Photo courtesy of Heart's Delight.
The annual Heart's Delight Wine Tasting & Auction will be held May 6-9, featuring premier global wines including several from Virginia.
The 26th annual Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting & Auction returns to the nation’s capital May 6–9, featuring four evenings of exceptional wine, local cuisine, and charitable auctions that benefit the American Heart Association.
The event brings particular focus to Bordeaux wines, but will feature leading producers from around the globe, including four Virginia winemakers. Participating chefs come from top local restaurants including Pastis, Casa Teresa, Muoi Tieu, Maydan, and others.
Virginia Wines in the Global Spotlight
The events will be hosted at iconic venues throughout Washington over four days:
Photo courtesy of Heart's Delight.
The event will include auctions featuring items ranging from worldwide trips to exclusive dinners to rare wines.
May 6: The Congress Has Heart reception and dinner will showcase American wine from several states, including Virginia. Highlighted wines will be presented by owners, winemakers, and directors and will include a live and silent auction, held at a rooftop venue overlooking the U.S. Capitol.
The Virginia wines featured at the event will be from Common Wealth Crush Co. of Waynesboro, Crimson Lane Vineyards of Linden, and Early Mountain Vineyards of Madison.
May 7: The Embassy & Winemaker Dinner Series will feature intimate wine dinners with an international flair in embassies, homes, and restaurants, with a host, chef, and winemaker at each.
May 8: The Vintners Dinner & Auction will showcase Bordeaux wines, including Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Cathiard Vineyards. The black-tie event at Mellon Auditorium will include a live auction featuring items ranging from worldwide trips to exclusive dinners to rare wines.
Photo courtesy of Heart's Delight.
Since 1999, Heart’s Delight has raised more than $27 million for the American Heart Association.
May 9: The Bordeaux Master Class & Grand Tasting at the Waldorf Astoria includes a formal seated tasting led by Chateau owners and directors, a Judgement of Paris 50th anniversary commemoration, and a walk-around tasting reception and auction featuring international and American wines, including Virginia producers.
The Virginia wines being poured at the event will be from Common Wealth Crush Co., Crimson Lane Vineyards, and Novella Wines.
Tickets: These events range in price and tickets can be purchased here. Registration closes Monday, May 4.
A Quarter Century of Charitable Events
Since 1999, Heart’s Delight has raised more than $27 million for the American Heart Association. It is the nation’s only four-day celebration of exceptional food and wine benefiting the AHA.
“The uniqueness is really created by the fact that the winemakers come year after year and spend their time to bring their wines plus the fact that you’ve got a very loyal crowd of people who support the event,” said Jamie Ritchie of Berry Bros & Rudd. The former Worldwide Chairman of Sotheby’s Wines & Spirits has been the Heart’s Delight auctioneer since 1999.
The producers “have built up a great camaraderie with the people who support the event year after year. So you have a familiar, fun, and friendly atmosphere where everyone knows each other and everyone appreciates what each other does,” he said.
The event began in memory of Bruce Bassin of MacArthur Beverages in Washington, a leading retailer and importer of fine wines and spirits, who died of a heart attack at a young age. The AHA has been a leading source of health information for more than 100 years, funding groundbreaking research, advocating for the public’s health, and providing critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Photo courtesy of author
Jane Fullerton Lemons
Jane Fullerton Lemons is a Virginia-based writer and recovering Washington journalist focused on wine and travel. A 2026 fellow at the Wine Writers Symposium in Napa Valley, she shares stories of the people and places behind the bottles, while also helping American consumers understand agriculture and how it impacts their lives. You can follow her work here.
