Jazzy Winter Wine set for Saturday

A gala for Carson City artists and patrons of the local arts scene Saturday will bring together wine, art, music and the culture vultures who enjoy all three.

Winter Wine & All That Jazz, a fundraising event for the Brewery Arts Center, will include music by the Millennium Bugs featuring Sherre Carnes, plus dancing, liquid fare from more than 20 wineries, hors d’oeuvres and additional diversions, according to John Shelton, BAC executive director. The event is at the Carson Nugget Ballroom from 7-10 p.m.

“Winter Wine & All That Jazz is also a local social event of significance,” Shelton said, “offering up to 500 patrons the opportunity to taste and judge some of the finest wines from throughout the region.”

The wineries will provide more than 40 wines for tasting as one of the evening’s highlights, and the BAC intends for the gala to become a regional draw as years go by.

“Over time,” said Shelton, “the BAC expects the event to be a threshold activity intended to support local tourism and stimulate ongoing relationships with area wineries, both in Nevada and just over the hill in northern California.”

Organizers are pairing the lure of wine tasting and finger-food with art offerings as well. There will be a live art demonstration, the sale of art works produced by local and area artisans, as well as raffle drawings and silent auction items galore.

“Artists help us see and feel the world,” said Chris Bayer, a performance artist known for his work in the duo C.W. and Mr. Spoons, as well as his own Americana musical research and performance efforts. A point man for the BAC and this event, Bayer urged enjoying the evening with other arts aficionados at Winter Wine while giving back to an organization for the artists who sharpen imaginations and enhance the environment.

“When we support the arts center, we provide a focus for those efforts,” he said.

Tickets for the evening cost $30 and are available at breweryarts.org or by calling (775) 883-1976.

“Winter Wine & All That Jazz is an important fundraiser for the BAC and the BAC Foundation,” Shelton said. He said it not only raises money for the foundation to support long term financial stability at the center, it also raises visibility for the arts and BAC in the wider community.