Mike McDermott, Stephanie McDermott

A“grown-up” tailgate party featuring classic and vintage winery trucks was the first stop for auction-goers at the nineteenth annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction on Sunday, September 4, 2011. With a theme of “Sonoma Homecoming – Vintage 2011” characters such as cheerleaders, athletes, marching band members and homecoming queens all rallied spirirts at the auction as the culminating event of the three-day Sonoma Wine Country Weekend.

While the “Vintage Homecoming” theme nods to the past, after nearly two decades, the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction has matured into a high-end, world-class charitable fundraiser that features many of Sonoma County’s hottest vintners and their highly-sought wines, as well as top-notch wine country chefs.

The auction also featured a gourmet luncheon highlighting the abundance of Sonoma County prepared by an enviable line-up of Sonoma chefs. The menu included chilled corn soup with Dungeness crab, Black Pig prosciutto wrapped in watermelon, heirloom tomato and burrata salad, seared salmon, Kobe beef sliders and smoke-roasted BBQ pork loin. Participating chefs include: Carlo Cavallo, Meritage Martini Oyster Bar & Grille; Duskie Estes, zazu restaurant & farm; Antonio Ghilarducci, Depot Restaurant; Jeff Mall, Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar; Thomas Schmidt, John Ash & Co.; Josh Silvers, Petite Syrah Restaurant; John Toulze, the girl & the fig; Justin Wangler, Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates; Brian West, ESTATE and Andrew Wilson, Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar. Bruce Riezenman of Park Avenue Catering is the Culinary Director.

Proceeds from Sonoma Wine Country Weekend benefit local communities and charities serving students, children, farm workers and people in need. To date, more than $10 million has been raised jointly by the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Foundation and Sonoma County Vintners.