Mobile Meals Wine Gala 2011

When I first ran for office in 1993, we got a lot of invitations to events and activities we'd never even heard of before. One of them was the Wine Gala fundraiser for Mobile Meals of Toledo, which we decided to attend.

We had a blast! It was a great evening with scrumptious appetizers, interesting and affordable silent auction items, a gourmet dinner, a live auction of finer wines and then music and dancing afterward. Other than our wedding, it was the first time we'd been to a black-tie event.

Even better than the fun we had that night, we learned about Mobile Meals and their mission - to assist "the elderly, ill, disabled, and homebound to remain in their homes and retain their independence and dignity." They do this by providing nutritious meals so the individual doesn't have to worry about shopping or cooking.

We were impressed with the organization as well as the people involved and decided that we wanted to support it. Mobile Meals had won a place in our hearts.

Since then, we have devoted both our time and our resources to this fantastic organization. I've chaired the Wine Gala and served on the Board of Trustees. And I know that today, its mission is even more critical.

The Wine Gala is one of the major fundraising events and this year's celebration will be Saturday November 5th at the Stranahan Great Hall. Tickets are $125/person and are available now.

While some might think the ticket price is a bit high, you certainly get your money's worth. The evening starts with a wine tasting from 14 area distributors. The distributors usually bring five or more different wines to sample. This is accompanied by scrumptious hors d'oeuvres from local eateries and have included, in the past, everything from cheese and crackers to smoked salmon to asparagus wrapped in prosciutto.

The gourmet dinner varies from year to year and is a far cry from the typical chicken dish you get at most events. Additionally, the committee selects two dinner wines (a red and a white) to be served with the meal. Samples are tasted to be sure the wines provide a good compliment to the dinner. Desserts have been anything from bite-sized petit fours to gourmet cakes. There is a selection, so you're sure to find something to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Throughout the evening, tables of silent auction items are bid upon. You probably won't find a better selection of silent auction items at any other event. While many of the items are wine-related, most are not.

But the main event is the live auction of fine wines, many from the private cellars of collectors in the area. As we still serve on the live auction committee, I can share with you some of the finer selections that will be available for bidding in the live auction.

There is a case of Italian wines:

1993 Marchesi di Barolo
1994 La Casa Brunello di Montalcino
1995 Bricco dell' Uccellone Barbera d'Asti
1998 Barbera d'Asti Superior
1998 Vitanza Brunello Di Montalcino
1999 Masi Costasera Amarone
2000 Novaia Amarone Della Valpolicella
2001 Parusso Barolo
2001 Seghesio Barolo
2003 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino
2003 La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino
2003 Parusso Barolo

A magnicifent case of bordeaux:

1980 Chateau Talbot Saint Julien
1981 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint Julien
1982 Chateau Villemaurine Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe
1982 Cotes De Bourg Chateau Falfas
1983 Chateau Gruaud Larose
1983 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande Pauillac
1984 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comteese De Lalande Pauillac
1985 Chateau Les Ormes De Pez Saint-Estephe
1986 Chateau Beychevelle Saint Julien
1986 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
1989 Chateau Batailley Grand Cru Classe Pauillac
1989 Chateau Beaumont Haut-Medoc

This donation - two bottles of each:

2002 Chateau Latour
2202 Chateau Lafite Rothschild

And the featured lot:

1986 Chateau Lafite Rothschild
1989 Chat au Longueville
1990 Chateau Pichon Longueville
1995 Chateau la Renaudie
1997 Chateau D'Angludet

All of these wines have been properly stored and some are no longer available on the open market.

The event concludes with live music and dancing.

If you'd like to join us for a fun evening benefiting a terrific organization, you can order tickets here. Donations are also welcome if you cannot attend. Additionally, if you'd like to volunteer for the event, or to help deliver meals, even as a substitute, please call the office at 419-255-7806.