A Night at The Wine Exchange: The Hess Collection Wine Pairing Dinner
One of the things we love about living in the western suburbs is having favorite local places we return to again and again. The Wine Exchange in St. Charles is one of ours. We’ve been members for a while and have enjoyed many of their wine pairing dinners, along with their complimentary Saturday tastings for members.
Recently, we headed back for a special evening featuring The Hess Collection, presented by Will Fuhrman, with a four-course pairing menu created by Chef Doug Yeomans of Tarragon Catering.
And this one was definitely worth sharing.
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An Evening with The Hess Collection
The evening featured wines from The Hess Collection, presented by Will Fuhrman, who walked us through the different wines and shared information about the vineyards, winemaking and Hess’s vineyard practices.
I always enjoy wine, but I especially love events like this because you get to understand a little more about what’s actually in your glass. And tasting the wines alongside food specifically created to complement them makes the experience even better.
Four Courses — and Four Very Different Pairings
The food for the evening was created by Chef Doug Yeomans of Tarragon Catering, with each course paired with a Hess wine.
We started the evening with Prosecco before moving into the four-course dinner.
The first course featured black cod with mango ceviche salad, avocado, cilantro and toasted cumin crème, paired with a 2025 Hess Maverick Ranches Sauvignon Blanc.
Next came bronze-cut rigatoni with roasted rainbow carrot and wild boar ragu, paired with a 2022 Panthera Pinot Noir.
My Favorite Pairing of the Evening
The third course was a cracked pepper herb-seared flank steak with French onion-style risotto, broccolini and a roasted tomato and wild mushroom Provençal sauce.
It was paired with the 2023 Lion Tamer Cabernet Sauvignon.
This was the kind of dish that makes you stop talking for a minute—which, if you know me, is saying something.
And because apparently we hadn’t eaten enough yet, there was dessert.
Always Save Room for Dessert
The final course was a champagne berry double chocolate angel trifle with berry compote, dark chocolate mousse, white chocolate crème anglaise and fresh berries.
That was paired with the 2023 Lion Tamer Red Blend.
Wine and chocolate? I’m not going to argue with that combination.
More Than Just a Wine Shop
What I liked about the evening was that it wasn’t simply dinner and it wasn’t simply a wine tasting.
The Wine Exchange has that intimate wine-cellar atmosphere that makes an event like this feel special without feeling overly formal. You’re surrounded by bottles, wine racks and barrels, learning about the wines while enjoying food created specifically for them.
And it’s right in downtown St. Charles.
This Is What I Mean by “Living Local”
After living in the western suburbs for so many years, I still find places and experiences I haven’t tried before.
That’s one of the reasons I created the Living Local section of La Vine Living.
I don’t want this to become another generic list of “10 Things to Do This Weekend.” There are plenty of places to find those.
I’d rather share the restaurants we try, events we attend, small businesses we discover and those places I think are genuinely worth knowing about.
Some will be in Carol Stream. Some will take us into St. Charles, Geneva, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn and other communities around the western suburbs.
And every once in a while, apparently they’ll involve four courses and several glasses of wine.
I’m perfectly okay with that.
Have you discovered a restaurant, shop or local experience you think I should try? Send it my way. I’m always looking for our next local find.
Keep Exploring La Vine Living
Thanks for coming along! Whether I’m sharing a favorite local spot, something happening around the western suburbs, an idea for home or what’s cooking in my kitchen, I hope you’ll find a little inspiration for loving where you live.
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