FUNdraiser to Help the Fire-Ravaged Sonoita Vineyards
Arizona wildfires can be devastating, especially in the grasslands of Sonoita and Elgin, Arizona's very own wine-country. When the Longview Fire consumed 553 acres earlier this month, it caused damage to the Elgin-Canelo area, and even touched part of Sonoita Vineyards.
The Sonoita Vineyards
Winemaker Lori Reynolds and her husband, vineyard manager Robi Reynolds run the vineyard with a small staff. Lori is the granddaughter of founder Dr. Gordon Dutt who started the 30-acre vineyard in 1974. The small, family-owned business has been turning out small-batch, award-winning vintages since 1983.
Touched by Fire
The Sonoita Vineyards are rising from the ashes with a FUN-draiser, on the calendar for Saturday March 18. The fundraiser is being put together by the local Elgin and Sonoita communities.
Unsure of the long-term impact on the vineyard at this time, the Reynolds are working to get everything up and running as quickly as they can.
While the vineyards are covered by insurance, it doesn't cover everything. In a small community like Elgin-Canelo-Sonoita, friends become like family.
No trip to a Sonoita Vineyards event is complete without Candy and Joshua Carpenter of The Band Wanted and local photographer Kim Rego of Photos by KC Rego.
They've hatched a plan to help out the Vineyards with their FUNdraiser to help bridge the gap between what will be covered by insurance and expenses not covered in the short term. The Reynolds will know more about the status of the vines when the grapevines begin to wake up over the next month.
The FUNdraiser Event
"Our goal is to bring some JOY and FUN to them while [the Sonoita Vineyards] recover from this!" says Candy Carpenter, one of the event organizers and member of the Band Wanted.
You can be part of the event on Saturday March 18th. The Band Wanted will perform from 10am to around noon. Border Hookups, another band donating their time, are scheduled to perform 1 to 4 pm.
The Wine Tasting Room will be open from 10am to 4pm. There's no fee for admission for this event and food trucks are scheduled to be on site.
You can help raise funds with the silent auction or check out the GoFundMe if you'd like to help that way: https://gofund.me/16b61f26. For more information, see the event on Facebook.
Special thanks to Kim Rego of Photos by KC Rego for all press release, and to Candy Carpenter of The Band Wanted for the additional information and photos used in this article.