Great wines for a good cause

As a food blogger, and a person of at least moderate means, I am constantly aware of my position of privilege. It is no hardship for us to put food on our plates every day. We can eat out at will. We never have to worry where our next meal comes from. But for many in the world, hunger is a very real scourge. It is for this reason I am proud to participate in the sixth annual Menu for Hope fundraising initiative. 

Menu for Hope partners with the UN World Food Programme each year; this year they are participating in the Purchase for Progress program, which puts money directly in the pockets of small farms in low income parts of the world to help them in turn put food in the mouths of their local communities. 

You can help, and maybe even win some killer wine in so doing. When you place tax-deductible bids on the two raffle bid items outlined below, you are helping fund those small farmers.

This year I am thrilled to be offering two 6-bottle collections up for auction, donated by an anonymous wine collector. I will pick up the bill on shipping, which reminds me:

Please note that this auction is limited to US recipients only, and due to restrictive laws in some states, I can only ship to the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI and WY. This does not mean that if you live in AL, DE, KY, MD, MA, MS, MT, NJ, OK, RI, SD, UT or VT you cannot bid on the prizes; it just means you need a shipping address in one of the aforementioned states that allows direct-to-consumer wine shipment.

On to the raffle items:

Old School: Tried-and-true providers of high-quality wines

• Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Beaulieu No. 1 Reserve Maestro Collection 2006 ($65)
• Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Gravelly Meadow 2006 ($175)
• Pahlmeyer Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2007 ($70)
• Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Leonardini Vineyard 1999 ($85)
• Ferrari-Carano Trésor Sonoma County 1999 ($55)
• Grgich Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Yountville Selection 2005 ($135)

Total estimated value: $585. Bid item code: WB06.

New Guard: Up-and-comers

• Red Car Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2007 ($45)
• Eric Kent Syrah Dry Creek Valley 2007 ($30)
• MacPhail Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Ferrington Vineyard 2007 ($60)
• Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003 ($160)
• Erna Schein Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Herrick-Moulds 2006 ($65)
• Adobe Road Cabernet Franc Knights Valley Bavarian Lion Vineyard 2006 ($38)

Total estimated value: $398. Bid item code: WB07.

Isn't it worth a ten spot or five for the chance to win one of these offerings? I surely think it is. And I know whereof I speak. Last year, I bid on AficioNada's Flavors of Napa and Sonoma, valued at over $2,000 for the wine alone, and won. I am glad that I can give back in turn and contribute to this very worthy cause.

And so can you. Bid on these items, or on any of the others.

To Donate and Enter the Menu for Hope Raffle

Here's what you need to do:

1. Choose a bid item or bid items of your choice from above, or from our Menu for Hope main bid item list that will be posted on Chez Pim shortly. Make note of the bid item code.

2. Go to the donation site at Firstgiving and make a donation.

3. Please specify which bid item you'd like in the 'Your Comment' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per bid item, and please use the bid item code.

Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a bid item of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02 - 2xEU01, 3xEU02.

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we can claim the corporate match.

5. Please make sure not to check the box to hide your email address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone. If you do check this box to hide your e-mail address there is a good chance we will not be able to contact you in the event that you win.

Check back on Chez Pim on Monday, January 18  for the results of the raffle.

Thanks for your participation, and good luck in the raffle!

Comments

[Garrett]

Ooh, I so think I'll be bidding on these. =)

[Sean]

Thanks for bidding, Garrett!