verde valley news – Vin de Filles, a 100% female wine produced from grape to bottle, once again exceeded expectations at the October event, raising $41,000 for the Verde Valley Conservancy.

“Vins de Filles is a unique project and event,” said VVS Executive Director Jesse Johnson. “It has been awe-inspiring to witness its growth and following, and we are so grateful to have been chosen to benefit from this labor of love.”

Vin de Filles, which means “girl’s wine” in French, is created by co-owner Gail Glomsky and assistant winemaker Bree Nation, as well as co-owners of The Art of Wine and Vino de Sedona. Produced by Lauren Maldonado at Page Springs Cellars.

Four years ago, three women joined forces because they wanted to not only make great wine, but also support women in their community in the process.

“I couldn’t do it on my own, so I turned to Bree and Lauren,” Glomski said, adding that they started brainstorming their goals and what they specifically wanted to do about them.

“Bree suggested we donate something to the community,” Gromski said. “When we started looking into organizations that support women, we heard a lot about Sanctuary through friends and guests, so we did our due diligence. It was a solid and easy decision.”

The results were amazing, with a total of $146,000 donated to VVS through event ticket sales, silent auctions, and of course, wine sales. The 2021 event raised $25,000 in prize money, $40,000 in prizes in 2022 and 2023, and this fall’s October 20-21 event set a record of $41,000.

Founded in 1994, VVS’ mission is to provide safety, services, and comfort to victims of domestic and sexual violence. The agency provides a 24/7 crisis hotline and pet-friendly emergency shelter, temporary housing, general legal advocacy, community-based advocacy, and youth violence prevention education to the Verde Valley community. Masu.

“Each year, we try to promote women in a male-dominated industry,” Glomsky said, pointing to the chefs, winemakers, beverage manufacturers and others who attend the annual Vin de Filles event. He said all of the participants were women.

“The purpose of this event is to highlight women in these industries, so the women featured each year are different. We’ve evolved from chefs to winemakers to vintners to mixologists,” Gromsky said. . “When these women come to an event, they get excited and spin off like Chef Eden.” [Archer] Specialty dishes will be added to her menu and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to VVS. ”

The October fundraiser featured Holly Skaggs, founder and CEO of Wild Tonic, during the reception, and Chef Eden, Cottonwood’s premier farm-to-table restaurant. Hors d’oeuvres were also presented by co-owners Eden Archer and Neeta Mittal. Co-owner of LXV Wine.

The entrée was created by Pillsbury Wine Company’s culinary architect Abby Rothwell and Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company’s brewer Lynn Berhite, and was created by Eden native mixologist Eli Lucido. I made a cocktail called “Wild West Sour.”

The main course was served by Mr. Archer, and the dessert was provided by Mahfam Moeeni-Alarcon, founder and co-owner of Mingle + Graze and Spin the Bottle Wine Shop.

“It’s a lot of work and it’s really stressful. But it’s really awe-inspiring to see how much support there is from the community and all the women coming together to make it happen. . That’s a far cry from the stress level we have right now,” Nation said. “Everyone is inspired.”

The $41,000 will go toward VVS’ capital campaign project focused on building a new centralized campus and family advocacy center at 221 S. Main St.

About
Verde Valley Sanctuary’s mission is to provide safety, services, and comfort to victims of domestic and sexual violence. The agency began in 1994 as a grassroots organization with a six-person rental modular home and now includes a 32-bed emergency shelter with transitional housing options, a general legal advocacy center, community-based advocacy support, and 24 It has grown into a 365-day support facility. We have a crisis hotline (928-634-2511) and staff who take pride in youth violence prevention education, public outreach and awareness. VVS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an Arizona tax-deductible charity. Federal Tax ID: #86-071314; QCO Code: #20041. For more information, visit VerdeValleySanctuary.org.