Wally’s Presents 7th Annual Central Coast Celebration for Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship Fund at UC Davis

Wally’s Wine & Spirits will host Wally’s 7th Annual Central Coast Wine and Food Celebration (WCCWFC), benefiting the Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship Fund at UC Davis’ Department of Viticulture and Enology on Sunday, August 1, 2010, from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. under the “Big Top” adjacent to the store.

Wally’s popular summer afternoon tasting will include over 60 Central Coast wineries: Sea Smoke, Saxum, Linne Calodo, Fiddlehead, Melville, Brewer-Clifton, Au Bon Climat, Qupe, Hitching Post, Tantara, Ojai Vineyard, Whitcraft, Jaffurs, Ambullneo,  Dragonette, Beckmen, Brander, Presidio, Costa de Oro, Talbott, Row Eleven, Falcone, Arcadian, Rusack, Palmina, Foley, Paige 23, Justin, Clos Mimi, Talley, Ampelos, Claiborne & Churchill, Alma Rosa, Ken Brown, Core, Cobblestone, Malibu Vineyards, Native 9, Silver, Alta Maria, Plata, Margerum, La Fenetre, Kenneth Volk, Summerland and Demetria among many others.

And this year the WCCWFC proudly introduces the participation of California micro-breweries, including Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles; Nectar Ales, Paso Robles; The Bruery, Placentia; Telegraph Brewing Company, Santa Barbara; and Stone Brewing Company, Escondido.

With some of the best chefs and restaurants represented, including Frank Ostini showcasing the art of grilling on his traveling Santa Maria Barbecue pit from The Hitching Post, returning guests from Los Angeles are Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza by Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali, La Brea Bakery, Spago Beverly Hills, CUT, Lucques/A.O.C. /Tavern, Comme Ça, the Hungry Cat, and Sushi Roku.  Featured from the best of the Central Coast are: Bouchon/Seagrass, Artisan, Pasolivo, Olio e Limone, The Ballard Inn Restaurant in Ballard, Brothers’ Restaurant at Mattei’s Tavern and Full of Life Flatbread from Los Alamos.  Joining the event for the first time is Josiah Citrin’s celebrated Caché Restaurant & Lounge, in Santa Monica.

In addition to the wine and food tasting, guests are invited to participate in a silent auction of rare wine offerings and premier gift packages.  This year’s live auction items will include travel packages to the Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, Hadsten House in Solvang, and a week-long vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard.  Also featured this year is a special appearance and signing by photographer Mark Robert Halper, who will donate 50% of the book sales of his latest collection, Sunlight and Water: Celebrating the Winemakers of Santa Barbara County, to the scholarship fund.   For the seventh year, to entertain the crowd is Gary Burk’s lively group, the Inexpensive Winos.  A majority of the funds received directly benefit the Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship Fund at the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology.

The Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship Fund was founded at UC Davis in 2004 by the Bonaccorsi family.  The scholarship was developed in response to the overwhelming reaction of friends and wine professionals interested in creating a lasting memorial to the man who generously shared his knowledge and talents throughout his brilliant, yet tragically short career.  Wally’s quickly stepped in to lend its support by creating the Wally’s Central Coast Wine and Food Celebration.  To date, the fundraiser has raised over $250,000 – making it the primary source in funding the scholarship, which now totals over a third of a million dollars, a portion of which is awarded yearly to a qualifying recipient at UC Davis’ Department of Viticulture and Enology, the leading teaching and research institution of its kind in the United States.

Each year, a deserving student displaying outstanding achievement in winemaking along with a genuine passion for the field will receive a generous grant helping with his or her financial needs.
The Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship Fund enabled Steve Nelson, last year’s recipient, to work towards his graduate degree in Enology.  By being a guest at the Central Coast Wine and Food Celebration in 2009, Steve was able to meet many of the patrons and discuss first-hand the significance of his scholarship.

Tickets for the event are $95 per person in advance and $125 at the door plus applicable taxes. They can be purchased through Wally’s by phone at 310.475.0606 or via the internet at www.wallywine.com and click to their special events page. For further information about the Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship Fund, visit www.bonaccorsifoundation.org. For information on UC Davis’ Department of Viticulture and Enology, please visit wineserver.ucdavis.edu.

Wally’s Central Coast Wine and Food Celebration
Sunday, August 1, 2010, 12 noon – 4:00 p.m.
Wally’s Wine & Spirits
2107 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
310.475.0606