By Crystal Duan
Signal Staff Writer
Wine enthusiasts from around the Santa Clarita Valley are invited to a vineyard event 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
Proceeds from the 11th annual Sunset In the Vineyard event, put on by the Assistance League and held at a private Newhall vineyard, will go to help children and other charities around the valley.
The event started when, 11 years ago, event organizer Jeannie Carpenter saw that SCV residents were in a hard spot due to the recession. The Assistance League, which primarily operated a resale shop in Newhall, was looking to give back.
“It was during the economic downturn, and there were already over 200 nonprofits in the valley,” she said. “And just like all other nonprofits, we were looking for a way to build our funds to provide children with clothes for school over 2,000 children we provide clothes for.”
Carpenter and her husband decided to host it at their vineyard in Newhall, inviting seven friends that made wine in their garages to their 87-year old home.
“We sold our tickets, people came, the Assistance League ladies made the food,” she said. “And they loved it.
“It’s a very nice atmosphere,” she said. “It was very unique and still is, because you are tasting the wine, and you are talking to the person who made the wine.”
This year’s event has 21 makers and a craft beer maker, Carpenter said.
The students and chefs of the College of the Canyons Institute of Culinary Education will be serving hors d’oeuvres and pizzas, and the Speakeasy Bakery and the Derobertis family will be offering artisan breads and cheeses. Sweet Beams will provide ice cream and there will be an auction.
All proceeds from the event go to Operation School Bell, a charity that provides clothes and shoes for students in the public schools in the Santa Clarita Valley, and iCare for Kids, which provides glasses and eye exams for students, Carpenter said.
So far, 350 tickets have been sold, and between volunteers and winemakers, about 400 people will be attending, Carpenter said. Tickets are $95 at the door for interested participants.
Compa Vineyard is located at 24435 Arcadia St. in Newhall.
