c. Fiore
- Mar 27, 2019
- 2 min read

LEAP Wine Dinner

Last year we were invited to speak and present at a special dinner for the LEAP organization in New Haven. LEAP's mission is to develop the strengths and talents of young leaders who create and implement year-round, community- and school-based programming designed to achieve positive academic and social outcomes for children living in high poverty urban neighborhoods. Our goal is to create and implement a multi-tier mentoring model where young people of all ages are welcomed, educated and provided opportunities to grow within LEAP.

LEAP Year Event is an annual fundraiser held each year on February 28th. It starts with a cocktail reception that is followed by dinners at 31 homes and restaurants in and around our city. A different notable Guest of Honor joins each dinner party, providing a special theme for each gathering. Guests of Honor are academics, authors, artists, activists, performers, elected officials, media personalities, journalists and a range of other talented individuals who lead a conversation on a topic of their expertise.

This year Cynthia and Matt Haiken invited me into their home to conduct a wine dinner with pairings for each course for their group of 8 participants. Weeks prior, Cynthia sent me the menu for the evening and I began the wine pairings. Knowing that Matt & Cynthia enjoy wines from Kermit Lynch's portfolio, not that this made it easier, but I knew we could have fun digging into some really eclectic wines to showcase against her menu.