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Taste of Compassion

Animal Compassion Network’s Wine Tasting/Silent Auction

On November 2, the Animal Compassion Network (ACN) presented its 3^rd annual wine tasting and silent auction at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Center. The ACN is Western North Carolina’s largest non-profit, no-kill animal welfare organization, and the annual benefit auction attracts animal lovers of all kinds every year.

History

The first Taste of Compassion in November 2004 was held at the downtown restaurant Bistro 1896 and proceeds benefited Hurricane Frances flood victims that were rescued by the organization. The ACN rescued 80 cats and dogs from All Creatures Great and Small shelter in Hendersonville after it was flooded by rains from the hurricane.

Sponsors and donors

This year, Mutual Distributing provided the wine, several of Asheville’s Independent Restaurants (AIR) offered vegetarian hors d’oeuvres, and local gypsy jazz band one leg UP offered entertainment. The auction items were donated by local businesses and individuals throughout the Asheville area. Some of the sponsors and donors for this year’s event were:

• Mountain Xpress
• Earth Fare
• Dogs Deserve Better
• Meryl Meyer Pet Portraits
• Grove Park Inn
• Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.
• Asheville Haunted Ghost Tours
• Willow’s Dream
• Elizabeth McAfee

Getting there

The new Visitor’s Center was easy to find; the entrance was not. Just after 6 p.m. I found a close parking spot right across the street from what I thought was the main entrance, only to find that entrance locked. I could see people inside sipping wine, browsing the tables stacked with auction items, and looking a lot warmer than I was feeling. Bracing myself against the biting fall wind, I half-jogged to the back of the building, where there was also a large parking lot right in front of the main entrance.

I shrugged my jacket off in the lobby and hung it on the end of the coat rack. One volunteer took my ticket money, another put on my wristband, and yet another handed me a program, wine list and wine glass, like some sort of assembly line.

A taste of wine

The main area of the 4,000 square ft. visitor’s center is large, open and was nearly bursting at the seams with people. I quickly warmed up and made my way to the first of five wine tables. The first featured local Biltmore Estate wines, and I started off with the Brute bubbly. I paused for a moment to take in my surroundings and have a look at the papers that were shoved into my hand. The first was a list and order form of all of the wines offered. The brands of wine featured were:

• Biltmore Estate
• Quara
• ForestVille
• Jewel Winery
• Jacob’s Creek

The wines were all reasonably priced, ranging from $4.99 (all Forestville bottles) to $14.79 (Biltmore Estate’s Brut Sparkling), and 100% of proceeds from wine purchases went to the ACN.

A building transformed

The spacious building had a mezzanine style second floor, and from my spot downstairs, I could look up and see the auction tables set up along two of the walls upstairs. The balcony above me was just as crowded as the level I was on. Behind the large, marble-topped desk that reminded me of a hotel front desk were busy volunteers with nametags, taking wine orders and providing information. Proudly displayed on the wall behind the desk was the city’s motto: “Asheville, Any Way You Like It.”

Only hours ago, the visitor center employees were no doubt just as busy providing tourist information about attractions, historic sites, shopping and hotels. The large flat-screen television behind the desk, which earlier had probably been displaying slide shows of downtown, the Biltmore Estate and the vibrant colors of fall trees, was showing a pictures of dogs and cats who are in need of good homes.

Entertainment

Just to the left of the information desk, the five person gypsy jazz band one leg Up was playing . According to their Web site, the band “works within the gypsy jazz instrumentation and framework while bringing different styles of jazz, Latin, and original music into their identity. They perform through out the Southeast U.S. at festivals, concerts, clubs, dance events, and any place where the music lovers appreciate the sensual energy of a tight jazz ensemble. one leg Up, from Asheville, NC, plays a mixture of gypsy jazz, Latin, swing, modern jazz, and original compositions.”

Several computer kiosks are available in the lobby for visitors to use, but on this night all of the screens showed the ACN’s Web site, open to the page that lists the dogs and cats up for adoption. Dotted in seemingly random places on the walls throughout the building were pictures and biographies of some of the animals listed on the site.

Local taste

The animal-friendly gourmet vegetarian hors d’oerves were provided by restaurants that are members of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR). Some restaurants that donated food include:

• Earth Fare Market & Café
• Tomato Jam Café
• 28806 Deli
  
• Laughing Seed Café

I nibbled on a slice of tomato basil mozzarella gourmet pizza, but found it difficult to balance my wine glass, a plate of food, the program and the wine list. I noticed others were having the same problem on top of trying to socialize, but surprisingly, I didn’t see any spills or other accidents.

Auction items

I made my way upstairs to the auction tables. I wasn’t planning on bidding, but after the Brute and a glass of Old Vine Zinfandel from the Jewel Winery, I got into the spirit of generosity. I bid on the first item I saw, the description on the program was “Delight Your Dog Gift Basket.” The value was $30, minimum bid $15, and my bid was $25. I did not win that item. I bid on three other items before I headed downstairs. There were 105 items listed in the program ranging in value from $2.00 for several bumper stickers provided by LoveYourBuddy.com (my favorite is “Dog Only Nose”) up to $3,500.00 for a “New ShopSmith Mark V Table Saw” given by an anonymous donor. (The only anonymous donor)

Some other auction items included:

• Massages
• Haircuts
• Pet studio photography sessions
• Restaurants
• Yoga Classes
• Ghost tours
• Eyebrow waxes
• Permanent Cosmetics
• Private Chef Session
• Jewelery
• Gift baskets (for humans and pets)
• Clothing
• State park passes
• Theater tickets
• Artwork

End of the affair

At 7 p.m. the bidding closed, the music died and the food and wine were packed up. The crowd began to thin out, leaving only hopeful bidders. An ACN volunteer announced the winners at 7:20 p.m. and the room emptied at a steady pace as winners left with their loot. Out of the four bids I placed, I won one of them – an annual pass to the North Carolina Arboretum.

As I plunged into the chilly November air clutching my prize and the literature I’d collected throughout the night, Asheville’s motto came to mind. This event embodied the town’s motto with the variety of people, local music and food, and the generous support of so many local businesses and individuals. The evening was a reflection of the strong community-oriented mindset on which Asheville citizens thrive.

Week 12: Press Release>>