NAPA VALLEY VINTNERS AUCTION SET FOR JUNE.

Byline: LARRY LIPSON

The Napa Valley Vintners, a wine industry trade organization, has announced June 1-4 as the dates for its renowned annual wine auction event.

Tickets go on sale March 15, available through online purchase at www.napavintners.com. At the same time, the complete 2006 schedule will be available online. And, for the first time, a la carte packages will be sold.

This year's charitable auction will be chaired by Cakebread Cellars owners Jack and Dolores Cakebread. This is the 26th such event held by the seven-decade-old vintners group, which represents 270 Napa Valley wineries.

Now known as Auction Napa Valley, the fund-raising event has garnered more than $60 million in the past 25 years for distribution to Napa-area social service and healthcare organizations.

It will begin June 1 with private evening events hosted by select wineries.

On June 2, a festival auction featuring barrel and e-auctions will precede more private evening winery events.

June 3 is the main event day, starting with morning happenings of cooking demonstrations and wine tastings at Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts. This precedes a preauction reception, the live auction and the evening ``party'' at the Meadowood Resort.

On June 4, numerous Napa Valley wineries will hold open houses.

And this year, e-auction viewing and prebidding online from anywhere in the world begins on May 19.

Additional information: www.napavintners.com.

MEXICO WINE WEEKEND: For Southern Californians, short trips to the wine country are becoming more and more varied.

The growing wine-producing region of Baja, Mexico, provides a number of new wine discoveries along with several well-established vineyards and wineries in the region.

Wine broadcaster Stacie Hunt and architect Tash Rahbar are guiding a luxury bus tour from Beverly Hills to Guadalupe, Mexico, leaving 9 p.m. March 17 and returning late on March 19.

The four-hour trip begins at Maple Drive restaurant. There will be movies and wine on the trip.

Cost is $750 per person, $1,400 for double occupancy.

For complete itinerary information and reservations, call [phone] or visit www.learnaboutwine.com.

FROM DOWN UNDER: New on America's wine merchants' shelves and restaurant wine lists is one of Australia's most distinguished labels, Houghton from Western Australia.

Founded in 1836, Houghton wines are imported by Canandaigua Wine Co. and are priced at $15 each for chardonnay, shiraz and blends of semillon-sauvignon blanc, chardonnay-verdelho and cabernet-shiraz-merlot. Information: www.cwine.com.

SIPS & NIBBLES: Wine Adventure, a serious wine magazine for women, has its lighter moments by way of a new column in its current issue. Penned by Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave, the column is titled The Sensual Side. Its initial topic: Wine as Foreplay. Subscription information (six issues for $30): [phone] or www.wamagazine.com. ... Attendees at 19 2006 Foreigner rock concerts here and abroad will be able to participate in preconcert wine tastings featuring the wines of Wente Vineyards. Information: www.wentevineyards.com/foreigner or [phone]. ... The DeLoach family has announced that its Hook & Ladder winery's new tasting room is now open at 2134 Olivet Road, Santa Rosa. Information: [phone]. ... And Sonoma's Mayo Family Winery has unveiled its second Reserve Room in Healdsburg at 340 Center St. (open Thursday through Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.) that presents a seven-course food and wine tasting for $20. Information: [phone]. ... Collectors looking for Dunn 2002 Howell Mountain cabernet sauvignon ($75), rated 91-93 points by Robert Parker, will find it at the Duke of Bourbon, 20908 Roscoe Blvd., Canoga Park. Information: [phone] or www.dukeofbourbon.com.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com