Wine tasting Friday to feature entertainment
While the first
Wine Tasting guests are arriving this Friday, April 25 in the Little Flower Room
Richard Whitten will entertain with classical piano music. Whitten and his
wife, Margaret, recently moved to Orofino from Costa Rica. He and his daughter,
Loren Whitten-Kaboth, have sung with the Portland Opera for 11 years. Margaret
has sung with the Vancouver Light Opera.
“We’re a musical family and enjoy playing and singing. We’d be happy to entertain people as they arrive for the Wine Tasting,” said Richard, who also plays the accordion and organ, as well as melodic percussion in the Lewiston Community Band.
“I may also play a bit of the accordion for the outside tables at the Wine Tasting if the occasion calls for it.” He joked those accordions and bagpipes should rarely be played inside and only in small doses.
The Whittens have owned and managed a museum for 16 years in the rain forest of Costa Rica. It houses his collection of arthropods, which is the world’s largest private collection of butterflies, beetles, centipedes, millipedes, spiders and scorpions. “I started collecting when I was five years old. It’s truly a hobby that got out of hand,” Whitten said.
They still own the museum, but moved to Orofino to be closer to their daughter in Weippe and their son in Boise.
“It will be nice to have some music as the room fills,” said Jo Moore, CVHC Foundation board member. “Richard, Margaret and Loren are delightful people. They are already supporters of our hospital and wanted to contribute their talents.”
The 34th Annual Clearwater Valley Hospital Wine Tasting will feature
six different types of red wine, six varieties of white wines and a number of
interesting microbrewery beers. Non alcoholic wines and beers will also be
available.
Tickets are available at the door. The tickets entitle guests to five tastes of wine and/or beer and hors d’oeuvres crafted by Country Catering. “We’re serving foods that complement this year’s selections including mini open face Rueben sandwiches, a cucumber slice with dilled salmon, gruyere cheese puffs and a variety of cheeses and desserts,” said Moore.
This year’s seven silent auction baskets include a woman’s basket, a ‘real’ man’s basket, a doggie basket, A ‘Day on the Lake’ basket, a Christmas basket, a wine basket and a Wine Stone. Bidding on the auction items will end at 8:30 p.m.
The CVHC Auxiliary and Foundation sponsor the annual event. It will be held in the Little Flower Room at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church from 6:30-9 p.m.
Pictured top right: Richard Whitten will be providing piano music as CHVC Wine Tasting guests arrive this Friday evening at the Little Flower Room, Brown and C Street. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Pictured left: Six whites and six reds, selected by Odom Distributors, will the featured wines at this year’s wine tasting Friday evening, April 25.