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2016 Santa Barbara Wine Auction Breaks Records
Posted: Mar 18, 2016
Beckmen Vineyards was proud to be a returning sponsor of the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation’s 2016 Santa Barbara Wine Auction, held at the stunning Bacara Resort & Spa on Saturday, March 12, 2016.
Although the final number has not yet been tallied, the Auction surpassed the previous record of $1.1 million raised in 2014 for Direct Relief, an internationally acclaimed humanitarian aid organization located in Goleta, CA. Direct Relief will be able to leverage this year’s donation into more than $30 million in medical aid to 70 countries around the world, focusing on maternal and child health, the prevention and treatment of disease, and emergency preparedness and response.
About the Santa Barbara Wine Auction
Created in 2000, the Santa Barbara Wine Auction was developed by the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation to raise money for people across the world to have access to life-saving medical aid. More than $4 million has been raised since the event began, which Direct Relief has leveraged into almost $100 million.
During the evening, attendees are able to bid on silent and live auction items related to wine, food, travel, and leisure, and enjoy a three course meal prepared by a celebrity chef and paired with award winning Santa Barbara County wines.
![SB-wine-auction-first-course](https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-first-course.jpg?auto=compress&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1375&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=2200&s=10c221e9a6a872c5fbac0233118a0df2 2200w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-first-course.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1250&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=2000&s=4471d4334b10ac660e9a0ef2f958ba0f 2000w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-first-course.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1125&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=1800&s=aaf9c523ddd4a18e01bf89cf0a42b52b 1800w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-first-course.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1000&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=1600&s=a9052fa3c5ea3bf526c6b9141a3d6336 1600w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-first-course.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=812&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=1300&s=d6e43f05b726fcf88d18af45eddd6b7c 1300w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-first-course.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=687&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=1100&s=cd045e8c2968521eaf18fd0c8b32493a 1100w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-first-course.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=562&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=900&s=be833a88861e484c0ffb06b2cf828fdf 900w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-first-course.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=500&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=800&s=c0cbde5f3c9c0c7f0c817812edbb7ac8 800w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-first-course.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=375&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=600&s=2de26c231234c2216737d4e40215ddf8 600w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-first-course.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=250&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=400&s=253aff61c4267e104c7d756dea860767 400w)
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Among the talented Santa Barbara County winemakers, winegrowers, and wine aficionados were the emcee of the evening, Chris Harrison, host of ABC’s reality show “The Bachelor”, and guest chef Michael Mina, creator of the Michael Mina Restaurant Group and James Beard Award recipient. Other celebrities in attendance included the Golden Globe winning actress Jane Lynch and reality TV star Andrew Firestone.
Honorees of the 2016 Santa Barbara Wine Auction included Sanford & Benedict Vineyard co-founders Richard and Thekla Sanford and Michael Benedict, who received the Pioneer Award, and Bob and Louisa Lindquist, who received the Vintners of the Year Award.
![SB-wine-auction-susan-steve-beckmen](https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-susan-steve-beckmen.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=500&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=800&s=678fe41d9d05b8ef9a0bd9a46cfb71e6 800w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-susan-steve-beckmen.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=375&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=600&s=a2e04b81b0bbf62b58f986213d0f76be 600w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-susan-steve-beckmen.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=250&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=400&s=a571cf5dbd6be87c7c87a738bc68dcdb 400w)
Beckmen’s Live Auction Contribution
Beckmen joined together with Qupé – a winery specializing in Rhône-style wines from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria, the Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard in Edna Valley, and the Ibarra-Young Vineyard in Los Olivos – to create a special live auction item, “Blend your Own Barrel with Qupé & Beckmen”.
![SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe](https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe.jpg?auto=compress&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1375&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=2200&s=0a104fbe0617ef1ea591ffbaaec4e7d1 2200w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1250&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=2000&s=799e37bc76b72a8e05b2db225e6751ff 2000w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1125&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=1800&s=aceaa340a0677bf776b2e19dcde8bedf 1800w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1000&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=1600&s=91940d57e58c821837798afe0959273a 1600w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=812&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=1300&s=fa1f0b782f1fab896bf51bd4627eb1f7 1300w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=687&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=1100&s=9eb716c55aa6a28e8a3c8d1e3e82ece3 1100w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=562&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=900&s=9641a065ad6367d3fe6944729f181893 900w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=500&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=800&s=06f493dbb23dfc3fe5ce14fc9ed503ec 800w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=375&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=600&s=bcf9b130526236c14d00cdc08ad4e342 600w, https://beckmen.imgix.net/general-images/SB-wine-auction-beckmen-qupe.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&domain=beckmen.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=250&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=400&s=08caee45e91beee1dd1929a13341887b 400w)
The lucky winner will create a barrel of a biodynamic wine blend of Syrah or Grenache with Steve Beckmen, winemaker for Beckmen Vineyards, and Bob Lindquist, winemaker for Qupé, totaling 22 cases (or 264 bottles) of wine. The winner will also receive a legendary lunch from the Au Bön Climat / Qupé kitchen and a Santa Maria-style feast at the famous Hitching Post II.
With attendees raising their auction paddles left and right, the bid escalated quickly, ending at a remarkable $20,000. At this point, both winemakers decided to double the auction item for a grand total of $40,000.
Other notable live auction items included a private party for 40 at Alma Rosa Winery and Industrial Eats, a 14 day luxury South African trip for two, a dinner party for 25 guests at Rancho La Cuna prepared by renowned Chef Michael Mina, and a two day trip to New York City to attend the 31st annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.