Grapes Escapes wine tasting and auction benefit Bost

 

story and photos by Brittany Ransom
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The ninth annual Grape Escapes was held Friday (March 11) at the Holiday Inn City Center in downtown Fort Smith. The event, which benefits Bost, featured more than 350 different wines from a number of vineyards and distributors. In addition to the large selection of wines, several area restaurants and caterers were on hand with hors d’oeuvres for guests to sample and enjoy.

New to this year’s event was the Wine Pull. For $25, guests could pull a numbered cork to match with a bottle to take home. Bottles of Joseph Phelps, Opus One and Dom Perignon were among the wines up for grabs.

Guests were treated to gourmet food and desserts from the nearly 20 restaurants and caterers at Grape Escapes. Wine distributors from both the area and from out-of-state were set up throughout the room for guests to taste their selections. A comprehensive wine list was provided in the event program to assist guests with sampling and purchasing.

Several big-ticket items were included in the live auction. Items ranged from a diamond pendant to a one week stay for four at Barefoot Beach resort in Indian Shores, Fla.

Sports enthusiasts were excited by the Dallas Cowboy Extravaganza that included two sky box tickets and two sideline passes for before and after the game.

Kent Jones, BOST executive director, acknowledged all of the hard work that goes into throwing such a large event.

“Without the volunteers, Grape Escapes would not be possible,” said Jones. “Every year this event just gets bigger and better and we are grateful to all those who help make it a success.”

Grape Escapes is the only fundraiser directly sponsored by the Bost Foundation.

This year’s special guest was Miss Arkansas Alyse Eady, who was also named first runner-up at the Miss America competition. Entertainment was provided by The Don Bailey Jazz Combo who played throughout the evening.

Bost is a non-profit organization that provides services to 700 individuals with mental, physical and developmental disabilities. It serves people of all ages. Its mission is to "empower people with disabilities, and their families, to achieve greater independence by providing lifelong choices, support and learning opportunities.