A toast to the Harvest Wine Auction

Last weekend the Harvest Wine Auction bid farewell to Chateau St. Jean, at least for the time being. The event, one of the major fundraisers of any kind in the county, will rotate annually among wineries, being staged at a different county location each year. This year the auction brought in a record $4.6 million, with a whopping $2.7 million alone for the “fund the future” lot that will be directed toward children’s literacy programs.

Some of us remember the early days of the Sonoma Valley event in the white tent at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn where members of the Sangiacomo and Bundschu families competed in putting on the most outrageously funny skits and bids for auction lots, and there was a tearful bidding war over the late Bob Sangiacomo’s last magnums of wine.

Eventually the event became co-sponsored with the Sonoma County Vintners and moved north to a more county-central location at Chateau St. Jean; the fun skits tapered off and even Magnum Force’s dancing skit, led by super popular Suzy Fridell, was scaled back.

At last weekend’s event, Julie Atwood staged her VIP Big Bottle party to open Wine Country Weekend at the Atwood Ranch barn, with her usual elegance and panache.

Abundant walk-around nibbles were provided by Andrew Wilson of the Lodge, the girl & the fig stuck to the “Sonoma to Marrakesh” weekend theme, Catherine Venturini of Cuvée Catering served her magnificent farro with mushrooms. As winery owners, sponsors and big bidders roamed both levels of the Atwood barn, there was wine and food everywhere. Sonoma Valley is most grateful for those big bidders, wherever they live.

Thanks to Lauren Benward Krause for inviting me to Beltane Ranch’s Friday Winemaker Lunch with winemaker Kevin Holt, the entire lunch grown on the property, prepared by Beltane Chef Lauren Kershner, and served by staff and friends under the shade of ancient oaks.

Lauren’s grandmother, Rosemary Wood, opened Beltane in the ’60s as what turned out to be the first farm stay inn in California.

A few locals including Audrey and Ron Chapman and Janice and Dan Stites joined visitors from as near as Dunbar Road to as far as Michigan, all served with elegant Beltane wines made from their estate sauvignon blanc and zinfandel grapes.

For the big tent auction, John Toulze of the girl & the fig prepared naan with pickled vegies, roasted garlic hummus, eggplant tapenade and yogurt dip set on all tables. A Chateau St. Jean winemaker gave the welcoming toast, followed by Ari Weisswasser’s roasted baby cauliflower with seared Ahi tuna from Glen Ellen Star, Shane McAnelly of Chalkboard and the Brass Rabbit made braised chicken from Front Porch Farms, and Bryan Jones of St. Francis Winery made lamb merguez in crepes with lentil salad with Gypsy peppers.