WineCommune Hosts Second Annual Wine Tasting Benefit for Diabetes

San Francisco Wine Tasting Benefit for Diabetes raises $100,000. Benefit hosted by WineCommune.com, the leading wine auction community on the Internet.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- October 17, 2002 - WineCommune, the largest growing wine auction community on the internet hosted its second annual wine tasting benefit of the worlds finest wines, on October 5th, 2002 at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco to benefit the American Diabetes Association (ADA). One Hundred-forty guests attended the benefit dubbed A Taste for Life", helping raise more than one hundred thousand dollars (US$100,000) for the charity. The event was co-sponsored by TheraSense, the Alameda-based leading manufacturer of blood glucose monitoring technology for diabetics, and was emceed by popular KCBX radio host and wine enthusiast from Santa Barbara, Archie McLaren.

Guests from around the country and overseas paid top dollar to support the ADA and sit at exclusive wine themed" tables of eight people; each hosted by a sommelier from a top San Francisco restaurant, or Napa wine expert. This years wine experts included Larry Stone, of Rubicon Restaurant, and Gilles de Chambure, of Robert Mondavi Winery, two Master Sommeliers, an honor held by only fifty people in the United States.

Each table featured a tasting of six of the most coveted wines from a particular region or winery from California, France, and Australia. Among the most talked about tables of the evening were the 1961 First Growth Bordeaux table with 1961s of Mouton, Latour, Lafite, Margaux, and Haut Brion, hosted by Master Sommelier, Larry Stone, at $995 per person. And at $1,250 per head was the first ever Screaming Eagle vertical table from 1992 through 1999, hosted by Gilles de Chambure. At the end of the tasting, Archie McLaren fielded anecdotes from each table where sommeliers and guests released the verdict on each wine tasted. But perhaps the most fun was had at the end of the tasting when table hopping" was permitted, allowing guests to rub palettes with fellow tasters by having a swig of wine from a neighboring table, a tradition carried on from the previous years event.

Said Rebecca Chapa, of Wines by the Class" and former sommelier at Jardiniere, who hosted the 1997 California Cult Cabernet table, All the wine fiends were let loose to trade and barter sips of the wines left over. The most difficult-and most fun-part of the evening was deciding whether to head over to the Screaming Eagle or 1928 Bordeaux table." Other table hosts-sommeliers included Chris Phelps, Wine Maker at Caymus Vineyards, Christie Dufault of Gary Danko, and Mark Mendoza of Redwood Park.

The price of each ticket for the event included the individual wine tasting, followed by vintage champagne donated by Laurent Perrier and hors d'oeuvres, along with a five-course dinner by the Ritz-Carltons Executive Chef, Jean-Pierre Dubray out in the twinkly lights of the courtyard on the Terrace, paired with additional wines compliments of other donor wineries, and a Brazilian jazz ensemble as entertainment for the evening.

A silent auction, spurred along by Archie McLaren, Chairman of the Arroyo Grande Valley Vintners Association and founder and Executive Director of the KCBX Central Coast Wine Classic, featured prized wines and other valued goods and helped raise over one hundred thousand dollars thanks to generous donations from the WineCommune community such as a limited edition Salvador Dali lithograph signed by the artist that fetched a healthy sum for the cause. Said Randy Beranek, Vice President for Community Development for the ADAs west coast region, This benefit marks our second year in partnership with WineCommune and is the ADAs only wine-related benefit with wines of this caliber. This year secured an even bigger foothold on our combined audience of wine lovers and those devoted to fighting this debilitating disease. We expect this to grow subsequently in years to come and are committed to WineCommune to help promote the event annually."

WineCommune.com Event Chair Shaun Bishop commented, I am really pleased with the turnout and intend to keep next years attendance at 150 guests to keep the intimate feel. The event raised a significant amount of money for the ADA and everyone had a great time. I have family who have died from diabetes so its a cause we plan to support for years to come."

About the American Diabetes Association
The ADA (American Diabetes Association) is the nations leading nonprofit health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association conducts programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reaching more than 800 communities.

About Winecommune.com
WineCommune is a privately held company providing an on-line network that connects wine buyers and wine sellers, both private and retail via the Internet. WineCommune.com provides a community of wine enthusiasts around the world a means of buying and selling fine wines via auction, straight sale, and through enhanced buying models. Established in April 1999 and profitable since July 1999, WineCommune is now the number one wine auction community on the Web, surpassing both eBay and Yahoo.

Contact:
Michael Stajer
Winecommune.com
stajer@winecommune.com
(510) 528-3093