The art rooms and farm programs at all five Lake County high schools are in line for money from this year’s Lake County Wine Auction.
The Lake County Wine Alliance, the nonprofit that puts on the auction, said Wednesday it would hand out $200,000 that evening to more than 30 Lake County groups. The money was raised at the 25th anniversary auction, held Sept. 19 at Konocti Harbor Resort in Kelseyville.
That’s $30,000 more than last year. The alliance’s website says it distributed $170,000 in 2025.
Where the money goes
The alliance named the groups in a string of Instagram posts over the past month.
Schools lead the list. The fine arts and FFA programs at all five high schools are on it. FFA is a student agriculture group. So are the culinary programs at Clear Lake, Kelseyville and Lower Lake high schools and the Lake County Campus, along with Lake County 4-H.
Three food pantries are on the list: the First Lutheran Church Food Pantry, the Kelseyville Food Pantry and the United Christian Parish Food Pantry. The Clearlake Senior Center, Kelseyville Senior Center and Live Oak Senior Center are on the list, as is the Meals on Wheels program at the Lakeport Senior Center.
Two holiday programs, Operation Santa and Shop with a Cop, are getting money too.
The alliance grouped four more under emergency response, military support and human services. They’re the Northshore Fire Fund, Operation Tango Mike, Vision of Hope Village and People Services.
How a group gets on the list
The Wine Alliance formed in 2000. It calls itself the charitable arm of the Lake County wine industry. Its members are wineries, grape growers, vineyard owners and related businesses. A seven-member volunteer board runs it. Over the years, groups have received $3,183,752 from the auction, the website says.
The board looks for groups that work in health, education and the arts, with a focus on children and the elderly, the website says.
Groups apply through the alliance’s website, winealliance.org. Applications are due by May 1 of the year of the auction.
This year’s auction sold out. Lake County Tribal Health Consortium was the presenting sponsor. The alliance listed Sutter Health and Redwood Credit Union as its executive producer sponsors.
For last year’s awards, the board sent one-third of the money to the five high schools and the rest to other groups, the website says.
As of Thursday morning, the alliance’s website and Instagram posts didn’t say how much each group is getting this year.