The 15th Annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction two weeks ago was nearly as deadly as last year’s wine-soaked charity extravaganza. The auction’s theme, the Wild Bunch, owed a direct debt to western auteur Sam Peckinpah’s film of the same name, though reverse transubstantiation finds the blood now wine and a hangover suffices for ill-gotten revenge. Though the event’s slogan “Is that a magnum in your pocket or are you just happy to be Sonoma Valley?” is more reminiscent of Jessica Rabbit than Peckinpah, the lethal phallic metaphor qua triple-entendre is apropos I suppose. Perhaps next year’s auction will make a nod to the Brady Bunch – “it’s the story of a lovely pairing…”
Last week the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance executive director Grant Raeside joined Ken Brown and I on Mornings in Sonoma (KSVY 91.3 Sonoma) to recap. In so doing he mentioned that his organization is currently brainstorming next year’s theme (past themes can be perused by walking the long hall leading to the restrooms at the Swiss Hotel — there’s a dozen photos of themes past, Casablanca and Sgt. Pepper among them). “Winestock” came up as a nod to Woodstock, but it was agreed that it should wait for music fest’s 40th anniversary in 2009. So 2008 remains up for grabs. Suggestions?
