'A Time to Remember' features West Coast winemakers

Six winemakers will be represented at the Le Mars Wine and Roses event, "A Time to Remember," this Thursday evening at the Willow Creek Country Club in Le Mars.

"A Time to Remember" will benefit Alzheimer's Association programming in Plymouth County and features wine tasting with prestigious winemakers from across the United States.

Peter Prager, of Prager Winery & Port Works in the Napa Valley, returns for a fifth year to the Wine and Roses event. Prager, along with his brothers Jeff and John, helped his father Jim establish Prager Winery and Port Works in 1979. After seven years in the winery, Prager left to pursue a degree in enology at Fresno State University. He returned to the Napa Valley in 1992, slowly taking on more responsibilities and by 1995 had assumed winemaking duties.

With his experimentation with different styles and approaches to port productions, the Prager style has evolved into a world class fortified wine on par with ports produced anywhere in the world.

Michael Bonner, of Firesteed Cellars, is the company's hospitality/tasting room/wine club manager for one of the largest wine producers in Oregon. Firesteed has consistently received "Best Buy" ratings from wine reviewers and publications around the world. The company utilizes high quality varietals from Oregon's famed growing regions, becoming a leader in both quality and value.

Stillman Brown started his winemaking skills in 1984. He conceived and developed the Red Zeppelin brand for Syrah and other Rhone varietals in the 1990s, and then along with his new partners, started Red Zeppelin as an independent venture in 2003.

Guy Davis, of Davis Family Vineyards, has deep roots in wine, going back to his work in a French restaurant in Seattle. He worked as an assistant chef, but when the doors closed each night, he joined the chef and owner for nights of food, wine and conversation.

Using his degree in management and finance and love for wine, in 1988 he created an opportunity to work on some winery finance projects and moved to Sonoma County.

In 1995, Davis produced his first commercial vintage, 250 cases of old vine zinfandel from the Russian River Valley, and in 1997 crushed his first vintage under the Davis Family Vineyards label.

Kitri McGuire, of Sokol Blosser Winery, began her career in the hospitality industry at several family-owned restaurants. She followed her passion for wine, and worked with many small, family-owned wineries across the state at the acclaimed Portland Indie Wine Festival.

McGuire joined Sokol Blosser, one of Oregon's pioneering wineries and 100 percent owned and operated by the Sokol Blosser family, in 2005. She is active in all aspects of direct sales, advertising and promotion.

Fred Peterson is owner of Peterson Winery, which has produced wine in Dry Creek Valley for more than 20 years, and like most wineries in the Valley, produces Zinfandel as well as other wines.

Now Fred and his son, Jamie, are a winegrowing team, using zero manipulation, the most gentle, traditional winemaking practices possible to maximize the flavors, aromatics and texture of the wines.

Peterson also practices sustainable farming in all the vineyards.

This year's Le Mars Wine and Roses event, chaired by Danna Schuster, is the kickoff event to the three day Wine and Roses Festival, with other events to be held in Sioux City.

The social hour begins at 6 p.m., with dinner served at 7 p.m. The evening also features a comedian and both a live and silent auction

Silent auction items include bottles of wine from the guest winemakers, custom art work, room makeover advice, a wine basket and more.

Live auction items include: three Magnums of wine (Lecole 41), dinner for six by Mike and Patty Donlin, an Okoboji Get Away and more.

This year's honorary chairman and chairwoman are Jeff and Teresa Peters of Le Mars. The couple note their close association with the disease in the loss of Teresa's father from dementia.

They believe in the work of the Alzheimer's Association and its work in research.

Proceeds from the event will aid programs for those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia in Plymouth County. Those programs include: Senior Day Services, a dementia-friendly adult day program; coordinated care consultation for Siouxlanders with Alzheimer's and their caregivers; the 24-hour Helpline; in-home respite care; family and professional caregiver education; memory loss awareness groups; and wandering prevention and response through MedicAlert + Safe Return and Project Lifesaver.

For information tickets or to make a donation, contact Amy Renneke at 712-279-5802.