssa Gangeri & Hannah Miller and wine pairings from brilliant female winemakers in celebration of women who are shaping both the wine and culinary worlds.
There were more than trips and dinners up for auction Saturday evening. The top wine lots included:
- Pairings from the Heart: A Tribute to Stan Kweller – $10,000: This collection begins with a playful throwback to the early years, then shifts into an exceptional lineup of wines and Bourbon that reflects just how far Stan’s taste (and ours) ultimately traveled. We like to think he’d be smiling at this journey down memory lane.
- A Fitting Prelude to Summer: Cristal – $9,000: This six-bottle offering of Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal 2015 serves as the official preview lot for l’Eté du Vin. Offered as the closing lot of the Pairings Live Auction, it is both a statement of excellence and an invitation to the unforgettable experiences that await this summer.
The Nashville Wine Auction is proud to have the following sponsors for the event: Amy & Brannan Atkinson Giving Fund, Clinical Solutions Pharmacy, Tennessee Oncology, Husch Blackwell, Parker’s Paws Animal Hospital, The Navin Group, Cambre, and Maryland Farms Wine & Spirits.
ABOUT THE NASHVILLE WINE AUCTION
Nashville Wine Auction’s mission is to unite the wine community to fund the fight against cancer. In 2026, Nashville Wine Auction will celebrate Pairings: Nashville’s Ultimate Wine and Food Weekend on February 26 – 28 and the 47th Annual l’Eté du Vin on July 30 – August 1 at JW Marriott. Established in 1980, the Nashville Wine Auction has raised more than $44 million for organizations whose purpose is directly related to cutting-edge research, innovative treatment, and family/patient/caregiver support. www.NashvilleWineAuction.com
NASHVILLE WINE AUCTION BENEFICIARIES
American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, Ascension Saint Thomas Foundation, Blood Cancer United, Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee, The Heimerdinger Foundation, HopeKids, Inc.
Nashville General Hospital Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Middle Tennessee, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Survivor Fitness Foundation, Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition, and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
