Central Coast Wine and Food Celebration at Wally's Wine & Spirits

The 5th Annual Central Coast Wine and Food Celebration under the Big Top at Wally’s Wine & Spirits on August 3rd, 2008 was a huge success.  Over 500 attendees circulated and sampled over 100 wines produced by 60 of the Central Coast’s most rare and sought-after producers, including Saxum, Linne Calodo, and L’Aventure, while at the same time enjoying the delicious food offerings of many of the top dining destinations Los Angeles, Santa Barbara County and Paso Robles: Spago, Hitching Post II, Campanile, Artisan, Hungry Cat, Lucques / AOC, Jar, Bouchon, Osteria Mozza, Çomme Ça / Boule, Sushi Roku, Gelato Bar, Brothers’ Restaurant at Mattei’s Tavern, Olio e Limone and Pasolivo.

 This year’s Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship recipient, Jenny Schultz, was our special guest, giving the Bonaccorsi family members and attending guests the opportunity to meet the individual that benefits from the scholarship and the generous donations of the public

The event proceeds deliver over $30,000 to benefit the Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship Fund at the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology.  The Wally’s event has contributed more than $200,000 since its inception, making it the primary source of funding for the scholarship and making it possible for yearly awards to be gifted in perpetuity. 
 
The Silent Auction produced greater than $20,000 of the donation, highlighted by a winning bid of $2500 for a week’s stay at the Bonaccorsi family home on Martha’s Vineyard.  Other Auction highlights included Rusack Winery’s traditional donation of a spectacular 9-Liter hand-painted and etched bottle of Syrah which garnered $900.

 The generous corporate sponsorship of Angeleno magazine, DineLA.com and Fiji Water® helped our promotional efforts, continuing to make the event a favorite among all of Los Angeles’ culinary festivals.