Aggie football wine tasting and auction scheduled for San Francisco this Saturday

Limited tickets are still available for wine tasting, while silent auction is currently open online to all bidders

In this Town of Good Causes, I’ve attended many wine tastings and auctions over the years, but I’ve never seen one quite like this.

I’m talking about an event that combines wine tasting from a wide variety of winemakers who learned their craft at UC Davis with both a silent and live auction, all to benefit the UC Davis football program.

The wine tasting and live auction, titled “Raise a Glass, Raise Support,” will take place beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at Local Edition, a popular newspaper-themed bar at 691 Market Street in San Francisco.

According to the press release from Aggie Central, you are invited to “Join us for an unforgettable night with head football coach Tim Plough, UC Davis legends and exclusive alumni wineries as we honor the tradition, momentum and future of UC Davis football.”

Let’s just say that the future is bright, given that Plough just signed a five-year contract extension after bringing in perhaps the best recruiting class in school history.

While everyone is invited - there are a few spots remaining - according to Plough, “We’re trying to reach out to our alumni in the Bay Area with this event, with a gathering in their area and some tremendous auction items.”

Whoever put this event together deserves an A+.

The auction items, many of them Aggie-themed, are at once creative, fun, interesting and nothing short of spectacular.

You don’t have to attend to participate in either auction.

Bidding recently opened on the silent auction and will remain open through 8 p.m. on Saturday. And yes, you can bid online for the silent auction and submit a proxy bid for the live auction by contacting Josh Flushman at jeflushman@ucdavis.edu.

For the silent auction, you will find “Value,” “Starting Bid” and “Current Bid” listed with each item.

For those who are impatient, nervous that they will ultimately be outbid at the last minute or just plain greedy, there is a “Buy Now” option as well.

And for those Aggies who graduated summa cum magnum, rest assured some of the highly treasured wines going to the highest bidder will come in very large bottles.

While fine wine is clearly the star of the show, there is much, much more available for your hard-earned dollars.

For instance, how about a Lan Larison autographed UC Davis helmet?

Don’t know who Lan Larison is? Man, you are at the wrong auction.

How about suite tickets to the Sharks? Or a signed and framed Steph Curry Golden State jersey?

There’s also a fun-packed and action-packed “Afternoon at the UC Davis Firehouse” for up to 15 kids, including lunch (presumably peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.)

Among the nearly 50 silent auction items up for bid is a Calistoga-Rutherford wine tasting package in the heart of the Napa Valley.

Also available is a round of golf at El Macero with Coach Plough himself, but be forewarned, he’s a competitor and he likes to win.

Among the many wineries that will either be present at Local Edition or have silent auction offerings - or both - are Miner Family Winery, Séka Hills, Schweiger, Venge, Matchbook, Shadybrook, Del Dotto, Schug, Flying Goat, Fontanella, Beaulieu, EPOCH Estate, the Wine Foundry, Justin Vineyards, Silver Oak and Davis’ own Great Bear.

The live auction features an intriguing package where you will travel to San Diego with the team, leaving on Friday, Sept. 4 for a Saturday game against University of San Diego.

You will stay in the team hotel, eat all meals with the team, attend Friday night team meetings and enjoy the game with the best seat in the house - the Aggie sideline.

I told you there were some unique and interesting items up for bid.

In addition, on Saturday morning you will play a round of golf at the Crosby Club with former UC Davis head coach and Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Biggs, but the warning remains the same: Biggs is good at any sport and, like Plough, he likes to win.

There’s also a spectacular four-night stay at the elegant Casa Mirage in La Quinta at a home that features its own putting green and seemingly half a million palm trees swaying in the desert breeze.

I’m only scratching the surface here.

I’ll give you time to digest all this while I go and try to outbid you for a couple of special items I’ve kept to myself.

Such fun.

Go Ags.

Reach Bob Dunning at bobdunning@thewaryone.com