SENIORS TO BENEFIT FROM WINE EVENTS FESTIVAL, TOUR, AUCTION ARE PLANNED.

Byline: Daily News

SANTA CLARITA - Wine lovers can immerse themselves in the fruit of the vine this month with a wine country tour sponsored by college library supporters, a spirited annual auction benefiting area seniors and a new wine festival that organizers hope will put Santa Clarita on every oenophile's annual itinerary.

Fans of the movie ``Sideways'' will be able to visit and sample from some of the Santa Barbara County wineries featured in the movie during an Oct. 8 fundraiser for the College of the Canyons Library Associates.

The tour includes motor coach transportation, breakfast, wine tastings, a picnic lunch at a winery, snacks and an educational presentation during the trip up the California coastline to maximize the wine experience. The coach will leave the college at 7:30 a.m. and return at 6:30 p.m.

Selections on the tour include bottles from Kalyra, Fess Parker and Curtis wineries. Tickets are $85 for library associate members and $110 for nonmembers and can be purchased by calling [phone]. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Loose Goose Wine Festival, Oct. 13-16, is a first-time event that starts with trade tasting for professional wine buyers and wine-pairing dinners on Oct. 13, the Golden Goose Gala at a secret location Oct. 14 and the main festival at Bridgeport Park from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 15 and 16.

More than 100 vineyards will be featured, all selected by festival founder Peter Goossens.

``This is a very ambitious project,'' Goossens said. ``We're hoping to create Southern California's largest wine festival. When I was growing up, I was surrounded by wine and gourmet food. Wine was so much more than something that had a wonderful bouquet.

``There were always stories, like the chardonnay that they found in Italy when they visited a farm or something they drank with new friends they'd made. Wine isn't just fermented grape juice. We've forgotten about the romance and the story behind it. I want to bring that back.''

Planning for the festival started just over a year ago, when Goossens, a native of Belgium, thought a European-flavored, post-harvest celebration might bring wine aficionados to Santa Clarita and boost tourism dollars.

``This is the kind of thing parks are made for,'' city spokeswoman Gail Ortiz said. ``It's good for tourism and good for the community. We're very supportive of this event.''

The festival will pay the city up to $10,000 for use of the park, half of which - including the children's play area - will remain open to the public.

Tickets for the wine-pairing dinners are $95 per person; tickets for the Golden Goose Gala are $250 per person (location will be revealed to ticket holders the day of the event) and weekend festival tickets are $85 for a one-day pass; two-day passes are $99. The Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital Foundation will receive $10 from every ticket sold. A portion of the proceeds also will benefit the Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund.

Reservations and purchases can be made online by visiting www.loosegoosewinefestival.com; additional information about participating wineries is also available on the Web site. All those who attend must be 21 or over.

Those raising their glasses Oct. 15 at Le Chene French Cuisine restaurant in Agua Dulce will help ensure seniors and the homebound have a regular, healthful meal. The 14th annual Classic Wine Benefit Auction for the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proceeds support the center's home-delivered meals program that feeds more than 300 clients a hot midday meal five days a week.

``The home-delivered meal program has turned into an expensive process,'' said Duane Harte, auction co-chairman. ``It doesn't receive enough funding from the government and not everyone can afford to make a donation. The important thing is that even if they can't pay, we still bring them their meals.''

The event includes wine and cheese tastings as well as a gourmet buffet. Auctioneers Greg Lawler and Juan Alonso will work the crowds to get high bids on a variety of items, including dinner for 20 provided by a local caterer, golf and vacation packages, cabins at Mammoth Lakes and Big Bear, and several lots of one-of-a-kind collectibles from Warner Bros. movies, including rare porcelains from classic films ``Gone With the Wind'' and ``The Wizard of Oz.''

In addition to the special packages and collectibles, a large variety of wines will be auctioned so discerning aficionados can add to their cellars.

``There are thousands of events that support the kids in this community, which I wholeheartedly support,'' Harte said. ``But there are very few events that support our seniors, many of who are living on a fixed income or no income. Many of them are confined to their homes and we need to provide them a dignified way of living.

``How many of us will be in that situation in 10 or 20 years? We need to make sure seniors are taken care of, too.''

The senior center provides a variety of services to more than 35,000 seniors and others. Tickets for the wine auction are $60 per person and can be purchased by calling the center at [phone].

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com