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SLO Wineries Raise Funds for CommunityTuesday, August 22, 2006In an article at The Tribune, Janis Switzer shares examples of how county winemakers are throwing their skills, and their wines, into increasing numbers of fundraising events that benefit a variety of local community programs.When Bill Hinrichs, owner of Ranchita Canyon Vineyards, started thinking about a way to raise funds to restore the old Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse in San Miguel, he approached Niels Udsen of Castoro Cellars with an idea. Udsen started Castoro in 1983 with his wife, Bimmer, and as one of Paso Robles' older wineries had worked on other community fundraising projects over the years by sponsoring local teams, hosting charity dinners and donating the use of his tasting room to local causes. So, when Hinrichs asked Udsen to create a special bottling of red wine using Hinrichs' grapes, Udsen enthusiastically agreed. Thus, the first 100 cases of PVC Schoolhouse Red were bottled from the 2003 harvest, and all proceeds from the sales were directed to the Pleasant Valley Community Foundation. They did it again in 2004 and 2005. The Far Out Wineries, a marketing group made up of 14 wineries west of Paso Robles, has helped fund a similar schoolhouse restoration. Windward Winery, along with 14 participating pinot noir producers, raised $28,000 for the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation, and the Central Coast Wine Classic handed over a check this week for $64,500 to the Community Wellness Center - a new cancer support facility founded by Justin and Deborah Baldwin of Justin Winery. "Fund-a-Need" raises funds for designate causes each year, and last year more than $41,000 was raised for The Fund for Vineyard and Farm Workers, an organization founded by Brian and Johnnie Talley of Talley Vineyards. The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance is also actively funding community needs. This year's 14th annual Zinfandel Festival collected more than $66,000 for health care programs for vineyard workers, and will help establish a mobile health care unit in Shandon, similar to one that already has been funded in San Miguel. From the winemakers' viewpoint, using their wines to help raise needed funds is simple. "We want to be one industry that is known to benefit the community in different ways," says Castoro Cellar's Udsen. "When somebody hears the words "wine industry" or "vineyard" the first thought should be a good thought." Article: All for a good cause in San Miguel The Tribune, Janis Switzer Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Wine |
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