Staff Report
Making wine requires many steps, from the agricultural workers that harvest the grapes to the winemakers that make it into wine and the people in the tasting room selling the finished product.
The process supports many families, many of them spending long hours in the fields, away from family — and some of those workers live at or below the poverty level in Santa Barbara County, according to People Helping People.
“At PHP, we are privileged to assist agricultural workers and their families. These hard-working men and women are the backbone of the valley’s economy. Just look around our towns and you can see the tasting rooms representing a burgeoning wine industry fueled by these workers,” said Dean Palius, executive director at PHP.
CHP decided 11 years ago to organize an annual fundraiser especially for those families, and now Vino de Sueños (“Wine of Dreams”) has become well established.
This year’s event will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott in Buellton.
This unique art auction and wine sales event benefits ranch, vineyard and farm workers in the Santa Ynez and Los Alamos valleys, communities whose residents provide the work that make Santa Barbara’s robust local food and wine culture possible.
“Each year, I am amazed by the generous gifts of great wines, local artworks, and auction items that make the Vino de Sueños fundraiser both unique and such a success,” Palius said.
The unique aspect of the Vino de Sueños project is that each lot of wine donated by a winery is labeled with an original work of art created by a local artist. The bottles are as visually stunning as the wines are delicious, and each year offers unique collections of incalculable value.
“We couldn’t be more proud to begin our second decade of sponsorship of this amazing one-of-a-kind event,” said Elaina Kroll, president of the Vintners Foundation. “More than benefiting the hard-working people that support viticulture locally, this “wine of dreams” project honors the important work they do — work which not only helps vintners realize their dreams, but also leads to workers’ dreams coming true.”
Santa Barbara Vintners member wineries that will donate this year’s unique lots and blends include Alma Rosa, Brander, Buttonwood, Dierberg, Foxen, Ken Brown, Longoria, Riverbench and Vogelzang. The wines will be available to taste at the event and winemakers and artists will be on hand to meet guests. A silent auction of art, wine and lifestyle items as well as appetizers and live music will round out the event. General admission and VIP tickets are available at www.vinodesuenos.com.
PHP is still welcoming event sponsors, so anyone interested can email Erica Valdez at erica@syvphp.org.
The Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation is the charitable umbrella under which Santa Barbara Vintners conducts its philanthropic work. Through the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation, Santa Barbara Vintners contributes to the community through local charitable and scholarship organizations with proceeds from its various events.
For tickets or more information, log onto www.syvphp.org or www.vinodesuenos.com.
