In the aftermath of the deadly Australian bushfires, San Francisco will host a tasting and silent auction of Victorian wines this coming Friday 20 Feb, with all funds donated to the Victorian Bushfire Relief Fund, managed by the Australian Red Cross.
The event will take place at Crushpad, the SF custom-crush winery, and is co-hosted by the Jug Shop, a San Francisco wine retailer that is known, thanks to the passion of its managing buyer Chuck Hayward, for having the most focused Aussie wine offerings in the Bay Area.
The Jug Shop and Crushpad are working with the Australian Trade Commission, the Victorian government, the Australian American Chamber of Commerce and the networking organisation Advance to ensure that proceeds from the tasting and auction go to needy Victorians. The event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Crushpad, 2573 Third Street, San Francisco. The cost is $30, with all proceeds going directly to the fund.
Registration is essential – do so here.
As Hayward and Paige Granback, e-commerce manager for the Jug Shop, said in a statement announcing the event:
‘Thankfully, all of our friends and colleagues are safe, though some, such as James Lance of Punch in the Diamond Valley area, lost their vineyards in the fire. The devastation there has hit us both in the gut, having decimated one of our most beloved regions in Australia.
‘For us, the devastation is particularly poignant, as the fires have threatened our colleagues and our friends. Many people have lost their lives. Many more have lost their homes and livelihoods. At last count, nearly 7,000 people are homeless.
‘It’s shaping up to be a pretty nice tasting of Victorian wines, quite possibly one of the most comprehensive ever put on in the US. We’ll be adding to the participants list in the next couple of days, and we’ve had some nice auction items donated as well.’
Those unable to attend the San Francisco tasting/auction can donate directly to the Australian Red Cross's bushfires fund here.
Among the participating wineries at the 20 Feb San Francisco tasting are:
Balgownie, Camelback, Castagna, Chambers, Coldstream Hills, Cooralook, De Bortoli, Eura Creek, Giaconda, Giant Steps, Innocent Bystander, Jasper Hill, Kooyong, Lilith, Mac Forbes, Mt Langi Ghiran, Occams Razor, Redbank, Rutherglen Estate, Stonier, Taltarni, Terlato & Chapoutier, Two Hands, Yabby Lake, Yarra Yering and Yering Station.
[That looks a pretty outstanding list to me. I urge Californians so far immune to the charms of Australian wine to go along and experience the subtleties of these examples from some of Australia’s cooler climates, bushfires notwithstanding – JR]
