That ‘wine cave’ the internet can’t stop talking about belongs to a Dallas billionaire who says we have it all wrong

By Michael Granberry The Dallas Morning News • December 25, 2019 12:00 pm
Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks as South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg listens during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Loyola Marymount University on Dec. 19 in Los Angeles. Buttigieg was met with criticism during the debate for holding a fundraiser with in a billionaire’s wine cave. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks as South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg listens during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Loyola Marymount University on Dec. 19 in Los Angeles. Buttigieg was met with criticism during the debate for holding a fundraiser with in a billionaire’s wine cave. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

DALLAS — In Dallas, Craig and Kathryn Hall are household names. Kathryn once ran for mayor. And Craig is the force behind Hall Arts, which adorns the Dallas Arts District with a new 183-room hotel, office space, the Texas Sculpture Walk and four gourmet restaurants. The couple also owns two wineries in the lush Napa Valley of California, and it’s those that are making national news — as a hot point in the 2020 presidential race.

Democratic rivals of South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg are seizing on a recent fundraising event as a way of hurling barbs at Mayor Pete, as The New York Times puts it, “for soliciting campaign contributions from wealthy donors.” Blasts from two candidates bombarded Buttigieg during last Thursday’s debate.

And where did the fundraiser in question take place? The term being used is “wine cave” — but, ah, it’s not just any wine cave.

The Halls, who own the Hall St. Helena and Hall Rutherford wineries in the Napa Valley of California, are taking issue with how the Buttigieg fundraiser has been portrayed, though the wine cave in question is part of Hall Rutherford.

To wit, The Times offered this cheeky description, noting that visitors “must navigate a hillside shrouded in mossy oak trees and walk down a brick-and-limestone hallway lined with wine barrels. Inside the room, a strikingly long table made of wood and onyx sits below a raindrop chandelier with 1,500 Swarovski crystals.” Artist Donald Lipski designed the chandelier.

The crystals alone gave Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts all the ammunition she needed. She blasted Buttigieg for holding a fundraiser in a wine cave “full of crystals” where, according to her, guests were served $900 bottles of wine.

“Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States,” Warren fumed.

The Halls have already sharply contested that description, noting that the winery’s most expensive wine costs about $350 a bottle, though you can buy an extra-large bottle — equivalent to four standard-size bottles — for about $900. And, the couple say, they did not serve the most expensive wine during the fundraiser, which the Halls attended.

Asked for comment on Monday, Craig Hall gave this statement to The Dallas Morning News:

“We were honored to be able to host Pete and hear more about his stance on our country’s issues, and we had a lively, informative discussion to gain a better understanding of his platform. The evening was hosted in our working wine cave (which are common in the wine industry and have been used for thousands of years to store barrels — they are also more environmentally friendly, as they require no refrigeration, heating or humidity control.) At the end of the day, we all have one common goal — to support and elect the candidate who we believe will have the most positive impact on our country and will best advocate for all Americans.”