Included in the evening’s revenues was $113,500 which will go directly to arts education programs around the state. The arts education appeal was presented by Steve Pool with a moving performance by cellist prodigy, Lennart Jansson (age 14) Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras (see following article for further information).

The Auction was chaired by Stacy Lill, (DeLille Cellars), Anne-Marie Hedges (Hedges Winery) and Kathleen Shoup (Long Shadows Vintners). Their energy, creativity and passion provided a high level of fun and excitement, building on the Auction theme –At Play In the Vineyards of the World.

The event featured over 200 silent auction lots and 59 live items. Some of the top grossing lots included:

Lot # 3: 2 Mighty Double Magnums:  1988 Château Haut Brion and 1996 Château Cos D’Estournel Value: $3,700 Sold: $6,000 Thank you to donors: Mikal & Lynn Thomsen!
 
Lot # 8: 2007 PONCHO Wine Auction Co-Chair Dinner for 14 at Canlis Value: $4,500 Sold: $9,500 Thank you to donors: The Canlis Family, Hedges Family Estate, Tom & Anne-Marie Hedges, DeLille Cellars, Greg & Stacy Lill and Long Shadows Vintners, Kathleen & Allen Shoup!

Lot #27: 2 Cases of Sancerre from Pascal Jolivet Value: $2,100 Sold: $7,000 Thank you to donors: Frederick Wildman & Sons!

Lot # 37: A Case of 1998 Château Lafite Rothschild Value: $6,000 Sold: $8,000 Thank you to donors: Joseph N. Walter & Kathy Mares!

Lot # 39: Boutique Napa Trip for 2 - Insiders Only Style Value: $15,000 Sold: $16,000  Thank you to donors Greg & Stacy Lill and Michael & Pamala Towers!

Lot # 58: Dinner for 8 at the Birkeland Home with Chef Holly Smith of Café Juanita Value: $2,270 Sold: $4,500  Thank you to donors: Chef Holly Smith & Café Juanita, Chateau Ste. Michele and Antinori and Paul & Joyce Birkeland!
 
To preview or purchase photos from this year's exciting event, visit the Team Photogenic Website
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The Honorary Winemaker for this year’s Wine Auction was Pascal Jolivet, of Domaine Pascal Jolivet Loire Valley, France. After an arduous and long journey, Pascal joined V.I.P. Guests and Auction Co-Chairs at a special Vintner’s Dinner held on Friday before the auction.

This year’s exclusive dinner was graciously held at the lovely home of Kathleen and Allen Shoup. Three of Seattle’s best chefs, Bobby Moore of the Barking Frog, Johnathan Sundstrom of Lark, and Dan Thiessen of 08 Seafood Grill/Twisted Cork Wine Bar showcased their artful culinary skills, perfectly pairing their fabulous cuisine with the wines of Domaine Pascal Jolivet and Long Shadows. Thank you Pascal, Bobby, Johnathan, Dan, Kathleen and Allen for a very memorable evening!

Sponsors
PONCHO would like to thank the following individuals and companies for their support of the 2007 Wine Auction:

Gold Season Sponsors: Escala, Macy*s , Ten Grands

Mainstage: DeLille Cellars, Hedges Family Estate, Long Shadows Vintners

Loge: Deloitte, Moss-Adams LLP, Oppenheimer & Co.

Vintner’s Dinner Sponsor: BNY Mellon Wealth Management

Gallery Level Sponsor :Kibble & Prentice, Northwest Craft Alliance, Maggiano's Little Italy, Daniels Broiler, PR Matters

Media Sponsor: Seattle Business Monthly

Premiere Table Sponsor

Moss Adams, LLP

VIP’s

Sharon and Jay Ballantine, Rich and Krissi Barnes, Carl and Renee Behnke, Paul and Joyce Birkeland, Tom and Cynthia Captain, Lon Fisher, Tom and Anne-Marie Hedges, Brad Horwitz and Janamari Carlson, Greg and Stacy Lill, Chris and Drew Lucurell, Lita and Paul Luvera, John and Mitzi Morris, Annette and Bob Parks, Nancy and Mark Pellegrino, Dave and Colleen Reynolds, Allen and Kathleen Shoup, John Stanton and Theresa Gillespie, Michael and Pamala Towers, Janet True & Doug True, Marcia Tufarolo, Joseph Walter and Kathy Mares, Scott and Kim Wiklof,

Special Guests

Carrie and Syd Abernethy, Dean Aldridge, Chap Alvord, Rick Alvord, Samuel and Etta Anderson, David and Linda Anderson, Stan and Alta Barer, Richard and Edwina Baxter, Colette Courtion and Todd Marker, Lauri Darneille, Stephen and Kathy Dewalt, Ron and Bonnie Elgin, Michael Goldfarb and Victoria Woodarski, Jane Hague, Cathi Hatch, Craig and Marion Hopkins, Chris and Kathleen Kosmos, Stein and Linda Kruse, Stephen Kutz and Courtney Womack, David and Karen Leeds, Chris and Pam Lloyd, Joe Maas and Molly Gilmore, Kim Richter, Mac Rogers and Diane Mollner, Brian and Kim Ross, Mikal and Lynn Thomsen

Among the many to thank, the Auction is made possible through a remarkable volunteer effort on the part of countless people actively and enthusiastically contributing hours of planning and labor over many months' time.

Thank you to all the wonderful people who helped make this night a success. Cheers to you!

Fun fact: Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras, a PONCHO benefactor since 1965, is the largest youth symphony organization in the United States. Bet you didn't know that. Founded in 1942, SYSO has grown to serve over 1,100 students a year. A leader in Northwest arts education, programs include four full orchestras, summer festivals and partnerships with local public schools. Over 15% of Seattle Symphony musicians are SYSO alums, and many more play in the orchestras of the Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Auburn Symphony, Bellevue Philharmonic, and Orchestra Seattle, to name a few. The internationally acclaimed Kronos Quartet was founded by students of Marrowstone, SYSO's flagship summer program.

"We're not just creating future musicians," says Music Director Stephen Rogers Radcliffe. "We're creating future arts patrons and philanthropic leaders. By exposing these extremely talented kids to great composers and great musical coaches, we're creating an inspirational environment. These kids leave our programs having come in direct contact with great art -- more than that: they've created great art. They'll carry that with them whether they become musicians or not. Some of these students are going to grow up to be lawyers, doctors, scientists, engineers and business leaders. Our programs make our future leaders better people."

SYSO's flagship orchestra, the Seattle Youth Symphony, celebrates its 65th Anniversary this year. Season highlights include a performance of William Walton's powerful Cello Concerto with Seattle Symphony principal cellist Joshua Roman and searing performances of Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony, Ravel's La Valse and Richard Strauss's Death and Transfiguration. Five Scholarship Chamber Ensembles will act as student ambassadors this year for SYSO's programs in the community.

As the year draws to a close, please consider making a charitable gift to PONCHO this year! We need your support to connect youth to art and to support both established and emerging arts organizations in our community. Your support is essential to our ability to continue to foster a strong and healthy arts community that we can all experience and enjoy!

Every gift to PONCHO counts. Click here to support PONCHO this year.