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Wineries open house to benefit water.org

This winter, the lively community of vintners known as the Eighth Street Wineries plans to turn wine to water. The next Eighth Street Wineries open house, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will benefit global water charity.

  Housed in an unlikely warehouse district in Sonoma, the 10 independent wineries of Eighth Street East produce small lots of artisan wine. Yet, this production has a price beyond dollars – each 750 ml bottle of wine requires 720 liters of water to make. Currently, one in eight people on the planet do not have easy access to clean drinking water.

  Eighth Street Wineries seeks to acknowledge its ecological and social impact by offering 10 percent of online ticket sales to Water.org, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Matt Damon. At this rate, eight tickets will buy one villager access to water for a lifetime. Currently, matching funds are being sought to optimize the total contribution.

  Eighth Street Wineries open house have become popular Wine Country events. Serving directly from their cellars, the participating wineries – including newcomers Patz and Hall – offer new releases and library wines alongside fine food pairings and a raffle for wine prizes. Other wineries include Tin Barn Vineyards, Stone Edge Farm, Anaba Wines, Three Sticks, MacRostie, Ty Canton, Talisman and Enkidu.

  Tickets are $30 in advance, with 10 percent of sales going to Water.org, $35 at the door or $10 for wine club members.

  For tickets or more details, go to www.eighthstreetwineries.com.