There’s no denying that times are tough for the wine industry right now, with sales declining and some longtime tasting rooms shutting their doors. Last month, St. Helena’s Newton Vineyard and Calistoga’s Twomey closed, followed by family-owned Thumbprint Cellars in Healdsburg (the winery plans to move operations to its rural Geyserville headquarters).

On the positive side, wine remains a major draw for Sonoma and Napa county organizations working to do good and support charitable causes. So far, many local wineries continue to sponsor and take part in fundraising events that ultimately cost them money. Typically, they donate both the wines being poured and those up for auction, all in support of nonprofit organizations.

For wineries, sponsoring fundraising events elevates their brands, expands their reach to a wider audience and provides tax deductions.

For nonprofits, winery sponsorship can boost event participation and markedly increase profits while reducing costs.

Earlier this month, a 9-liter bottle (called a Salmanazar) of 2021 Markham Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon fetched a jaw-dropping $225,000 at the 2025 Champions Wine Auction and Dinner at the NRG Center in Houston, Texas. (Not bad for a bottle that retails for $49 in its 750 ml format!) The event benefited the Houston Rodeo Education Fund, which provides scholarships, grants and educational programs for Texas youth.

The St. Helena winery can now boast the winning bid came from a real estate development group that included recording artist Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

In addition to fundraising events supporting charitable causes, there are also a number of events throughout the year that directly support wine regions, wine growers and winemakers, including the upcoming Stags Leap District’s Vineyard to Vintner Weekend and the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley’s Passport to Dry Creek Valley festival (April 25-27).

Here are a couple of upcoming events where your ticket will support good causes or local wineries while offering entertainment, fine food and, of course, plenty of wine.

Fourth Annual V Foundation for Cancer Research Sonoma Epicurean, March 27-30

The four-day festival in Healdsburg features hands-on experiences with award-winning chefs, local artisans and world-class vintners. It’s so popular that the three-day all-inclusive passes have already sold out ($2,750), but tickets are still available for a few à la carte activities, including the hallmark Gala & Auction at the Montage Healdsburg luxury resort.

The evening offers a lavish, seven-course dinner from Montage executive chef Jason Pringle, showcasing dishes such as guinea hen with snap peas, Thumbelina carrots and sauce Blanquette alongside 2021 Lynmar Estate Sonoma Chardonnay, and Wagyu beef with fondant potato, fava and truffles paired with 2021 Knights Bridge Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dozens of notable wineries have supplied 20 auction lots for the event, including Windsor’s Bricoleur Vineyards and Cirq, Healdsburg’s Aperture Cellars and Valette Wines, and Sonoma’s Three Sticks Wines. The lots include exclusive activities. The highest bidder on the Aperture lot, for example, will enjoy a vacation at Montage Los Cabos for a private dinner hosted by winery owner and winemaker Jesse Katz.

One of the most popular lots each year is the “Instant Cellar,” a collection of rare, high-end Sonoma County wines, including some that are only available to wine club members. This year, the haul includes 48 different bottles.

Last year, the gala raised $3.4 million for V Foundation for Cancer Research, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the cause. Since its founding in 1993, the nonprofit has funded nearly $400 million in cancer research grants nationwide.

Gala & Auction tickets are $1,500 and are available at sonomaepicurean.v.org.

Stags Leap District’s Vineyard to Vintner Weekend, April 25-27

The Stags Leap American Viticultural Area (AVA) is tiny — just three miles long and one mile wide, with less than two dozen wineries.

Famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon, the appellation includes boutique operations like Malk Family Vineyards, which produces only 800 cases each year, as well as well-known wineries like Baldacci Family Vineyards, Cliff Lede Vineyards, Shafer Vineyards, Stags’ Leap Winery and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. The two Stags are different operations, distinguished by the placement of the apostrophe; (the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon won the 1976 Paris Tasting, also known as the “Judgement of Paris”).

To support its wine producers, the appellation has its own nonprofit — The Stags Leap District Winegrowers, an association of vintners and growers who work together to help protect the Napa Valley region, enhance its reputation and boost sales of its wines.

For the past two decades, the organization has hosted an annual fundraising weekend, anchored by the Savor Sunday event ($325), a tour of multiple wineries with special treats at each stop, like the popular poolside pizza party at the hilltop Lindstrom Wines.

For less driving around, the Saturday Taste of the Neighborhood event ($325) is a walking tour, tasting and luncheon in the Regusci Winery gardens that includes dozens of wines, live music and food from new top-notch Napa Valley restaurants Charlie’s, Stateline Road Smokehouse and Violetto.

