STORY& PHOTOS BYVINCENTANDRUNASSPECIALTOTHE U-T

In 2010, the San Diego Symphony held a fundraiserin PennyWing’s downtown penthouse. It featureda multicourse dinner, great wines skillfully pairedwith each course, and a performance by the late,great Marvin Hamlisch. They hoped to sell as many

as 80 tickets, but the response was overwhelming andthey had to cap attendance at 133.Fast-forward to 2013. Now an annual wine dinner and

auction, the popular event remains one of the hottesttickets in town— a perennial sellout. It was held recentlyat Donovan’s Prime Seafood in the Gaslamp Quarter (forthe third consecutive year). Benziger was the featuredwinery, and the experience began with their sauvignonblanc served with great hors d’oeuvres, including fresh-shucked oysters.Guests took their seats for dinner; a frisee salad with

Loch Duarte salmon— and a fine chardonnay— awaitedthem. San Diego Symphony CEOWard Gill thanked thefour co-chairs, Alexis and Ron Fowler and Sally andDan Shea. He said this has been an amazing year forthe symphony. After playing New York’s Carnegie Hallin October, the orchestra will leave for a “China Friend-ship Tour,” with performances in Yantai, Shanghai andBeijing.

Here at home, Symphony Hall will be renovated andmodernized. Through careful management, wise stew-ardship, fiscal responsibility and community support,the San Diego Symphony has shown a budget surplusfor 15 consecutive years while maintaining an incrediblelevel of artistic excellence. No other major orchestra inAmerica can claim such success.Chris Benziger was introduced and talked of his fam-

ily winery, where everything is biodynamically grown— “the Rolls-Royce of organic farming,” he called it. Hespoke of the “four fingerprints” of true biodynamic wines:the variety (type of grape), the vintage (the year grown,and its weather patterns), the place or “terroir” (theland, with its unique geology and climate) and—mostimportant — the passion of the people who made it.The fish course was a fabulous Chilean sea bass, ac-

companied by mushroom risotto and pinot noir. Tasty

braised short ribs were next, with celeriac purée and anexcellent cabernet sauvignon.After an eight-item live auction, a “surprise guest” was

announced. It was the evening’s featured entertainer,Kenny G, which surprised no one because the congenialmusician had been talking and taking photographs withnearly every guest during the evening. An avid golfer, heoffered to join a foursome for golf and lunch. Spirited bid-ding resulted, bringing the auction total to over $40,000.A video about the symphony’s education programs en-

couraged guests to make generous “pledge-a-note” dona-tions. U-T San Diego Publisher “Papa” DougManchesterled off with a $10,000 gift; others followed with smallerpledges, raising about $33,000.Before dessert (and port wine), Kenny G gave a private

concert for the event guests. Playing some of his mostpopular tunes on the alto sax, he strolled through thevenue, affording everyone an opportunity to see himperform close up. He frequently shook hands with guestsas he played, and sometimes held a pure, steady note forwhat seemed an impossibly long time. He later switchedto “the heavy armor” (his tenor sax) for more of his hits.Before his final song, he generously offered to do an

in-home performance if it would raise enough “to makea difference.” Clearly impressed, bidders quickly pooledtogether an amazing $60,000. Now, that should make adifference.

E14 U-T SAN DIEGO | SUNDAY • APRIL 21, 2013

STYLE+SOCIETY SUNDAY

SAN DIEGO SYMPHONYWINE DINNER

Twitter: @sdutnightday, @discoversd

Majororchestra,majorsuccessDan and Sally Shea (event co-chairs),Ward Gill (San Diego Symphony CEO), Courtney Gill, Alexis andRon Fowler (event co-chairs)

Bill andEvelyn Lamden (she’s symphony board chair),Megan Pogue,Allison Remple, MitchWoodbury (immediate past board chair)Wayne and Susan Ritter, Kathy Paulin, Julie andDr. Suman Sinha

Doug and Susan Lowrance, Hélène andGeorge Gould, Jan and Jim Fitzpatrick

Karin andMichael Vernazza, Rosalie Kostanzer andMike Keefe, Margaret andDr. Tony AcamporaTim andEllen Zinn, Kenny G, Geniya Derzhavina, “Papa” DougManchester