Silent and Online Auctions Feature Coveted Wines, Wine Country Experiences
and Travel Adventures to Support the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance
October 7, 2026 (Petaluma, CA) — Wine lovers will have even more to discover at this year’s Petaluma Gap Wind to Wine Festival. For the first time since its inception, the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance (PGWA) will include a fundraising auction featuring rare wines, memorable wine country experiences, and premium travel opportunities—all in support of the nonprofit trade association’s ongoing work on behalf of the Petaluma Gap winegrowing region.
The inaugural auction will have both a silent auction held during the Wind to Wine Festival on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Gambonini Family Ranch, and an online auction, opening the experience to wine lovers beyond those attending the festival. The online auction is now open for bidding.
The auction brings together a collection of items designed to offer bidders access to experiences that go well beyond the traditional bottle of wine. In addition to award-winning wines, featured lots include a private Petaluma River boat tour for 12 people, a Tahoe getaway for four, a rustic yet elegant Petaluma Barn Dinner for 20 guests, a cabin aboard the 2027 Petaluma Gap Douro Wine Cruise with Expedia Cruises and Ama Waterways, and Wine Country travel and hospitality experiences.
“This is the first time we’ve created a fundraising auction, and we wanted it to be something truly special,” said Heidi Bridenhagen, President of Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance Board of Directors. “Our members and partners have come together with some extraordinary wines and experiences. This gives people an opportunity to enjoy something memorable while directly supporting the work we do to promote and strengthen the Petaluma Gap winegrowing community.”
Proceeds from the auction will help fund PGWA’s ongoing operations and programs, including education, marketing and outreach designed to increase awareness of the Petaluma Gap AVA and the growers and vintners who produce wines from the region. Located at the southern end of Sonoma County and extending into northern Marin County, the Petaluma Gap is defined by its distinctive wind and cool-climate growing conditions. The region is particularly acclaimed for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah, with its daily afternoon winds playing an important role in grape development and the character of its wines.
The fundraising auction is being introduced as part of the 2026 Petaluma Gap Wind to Wine Festival, the Alliance’s signature annual consumer event. More than 20 Petaluma Gap wineries will gather at Gambonini Family Ranch for an afternoon of wine tasting, food, live music, and an opportunity to meet the winemakers and growers behind the wines.
AUCTION & FESTIVAL DETAILS
Petaluma Gap Wind to Wine Festival
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Gambonini Family Ranch, Petaluma CA
1-4 PM, VIP & General Admission Tickets, $95 – $75 each
Silent Auction: Open to Wind to Wine Festival attendees during the event.
Online Auction: Currently open to the public,
with bidding on select premium wine, travel, and experience packages.
For festival tickets, auction item information and details about
the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance, visit petalumagap.com.
ABOUT THE PETALUMA GAP WINEGROWERS ALLIANCE
The Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance is a 501(c)6 nonprofit trade association dedicated to promoting and educating consumers and the wine trade about the Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area (AVA), its distinctive growing conditions, and the wines and winegrapes produced within the region. Established as an AVA in December 2017, the Petaluma Gap is one of California’s premier cool-climate winegrowing regions, recognized for the persistent afternoon winds that flow through the Petaluma Gap from the Pacific Ocean toward San Pablo Bay.
