Happy holidays. For me, Falltacular has represented how to bring people together, to foster connectedness and relationship, and to activate a key belief that I (for you perhaps, too) have a duty to serve others. Let me unpack these briefly and then pass on the relevant info to get our 20th year launched.
We started this way back in 2005, but honestly the very early start is fuzzy. I do have a few photos of some bottles arrayed in a half-circle, lining my kitchen island—I think of this as the first year. We neither raised money that year, nor did the event have a name. As much as the event is now, back then it was a motivation of mine to rally people together, surrounded by an interest in wine, and just be together.
The following year is when we first charged for people to attend. My hunt was to use that money collected to buy bottles of Champagne and gift them to the handful of winemakers who contributed their wines to be tasted. And some of you remember this was the year that the event came under scrutiny for charging money, and the wineries received letters from the state of CA that their wines and our event was illegal. I just had no idea that we needed to license something like what we were trying to do. So, all the Champagne I had bought (we had collected about $1,000 from some of you who were to attend), I returned the Champagne, we donated the money. I’m fuzzy too but this may have been the year we moved the event for that year to another home (I’ll reserve the name of the homeowner, but the fiery personality that he is, probably doesn’t care I share it!) and we used all the donated wines there, with no money being charged nor collected. I may be wrong about the timing/details here—I’m damn near 60!
Once the sting of that cancellation wore off, we were fortunate to partner with John Holdredge, who was a winemaker/attorney up in Sonoma. He coached me about the law, how to license and work with the ABC, and we licensed the event for 2008. And with that licensing, we picked Laura’s House to be the charity that would receive all of the event’s revenue, which has continued for the past 15 years. I will always owe a debt of gratitude to John and his kindness for showing me the way forward—he is a part of the fabric of Falltacular that is woven deeply. We renew our event license each and every year, we maintain a transparent and open book about how we run the event, and license all of it.
We continued to grow the event, and in 2020, just a few weeks before the world changed, we had our biggest Falltacular yet. Nearly 200 people, raising close to $50,000 that day. In hindsight, the event was too large, and we learned that size mattered. We had become too large. Then COVID shut everything down. We waited 18 months to resume Falltacular, holding it actually in the Fall of 2021, late in October that year. We were small that day, about 80 people.
And then just six months later, to get the event back on schedule, we held it AGAIN, in February 2022. And since that time, we have run it every year. So many of you attended twice in six months, donated to the silent auction, and our winery partners donated just like you—twice in six months!
A lot has seemed to change since 2022. The event is now smaller, around 100-125 people, which seems to suit the house best and I generally think you like the event size now. Palates and the business have also changed, some of it of course is still changing. And so, we have just decided to organically change with it and feel gratitude that so many of you still attend—some of you for all 20 years. Many of you for 15 years, some for 10, and some of you new. We love of all of you and thank you, the list of names long, devoted, committed and invested in Falltacular.
Our winemakers have stayed with us, too. Some since 2005, each and every year. Brian Loring (LORING) and Ed Kurtzman (AUGUST WEST) are examples of this commitment since day one. Then Larry Schaffer (TERCERO) and Mike Officer (CARLISLE) joining the following year, followed by Kelly Peterson (SWITCHBACK RIDGE). So many to mention, forgive me as the list is long. All of this wine over the years has powered the event. All donated, all shipped at winery expense to the event. Amazing.
In summary, we have raised over $500,000 through the event since we licensed it back in 2008. And, this is rough math, drawn from my manual Excel file where it all lives, but so many other donations, tentacles of support and financial gifts to Laura’s House, the amount is probably closer to $700,000. All of it benefitting Lauras House (www.laurashouse.org), and their mission to provide safety, support and new start for individuals and families fleeing domestic violence. All of the lives we have helped change, together.
So, let’s celebrate our 20th year and do it again. Here are the brief launch details so you can get to work for me, for Laura’s House:
- · Saturday, February 21, 2026 @ Noon. My house.
- · Tickets are $125 each. Buy as many as you like. Use this link to pay. Simply select “Falltacular” in the ‘my donation is for*’ dropdown to buy your tickets. I would also ask you cover the small credit card fee that is tied to your purchase. You will see that option before you submit your payment.
- · FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE—let’s raise the stakes and keep the event infused with new people and wines. If we can attract 10 new people to the event, I will donate $500 to Laura’s House. And if we can find 5 new wineries to donate wine, I’ll do another $500. And I have a matching donor so everything I do is doubled. Finally, should we hit both goals, I will add yet another $500. So, let’s hit these goals and raise another $2,500 for Lauras House.
For now, that is it. More info to follow so stay tuned. And above all THANK YOU!
