More than 850 Paso Robles zinfandel enthusiasts celebrated the area/s heritage varietal grape March 17 at the 15th annual Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival marquee event at the Paso Robles Events Center.

The event included a live auction and a Grand Tasting with a silent auction where 45 area wineries showcased zinfandels and zinfandel blends exclusively.

The auctions raised more than ,75,000, a portion of which will be given to support health care, health education and general education for vineyard workers and their families, said a festival spokesman.

The festival, which included three days of activities at more than 90 wineries throughout Paso Robles Wine Country in addition to the marquee event, was created to recognize zinfandel, the first varietal to bring acclaim to the Paso Robles region, the spokesman said.

This year marked the second annual sellout for the festival.

&#8220This year we sold out in advance of the doors opening,C said Stacie Jacob, executive director for the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. &#8220This is proof positive that we have some very dedicated wine enthusiasts that enjoy coming to our events.C

She attributed the increased consumer awareness to the consistent marketing and public-relations efforts of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance as well as wineries/ independent marketing efforts.

Paso Robles is the third-largest and fastest-growing wine region in California, with more than 170 bonded wineries and 26,000 vineyard acres, she said.

Top auction lots included a winter ski-and-dine getaway to Mammoth Mountain, dining events at Villa Creek and McPhee/s Grill, and the festival artwork, a 42-inch-square oil painting by Lisa Roche titled &#8220Jammy.C

Auctioneers opened the auction with a game of heads or tails, in which the winner walked away with a large-format bottle of the 2007 commemorative Zinfandel Festival blend.

Joe Barton, wine maker at Grey Wolf Cellars, served as blend master for the Zinfandel Festival blend, for which 40 producers provided juice.

The wine will again be up for bid as part of vertical packages during future Zinfandel Festivals, held the third weekend in March each year.

The next event slated for Paso Robles Wine Country is the 25th annual Paso Robles Wine Festival, one of the largest outdoor wine tastings in California, set for 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at the downtown Paso Robles City Park.

The festival is surrounded by three days of activities at more than 90 Paso Robles wineries every third weekend of May.

For tickets and more information, visit www.pasowine.com or call toll-free (800) 549-9463.

March 31, 2007