Sheila Johnson to Host Fundraiser for The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

Salamander Resort & Spa, in partnership with Sushiko Chevy Chase, will host the very first Sushi & Red Burgundy Wine fundraising dinner on the revised date of Monday, April 13, at 6 p.m., at the home of resort owner Sheila C. Johnson in Middleburg, according to a news release. Here’s more about the fundraiser, from the release:

All proceeds from the ticket sales of this exclusive, rare burgundy wine-focused dinner will benefit The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, founded by the late Paul Newman. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to seriously ill children and their families throughout the Northeast, free of charge.

Only 24 seats are available for the seven-course dinner showcasing an artful Japanese omakase tasting menu paired with remarkable Burgundian wines that range in value from $100 to $620 per bottle on the current auction market. Tickets are priced at $2,500 per person.

At this special dinner gathering, Daisuke Utagawa, creative director of Sushiko Chevy Chase, will showcase his innovative approach to Japanese cuisine paired with Wasserman Burgundy wines to an intimate audience. He will be working closely with the Salamander’s Director of Food & Beverage Jason Cotton and his team, along with Peter Wasserman, national sales consultant for Becky Wasserman & Co, and Sushiko’s co-executive chef’s Piter and Handry Tjan.

Together they will provide a one-of-a-kind experience to be held at Johnson’s private Salamander Farm, which served as the architectural inspiration for her destination resort. Reservations must be made by email to Jason Cotton at jcotton@salamanderresort.com.

Daisuke Utagawa, a native of Tokyo, stepped out of Sushiko’s kitchen in the early 1990s to pursue a new culinary direction, the “Cuisine of Subtraction,” a Japanese philosophy which represents the removal of unnecessary components from an interesting ingredient to showcase what is inherently good, revealing its true essence. It was this eye-opening revelation that led him to explore the idea ofpairing Japanese cuisine with Burgundy red wines as Burgundian winemakers also adhere to a similar philosophy taking what the earth has offer to produce exceptional wines.

Utagawa discovered that the “umami” or sweet and salty sixth flavor found in certain cuisines, including raw fish, actually softens the tannins in the red wine balancing it, while the wine enhances the umami on the back of one’s palate, creating an ideal marriage of taste.

“With the aid of my mother Becky Wasserman, Daisuke came to France and convinced a group of skeptical growers to come and bring their wines to test his revelation of the natural affinity of red wine and raw seafood at our farmhouse in Burgundy,” says Peter Wasserman. “The first gathering was a real awakening for all of us, and it became an annual event, an amazing feast for the senses we all looked forward to immensely. Word has spread throughout France and Japan thanks to Daisuke’s efforts to share this experience.”

The exclusive Burgundy wine collection Wasserman will present for the evening will include the following rare wines:

• Domaine Alain Burguet Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, France, 2005
• Domaine des Epeneaux, Comte Armand Clos des Epeneaux, Pommard Premier Cru, Côte de Beaune, France, 2008
• Domaine des Croix, Corton la Vigne au Saint Grand Cru, Côte de Beaune, France, 2009
• Domain Comte Georges de Vogue Musigny, Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, France, 2000
• Domaine Michel Lafarge, Clos de Chateau des Ducs, Volnay Premier Cru, Côte de Beaune, France, 2006
• Domaine Lignier-Michelot, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, France, 2009
• Chateau de Suronde, Quarts de Chaume, Loire, France, 1997
• Le Brun-Servenay, Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes, Brut Millésime, Champagne, France, 1988

“From the very beginning, our Founder Paul Newman knew that it would take a passionate community of support to make his dream of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp an enduring reality,” said CEO Jimmy Canton. “Our friends at Sushiko are wonderful examples of the Camp’s incredibly generous community of support and we feel so privileged to be the beneficiary of what is certain to be a memorable evening.”

PHOTO courtesy of Salamander Resort and Spa