TumTum Tree Foundation wine tasting, auction set at B&A Warehouse

Ann and Dick are the honorary chairpersons of the event benefiting children's charities. Other winemakers and vineyard owners coming include Peter Thompson of Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards, Madaiah Revana of Revana Family Vineyards, Margie and Kerry Murphy of DuMOL, Shari and Garen Staglin of Staglin Family Vineyards and Anne and Chuck McMinn of Vineyard 29.

Qualifying both as California vineyard partners in DuMOL and Birmingham wine collectors are Susan and Tom Curtin, who have long been involved in staging the benefit.

More than 150 lots of wine will be offered in the silent auction. A 1995 Pahlmeyer Merlot will likely draw spirited bidding, all to benefit area children's charities. The auction also includes artwork, such as a custom wine bottle painting by Joy Varnell.

TumTum Tree Foundation board members planning the heady evening include Denise Brown, Ernie Cory, Tim Downard, Stephen R. Hunt Jr., Ben Johnson, Stewart Lee, Ryan Lutz, Tom Miller, Greg Neil, Gene Price, Kaye McWane-Rosse, Brandon Smith and Kelly Logan. Others helping plan the event include Pam Jones of Magic Moments, Lou Lacey of Children's Hospital, Karen Peterlin and Brett Evans of Kid One Transport, Sharon Lewis and Wanda Borders of Sickle Cell Foundation of Alabama, Nancy Meisler and Sandy Naramore of Mitchell's Place, Emily Hornak of the Hematology-Oncology Fellowship, Coke Mathews of Children's Hospital Foundation and Lynn Thompson of Camp Smile-a-Mile. Tickets are $75 in advance and $100 at the door. Call 243-9326 or visit www.tumtumtreefoundation.org.

SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER AND ECOSCAPES

The event: EcoFest 11 on Oct. 8 at WorkPlay.

The scene: Tables in the sound stage room were covered with white cloths and decorated with orchids. Some tables had gifts of energy-saving bulbs and reusable cloth carrying bags.

Whole Foods served Tuscan fare - a spicy penne pasta dish, Artisan breads with a variety of dipping oils, and antipasto platters featuring grilled vegetables and Italian and Greek olives. The finale was tiramasu, Italian chocolates and coffee.

Guests enjoyed cocktails, organic wines and Alabama brews while perusing silent auction tables. The wit of Alan Hunter and Rick Journey made an entertaining live auction that also featured a video show of the live auction items. High bidder for the Gulf Creek Canyon Preserve stay was David Carpenter; for the Kings of Leon concert, with an overnight stay at the historic Tutwiler Hotel, Lorin Etka-Shepherd; private well house Chris Hastings' dinner for 12 at SpringHouse restaurant overlooking Lake Martin, Lisa Mead; Blue Mountain beach trip, Ray Browne; downtown loft reception, Mike and Lisa Watkins, to name a few.

Spotted: Sperry Snow, Tommy Williams, David Pollick and Karen Bentley Pollick, Gerda Carmichael, Jeremy Erdreich, Cameron Vowell, Dell and Dixon Brooke, Lydia Wilbanks, Sally and Ralph Yeilding, Fred Keith, Mike Fleenor, Bishop Heron Johnson and Richard Stockham. Also spotted in the crowd were Penny Whiteside, Sarah Whiteside, Julie and Todd Keith, Greg Bass, Lou Lacey, Wendy Watts, Fran Griffin, Susan Colvin, Louis Montgomery, Elaine Witt, Ed Brand, Southern Environmental Center director Roald Hazelhoff and many more. Ecofest benefits the Southern Environmental Center and EcoScape located on the Birmingham-Southern College campus and also community Ecoscapes.

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