Attending a wine dinner at Morton’s is always a great experience—and when Gundlach Bundschu of Sonoma Valley, Calif. is the participating winery, it becomes truly memorable. To give it an even classier touch, a portion of the proceeds from the recent Schaumburg-based dinner went to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which provides 100,000 meals every day for the economically disadvantaged.

The Schaumburg location of Morton’s The Steakhouse hosted this November event with Jeff Bundschu himself in attendance. I’ve been a fan of Gundlach Bundschu for some time, and was excited to learn that this family-run winery was teaming up with Morton’s. It didn’t surprise me, since Morton’s is always on the cutting edge of dining.

Wine-pairing dinners are common these days; well-done wine dinners are special. They match exclusive dishes with wines from specific wineries, giving chefs a creative outlet and providing patrons with a flavorful learning experience. Usually a dinner will feature a winery representative to explain the wines and how to properly pair them with food. We’ve been to wine dinners that are relaxed and more formal ones, but an event at Morton’s is one everyone should attend.

One of the best things about this dinner was getting a real sense of Gundlach-Bundschu’s character. We enjoyed learning about how this unique estate, nestled along the southwesterly slopes of the Mayacamas mountain range in Sonoma, is the oldest family-run winery in California, with a personality and history all its own. And then there was the food and wine—the filet mignon is melt-in-your-mouth delicious, especially when paired with three elegant, high-quality wines (Gundlach Bundschu’s Estate Vineyard 2003 Pinot Noir, 2000 Merlot and 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon). Other pairings we experienced were excellent: the 2007 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is not too tart and well balanced with jumbo lump crab cakes, Belgian endive, and tuna tartate; the dry 2008 Gewürztraminer was perfect with a field greens salad topped with grilled shrimp; and the cheese course was delectably paired with 2005 Gundlach Bundschu Vintage Reserve. Now this is a nice way to learn about a place.

This evening at Morton’s was simply exceptional, with the added bonus of being a fundraiser for people in need. During the course of the evening, a wooden-boxed Gundlach Bundschu wine collection, no longer available to the public, was auctioned off for charity. After some enthusiastic bidding by two guests that rose into the thousands of dollars, Jeff Bundschu donated a second wine set so that both could win. And the Greater Food Depository got an additional donation.

These are the types of details that make a wine-pairing dinner at Morton’s truly unique. Don’t hesitate when you have the opportunity to join one; you won’t regret it. Or just come in for a regular dining experience, which always gets transformed into something extraordinary here. When we visit the Schaumburg location, General Manager Barry Devine and Sales & Marketing Manager Sonia Hagopian treat us like family, and that makes everything more special.

Morton’s The Steakhouse features six locations in the Chicago area--two in Chicago and four in the suburbs of Northbrook, Schaumburg, Rosemont and Naperville. Visit www.mortons.com for additional information or call us at 847-715-4574. For more on the Greater Chicago Food Depository, call (773) 247-3663 or visit www.chicagofoodbank.org.

-by Russ Hoefer, Editor