ShuttleCork hospitality at its finest!

CHEF: Andrew Longres, Acre
Born and raised in Liberty, Missouri, Andrew has worldly experience in fine dining from working in Europe, West Palm Beach, Chicago, and New York City. Andrew returned home as Executive Chef at bluestem before becoming Executive Chef at the iconic American Restaurant. He recently opened his own restaurant in Parkville, not far from his hometown, serving seasonally focused cuisine.

WINERY 1: SPOTTSWOODE
In 1982, 100 years after the estate’s founding, Mary Novak would produce the very first barrels of Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1998, Mary’s daughter, Beth Novak Milliken, succeeded her as CEO. Spottswoode has since received Wine Advocate 100-point scores in multiple vintages, including the last two!

WINERY 2: KISTLER
In the south of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or you will find many of the most exquisitely crafted white wines in the world. Sonoma is home to another of these Maestros of Chardonnay. Kistler is a house dedicated to showcasing the most single-clone Chardonnay has to offer…and they make a little Pinot Noir too!

CHEF: Charles D’Ablaing, J. Rieger & Co.
Charles D’Ablaing garnered significant acclaim on Kansas City’s culinary scene when he opened the kitchen at Webster House, featuring upscale yet approachable fine dining. Though he moved on to the Raphael Hotel, he completely switched gears to open Brookside Poultry Company before taking over as Culinary Director at J. Rieger & Co., where you can still find his famous fried chicken as well as multi-course offerings in the Barrel room or The Hey! Hey! Club.

WINERY 1: ZAKIN
With their inaugural vintage in 2012, Jon Zakin and his wife Jan set out to make world-class wines from the beginning. Alongside superstar winemaker Philippe Melka and the team at Silverado Farming Company, they’ve been able to do just that in a relatively short amount of time!

WINERY 2: PHIFER-PAVITT
The buzz around the wines of Phifer-Pavitt is as strong as ever. While the wines are beyond exceptional, the focus on sustainability is second to none. Owners Shane and Suzanne, along with winemaker Pat Osbourne, have created a culture of organic viticulture with respect to the land and water, and minimal intervention in the winery.

CHEF: Kozeta Kreka, Paros Estiatorio
Paros Estiatorio in Leawood delivers Greek cuisine that prides itself on fresh, Mediterranean ingredients from the land or sea. The restaurant is very elegant with a minimalist style, and its name hails from the Greek island Paros, which is part of the Cyclades Islands. Head chef Kozeta Kreka creates dishes that are beautifully and simply prepared, passed down from generations to provide an authentic Mediterranean experience.

WINERY 1: FAIRCHILD
In 1999, Founder Lawrence Fairchild purchased a small, coveted vineyard known as Sigaro, just above Lake Hennessy. This part of Oakville, known as the Rodeo Drive of vineyards, is exclusively home to luxury brands such as Bond and Colgin. Under winemaking direction of Philippe Melka, Fairchild is producing arguably the most sought-after, micro-production wines in the valley. Many of these artistically inspired labels are released to members as single bottle allocations.

WINERY 2: SENSES
Senses Wines is the dream of three childhood friends. Chris, Max, and Myles partnered with critically acclaimed winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown (Schrader Cellars, Rivers-Marie). The team produces wines from coveted vineyard sites throughout Northern California, in both Sonoma and Napa Valley.

CHEF: Brandon Brumback, The Savoy at 21C
Brandon returns to his home city where he began his career at 16 years old. After culinary school, he took on influential roles at many high-profile restaurants, including Napa Valley’s Bouchon and The French Laundry, and Chicago’s Blackbird, Grace, Ria, and Roister.

WINERY 1: STAGLIN
The story of Staglin Family Vineyards begins in 1985, but the history of the estate is much older. Purchased and planted by John Steckter during the civil war, the estate vineyards would later be reimagined by famed viticulturist André Tchelistcheff. Today, Garen and Shari Staglin, along with David Abreu, continue their care of the iconic property.

WINERY 2: CORNELL
Henry Cornell spent a large portion of his life overseas, enjoying the iconic wines of Europe. This love eventually led Henry and his wife Vanessa to start their own wine venture in Napa Valley. Together they lead the team alongside consulting winemaker and protégé of Michel Rolland, Françoise Peschon. Françoise’s career spans many of the great Cabernet houses across the globe including Araujo, Vine Hill Ranch and Château Haut-Brion.

CHEF: Johnny & Helen Jo Leach, The Town Company
Johnny intertwines rustic roots and refined beginnings that embody the Kansas City experience as we know it today. Along with his wife, Executive Pastry Chef Helen Jo, the two have created menus that celebrate local culinary traditions with elevated, modern traditions.

WINERY 1: KNIGHTS BRIDGE
Located just north of Calistoga lies one of California winemaking’s best kept secrets. While the number of producers in this small Sonoma region are few, they are great! Producers here include Melka, Peter Michael, Anakota, and since 2006, Knights Bridge.

WINERY 2: FANTESCA
Susan and Duane Hoff’s careers started far from the wine industry, working at a small stereo shop called Sound of Music. The two would stay with the shop all the way until it became a Fortune 100 company under its new name, Best Buy. Together they purchased their Spring Mountain estate and employed world-renowned winemaker Heidi Barrett to run their winemaking team.

CHEF: Michael & Nancy Smith, Farina
Working in celebrated kitchens in Chicago, Denver, and France prepared Michael to open his own restaurants; Forty Sardines, the eponymous Michael Smith, Extra Virgin, and now, Farina. He is a James Beard Award winner and continues to be recognized as one of the country’s most respected chefs.

WINERY 1: FUTO
The Futo Estate was founded in 2002 by Wichita native and Kansas University grad Tom Futo, and his wife Kyle. Under the direction of two of Napa’s brightest stars, vineyard manager David Abreu and winemaker Marc Aubert, the Futos would expand their property across Oakville and Stags’ Leap, producing some of the most soughtafter Cabernets anywhere in the valley.

WINERY 2: VIN FRAÎCHE
Michael Kennedy grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where he begain his career as a Sommelier. Opportunity led him to top NYC restaurant Le Bernardin and Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman before founding Component Wine Company. With great initial success, Michael was awarded Forbes Magazine 40 Under 40. Alongside Bryant Family winemaker Marc Gagnan, the two would go on to add Gagnan-Kennedy, SOM and La Caccia Toscana to their portfolio of projects, all falling under the umbrella of Vin Fraîche.

Winemaker Dinners will take place on Thursday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. and the Grand Tasting + Auction will take place on Friday, May 5 at 5:30 p.m.

Your Winemaker Dinner with other guests, a celebrated local chef, and two West Coast winemakers will be determined based on how you rank your preferences. The ShuttleCork committee will reach out one week in advance to confirm your dinner location.

The last day to purchase tickets is May 1.

If you would like to send a check instead of purchasing tickets online, please include guest information and make contributions payable to The Nelson Gallery Foundation, and mail to:

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
ShuttleCork 2023
4525 Oak Street
Kansas City, MO 64111

If you are unable to attend but want to support the museum, please make contributions payable to The Nelson Gallery Foundation, and mail to:

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
ShuttleCork 2023
4525 Oak Street
Kansas City, MO 64111

Further questions can be directed to 816.751.1278, (option 8) or 1ART@nelson-atkins.org.