The crowd around the tasting table at Paul Martin’s restaurant might have been any wine club or gathering of friends, but there was serious conversation along with the talk of appellations and bouquets.
“We’re concerned about the loss of funding for all the schools, particularly the enrichment resources, the kind of perceived extras that motivate kids to be interested in school,” explained Steven Miller. “Losing library staff and resources is just terrible.”
Unlike most people who complain about the way that the economy is affecting our schools, Miller is doing something about it. He and his wife Carrie are among the members of the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation Wine Advisory Board, and their enjoyable evening of wine and companionship was one of the run-up events to the big wine auction scheduled for this weekend. The crowd of local residents joked and compared vintages enthusiastically, but was more than a bit star-struck when a high-profile guest dropped in. Winemaker Michael Mondavi complimented the crowd on their activism, making comparisons to the famous charity wine auctions in Burgundy and Napa, before offering tastes of his just-released wines. The comparison was a compliment to MBEF’s event, which has become a regional event after only 15 years, compared with 150 years for France and 30 years for Northern California. Interviewed after his speech, Mondavi, who runs a charitable foundation with his wife when not making wine, was outspoken about the social as well as monetary value of local fundraising.
“The United States is unique – you go to Asia, to South America, to much of Europe, and they do not have the mindset of giving back to your own community. We are very fortunate that we have that, and it’s one of the things we should bring around the world. It’s not just a sense of, ‘what can the government do for me?’
He was specific that it isn’t just about giving money, but getting involved.
“More private philanthropy will be excellent as long as it’s not just give the money and get out of town. There has to be oversight, and people who are involved in the management, whether it be of a school, hospital, or whatever, have to be held accountable.”
Adam Goldston, the co-chair of this year’s event, echoed that sentiment and stressed that private efforts are pivotal. Asked whether MBEF and organizations like it can raise enough money to offset school budget cuts, he responded, “We need to – there is no question. We are faced with draconian and sudden budget cuts, and it is incumbent on us to make up the shortfall. You can’t run a school system when you don’t know how much you’re going to get from the state. You need to be able to forecast revenue, plan improvements over multiple years.”
How much will private donors be willing to fork over in a down year? Goldston, whose two children are in local primary schools, admitted that he has felt the pinch himself.
“I was laid off as an investment banker, and I’m now doing consulting work. I speak for myself when I say that I have cut my overall charitable giving this year, but not to MBEF. We have seen no drop in support. The event is sold out this year – 1,400 people at $175 each, plus over 60 corporate tables.”
Indeed, the trend has been positive, probably spurred by the dramatic headlines from Sacramento.
“The wine auction has seen a significant year-to-year increase; we raised just over $4 million for the schools over the last year. That’s the most we’ve ever raised, and in a down economy. The district’s budget is about 50 million, so we’re under 10 per cent of that budget, but it’s a significant amount.”
As fundraising methods go, it’s remarkably painless for all concerned. The event involves five hours of sampling food from 34 different restaurants, enjoying wines and other beverages from over 80 purveyors, and browsing silent auction offerings that include vacations, fine jewelry, and other luxury and practical items. And, as Goldston reminded me, there’s the main event.
“The real way that we make money is through the auction – that’s what’s unique about this event. People have donated at least $125,000 worth of wine, which is a pretty outstanding number. They have given true treasures, things that they’ve been saving for years. If the people who donated are like me, they’ve been dreaming of opening it for years, thinking about just what they’d do with it and wondering how it will taste, but they donated it to help the schools instead.”
A conversation with Gretchen Newman, one of the donors, reinforced this idea. The 10-year Manhattan Beach resident describes herself as “not a serious wine person,” though she mentioned that she was headed to Washington state the next day to do some wine tasting.
“We don’t even have kids, but we have an interest in wine and in the community. Someone invited us to one of these dinners about six years ago, and we started getting more involved. This year I’m actually co-chairing the restaurants for the auction. I’m donating a case of wine this year, and I’ve gotten to the point where I buy things to donate. I have about 500 bottles in my cellar at home, and I can’t drink them all.”
Some of the donation items are esoteric and rare wines that have been unavailable on the open market for years. Asked what he would take home if he had his choice of anything in the auction, Goldston answered instantly.
“The John Oshiro Emeritus lot included a bottle of the 1990 La Tache Grand Cru, the best wine of the best year in recent memory. The high bidder on that item will have a real prize.”
They will – the La Tache ‘90 is rated 100 of a possible 100 by Robert Parker of Wine Spectator, who noted that it should improve with age. Those who depend on the Manhattan Beach schools for the education of their children, and for their own employment, can only hope that MBEF’s fund raising efforts excel as reliably. ER