Tickets are available at stagsleapdistrict.com/V2V.

The post Support Sonoma, Napa Wineries and a Good Cause at These Upcoming Events appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Let them eat cake! Then let them eat some more cake. Have they eaten enough cake? Celebrating all that is frosted with fondant and perfectly crumbed is the annual Art of Dessert at the Luther Burbank Center on March 30.

This delightfully decadent fundraiser for the Luther Burbank Center’s arts programs features seventeen pastry chefs from the likes of Costeaux French Bakery, Criminal Bakery, Dry Creek Kitchen, Sift Dessert Bar, Oliver’s Markets, Flower and Bloom Cakes, Tomales Bakery, IMA Cake Couture and Your Sweet Expectations competing for a year-long dynasty as the county’s best cake baker.

In a blind tasting, each will submit their best cakes to a panel of celebrity judges (hint: Mark Stark, Charlie Palmer and Dustin Valette and Biteclub) to determine the best in taste, creativity and originality, presentation and overall awesomeness. If you want to sit with a celebrity judge — and really who wouldn’t — you can purchase tickets for their table. It’s for the kids!

The evening whole evening of wine, music and desserts from around the county that’s for one of the best causes in the county. And I’m not just saying that because they’re promising cake. Tickets are $250 per person, details, and tickets at lutherburbankcenter.org.

The post Eat Cake All Night: ‘Art of Dessert’ Event in Santa Rosa Heaven for Sweet Tooths appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Restaurants are finding unique and creative ways to support fire relief efforts in Sonoma & Napa Counties. Dining reservation website OpenTable is no exception. This week they launched “Let’s Raise the Glass” to raise money for the Sonoma County Resilience Fund & Napa Valley Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund.

It started with Charleston, South Carolina, based restaurant the Charleston Grill. General manager Mickey Bakst and sommelier Rick Rubel began donated a portion of all California wine sold by the glass and bottle to fire relief efforts.

The concept expanded to include other restaurants, such as New York’s Daniel, owned by Daniel Boulud, and Suzanne Goin’s Los Angeles restaurant, Lucques.

Now it’s a nationwide program with a cute name: Let’s Raise the Glass.

It’s easy to participate: visit one of the restaurants on the Let’s Raise the Glass website and order California wine, either by the bottle or the glass. A portion of the proceeds from your wine purchase will go towards fire relief efforts. This effort continues through December 31.

The first to do so in Sonoma County is Healdsburg’s Valette (707-473-0946, 344 Center St., Healdsburg, valettehealdsburg.com).

OpenTable is currently looking for more restaurants to join the program. Other Bay Area restaurants include:

-Bistro Jeanty, (707) 944-0103, 6510 Washington St., Yountville, bistrojeanty.com

-Cliff House, (415) 386-3330, 1090 Point Lobos Ave., San Francisco, cliffhouse.com

-Michel Bistro, (510) 836-8737, 3343 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland, michelbistro.com

We’ll update with other restaurants as they join the program.

The post Raise a Glass of California Wine for Fire Relief appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Celebrity chef, and Bay Area resident, Tyler Florence joins Outstanding in the Field for an al fresco Thanksgiving fundraiser for fire relief efforts. 

The fundraiser, which takes place Tuesday, November 21, starts at $500 a pop and a group of eight can share a table for $4,000. Can’t attend? You can buy a ticket for a first responder or a resident affected by the fires for $250.

100% of ticket sales benefit the Sonoma County Resilience Fund, Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund, Mendocino County Disaster Fund, and the California Restaurant Association Foundation.

Named the Grateful Table, the Thanksgiving-themed fundraiser takes place in a vineyard in Carneros, on the Napa/Sonoma County line. Guests are told the exact location after procuring their tickets.

Upon arrival, guests take their seats at a really long table and the food and wine flows.

Menu details haven’t been announced, but with a Thanksgiving theme, the locally sourced menu could include recipes from Tyler Florence’s own Thanksgiving cookbook, such as spatchcocked free-range turkey, sausage stuffing, green bean poutine, and chocolate pecan pie.

The event is the brainchild of Outstanding in the Field founder, Jim Denevan. “Outstanding in the Field is about setting our long table in celebration of community and connection, where we hear and taste the story of the people and places that nourish and sustain us,” says Denevan. He describes the upcoming event as being a “scene of celebration, and…also a portrait of resilience.”

Tuesday, November 21, 1 PM. Tickets on sale now, outstandinginthefield.com.

The post Tyler Florence & Grateful Table to Host Thanksgiving Fire Fundraiser appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.