Crushing It: 30 Years of l’Eté du Vin

As we celebrate 30 years of Nfocus, we have asked our friends in the community — many of whom have been with us since the beginning — to tell their story in their own words. Throughout the year, readers will hear from those who have graced our pages and supported our stories.

This month, we reached out to our dear friend Tom Milam to discuss 30 years of the illustrious fundraising event he co-founded, l'Eté du Vin.

Nashville Wine Auction’s l’Eté du Vin is rooted in humble origins. I served as chair of the American Cancer Society’s Davidson County fundraising in 1980, and our committee set out to find new fundraising events. Wine was a passion and hobby of mine, and a PBS station on the West Coast raised money with a wine auction. So, I thought, Why not Nashville? Having once met Norman Lipman, CEO of Lipman Brothers, I called him to pitch the concept. Norman provided encouragement, suggestions and helpful contacts to get involved and help this become reality. One was the gourmand and restaurant critic, Homer Blitch, who would later become a co-founder of the event. 

In 1980, there was no special occasion license, meaning the auction could not be in a licensed facility like a hotel. Spencer and Marlene Hays graciously offered their beautiful lawn in Belle Meade. For the evening, a tent was erected, food and wine stations were set up, and guests were invited for free. No special occasion license meant that no ticket sales were allowed, but everyone sent a donation, ranging from $10 to $100. The weather was glorious, and people — who had not previously donated to the American Cancer Society (ACS) — heard about the event and donated wines.

The very first donation was brought to my office by Mike Grace, CEO of APCOM in Franklin. Little did I know: At that time, Mike had cancer and would be gone before the 1981 event. 

That first event grossed about $6,000 and netted $3,000. With just over 100 guests attending, the bidding was fierce, and at the end of the evening most everyone opened their purchases, sharing tastes with one another. That $3,000 was enough for the ACS of Davidson County to beat its fundraising goal for the year — by just over $1,000.

Quickly, attendees volunteered to help with the second event, moving to the newly renovated Hermitage Hotel, with 150 paying guests in attendance. Proceeds more than doubled.

In 1982, the third edition saw 200 guests attending. Restaurateur Mario Ferrari had donated a jeroboam — four bottles in one — of 1970 Château Lafite Rothschild, which Mario bid on and won. He then approached the stage, uncorked the bottle and stopped the event to pour tastes as the crowd surged forward eagerly with outstretched glasses. All the while, Mario repeated, “Come see me at Mario’s for dinner!”

The theme became “how to keep getting bigger” in regard to attendance and money raised, and that continued into the early 2000s. For 1986, the idea was proposed to feature a prominent personality from the wine community as an honored guest. Charles Sonnenberg of Frugal MacDoogal’s agreed to approach his godfather, Peter M.F. Sichel of New York, who was known internationally for saving the German wine industry post-WWII with the creation of the Blue Nun brand. “A Grand Dinner” was created to fête this person on Friday night, with prior-year top bidders invited. We purchased a three-year-old case of the great white Burgundy, Le Montrachet, and — when served his glass — Peter commented, “This is infanticide.” And he was right.

Fast-forward to 1993: The event was now steadily raising over $250,000, so l’Eté du Vin moved to the more spacious Loews Vanderbilt Plaza for several years. The 1993 celebration was chaired by Holly Whaley’s father, the indefatigable late Billy Ray Hearn, and featured Jean-Claude Rouzaud of Louis Roederer Champagne, with many magnums of their extraordinary Cristal. The fundraising goal of that year was $500,000. As the last lot was brought forth — a special jeroboam of Cristal — it appeared we would fall short. The bidding began, increasing steadily, but still well short of what was needed. Suddenly, one of the professional ringmen working the crowd leapt into the air, yelling “25! I’ve got $25,000!” John Lindahl Sr. beat the goal and sheepishly asked, “Is no one else going to bid?”

The event needed even more space to grow, and Gaylord Opryland’s Presidential Ballroom was the next stop in 1995. That year, a Thursday night event was added with an expert-led wine tasting from the great Burgundy house of Louis Jadot and its venerable CEO, André Gagey. This inaugural event was at Vanderbilt’s Stadium Club. 

In 1996, Nashville music legend Buddy Killen and his wife Carolyn put the Nashville spin on the auction, featuring a solo performance by the uber-talented Michael McDonald. Michael played in the round — his white piano on a raised dais — for over 700 guests. The theme “Symphony of the Senses” was appropriate for our guest, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing of Bordeaux’s Château Pichon Lalande; another fundraising record was smashed.

L'Eté du Vin moved into Opryland’s even more capacious Delta Ballroom for themes like 1998’s “Celebrating Women in Wine” — featuring six female vintners from five wineries — and 1999’s “The Vintage Years,” honoring the top producers of Portugal’s vintage Port. In 2000, themed “The Art of Wine,” HRH Prince Robert de Luxembourg of Château Haut-Brion joined winemaker Jean-Bernard Delmas to discuss the great first-growths of Bordeaux.

Corinne Mentzelopoulos — who had been invited in the summer of 2001 — phoned in October following the tragedy of 9/11 to say she loved America and felt a duty to do something and l’Eté du Vin was her choice. Corinne, owner of Château Margaux, delivered a memorable address at the 2002 events, and the million-dollar threshold was crossed all four of these years.

Now, 40 years in, Nashville Wine Auction is a year-round series of events, dinners, tastings and gatherings. It is now a brand, forming new and enduring friendships across the wine and food community, all throughout the world. Where else can you simultaneously have so much fun and do so much good?

Salut!