For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Lori Lawlor
(203) 457-9791 or lori@ccwa2008.org
Jim Donahue
(860) 677-8846 or jdonahue@ccwa2008.org
www.ccwa2008.org

(get printable pdf format here>>> )

Connecticut Classic Wine Auction Benefits Three Charities
at Hartford’s Hartford Steam Boiler on February 29, 2008

Hartford, Conn. (February 5, 2008): The Connecticut Classic Wine Auction (CCWA) will hold its second annual food, wine tasting and wine auction to benefit three charities: Boundless Playgrounds, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and Interval House on February 29, 2008, at 5:30 p.m. at Hartford Steam Boiler, One State Street, Fifth Floor, Hartford, Connecticut. The live auction will feature 75 rare wine lots, gourmet dinners from Connecticut’s finest caterers and restaurants, art and wine-related memorabilia. The silent auction will feature 30 wines and collectibles with donor values from $200-$2500.

Boundless Playgrounds (www.boundlessplaygrounds.org) helps communities create state of the art playgrounds where all children, with and without disabilities, can develop essential skills for life as they learn together through play.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (www.ccmckids.org) is a major asset to Connecticut.  They provide a wide spectrum of care to children of all ages. They are a teaching hospital, home of UCONN School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, a doctor's office for nearly 15,000 children, an emergency room, surgical unit, intensive care unit and a neonatal intensive care unit.

Interval House (www.intervalhousect.org) provides abused women and children a continuum of services including access to safe shelter and responsive services that help them establish lives free from violence. The continuum includes integrated and specialized services related to counseling, advocacy, outreach, legal and housing support, as well as programs to help build economic self-sufficiency. The public education and advocacy activities are intended to raise awareness, with a view to eliminating violence against women and children in our society.

It is expected that $125,000 will be raised to support the extraordinary programs of the three participating charities.

Sponsors include: the restaurant ON20, Hart-Davis-Hart Wine Auctioneers, BigGourmet.com, dotcom Wine and Spirits, Sovereign Bank, Alphagraphics, Delia/Viking, restaurantsCT.com, John Hancock, DT Media Group and others.

A wine reception will be followed by an elegant gastronomic dine-around feast featuring dozens of top-rated wines from worldwide producers. Following dinner, the event auctioneer, Michael Davis, president of Chicago’s Hart-Davis-Hart Wine Co., will preside over a live auction featuring rare older vintages, wine-related travel packages, large format bottles, wine art, kitchen and entertainment equipment, and vertical and horizontal wine collections.

Auction highlights include: A collection of each of the Wine Spectator Top 10 Wines of 2007;Willy's Wine Bar Posters, Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Lafleur, Château Montrachet, Super Tuscan verticals, Château Haut Brion, California collections from 1994 and 1997 vintages, travel packages and rare large formats.

Participating caterers and chefs are Niles Golovin of Bantam Bread Co. in Bantam and Plainville; Rich Lucas of BOSC Kitchen & Wine Bar/Lucas & Co. Catered Events, Avon; Rick Kerzner of Emily’s Catering Group, Forestville; Billy Grant of Grant’s Restaurant/Restaurant Bricco, West Hartford; Tom Scott of Jordan Caterers, Cheshire; Tuan Tran of Koji Downtown, Hartford; Dan Fortin of Marquee Events & Catering, Hartford; Noel Jones of ON20, Hartford; Bryan Hickey of One State Street Catering, Hartford; Russell Pryzbek of Russell’s Creative Catering, West Hartford; Carrie Cronin and Jon Michael of Tallulah’s, West Hartford; and Leo Bushey of The Hartford Club, Hartford.

Ticket price is $150 per person if purchased by February 22nd and $175 per person thereafter. For tickets or to make a tax deductible wine donation, contact Lori Lawlor, Connecticut Classic Wine Auction at (203) 457-9791 or via e-mail at lori@ccwa2008.org.