While Mary Matalin and James Carville were chatting about the recent presidential election and things to come at the Party for Hope benefiting Hope Supply Co. over at the Bush Center on Thursday, January 26, the Dallas Arboretum’s Rosine Hall looked like a jammed-to-capacity drive-in movie theater. Rows and rows of tables and chairs were lined up facing a big, old screen. And to cap things off, every seat was filled!
The occasion was “Wine and Film, A Perfect Pairing Oscars Preview.” And thanks to wine/film lovers Hayley Hamilton Cogill and Gary Cogill, the Arboretum, and the recent Oscar nomination announcements, it was more than a resounding success.
According to Dallas Uncorked‘s Hayley, “We love the beautiful space at the Arboretum and the ability to do what Gary I do best — pair wine and film. Our podcast has been so much fun doing just this that it was great to be able to do it live for such a welcoming crowd.”
The original place was for 110 guests, but they ended up with 116 including newly engaged Judy Snyder and Roy Carson, Debra Nelson, Dianne and Shannan Pratt, Frank and Karen Needham, Lee Hobbs and Pat Holder Ritter and Wayne Ritter.
One very special guest was a 1939 Oscar awarded to the late composer John Leipold for his musical score in “Stagecoach.” John’s granddaughter Jennifer Stewart brought the little fellow along for a first-hand view of the legendary statue.
When it came to the predictions and pairings, the Coghills put these together:
BEST MUSIC:
- Best original score: “La La Land” by Justin Hurwitz
- Best original song: “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana” by Lin-Manuel Miranda with Segura Viudas Brut Cava (Made in the traditional method from the classic varieties of Macabeu, Parellada and Xarel·lo in Penedes, Spain, this special Cava is filled with white fruit and citrus, along with tropical and light floral notes. Bright and fresh, with a balanced acidity, and a smooth finish.)
BEST SCREENPLAY:
- Best Adapted Screenplay: “Arrival” by Eric Heisserer
- Best Original Screenplay: “20th Century Women” by Mike Mills with Bodega Garzon Albarino (The white variety of Rias Baixas, Spain gets an unexpected lift when produced in Uruguay. Farmed sustainably, with heavy influence from the Atlantic Ocean, this lively white wine tells the story of the land and the people. Layers of white flowers, lemon-lime and stone fruit meld with a salty brininess from the breezes through the vineyards off the Ocean.)
BEST ACTRESS:
- Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis for “Fences”
- Best Actress in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman for “Jackie” with Truvée Rose (Started by the McBride Sisters in the Central Coast, this expressive wine blends classic Rhone varieties of Grenache and Syrah for a wine filled with strawberry, raspberry, and more wild flower aromas leading to a refreshing palate with notes of wild berry and Meyer lemon with a crisp, dry finish.)
BEST ACTOR:
- Best Supporting Actor: Jeff Bridges for “Hell or High Water”
- Best Actor in a Leading Role: Casey Affleck for “Manchester by the Sea” with Duchman Family Winery Sangiovese (Perhaps the best variety grown in Texas, from one of the best families. Duchman Winery is dedicated to crafting elegant, varietally correct, 100% Texas wines from Texas soils, with a focus on classic, Old World styled Italian varieties. Sangiovese, the variety of Chianti, thrives in Texas, producing a juicy, aromatic and food-friendly wine filled with red fruity, soft herbs, smoke and dense, dusty earth.)
BEST FILM of 2017
- “Moonlight”
- “La La Land” with Chateau Haut Caillou Bordeaux, Lalande-de-Pomerol (The best film of the year deserves a wine you will remember, and classic Bordeaux is always appropriate with great films, with [Haley’s] favorite always coming from the Right Bank. Merlot and Cabernet Franc dominant, with just a hint of Cabernet Sauvignon to add weight and texture to the luscious, red currant and black plum fruit filled wine. Elegant and inviting, with just a hint of earthy slate minerality on the finish.)
A couple interesting side notes of the evening’s pairings were:
- The selection of pairing Viola Davis with the Truvee Wines Rose, which is owned by “the McBride sisters, two African-American sisters with the same father and different mothers. They found they both loved wine and started the company.”
- Duchman Family Wine is born and bred in Texas and it only seemed right to salute “Hell or High Water” with a Lone Star vino.
As for the rest of Gary’s predictions, the Cogills will be having another pairings get-together on Wednesday, February 22, at Studio Movie Grill to benefit The Dallas Film Society at Royal from 6 to 8 p.m.