BY KAREN BOSSICK
Vine & Dine will take a new form this year.
The popular wine picnic benefitting the Sun Valley Center for the Arts will feature 14 featured wineries paired with 14 local restaurants.
“Someone who’s just learning about wine will get to learn about 14 wines instead of being overwhelmed by 200,” said Peter Burke, the new Wine Auction director.
The 38th annual Sun Valley Center for the Arts Wine Auction will run for three days from Thursday, July 18, to Saturday July 20.
It kicks off with lavish vintner dinners at private homes and concludes with a wine picnic. In between is a gala dinner boasting over-the-top auction lots and two tastings featuring more than 50 vintners from Napa Valley and the Pacific Northwest.
The event is among the top 10 charity wine auctions in the nation, according to Wine Spectator. And it brings in more than $1 million, accounting for half of The Center’s annual fundraising dollars.
- The Vintner Dinners take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by the Wine Auction Gala from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday at Carol’s Dollar Mountain Lodge.
Friday evening’s gala dinner and auction will feature Nashville country music star Jake Maurer and the Jake Maurer Band, which performs traditional and outlaw country, along with some original material.
Many of the lots include visits to wineries that donate their wine to the event.
One weekend trip for four, for instance, starts with a private tour of America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Wash., followed by lunch with the museum’s director on the waterfront of Puget Sound. The next day the purchasers will be provided with a collector car to join LeMay museum members driving their classic cars on a Wine and Wheels Fall Fling tour to Woodinville. They’ll visit private car collections along the way before arriving at a special tasting reception at the Ambassador Winery and dinner with the owners. Of course, there’s a Magnum of Ambassador wine to take home.
Others involve NASCAR, a special multi-course dinner at Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant in New Orleans and, closer to home, a private concert featuring the stars of the popular International Guitar Night, with wine and hors d’oeuvres.
“It’s a mission of mine to align as many auction lots as I can with the Center’s mission to mission to enrich the community through transformative arts and educational experiences,” said Burke. “To that end we’ve offered lots that offer people a chance to join museum curators for a weekend.”
Burke will put together a special performance piece by some of The Center’s young scholarship recipients ages 16 through 22 for Friday’s event.
“I have such appreciation for the Sun Valley Center because they are making an effort to reach every single kid in Blaine County,” said Burke, who himself has taught at Sun Valley Community School and worked with youth in The Spot’s Young Company. “And they create projects for all members of our community—accessible programs without barriers.”
Auction lots can be viewed between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 18, at Dollar Mountain Lodge. Silent lot bidding starts at this time and continues through 3 p.m. Friday.
- On Saturday, July 20, Vine & Dine Plus sponsored by Wells Fargo allows wine enthusiasts the opportunity to try hundreds of specialty wines and chat with the vintners from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Dollar Mountain Lodge. Included in the price is early entry to the Vine & Dine event on the lawn. Tickets are $200 and include a complimentary commemorative Riedel glass
- The Vine & Dine picnic will follow from 6 to 9 p.m. on the Dollar Mountain Lodge lawn and will feature Jake Maurer and his band.
Fourteen restaurants will present tapas-style specialties paired with 14 premier wineries showcasing their best varietals.
Craft beer from regional breweries will be available in the beer garden with Sun Valley Mustard and pretzels.
Tickets are $100 and include a complimentary commemorative glass.
Funds raised from the weekend’s events provides arts education and enrichment projects for K-12 students, professional theater and performing arts experiences designed for students, arts and humanities scholarships for students and educators and free arts programming for the entire community.
It’s estimated that the Center gets 24,000 visits a year spread among its arts exhibitions, theater performances, concerts and lectures. Founded in 1971, it’s the largest non-profit arts organization in Idaho.
This year’s Wine Auction committee is chaired by Carol Swig, who has sponsored programs with Trey McIntyre Project, Ballet Idaho and LED with the belief that “arts expand people’s lives.” Those on her committee include Susan and Ron Greenspan, Quin and Peter Curran, Trish and David Wilson, Trina Peters, Lisa Stelck, Laura Lewis, Lynda Fredrickson and Kelly Corroon.
For more information visit 208-726-9491. Or www.sunvalleycenter.org/wineauction. Or, call 208-726-9491.