Wine and spirits at Rotary Club fundraiser

By Chris Treadway
West County Times

Article Launched: 10/27/2008 04:47:18 PM PDT

It's hard to say whether the spirits at a Halloween event at Richmond's very own castle this week will be limited to glasses of wine. It's a lot easier to say that the "Ghosts of Winehaven" fundraiser is a chance to get an intimate look at the rarely seen historic structures at Point Molate and relive their heyday.

Chief among them is the century-old Winehaven building, a brick edifice designed with castle features where the Rotary Club of Richmond will host a catered lunch, tours, a history presentation and a silent auction from noon to 3 p.m. Friday at what was once billed as "the world's largest winery."

The winery was built in 1908 and thrived until operations were curtailed with the enactment of Prohibition in 1919. Guests at Friday's event are encouraged to come in costume. They will be seated on the winery loading dock at a table set the way it was in a 1910 photo taken at the facility. Food and a special Witches Winehaven Brew will be by Marsha Tomassi of The Ultimate Inner Cook.

Winehaven has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places for 30 years.

"It's mostly been closed to the public since the Navy bought it in 1941," said Margaret Morkowski of Point Richmond, one of the organizers of the Rotary event.

The facility was used as a U.S. Navy fuel depot from 1941 to 1995, and the Rotary gala is supposed to be the last time the site is open and accessible to the public prior to

its future development.

The 412-acre facility managed to fit a lot of colorful history into its relatively brief run as a winery. That includes anecdotes about a former river ferry that served as a hotel for workers, visits by authors Jack London and Joaquin Miller and memories of fish left intoxicated when federal agents cut spigots of barrels and let wine drain into the Bay after Prohibition.

Proceeds from the gala will go toward the Richmond Rotary Peace Project, a six-month mentoring project sponsored by the club and Opportunity West intended to provide opportunities for young people in the city's impoverished Iron Triangle neighborhood.

The project is planning weekly programs at the Nevin Park community center, and will provide resources, classes and more. Rotary volunteers will plan field trips to look at local businesses, organize courses in money management, and assist with job search applications, according to the club. Learn more at www.richmondcarotary.org.

Reach Chris Treadway at 510-262-2784 or ctreadway@bayareanewsgroup.com.

If you go:
Ghosts of Winehaven, a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Richmond Peace Project, is noon to 3 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $35 each, and include lunch and wine tasting, tours of the winery and winemaster's cottage, a history presentation and silent wine auction. For tickets or details visit www.richmondcarotary.org or call Margaret Morkowski at 510-234-4219.