Proceeds will go to Direct Relief and Community Health Centers, which provides support to Santa Barbara’s farmworkers and their families.
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Stolpman Vineyards will be awarded this year’s Vintner Honoree.
Actor Billy Baldwin will emcee the bi-annual fundraiser.
January 16, 2020 (Santa Barbara, Calif.) – The Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation is pleased to announce tickets are officially on sale for the Santa Barbara Wine Auction on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara.
The biennial event will help raise money for Direct Relief, as well as Community Health Centers, which provides medical services to Santa Barbara’s farmworker community.
Individual tickets are $600, or two persons for $1,000. Table sponsorships are also available. For information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit SBWineAuction.org.
Attendees can receive a special rate of $349 for accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara on Feb. 14 -15, which is Valentine’s Day Weekend. To book, please visit http://bit.ly/SBWA_RitzCarltonBacara.
Emceed by film and television star – and Santa Barbara resident – Billy Baldwin, the elegant evening will feature a four-course meal prepared by Peter Lee, executive chef of Loquita Santa Barbara, a vast selection of wines from Santa Barbara producers and music by electronic violinist SPAGS Music. An elite team of sommeliers, led by Chris Shackelford of Trelio in Clovis, Calif., will manage the wine service throughout the evening.
The event will include both a silent and a live auction led by renowned auctioneer DawnMarie Kotsonis, the “Gavel Girl.” The numerous auction lots include select and rare wines from Santa Barbara’s top producers, as well as once-in-a-lifetime wine and travel experiences, among other items. The vintners have dug deep into their cellars and curated unique experiences only available to the winning bidder. A special segment – Stand Up and Be Counted – allows guests to provide direct donations to further support health care services for Santa Barbara’s farmworkers and their families.
During the evening, the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation will celebrate this year’s Vintner Honoree, Stolpman Vineyards, for its community leadership and its unparalleled dedication to the farmworker community.
When Tom Stolpman purchased the land that is now Stolpman Vineyards, he declared that if his dream of owning a vineyard was to come true, it would not be on the backs of people being taken advantage of. He asked vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano to employ vineyard workers year-round, so the team members could have a steady job, a career and raise their families with security. Solorzano took Tom’s idea a step further: He started a vineyard training program in which he gave one Cuadra – a small vineyard block – to his team. Now, crew members are more than workers, they’re farmers.
“The Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation is working harder than ever to give back to our local community – our farmworkers. Without them, we would not exist,” says Jessica Gasca, the foundation’s president, and owner and winemaker of Story of Soil. “The Stolpman family epitomizes this mission and we couldn’t be more pleased to honor them as this year’s Vintner Honoree.”
For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, please visit SBWineAuction.org.
About Santa Barbara Wine Auction
The biennial Santa Barbara Wine Auction has evolved through the years with the partnership of the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation and Direct Relief. The 2020 Wine Auction celebrates its 11th year of helping our community, vintners and those effected by natural disasters and other hardships. Held at the luxurious The Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, guests will experience an opening reception with local wines, appetizers and a customized Silent Auction. Guests will be hosted by Celebrity Emcee, Billy Baldwin. Local winemakers host each table and pour their hand-selected wines for guests during the four-course meal in The Ritz-Carlton Bacara Grand Ballroom. The menu was crafted with collaboration of Executive Chef Peter Lee of Loquita Santa Barbara and the Bacara Culinary Team. The evening carries into the animated Live Auction, led by returning auctioneer, DawnMarie Kotsonis. The competition to be the winning bidder during the Live Auction generates electric energy and great fun. During the “Stand Up and Be Counted” portion of the program, guests are invited to participate and support healthcare for our farmworkers in Santa Barbara county. https://sbwineauction.org
