7 p.m., Nov. 21 War Memorial Building King & German streets

This Saturday evening, Nov. 21, wine aficionados and friends of the Shepherdstown Day Care will gather for the 3rd Annual Wine Auction to Benefit the Shepherdstown Day Care.

The event begins at 7:30 p.m. in the War Memorial Building in Shepherdstown, with light hors d’oeuvres and a wine tasting by area wine merchants The German Street Coffee & Candlery and Grapes & Grains Gourmet, who will be offering tastes of some of their most intriguing wines, as well as wines for the holidays. Raffle tickets for a jeroboam (3.0 liters) of 2003 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric, one of Wine Spectators top 100 Wines of the Year in 2007, will be on sale throughout the night.

At 8:30 p.m., the evening’s main event the live auction begins with bidding on a highly-rated Amarone (a list of auction lots is available at www.sdcwineauction.org). Particularly notable among the auction lots is a bottle of 98 point 2005 Bodega Catena Zapata Cabernet/Malbec Nicolas Catena Zapata, a 95 point 2006 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve, and, for Old World wine aficionados, there are several lots featuring fantastic Bordeaux, as well as exciting Italian and Spanish wine lots, and a bottle of Non-Vintage Krug Grand Cuvee Brut Champagne. One theme of the auction is exploration, so there will be lots highlighting differing styles of Chardonnay; a vertical selection of three amazing Barolos by Silvio Grasso (all 93 points and higher); tickets to the “Route 9 Barrel Tasting Tour,” courtesy of Doukenie Winery; and trips to places as close as a Charlottesville-area farm and as far away as a B&B in the heart of Argentine wine country. The auction will end when the gavel falls on the last auction lot: Bubbles on the Beach a bottle of Non-Vintage Lilbert Fils Grand Cru Brut Blanc De Blancs and a week in an 8-person villa on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. This elegant evening is made possible through the generous support of Platinum Sponsors Jefferson Security Bank, The Journal and Chronicle Newspapers, and Zachary Homes; and Gold Sponsors The Bavarian Inn and the Charles Town Races & Slots.

The event’s proceeds will benefit the Shepherdstown Day Care, one of a handful of non-profit day cares serving the families of Jefferson and Berkeley Counties, and the region’s only day care which charges tuition according to a sliding scale tied to family income level, enabling families that want to work or further their education to pursue their dreams. This year, given the state of the economy, support for the Day Care takes on an extra level of importance. The Wine Auction will help raise the funds needed to maintain the sliding scale, as well as enable the Day Care to pursue renovation projects and enhance its educational program in order to provide the best possible environment for children to grow and learn. Together, we can ensure that Shepherdstown Day Care will continue to be a place of sanctuary and hope for families in need.

– Tickets for the Wine Auction will be available at the door. For more information, visit www.sdcwineauction.org, or contact Donn Marshall at (304) 264-0787.