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For an unusual evening out, try wining and dining with the animals for a good cause. The 15th annual Cornell Alumni Association of Central New York’s Wine Tasting & Silent Auction offers dinners 96 different wines to choose from, all from Cornell alumni-owned wineries, Friday, Jan. 25, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Proceeds from the event will go toward a scholarship endowment fund for students attending Cornell University in the fall, as well as the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, where the event is being held. Attendees will have the opportunity to bid on Cornell memorabilia, hotels stays, restaurant gift certificates and much more.
When event chair Jim Miller started the wine tasting 15 years it was held downtown with just one winery owned by a friend and fellow Cornell alum. From there it grew, first to hotels and now to the zoo, 1 Conservation Place, which has been home to the event for the last eight years.
For those who aren’t planning to drink there are still plenty of delectable dishes to satisfy even someone as hungry as a lion. “We have a Plainville turkey carving station because the current scholarship is named for {Bob Bitz}, the man who founded Plainville turkey farm,” explained Miller. “We have another serving area that will have assorted fruits, cheeses and meats and a coffee and tea station, but the favorite one is always the chocolate fountain and biscotti deserts table.”
Last year 256 attendees came to the fundraiser for a night of food and donated $17,000, mostly though silent auction items. This year Miller said they are hoping for around 300 people. “It’s very informal,” he noted. “Very often people come in work clothes but there’s no dress code. People come and they get a souvenir wine glass and they get a program so if they find a wine they like they can check it off in their program.”
The souvenir wine glass, dinner and wine tasting are all included in the ticket, which can be purchased for $35 at caacny.com until Wednesday, Jan. 23, after which tickets will be $45 online and at the door.
