¡Salud! The Oregon Pinot Noir Auction Raises Over $607,000

¡Salud! The Oregon Pinot Noir Auction Raises Over $607,000



Vintners and guests' generosity will fund much-needed 2010 medical outreach.



Hillsboro, OR (PRWEB) November 25, 2009



In its 18th year, http://www. saludauction. org (http://www. saludauction. org) ¡Salud! The Oregon Pinot Noir Auction (http://www. saludauction. org) topped $607,700 in proceeds over the course of the 2-day event on November 13 and 14. Spurred by the Big Board auction of special 2008 Pinot Noir cuvées which raised close to $14,000 above 2008 totals, over 400 guests bid enthusiastically on oral (http://saludauction. org/media/auction2009_oral. pdf) and silent auction lots (http://saludauction. org/media/auction2009_silent. pdf), and contributed over $90,000 in a special appeal for ¡Salud!-sponsored dental clinics.



Co-Chair Vincent Reyes, M. D. said: "In this season of Thanksgiving, we are grateful to all of our supporters on many levels. Not only do they believe in the mission, but their contributions will help us serve over 2,000 individuals in the year ahead. We couldn't continue without their generosity."



"The stellar showing of the 2008 Pinots underscores the exceptional quality of the vintage," said winery co-chair Amy Wesselman of Westrey Wine Company. "It was the first en mass showing of these exciting wines and an opportunity for our colleagues to share them with a very appreciative crowd."



¡Salud! Clinical Services Manager Leda Garside encouraged bidders to "give from their hearts." They rose to the occasion with animated bidding which netted over $250,000 over the span of 4 hours at Portland's historic Governor Hotel and brought the event's total proceeds to $607,765.



Guest hosts Jesse Lange of Lange Estate Winery and Maria Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards, costumed at one point as "Wine Country Royalty" successfully coaxed guests to bid generously on 29 exciting oral auction lots including 14 winemaker dinners, each with three winemakers from the "Vintner's Circle" (http://saludauction. org/salud-wineries. html) of featured ¡Salud! wineries. Other exciting lots included wine-centric vacations, a custom barrel of wine produced by Véronique Drouhin-Boss, a collection of 42 large format and rare bottles from participating Vintners and more.



The oral auction was introduced by singer Jorge Chavez, vineyard manager for Bergström Wines, with a stirring rendition of "Si He Sabido Amor" in honor of his co-workers. Ronni Lacroute, co-owner of WillaKenzie Estate was awarded the "Los Heroes de ¡Salud!" distinction for her role in the evolution and success of ¡Salud!, and for her vision, leadership and dedication in continuing to further the mission.



About ¡Salud!: Created by a group of Oregon winemakers and Tuality Healthcare (http://www. tualityfoundation. org/) physicians to address the health care hurdles faced by seasonal vineyard workers, this effective and far-reaching program is unique to Oregon. Workers who do not qualify for benefits due to the brevity of their employment with each winery or vineyard are given access to medical services and preventative health care under the guidance of medical professionals through education and advocacy.



2008 statistics (http://saludauction. org/salud-impact. html) include the following:

 3,281 workers and family members were enrolled in the program, a 10% increase over 2007  937 wellness screenings were given at the worksite  2,601 dental procedures were performed  1,100 medical clinic visits were documented  19 mobile dental clinics were held, providing $73,991 in services for only $12,000



The 2010 Auction will be held November 12 and 13.



Vinters Circle Wineries:

Adelsheim Vineyard

Amalie Robert Estate

Antica Terra

ArborBrook Vineyards

Archery Summit

Argyle

Ayres Vineyard

Beaux Frères

Bergström Wines

Bethel Heights Vineyard

Chehalem

Cristom Vineyards

Dobbes Family Estate

Domaine Drouhin Oregon

Elk Cove Vineyards

Erath Winery

Evening Land Vineyards

Hamacher Wines

Ken Wright Cellars

King Estate Winery

Lange Estate Winery

Maysara Winery

Patricia Green Cellars

Patton Valley Vineyards

Penner-Ash Wine Cellars

Ponzi Vineyards

R. Stuart & Co

Raptor Ridge Winery

REX HILL

Scott Paul Wines

Shea Wine Cellars

Silvan Ridge

Sólena Estate

Soter Vineyards

St. Innocent Winery

Stoller Vineyards

Torii Mor

Westrey Wine Company

WillaKenzie Estate

Willamette Valley Vineyards

Winderlea Vineyard & Winery

Witness Tree Vineyard



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