August 6, 2003
The Central Coast Wine Growers' Association (CCWGA) has represented wineries, growers and related industry businesses in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties since 1974. Its work to enhance and promote local viticulture goes hand and hand with its strong advocacy of sustainable farming and responsible environmental stewardship, an approach that gives CCWGA the opportunity to work in partnership with governmental, environmental and community entities on issues that specifically include the protection of natural resources and local winegrowers' right to farm. The group's outreach efforts also serve to educate the public about the economic and cultural benefits of the Central Coast wine industry.CCWGA invites the public to celebrate and attend its third annual Harvest Anticipation Fundraising Dinner/Dance and live auction. The event takes place this Saturday, August 9 beginning at 5 p.m. under the stars at Foxen's Rancho Tinaquaic Vineyard, 7200 Foxen Canyon Road.
Dinner will be catered by the Far Western Tavern, with music from the Foss Brothers. Col. Jim Glines will be the auctioneer for this fundraising event.
Tickets are $50 per person or $450 for a table of ten. For more details and tickets you should contact the CCWGA office in Santa Maria at (805) 928-4950.
In the wake of the recent auction and fundraiser for public radio station KCBX comes the Santa Barbara International Wine Auction, a benefit for the Music Academy of the West in Montecito. This event takes place at various venues in Santa Barbara from August 14-16. Included in this gala event will be winemaker dinners held at various estates, a musical cabaret at the Lobero Theatre, a wine tasting cruise and the wine auction at Abravanel Hall at the Music Academy.
Tickets are sold separately or in a package. For more details and tickets you should call (805) 969-9463.
FUTURES FILE
Saturday, October 11, the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association Harvest Festival takes place. You should note the date. A number of special events and winemaker dinners will take place in conjunction with the harvest festival.
For details and tickets call the Association at (805) 688-0881.
By the way, the Vintners' Association has changed the date of the 2004 Vintners' Festival to May 15. Since the first festival took place at Dunn School, April 30, 1983, the festival has always taken place in April. As an old friend, Scott Meyer, winemaker at the old J. Carey Cellars used to say, "They always scheduled the festival for the last rainy weekend of the year." I guess after the soak at last April's festival, enough was enough. Next year, look for the event in May-and a one day event.
Times wine columnist, Bob Senn lives in the bucolic Los Alamos Valley and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
