'Tastes and Tunes' to benefit music education

'Ten Grands” Seattle, an annual concert to raise money for a foundation that funds music education for children, will present “Tastes and Tunes,” a release party to unveil limited edition wines to raise money for music education for children.

The wines may be sampled at a special “drop in” event on Sunday, Sept. 30 at Northwest Cellars Winery in Kirkland. The “open house” will be held from 2-5 p.m. The public is invited, but reservations are required no later than Sept. 28. Guests must be age 21 or older to taste the wines.

Along with tasting the “Ten Grands Private Reserve” wines, attendees will be treated to entertainment by three young musicians, and will have an opportunity to reserve tickets – with box office handling fees waived – for the 2013 concert, scheduled for May 11, 2013 at Benaroya Hall. A CD of the 2012 concert will be included with each case that is purchased.

The $20 admission fee for the Sept. 30 “release party” includes the wine tasting fee, light hors d’oeuvres and entertainment. The Northwest Cellars tasting rooms is at 11909 124th Ave. NE in the Totem Lake area of Kirkland.

The Ten Grands wines, made by Northwest Cellars, include a 2008 Merlot and a 2011 Adagio, a white blend.

Other selections from the winery will also be available for tasting. Forty percent of the sales of Ten Grands Private Reserve labeled wines will be donated to the Snowman Foundation for music education.

Entertainment will be provided by three talented young pianists who were among top winners in the “Ten Grands Young Artist” competitions, held annually in conjunction with the concert. They include brothers Alexander and Christopher Lu of Redmond and Carly Worden of Sammamish.

The Snowman Foundation, established in Portland, Ore. in 1999, was created in part as a response to budget cuts affecting K-12 and community-based music programs.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.