Jameson Humane Wineapawlooza fundraiser for June in Napa County

The cornerstone annual fundraiser for Jameson Humane, a no-kill animal shelter in Napa Valley, will return for its 11th year this summer.

Starting June 21 at 6 p.m., WineaPAWlooza is a two-day celebration of animals, wine and music that will raise up to $2.2 million for the nonprofit rescue effort. The highlight is a live wine auction, led by auctioneer Fritz Hatton.

The evening begins with an exclusive wine tasting at Burgess Cellars in Napa. Wines from Lawrence Wine Estates will be on display, including offerings from Heitz Cellar, Stony Hill, Burgess, Ink Grade and Haynes Vineyard.

“Part of the auction will be a 3-liter bottle of the ’92 vintage of Screaming Eagle,” said Jameson Humane co-founder and president Monica Stevens.

The next day, June 22, 55 Napa and Sonoma vintners will pour their finest wines during a grand tasting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena.

St. Helena’s Zakin Wines will be among the wineries in attendance. They lost beloved pets during the 2020 Glass Fire, says co-owner Jan Zakin.

“There were no human deaths, but so many pets and livestock were killed, including our beloved Vizsla, Zsa Zsa,” she said. “The work Jameson does in disaster preparedness is especially close to my heart.”

The evening’s entertainment begins at 7:30 p.m., with comedian Andrew Segal taking the stage. Napa rock band Polsrocket plays at 8 p.m

Wine Spectator magazine recognized WineaPAWlooza as one of the top 10 wine auctions in the country, making it a distinctive event in the wine world.

“The name Wine-a-PAW-looza comes from my Chicago roots of the Lollapalooza festival,” Stevens said.

Jameson Humane’s team projects will be sold out again this year. The infrastructure for WineaPAWlooza started over a decade ago.

Monica and her husband, David Stevens, who passed away in November, founded Jameson Humane in 2014 with a mission to improve animal welfare worldwide. Driven by the spirit of their beloved rescued dog, Jameson, the shelter focuses on collaboration and education to unleash positive change in animal welfare on a global scale.

The money raised through the event will enable Jameson to provide essential services such as the Community Animal Assistance Program, which provides subsidized medical care, food assistance, behavioral training and support to pet owners to ensure they can stay with their animals .

“This is about how Napa and Sonoma come together. This doesn’t just apply to animals; A big part of what we do is helping people solve problems for their animals. Humanity is in difficult economic times. The numbers are at an all-time high for the need,” Stevens said.

Last year the 10th anniversary of the event was a great success. The event, which accounts for the majority of Jameson Humane’s annual operating costs, generated $1.5 million. Approximately $250,000 of that was allocated to the Fund-A-Need initiative, supporting the Mobile Veterinary Unit program.

This program provides spay and neuter services, vaccines, microchipping and special surgeries to underserved communities, including low-income people, the elderly, the homeless and survivors of domestic violence.

Stevens, who expects about 300 people Friday night and about 400 Saturday, said WineaPAWlooza “wouldn’t be possible without the wine industry. The first people to show up when we started were customers from our former wine shop.”

“The wineries are coming out in June because we are providing a service that didn’t exist before Jameson,” she said. “This is a world-class destination and for that you need a world-class safety net. Without the wine industry, Jameson would probably not exist.”