KELSEYVILLE — The weather was perfect, the ambiance exquisite, and the combination of wine and chocolate made for a lovely day in Lake County wine country.
The festivities commenced at exactly 11 a.m. Saturday at the inaugural Wine & Chocolate event of Lake County held at Mt. Konocti Growers. Those in attendance from all around the county were treated to a display of music (provided by Clovice Lewis and Austin & Owens), wine and of course, chocolate.
According to The Lake Family Resource Center, all proceeds will benefit the Lake County Family Resource Center Domestic Violence Shelter Project to help build its own family shelter.
“We felt a need to have our own shelter,” said Christina Roth board member. “This is a big need for our county.”
Twelve local wineries participated in the event, including Duisenberre, Lady of the Lake, Wildhurst, Steele, Shannon Ridge, Vie, Tulip Hill, Cougar”s Leap, Ceago, Rosa d”Oro, Dynamite, Zoom and Langtry Estates. Gourmet chocolates were matched up with each participating winery. A total of 33 different types of wines were available to taste. Each guest received a commemorative wine glass and eight tasting tickets. A “wine country lunch” was also available for purchase.
“I didn”t know what to expect when I arrived,” said Angela Houck of Hidden Valley Lake. “I was very impressed with the entire event, not to mention the chocolate.”
Established in 1995, the LFRC is a non-profit organization serving 1,400 families each year. Supported by community donations and government grants, the center”s goal is to strengthen the community one family at a time.
“I think it was awesome to see the level of support given to the LFRC from Lake County residents and businesses, not only those who purchased tickets but also the wineries who attended, donating their time and wine for pouring,” Said Loretta Byrne COO of Tulip Hill Winery.
“It”s so affirming to me, as a Lake County resident and business manager, to see the community pooling their resources for the benefit of us all. The event was so well attended, and extremely well organized I can very easily see this event growing over the coming years to become the wine and chocolate pairing not to be missed.”
The event committee, Barbara Breunig, Bill Cornelison, Ilene Dumont, Kathy Fowler, Christina Roth and Joanne Van Eck indicated that donations for this shelter are now being accepted. Checks may be sent to: LFRC, 896 Lakeport Blvd. Lakeport, CA 95453 attention “Shelter Funds.”
Contact Rene Morales at rmorales@record-bee.com.
