Tasting is believing

WUFT’s Celebration of Wine raises funds, spirits

By Nicole Cisneros

Got wine? Public radio does.

To buy programming, the College’s two public radio stations, WUFT-FM and WJUF-FM, recently served 278 varieties during the 15th annual Celebration of Wine.

Five hundred old and young tasters – though not younger than 21 – sampled more than 1,100 wine bottles at 35 Reitz Union ballroom tasting tables.

Man does not live on wine alone. The Wine and Cheese Gallery provided crackers, cheese and fruit, and Mildred’s Big City Food donated bite-sized desserts, not to mention an edible 2-foot-tall pirate ship and an edible 2-foot-tall treasure chest.

But no cracker can steal the limelight from the event’s star – wine. Lots of wine.

Brian Schneider, 25, said the variety helps him get a feel for his likes and dislikes.

As the afternoon passes, the event gets more crowded, noted Schneider, who has been attending for three years.

Like the crowd, the success has grown over the years. Profit doubled from the fifth to the 10th year – from $14,856 to $29,689.

This year’s final figures aren’t in yet, but profit is estimated at $23,000.

The stations’ annual budget this fiscal year is $1.6 million. Last fiscal year, the stations raised $500,000 through membership contributions, on-air fund drives and underwriting, according to LaWanna Reaves, director of finance and administration for WUFT.

The Celebration of Wine’s live auction helps boost revenue. It raised $14,546 this year. The largest item – a two-day trip package to the El Monte Sagrado Resort in New Mexico – fetched $3,000.

Jon and Louise Anderson of Gainesville love this part of the event.  

“We have been coming for eight or 10 years,” Louise said. “It’s gotten bigger in the sense that the live auction has gotten so fun.”

Louise really gets into it, Jon noted. “She says, ‘Look we won,’ and I say, ‘No, we just paid more than anyone else.’ ”

The wine selection also improved this year, Jon said. “The best thing about the event is that anyone can learn about wine without the waiter hovering over you. Though, the most important thing to remember is that friends don’t let friends drink white zinfandel.”