Hospices of Sonoma Barrel Auction 2008
Advance ticket sales for the 2008 Hospices of Sonoma Pinot Noir Barrel Auction Weekend have begun
and event organizers are extending a 10% discount to those who purchase tickets now through
November 30, 2007.
Hospices of Sonoma is modeled after the famous Hospices de Beaune auction in France and is the
largest Pinot Noir barrel auction in the United States. 40 of the most highly regarded Pinot Noir producers
from the Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Sonoma-Carneros, and Green Valley appellations
vinify special one-time cuvées for the event. The 2007 event, which was a sell-out, raised more
than $450,000 from the barrel auction alone.
The 2008 event will be held the weekend of May 2-4 in the Russian River Valley. Festivities commence
with special Winemaker Dinners at various locations on Friday evening, May 2. The barrel tasting and
auction of the 2007 vintage Pinot Noirs, followed by a gala dinner, is on Saturday, May 3, at a site to be
announced. The weekend concludes at Lynmar Winery with La Paulée - a traditional French social - on
Sunday, May 4.
Wineries hosting Friday evening Winemaker Dinners are DeLoach Vineyards, Dutton Estate Winery,
Emeritus Vineyards, Failla Wines, Freeman Vineyard & Winery/Kosta Browne, Gary Farrell Vineyards
& Winery, Halleck Vineyard, Hartford Family Winery, J Vineyards & Winery, Landmark Vineyards,
Marimar Estate, Olivet Lane Vineyard/TR Elliott, and Paul Hobbs Wines.
Beneficiaries of the 2008 event include The Okizu Foundation, which assists children with cancer, The
Children’s Village of Sonoma County, which serves siblings in foster care, and the WCC Charitable
Foundation, which administers the auction and provides temporary housing for out-of-town families
with children hospitalized in Sonoma County.
Ticket prices range from $150 per person for the Winemaker Dinners to $400 per person for the Saturday
gala. Special combo ticket pricing is also available. For more information or to purchase tickets,
go online to www.hospicesofsonoma.org or call 707-823-9463.
