Haute Wine Society Hosts Ducru-Beaucaillou Dinner With Grant Achatz At Next In Chicago

Haute Wine Society hosted an exclusive evening at Michelin-starred Next, presenting two intimate seatings curated by four-Michelin-starred chef Grant Achatz of The Alinea Group.

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

The evening highlighted a vertical tasting of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou wines, one of the most esteemed producers in Bordeaux’s Saint-Julien region, alongside a six-course tasting menu designed specifically for the event.

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

Each course reflected Achatz’s hallmark style, which is modernist in approach, technically exacting, and grounded in seasonal ingredients. 

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

The menu opened with “Green Goddess Unveiled,” a composed dish of kohlrabi, asparagus, snow pea, and cured egg yolk. This was followed by tortelloni in broth, filled with prosciutto and black cherry and finished with warm spices, paired with Château Ducru-Beaucaillou’s 2018 “La Croix” from Médoc.

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

The centerpiece course, titled “Beautiful, Psychedelic Abstraction of Beef, Not Flame Grilled,” showcased slow-cooked beef with a ramp and wild mushroom ragu and an herbal salsa verde. It was accompanied by two vintages of Ducru-Beaucaillou’s grand vin—2009 and 2020—offering a comparison of depth and aging potential.

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

A cheese course followed, featuring five age expressions of Waterloo cheddar (2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 years), paired with the 1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou. Dessert took a playful turn with “Oops! I Dropped the Lemon Tart,” served with lemongrass gelato and limoncello sorbet.

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

The dinner drew a notable guest list, including Vanessa Conlin, US Ambassador for Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, April Donelson, Managing Director at Haute Media Group, Barbara Cooper, Cherie McEssey, Dr. Maria Brunetti, and wine collectors from across the country, including the Trace, Chan, Driscoll, and Osolkowski families.

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovsk

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski

Photo Credit: Emil Ivanovski