Alpha Omega Honors First Responders, Fire Victims and Napa Valley Community Foundation at Two Celebrations
RUTHERFORD, Calif. — July 30, 2018
Last fall, the fires came. This summer, Alpha Omega threw a party.
Not just any party. Two nights of music, big bottle pours, barefoot dancing on the grass, a 1929 fire truck dispensing cocktails in the vineyards and a Western-themed BBQ feast cooked by the Baggett Ranch BBQ Team. All of it to say thank you: to first responders, to fire victims, to the Napa Valley Community Foundation and to the Wine Club members and supporters whose generosity had made $100,000 in wildfire relief possible.
The Big Bottle Benefit BBQs took place on July 27 and July 28, 2018 at the Alpha Omega estate on the Rutherford Bench. And before the last dish was cleared, the Baggett Ranch BBQ Team was already packing their smokers to head to Redding.
How the Evening Came Together
The concept was simple. When the North Bay Fires erupted in October 2017, Alpha Omega Wine Club members and supporters flooded the winery with the same question: how can we help?
The Alpha Omega Foundation’s answer was to sell $500-per-person seats to two dinner events, with 100% of proceeds going to relief. The winery underwrote every dollar of expenses for both nights, meaning not one cent raised went to overhead.
By January 2018, the goal had been reached. The Foundation delivered $95,000 to the Napa Valley Community Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund and $5,000 to the Rutherford Volunteer Fire Department. The two benefit evenings in July were the fulfillment of that promise: a celebration of the people who made it happen and the community they rallied around.
Some guests purchased seats specifically for Alpha Omega to gift to others. That generosity allowed the winery to invite active and retired first responders, representatives from the NVCF and people whose homes had been destroyed in the fires.
The People in the Room
Among those who attended was Madonna Day, who lost her home of 48 years in the Tubbs Fire and has since become a client of UpValley Family Centers, one of the nonprofits supported by the NVCF. She came with her daughter, Marie-Louise Clark.
“The event was a much-needed break for my mom from the reality and tragedy of what happened. She was able to get out and enjoy herself, dance and smile in beautiful Napa Valley, which she loves so much. The generosity of the winery family and staff as well as the attendees who came from far and wide to donate money was inspiring. The people at my table were listening to every word from my mother. I was inspired by Michelle’s speech, which kept mentioning her commitment to family at the winery.”
— Marie-Louise Clark, daughter of fire survivor Madonna Day
An Alpha Omega employee and his photographer wife, whose Atlas Peak home burned completely, also attended the first evening. She was among the artists invited to bring pieces of her work to display across both benefit nights.
Artists Kathy Tranmer and Edmund Grant, both former participants in Alpha Omega’s artist-in-residence program whose works had hung in the winery’s private tasting rooms, also lost their Atlas Peak homes and most of their art in the fires. Both showcased new work across both benefit evenings and again on Sunday when the winery hosted the Festival Napa Valley season finale luncheon.
“It’s wonderful that the Baggetts honored the first responders and that they have such generous people in their Wine Club. It was a healing process to show again at Alpha Omega. The comments were positive, and the people were kind. Most of these pieces I have painted since the fire. It has been therapeutic and really fun.”
— Kathy Tranmer, artist, whose 200 original acrylic paintings were lost in the fire
“I really appreciate that Michelle invited me here to show some of the art that I still have. Everybody has responded very, very positively to my art. It has been a nice experience. I had sales for myself and my wife. That is phenomenal.”
— Edmund Grant, artist, who lost $2.8 million worth of art in the fire
The Menu, the Music and the Moment
Both evenings carried the spirit of the Western theme from the moment guests arrived. Cocktails were dispensed from a 1929 fire truck parked in the vineyards. A quartet donated by Festival Napa Valley’s Blackburn Music Academy performed as a surprise. Guests danced barefoot on the grass to live country music by Jeff Rickets and the Ole Dirt Road Band.
The menu was a feast. The Baggett Ranch BBQ Team prepared smoked whole hog, BBQ quail and smoked prime beef short ribs. Chef Elaine Bell contributed seared salmon, whole roasted parsnips, black eye pea and cucumber salad, roasted beet salad and jalapeno cornbread with honey butter. Dessert included strawberry shortcake, mini pear tarts, Cabernet-injected truffles and a macaroon selection.
The wines poured from big bottles included:
- Alpha Omega Chardonnay Reserve Napa Valley 2013
- Alpha Omega Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2014
- Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
- Alpha Omega ERA Napa Valley 2014
“God provided us a vessel to be able to contribute $100,000 to our community during a time of need. What a beautiful celebration we had at Alpha Omega for two nights. Our hearts are as full as the two beautiful full moons we experienced during two heartfelt evenings honoring the charitable fans of Napa Valley and Alpha Omega, our first responders, those who bravely endured the loss of their homes and the organizations put in place to support those affected by those tragic wildfires.”
— Michelle Baggett, Executive Director, Alpha Omega Foundation and Co-Vintner, Alpha Omega
“These two nights were a very special time for all. There was great music, food and wine and warm feelings of sincerity. This was a wonderful way to have fun and give a genuine thank you to our first responders and Alpha Omega supporters.”
— Robin Baggett, Co-Vintner, Alpha Omega
The Community That Made It Possible
Alpha Omega underwrote 100% of the expenses for both benefit evenings. The events were deliberately scheduled the two nights before the Festival Napa Valley season finale luncheon on July 29, allowing the winery to share rentals across three days and keep costs down. Robin Baggett serves as a Festival Napa Valley board member.
Several Napa Valley businesses stepped up to support the events by donating or discounting their goods and services, including Rion Designs, Encore Events Rentals, Festival Napa Valley’s Blackburn Music Academy, Nimbus Arts in St. Helena, Napa Valley Cocktail Company and Charlie Crebs of Napa Palisades Saloon.
“We are grateful to the Napa Valley businesses that supported us by donating or discounting their goods and services, which helped us put on these two amazing events to the high level we envisioned last fall. We also cannot thank our staff enough for their dedication and stamina for three consecutive days of major events.”
— Michelle Baggett, Co-Vintner, Alpha Omega
Already Heading to Redding
The ink was barely dry on the benefit evenings when another call came in. Operation BBQ Relief, the 501(c)(3) disaster relief organization that Alpha Omega had partnered with during the North Bay Fires to prepare 33,000 meals for evacuees and emergency personnel, reached out again. The Carr Fire was burning in Redding.
The Baggett Ranch BBQ Team loaded two rotisserie smokers, each capable of cooking approximately one ton of protein at a time, and headed north to prepare 5,000 meals per day for those affected. Robin Baggett was expected to join the team on August 1.
“What is going on in Redding is really terrible. We are glad to help by donating our manpower and smokers once again. It is a little uncanny that our guys are headed to Redding right after they cooked for our celebrations honoring first responders, fire victims and the Napa Valley Community Foundation and then Festival Napa Valley.”
— Robin Baggett, Co-Vintner, Alpha Omega
About Alpha Omega
Founded in 2006 by Robin and Michelle Baggett, Alpha Omega began as a direct-to-consumer pioneer and now sells 95% of its wine through this channel. Located on Highway 29 in the legendary Rutherford Bench of Napa Valley, Alpha Omega produces world-class, Bordeaux-style, handcrafted wines made with grapes from prized, historic vineyards. Winemaker Jean Hoefliger and consulting winemaker Michel Rolland craft each vintage with meticulous care.
With its landmark fountains, tranquil pond and stunning views of the Mayacamas Mountains and vineyards, the winery exudes a sense of place and offers hospitality reflective of the farming community. Alpha Omega’s land and winery are Napa Green certified.
