Cruise, Country Music Awards tickets, Wimbledon trip up for grabs at Sonoma County Wine Auction

Bidders are already strategizing over how to snag some of the prized lots at the Sonoma County Wine Auction Saturday, Sept. 16.

The live auction is the culmination of the three-day annual event, and it reels in donations for local nonprofits with spendy wine trips, exclusive bottlings and unique experiences in Sonoma County’s backyard.

Under the white tent at Windsor’s La Crema Winery, paddle holders will do their best to hold to their bidding budgets. But a sun-kissed day fueled by hedonistic reds can make any wine lover vulnerable to lots that have as much cachet as those in the auction’s roughly two dozen lineup.

Take a peek at some of the most compelling lots that will no doubt make bidders misbehave. (For the full description of the lots, visit sonomacountywineauction.com.)

Lot 24 – Fund-A-Need Paddle Raise

This is traditionally to highest group lot of the day. Last year, Fund-A-Need raised $550,000, and in 2019 it reeled in $1,613,000. The lot encourages a pool of individual paddle holders to partake in increments, typically beginning at $100,000 down to $500.

The funds raised will target, primarily, children’s education and literacy.

Lot 14 – G.O.A.T. (of All Time) Dinner: A Six-Course Dinner

Benovia Winery and Vérité, a winery owned by Jackson Family Wines, team up to host this highbrow dinner for 20 couples. Chefs Dustin Valette and Mark Stark will play to win with their three favorite secret ingredients as they faceoff in an Iron Chef-style competition.

Lot 8 – Epic 35th Anniversary Luxury European Cruise

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Patz & Hall, two couples will join founding winemaker James Hall & founder Anne Moses (this year’s SCWA Honorary Chairs) for an eight-night Azamara cruise exploring the gems of Croatia and the Amalfi Coast in August 2024.

Lot 10 – Legendary Zelma Long Library Collection

This is expected to be a hot ticket for wine-lovers because the collection is donated from the personal cellar of winemaker Zelma Long and her husband, winegrower Phil Freese. Long is a pioneer in the wine industry, well known for founding the American Vineyard Foundation and the American Viticulture and Enology Research Network.

Lot 16 – Celebrate Bhutan’s First Harvest

This offers a front-row seat to the first commercial wine grape harvest in Bhutan. The seven-day trip for two features experiencing the harvest events, hiking the fabled Tiger’s Nest monastery and visiting the Golden Buddha and other cultural sites.

Lot 12 – Wimbledon & Wine Country

This lot features tickets for two to London for Wimbledon, July 11-14, 2024, the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament. Once stateside, this offering also includes a two-night stay for two couples at Dalya Estate in Sebastopol, as well as a dinner and wine pairing at Ernest Vineyards in Healdsburg.

Lot 18 – Epic Experiences from Sonoma County to Nashville

This offering features four tickets to the Country Music Awards in Nashville in Nov. 2024, as well as four tickets to the Sonoma Epicurean in Healdsburg in March 2024. It also includes four seats at the Pride Mountain Vineyards dinner at Chef Douglas Keane's Michelin-starred Cyrus Alexander Valley.

Lot 22 – Mardi Gras Carnival Celebration

Two couples will be treated to the Mardi Gras parade premier VIP viewing with a team from Flambeaux Wine on Feb. 9, 2024. The lot also includes a hotel stay for three nights and in New Orleans and a dinner at Emeril’s.

You can reach Wine Writer Peg Melnik at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pegmelnik.