100 POINT WINES FOR CHARITY

Washington's biggest givers honor good deeds with great food and wine

WL celebrates the fruits of the vine with the help of CharityWorks' 100 Point Vintage Wine Tasting, where top D.C. area chefs cooked up gourmet five-course meals to accompany 100-point wines. A special toast goes out to Virginia wines in anticipation of the commonwealth's official wine month, October. We'll show you where to go (and where to stay) to enjoy its entire splendor.

CHARITYWORKS 100 POINT VINTAGE WINE TASTING

May 19 • Home of Joe Robert
PHOTOS BY JONAH KOCH

THE EVENT: Take cuisine crafted by the area's top celebrity chefs and combine it with the world's best wines and you've got a recipe for a gourmet feast. Add in that it's all for charity, and everything tastes that much sweater. Joe Robert graciously played Event Host, opening his historic McLean estate to hundreds of epicurean voyeurs intent on sampling 100-point wines and their carefully paired dishes. Host Sponsor Bearingpoint's $75,000 contribution cooked up the evening's best pairing: CharityWorks and the Higher Achievement Program, a charity off ering 9 to 14 year olds in Washington's most distressed neighborhoods a chance at a great education.

THE SCENE: Wine Spectator Executive Editor Thomas Matthews walked the collection of high-tech heavyweights, wine afi cionados and foodies through a fi ve-course feast. 1995 Chateau Margaux with your Braised Veal Cheeks? Yes, please. Equally delicious was the fl air and combustible energy of having nine area celebrity chefs under one roof - Food Network eat your heart out!

THE GUESTS: BearingPoint's Robin Lineberger, Ambassador Nancy Brinker, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia, Tom Davis, Miriam Pollin, Jack Davies, Fernando Murias and Ted and Lynn Leonsis.


	Jack Davies and Terry Lineberger (co-chairs)


Caren DeWitt	John Ktenas and Masumi Weber


Bill and Michelle Dewitt with Jeff Carlton	Art Marks


Linda Graves and Mark McFadden	Neil Cohen and Russ Ramsey


Miriam Pollin and Tom Hotz	Jean-Marie Fernandez and Estee Portnoy


Ashley Taylor and Aimee Robert	Anthony A. Lewis of Verizon with Event Host Joe Robert


Leah Gansler, Karen Alcalde and Penny Yerks	Fuzzy and Erick Billings


Jeffrey P. Bialos and Justice Anthony Scalia	Ambassador Nancy Brinker and Richard Hanlon


Buzzy and Cheryl Krongard with Jim Kimsey	Fernando Murias


Paul Sullivan enjoys the 1995 Chateau Margaux	Lynn Leonsis and Pamela Hanlon


Sam Schreiber, Tom Davis and Ellen Schreiber	Mitch Rales with Wendy and Frank Raines

