Before the dinner, I chatted with Mr.
Warwick about the event. The winery was last seen by TV audiences in a 2006 reality series “Corkscrewed: The Wrath of Grapes,†which the partners made about their foibles and missteps in their early days in the field. Since then, Warwick says, the VSJ has turned around and is on the verge of actual broad success, thanks to the guidance of Adam LaZarre, the very savvy winemaker who has taken over the management. At the tables, over a first course of beet salad, the wines began to flow. An early consensus seemed to form around our table that Sauvignon Blanc was a true hit, with the Petite Syrah receiving a very strong advance buzz. Asked how he thought VSJ was coming along, Lythgoe replied, “We are going to be the Susan Boyle of wineries. We’re going to get up there and everyone will say, ‘There’s no way those guys can make a decent wine.’ And we’re going to blow them all away.†As the Steak Florentine passed through, followed by tiramisu, the charity auction began, benefiting the local Hearst Cancer Center. Bidding was brisk for the Hyundai-sized bottles of wine. However, the action really heated up when the inevitable “SYTYCD” and “Idol” finale tickets went on the block, with the latter fetching something upwards of $13,000 for a pair of seats. 
 The most animated bidding of all probably came with the surprise auction of one day of services from Warwick’s assistant, Camilla, – a genuine Hollywood assistant, with a recent culinary degree, it was noted. The personal charisma of the modelesque assistant in question was also put forward as an added incentive and that perhaps more than the ability to organize one’s Rolodex seemed to motivate much of the bidding. However, with four days left before a new American Idol is crowned, Warwick apparently thought better of letting his assistant out of his sight and in the end, outbid all comers, ensuring as the crowd began to disperse and Warwick prepared for the long night drive back to L.A. In a very few days hence, the show would go on. — Richard Rushfield (Photos and video: Richard Rushfield TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c630a53ef01156f987632970c Listed below are links to weblogs that reference :
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