Countdown to SV Art and Wine begins with Taste of Scotts Valley

The annual Scotts Valley Art and Wine Festival, hosted by the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Scotts Valley Arts Commission, is set to descend upon Skypark the weekend of Aug. 9 and 10.
Now entering its 15^th year, the event will feature tastings by 13 wineries, several breweries, as well as more than 100 artist booths, said Nicole Pini DeLauder, executive director of the Chamber.
Santa Cruz-based glass artist Chris Johnson of Chris Johnson Glass is this year’s featured artist, Pini DeLauder said.
“I’m really going with what’s been done,” said Pini DeLauder of her first year organizing the event. “I’ve been careful to take feedback from the (event planning) committee and from the community.”
To kick off the countdown toward the festival, the Chamber hosted a preview of sorts on Thursday at the Scotts Valley Hilton.
Known as the “Taste of Scotts Valley,” the preview was an evening of wine tastings and appetizers designed to raise funds to better advertise the impending festival – with the community as well as with potential sponsors.
“My goal was to make this event bigger and better so we can put that money into advertising,” Pini DeLauder said. “We love that we have so many giving sponsors in the area.”
According to Pini DeLauder, funds raised at the festival go directly toward providing funding for the Chamber’s various events, guest speakers, and business seminars that it hosts throughout the year.
“We have a very active Chamber of Commerce,” she said. “The Art and Wine Festival helps us put on a lot of that.”
For more information about the Scotts Valley Art and Wine Festival, visit http://www.scottsvalleychamber.com