Holiday Toy Drive Competition: Two Wine Regions Square Off

 Sonoma County wine regions compete in toy and coat drive this holiday season

Jordan and J wineries host competition between Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley wine regions to fill grape gondolas with donations

John Jordan, CEO of Jordan Vineyard & Winery, and Judy Jordan, Founder and President of J Vineyards & Winery, are inviting Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley wineries, respectively, to join them in a friendly head-to-head competition to see which wine region collects the most toys and coats for those in need, beginning today through December 14, 2012. Donations will be given to Toys for Tots for distribution.

The Alexander Valley grape gondola “sleigh” is stationed at Jordan and the Russian River Valley gondola at J; the challenge is to fill each of these multi-ton behemoths with the most donations. The winner will be determined by scale house weigh-in on Friday, December 14, at 2 p.m. All donations must be received by 12 p.m. on the 14^th. New, unwrapped toys and coats of any size are encouraged.

“We want local wineries to join together this season and take up the challenge of improving the lives of our more vulnerable fellow citizens,” said John Jordan, CEO of Jordan Vineyard & Winery, who created the John Jordan Foundation earlier this year. “My sister and I have set a fun goal for our respective appellations, and I’m looking forward to breaking last year’s record.”

“J Vineyards & Winery has a 25-year legacy of giving back to the community,” said Judy Jordan, Founder and President of J Vineyards & Winery. “I look forward to participating in this friendly charitable ‘competition’ with my brother. This is the perfect time for giving.”

Jordan Vineyard & Winery hosted its first gondola toy drive in 2011, pitting different departments within the company against one another. Nearly 1,000 pounds of toys were donated by Jordan employees and Jordan Estate Rewards members—the largest donation Toys for Tots received that year. Retired gondolas that were used to transport grapes to Jordan back in the 1980s have been repurposed by winery staff, transformed into sleighs with paint, pin stripes and other holiday decorations.

A winery toy drive delivery event, including scale house weigh-in and holiday toast, will be held on Friday, December 14, at 2 p.m. at Jordan Vineyard & Winery’s crushpad, 1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448. Locals are encouraged to attend and find out which wine region wins the challenge, bragging rights and an engraved plaque. Alexander Valley wineries with questions, please contact Lisa Mattson at Jordan: 707-431-5268 or by email. Russian River Valley wineries with questions, please contact Lindsey Auchter at J: 707-431-5482 or by email. We’ve also created a promotional flyer wineries can download in Word or PDF format for convenient distribution to their employees to help spread the word.

Toy and coat drop-off instructions:
November 26-December 13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations accepted on December 14 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. only.
ALEXANDER VALLEY:  Jordan Vineyard & Winery, 1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448 *
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY:  J Vineyards & Winery, 11447 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Toys and coats for kids ages infant to 16 are requested; must be new and unwrapped. Donations can be placed in the Toys for Tots donation boxes located in each winery’s retail/tasting area. Gondolas will be on display when weather permits. * Note: Jordan Vineyard & Winery will be closed on Sunday, December 2, Saturday, December 8, and Sunday, December 9.

Details about the December 14th weigh in event will be posted next week. Santa Rosa-based U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots will distribute toys and coats to needy children in Santa Rosa, Windsor, Healdsburg, Guerneville, Forestville, Sonoma, Rohnert Park and Petaluma the week of December 17^th.  Challenge updates and gondola photos will be posted regularly to the Jordan Winery Twitter and Facebook pages and the J Winery Twitter and Facebook pages.

About Jordan Vineyard & Winery
Jordan Vineyard & Winery lies tucked into the hills of Alexander Valley in Sonoma County, where the iconic Jordan chateau, inspired by the great estates of France, overlooks nearly 1,200 acres of rolling hills and vineyards with three-quarters of the land dedicated to natural habitat. Today, second-generation vintner John Jordan continues to build upon the legacy of his parents, preserving the timeless winemaking qualities of balance, elegance and food affinity. jordanwinery.com

About J Vineyards & Winery
J Vineyards & Winery is located at 11447 Old Redwood Highway south of Healdsburg. The winery focuses on Brut and Brut Rosé sparkling wines, as well as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay Estate varietal wines, produced from grapes farmed primarily within Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation. Founded by Judy Jordan in 1986, J Vineyards & Winery is an independently-owned Sonoma County wine producer and celebrated its 25th Harvest this year. The winery is Certified Sustainable through the California Sustainable Winegrowers Alliance. jwinery.com

About Toys for Tots
Christmas is a time of joy, happiness and goodwill. It is a time of giving and helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves, especially impoverished children. For more than half a century, one organization—the U.S Marine Corps—is the unchallenged leader in looking after America’s needy children at Christmas. Marine Corps Reserve Units throughout the nation conduct toy collection and distribution campaigns near their reserve centers each year. To expand the nationwide coverage of Toys for Tots, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation authorizes Marine Corps League Detachments, like #686 in Santa Rosa, to conduct a campaign in Sonoma County. In 2011, local Marine Corps League Detachment #686 collected enough toys for more than 7,000 children. For more information about the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program, visit toysfortots.org.