Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Wood County Humane Society Benefits Pets and Wine Lovers Too

Last Friday was an opportunity for the TWAV tasters to support one of our favorite causes – our furry friends. A group of five of us attended the Wood County Humane Society Wine & Cheese Benefit on the campus of Bowling Green State University.
I’ve seen the event advertised for several years, but our schedule never permitted us to attend until this year. Green Dragon volunteers at the Toledo Area Human Society and, in fact, we foster kittens on a regular basis. Our beautiful dog Amber is a rescue dog from the shelter.
The event took place in Olscamp Hall and it was decorated beautifully. Jill Borkowski of the organizing committee was scurrying back and forth making sure all the arrangements were in place at the silent auction tables. Auction items ranged from hot air balloon rides to pet portraits.
This event differed from many wine events in that it had a delicious buffet dinner. Chicken and portabella mushroom entrees were featured and there was even a vegan offering (ratatouille). Dessert was a delicious strawberry pie.
One of the highlights of the evening was the live auction with newsman Jerry Anderson doing the honors. His lively banter and auctioneering skills not only added charitable dollars, but brought energy to the crowd.
Wines were generously donated by Heidelberg Distributing and Barefoot Wine. I found my wine options somewhat limited, but discovered a trio of wines to enjoy.
Of the whites, the Edna Valley Chardonnay was a favorite. It had a nice buttery flavor and medium body without overwhelming the fruit.
I tried two reds including the Alamos Red Blend, which I hadn’t seen before. The blend from Alamos, the Argentinian winery best known for their Malbec, features 40% Malbec, plus lesser amounts of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bonarda, Petit Verdot and Syrah. This was a very lush wine bursting with the flavor of red berries. Very enjoyable.
The William Hill 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles) was pleasant with black fruit and a bask of spice, but it lacked the complexity of a good Napa Cab.
With the event ticket you receive six coupons for drinks. You could use one ticket for a half glass or two tickets for a full glass of wine. The best deal was for the half glass, which was more like 5/8ths.
The evening was an enjoyable and, we hope, a successful one for pooches and felines all over Wood County.
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