Sonoma County Vintners gear up for auction weekend

Tickets are on sale now.|

Its glitzy cousin, the Napa Wine Auction, set the bar high with the $13 million it raised last June.

The Sonoma County Wine Auction may bring in slightly less of a haul, but it is growing every year. Tickets are on sale for the Sept. 20 to 22 weekend event, which will culminate in an auction once again at La Crema Estate at Saralee's Vineyard. George Hamel, Jr. of Hamel Family Wines is this year's honorary chair. The auction broke its previous record when it raised $5.2 million for local nonprofit organizations last year.

The event is the county's largest fundraiser.

Sonoma County Vintners is currently led by interim Executive Director Michael Haney. Haney replaced Kelin Backman, who left the organization in early 2018.

Since its inception in the mid-1990s, the Sonoma County Wine Auction has raised $29 million to support nonprofit organizations that focus on literacy, education, health and human services, the environment and arts and culture.

'Thanks to the leadership of Honorary Chair Barbara Banke and the generosity of the attendees, the 2017 Sonoma County Wine Auction raised a record amount of $5.2 million benefiting our local nonprofits,' said Hamel in a recent event announcement. 'Our goal this year is to build on last year's success and raise more money than ever to enable us to continue supporting our non-profit beneficiaries, all while having fun doing so. We hope you will join us and help our community's revival as it continues its recovery.'

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: SonomaCountyWineAuction.com.

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