This Saturday, March 2, wine aficionados and friends of the Shepherdstown Day Care will gather at the Bavarian Inn for the 6th annual Wine Auction to Benefit the Shepherdstown Day Care. The event begins at 6 p.m. with wine and Scotch tastings, music and light hors d’oeuvres donated by area restaurants.

At 7 p.m., the evening’s main event the live auction begins. Particularly notable among the highlights of the auction lots is a magnum of 2009 St. Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which received 95 points from the Wine Spectator and 94 points from the Wine Advocate; a bottle of 2008 Nicholas Catena Zapata Malbec, which was awarded 98 points by the Wine Advocate; a bottle of 93 point 2008 Isole e Olena Rosso Ceparello an amazing Italian red; and a bottle of 1994 Warres Vintage Port that received 95 points from the Wine Spectator and 94 points from the Wine Advocate. The auction features wines for both New and Old World wine aficionados, with lots featuring California cabernets, a case of fantastic Bordeaux, as well as exciting Italian, German, Australian, Chilean and Spanish wine lots. In addition to the traditional wine lots, the participants will be able to bid on a gourmet four-course dinner for four at the Bavarian Inn and an overnight stay at The Mimslyn Inn in Luray, Virginia. The auction will end when the gavel falls on its traditional final auction lot: Bubbles on the Beach a bottle of champagne and a week in a villa on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten. This elegant evening is made possible through the generous support of Platinum Sponsors The Bavarian Inn, Jefferson Security Bank, The Journal and Chronicle newspapers, and Nancy Strine and Jack Lantzy.

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 enhance its educational program in order to provide the best possible environment for children to grow and learn. The efforts will help ensure that Shepherdstown Day Care will continue to be a place of sanctuary and hope for families in need.

Tickets for the Wine Auction are available at (304) 876-2551 or at the door. For more information, visit the auction website at www.sdcwineauction.org, or contact David Asam at David@BavarianInnWV.com