Auction to Include Rare Wine, Remarkable Experiences and Aid for Crucial Sonoma County Nonprofits
SANTA ROSA, California – September 10, 2020 – Today, Sonoma County Vintners Foundation and Honorary Chairs – Clay Mauritson of Mauritson Wines, Jake Bilbro of Limerick Lane Cellars and Mark McWilliams of Arista Winery unveiled the complete list of auction lots available at the virtual 2020 Sonoma County Wine Auction. This year’s virtual auction program, September 17 through September 20, supports numerous Sonoma County nonprofits with a Fund-A-Need dedicated to education and addressing the digital divide among school-aged children in the community.
“I am incredibly proud of the auction lot collection we have this year! From rare wines, to unparalleled experiences in Sonoma County, to travel opportunities for the wanderlust, we truly have something for everyone,” said Clay Mauritson of Mauritson Wines. “We are thrilled to encourage people from all walks of life to come together and support our community.”
Auction lots are available in two formats during the virtual program, online and live lots. In total there are 40 lots available for review on SonomaCountyWineAuction.com. These lots include limited-production wines, access to world-class experiences in Sonoma County that are not available to the public, tickets to best of the year sporting event and other special programs and outdoor adventures for thrill-seekers. Auction lot highlights include the following and more:
- Two couples will indulge at one of the most highly-rated hotels in the world, Farmhouse Inn for a four-night stay. From this luxurious base camp, you will take a wine county adventure every day! Each day will be hosted by one of the Sonoma County Wine Auction Honorary Chairs – Clay Mauritson of Mauritson Wines, Jake Bilbro of Limerick Lane Cellars and Mark McWilliams of Arista Winery. The Honorary Chairs will provide the insider’s scoop on the 2021 vintage and fulfill every wine lovers’ dream with their hands-on approach.
- Honorary Chef Charlie Palmer has teamed up with Honorary Vintner Daryl Groom to host dinner in Charlie Palmer’s Healdsburg backyard for a party of ten and will include special guest Nancy Oakes.
- Dan Kosta of AldenAlli, Jake Bilbro of Limerick Lane Cellars and Rich Aurilia of Red Stitch Wines are hosting an epic weekend in Sun Valley for two couples. They will ski the slopes, dine at the local’s favorite spots and enjoy time at the Sun Valley Museum of Art.
- Experience the world-renowned Russian River Valley during your stay at Merry Edwards Winery’s extraordinary guest house in Forestville. This unique, 3,000-square-foot home features four en suite bedrooms, a fully functional chef’s kitchen, stunning dining area, sauna and hot tub. The house can accommodate up to eight overnight guests (four couples). This “slice of heaven” nestled in the midst of Maefield, Merry Edwards Winery’s estate Sauvignon Blanc vineyard, will be stocked with a fine selection of Merry Edwards wines.
- Though the acronym G.O.A.T. – Greatest Of All Time – is used more frequently in sports when referring to a select few athletes who excel beyond compare in their respective sport, the “sport” in this case is a world-class 141 bottle collection of acclaimed mountain wines, sourced from notable high elevation vineyards across Sonoma County.
- Sonoma Rising is a family affair where the sons of the auction chairs will create a “Kids Krewe Cuvée” red wine to support first responders and those in Sonoma County who have been impacted by this year’s wildfires.
- Buy-in lots offer bidders access to exclusive dinners with notable vintners and esteemed chefs in Sonoma County. Opportunities include a dinner hosted by New Gen Vintners and a plant to plate wine-paired dinner hosted by founders of Bricoleur Vineyards, acclaimed winemaker, Cary Gott and Bricoleur Vineyard’s Executive Chef Shane McAnelly.
“This auction lot collection is definitely a reflection of myself, fellow chairs and our families,” said Jake Bilbro of Limerick Lane Cellars. “We were inspired to curate these lots to give back to our community. During the challenging year we have all faced, it is clear, now more than ever, we need to come together to support the community.”
Over $36 million has been raised since the auction’s inception, making a direct local impact on education, health and human services, the environment, and arts and culture.
This year the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation supported over 80 nonprofit organizations in Sonoma County, including those focused on literacy that offer crucial programs in school districts across the county. However, the needs of these nonprofits have grown exponentially, and in-person programming is currently not an option, which leads to additional constraints.
The 2020 Sonoma County Wine Auction Fund-A-Need will continue to help aid in bridging the gap for education needs in our county, while also addressing new educational challenges it faces, including a special focus to bridge the technology gap. The funds raised will provide underprivileged youth with internet access, computers and other resources needed to support remote learning.
“When my co-chairs and I watched our children adapt to learning at home it was quite the endeavor. Shortly after, we discovered the stark reality of the technology gap in our community. We knew without a doubt, at that moment, our Fund-A-Need program for 2020 needed to support this critical need,” said Mark McWilliams of Arista Winery.
To learn more about the Sonoma County Wine Auction and to register to participate, please visit sonomacountywineauction.com.
To make a donation, contributions may be made payable and mailed to: Sonoma County Vintners Foundation, 400 Aviation Boulevard, Suite 500, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 or donate online at https://tinyurl.com/SCWA-Donate.
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About Sonoma County Wine Auction
The Sonoma County Wine Auction brings the region’s most renowned winemakers and growers together with distinguished collectors and generous bidders for an opportunity to acquire some of Sonoma County’s top wines and bid on incredible travel experiences. Named one of the nation’s top charitable auctions by Wine Spectator, the proceeds raised benefit local Sonoma County charitable organizations. Since its inception, the Sonoma County Wine Auction has raised over $36 million to help fund charitable organizations focusing on education, health and human services, the environment and arts and culture, and has supported more nonprofits than any other fundraising event in Sonoma County. Learn more at sonomacountywineauction.com.
About Sonoma County Vintners Foundation
The Sonoma County Vintners Foundation provides support to our local community through philanthropy and charitable giving. Fundraising efforts have a direct impact in the areas of education, health and human services, the environment and arts and culture. The signature fundraising event, Sonoma County Wine Auction has been recognized as one of Wine Spectator’s Top Charity Wine Auctions in the United States. Learn more at sonomawine.com/foundation.