Sean Morris, Alisa Beyer, Thomas Beyer and Michelle Althuis

CHEF NAME	BIO	WINE	DISH	AN EXPERT'S TAKE
FABIO TRABOCCHI Maestro Restaurant Chef	Inspired by his father's love of food, this native of Italy's Marche region became interested in cooking at an early age. In 2001 Trabocchi moved to the Washington, D.C., area to open Maestro at The Ritz-Carlton in Virginia. Toscana Masseto	2000 Gaja Langhe Costa Russi and 2001 Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia	Tenuta di Castello Risotto, Aged Parmigiano, Morels, Truffles, Ossobuco Jus	"The fun part of all of this is the opportunity to work with colleagues from the same business under one roof. We share camaraderie, food and many laughs during this charity dinner for an enormous cause."
JONATHAN KRINN 2941 Restaurant Executive Chef/Owner	A native Washingtonian, Krinn graduated with honors from L'Academie de Cuisine in Maryland. After studying in France and New York with the likes of Alain Ducasse, Krinn returned to Washington in 2002 to open his acclaimed 2941 restaurant.	1988 Krug Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Clos du Mesnil and 1988 Krug Brut Champagne	Sautéed Soft Shell Crab with Gingered Long Squash, Osetra Caviar Parfait with Citrus Crème Fraiche, and Stuffed Medallion of Foie Gras with Mango & Rhubarb	"I like to make aggressive dishes for big events, and there is no bigger event than the CharityWorks 100 Point Wine Dinner. Not only did my dish make a wonderful wine pairing, but I had guests asking for seconds of foie gras."
BRENDAN COX Circle Bistro Executive Chef	Cox, a native Washingtonian, started cooking in college "just for beer money." With no formal training, he began at Galileo as a line cook, then moved to Equinox with the head chef.	2003 Ramey Chardonnay Carneros Hyde	Veloute of Five Spring Onions, Caviar, Bread Crisp Quail Breast, Kohlrabi Julienne, Honeyed Citronette Country Pate, Pickled Ramps, Burgundy Mustard.	"I saw that the other chefs were preparing a lot of seafood, so I created a more savory dish. The creaminess of the soup enhances aspects of the Chardonnay, and the pâté and quail breasts are classics of my kitchen."
RICHARD HAMILTON Tidewater Inn Corporate Chef	Hamilton, an Oklahoma City native, received his formal training from the Ritz-Escoffier Ecole du Gastronomie and Le Cordon Bleu academy before returning to the U. S. and making his critically acclaimed mark on the culinary world.	2002 Latour Puligny Truffières	Local Crab "Beignet" with Creamed Corn, BLT and T "Sandwiches," Black Truffle Potato Crusted Scallop with Osestra Caviar and Smoked Salmon Leek Puree, Waygu Tartare with Crispy Shallot "Salad" and Lobster on Tabouli with Meyer Lemon-Habanero Vinaigrette	"I made four different appetizers to show the four different sides of the wine I was given. To me, wines are more than three-dimensional, and the dishes I made brought out - but still balanced - the characteristics of this wine."
HAIDAR KAROUM Asia Nora Chef de Cuisine	Karoum has served as Asia Nora's chef de cuisine for the past six years, having previously worked at its organic sister restaurant, Nora. He began his culinary career at Citronelle.	1995 Château Margaux and 1996 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon	Braised Veal Cheeks & Sweetbreads with Hen of the Wood Mushrooms and Baby Spring Vegetables	"The two wines I was given, one a French Bordeaux and the other a Napa Valley Cab, set my theme of New World meets Old World, and I created a dish to reflect that. The veal cheeks remained a traditional style braised with Asian spices and accents."
FRANK MORALES Zola Executive chef	Before taking over the kitchen at Zola, Morales served as executive chef at D.C.'s power lunch hot spot, the Oval Room. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1995 and worked in New York before coming to Washington.	2002 Grivault Meurault Cru Clos Des Perrières	Sweet Soy Glazed Wild King Salmon with Rhubarb Cracklin' and Sherry Poached Muscovy Duck Breast in a Wild Ramp Jacket	"The wine played off the fattiness of the salmon and also of the duck. That's how I think about food and wine; I'm either going to contrast the two or go similar."
BRYAN VOLTAGGIO Charlie Palmer Steak House Executive Chef	Voltaggio attended the Culinary Institute of America, and shortly thereafter labored as sous-chef at Charlie Palmer in New York. When Palmer decided to open his first restaurant in the nation's capital, he made a smart move and took Voltaggio along with him as executive chef.	1990 Château Latour and 1982 Château Mouton-Rothschild	Roasted Angus Sirloin with Fava Bean Puree, Caramelized Tokyo Turnips	"I wanted to make something to complement the earthiness of these wines while also appealing to these 200 different people who were giving so much to charity. Obviously, red meat goes with red wine, but more specifically, the peppered roasted sirloin matched the pepper accents in the Rothschild."
TONY CHITTUM & HEATHER ACKERMAN CHITTUM Notti Bianche/Dish Executive Chef Pastry Chef	Tony's gastronomical interests peaked early while fishing on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Brooklyn native Heather realized her passion later in life, and began taking courses at L'Academie de Cuisine before getting her first job at Equinox.	1977 Fonseca Vintage Port and 1997 S.A. Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance	Almond Torta with Local Strawberries&Crème Fraiche, adapted from the Notti Bianche Menu, and Campfire S'more Tart, a Twist on Dish's Big City S'more.	Heather: "I thought that the chocolate would be good to balance out the sweetness of the port, and that the Constance needed something much lighter, like the torte."

GOOD SPIRITS
BY PRESENTING SPONSORS LYNN AND TED LEONSIS

We often hear people say that Washington is all about power-as New York is to money, Los Angeles is to entertainment and Houston is to oil. But CharityWorks dinners are a good example of something else that defines our region: generosity. Think about it. This community donated $1.2 million to YouthAIDS last September. Our grantmakers contribute $1 billion each year. We are the home of Network for Good, which directed more than $24 million in relief funds last year to victims of Hurricane Katrina and the Southeast Asian tsunami. This is where the pioneering Venture Philanthropy Partners - which has committed about $30 million in grants - got it start five years ago. And, this is a community where an organization like CharityWorks can find such enthusiastic support for its efforts. We were attracted to CharityWorks because it believes so strongly in personal involvement in philanthropy. What's more, it has found creative ways to engage the community and effectively raise funds. It is incredibly efficient, with almost everyone involved donating their time to make it work. And it employs rigorous standards in its grantmaking, so that it can have maximum impact on those in our communities who need help. The CharityWorks events show where the real power in D.C. lies- the eagerness of its people to donate their time, talent and finances to help those in need.

TOAST OF THE TOWN
BY CHRIS WALLACE OF FOX NEWS

Most charity events around Washington are either for a good cause or are a good time. The CharityWorks dinner is that rare event that is both. The amount of money raised can give a huge boost to a very worthy organization. And the event is a unique experience - enjoying extraordinary food and wine with the "lions" of the Tech World and of Northern Virginia. My wife Lorraine and I have attended the last two dinners. Our good friends Lynn and Ted Leonsis invited us. Just to walk into the tented dining room is an event. Each table is covered with more than a hundred wine glasses. And over the course of the evening, each of these glittering glasses is filled with extraordinary wine.

I know a little bit about good food and wine. But I have never seen anything like the CharityWorks dinner. You have a tasting menu of courses prepared by the most inventive chefs in the D.C. area, and along with each course you get to drink two of the world's finest wines. To sit there comparing the Château Latour and the Mouton-Rothschild is almost surreal. I'm not sure I would want participate in such an optimum event more than once a year. But about six months after the last dinner, I'm already thinking about the next one.

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