2011 Vintners Grant Recipients Robin Baggett & Michelle Fields

Robin Baggett and Michelle Fields of Alpha Omega winery both lost their mothers early to cancer.  Michelle’s family has been stricken multiple times by this insidious disease.  In memory of the loss of Michelle’s aunt and the stomach diseases which were incapacitating her mother during her battle against harsh chemotherapy treatments, Robin and Michelle have chosen to name stomach cancer as the area of research to be funded with a grant in their honor. “Until the V Wine Celebration, we were unaware of an organization which gives 100% of its fundraising money to Cancer Research. I have a niece who was diagnosed with Brain Cancer at the tender age of 6. Because of various research programs, she is in remission and is a vibrant cancer survivor of 36 years” said Michelle Fields. Robin’s sentiments are the same, “Michelle and I are emotionally tied to this cause, and have pledged our continued support of the V Foundation for cancer research.” We would also like to pay tribute to someone who was very important in the lives of many in Napa Valley, Jerry Stark, the former Meadowood Resort Croquet Pro, and honored member of the United States Croquet Association Hall of Fame.  Jerry fought a short, fierce and fatal battle with stomach cancer in 2010. Jerry’s emails to the Meadowood members during his treatments allowed us to walk through this difficult journey with him and draw inspiration from his strength.  To quote Jerry during his last few months alive, “I am still positive and fighting!!!”. Michelle and Robin vow to fight for all of those battling cancer and pledge to “NEVER GIVE UP”.

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2010 Vintner’s Grant Recipient Cyril & Blakesley Chappellet

Each year the V Wine Celebration acknowledges the efforts and support of a participating vintner by awarding a Vintner’s Grant in their honor. Through the Vintner’s Grant, the honoree is able to designate a particular type or area of cancer research to fund. The V Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board is then charged with identifying the best research in that area for funding.

The V Foundation Wine Celebration is pleased to honor Cyril and Blakesley Chappellet, of Chappellet Vineyard and Winery as the 2010 Vintner’s Grant honorees. “Both of our lives have been touched by cancer. We have stood beside family members, friends and winery employees through their battles with cancer and have mourned the loss of those who fought heroically to the end,” said Cyril Chappellet.

The Chappellet’s have chosen to fund research in the field of melanoma to honor Helmuth Morgenrath, the best man at their wedding who lost a short battle with this terrible form of cancer. They are optimistic that their Vintner’s Grant will give those diagnosed with melanoma a fighting chance and lead doctors closer to finding a cure.

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2010 Fund a Need Grant Recipient Teri Kuhn

In honor of vintner Teri Kuhn’s inspirational battle with leukemia, the 2010 V Wine Celebration Fund A Need will be dedicated to help raise critical funds

for research and help find the cure for leukemia. She and her husband, Ron Kuhn, are the acclaimed vintners at Pillar Rock Vineyards in Napa Valley.

With some strong prompting from Ron, Teri went to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale for treatment of what she thought was an exhausting sinus infection in early January of 2006. After a long wait in the ER and following her examination, Teri was given the devastating news that she had life-threatening leukemia. With roughly two weeks to live if not treated immediately, she began treatment that would include an extensive 36-day stay at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. Teri was given plasma and then started on all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) therapy, followed by arsenic trioxide treatments for the next ten weeks. Under the sure and gentle care of her doctors and nurse practitioner, combined with the dedicated daily coaching from her son, Bryce, Teri slowly but surely improved. The love and support of her husband, Ron, was also invaluable. Teri was blessed with many tools to aid in her recovery, but the best doctors in the world cannot cure cancer without critical cancer research. Because of the work that had been funded before she became ill, Teri is cancer-free today. Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood characterized by the uncontrolled accumulation of blood cells. It claims a life every ten minutes. The critical research needed to stop this deadly cancer needs your support. With your help, we can eliminate leukemia—for good!

“ I believe we should remember from whence we came and those who have

helped us along our path in life. We should give something back to help those

who come after us.” —Ron Kuhn

2009 Vintner’s Grant Recipient Emily Miner

Ten years ago when Julie and Andrew Constantin asked Emily Miner of Miner Family Vineyards to donate a bottle of wine to a modest fundraiser called the Wine Celebration, little did she know then that 10 years later this would be the very preeminent organization that would help in her fight against cancer. Emily, a 39 year old mother of two who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer, was joined by her family and friends on Saturday, August 8 at Nickel & Nickel, as she acknowledged the Vintners Grant which will be directed to lung cancer research. As Bob Lloyd, Coach K and Julie Constantin joined her on stage, a previously unviewed video outtake of Emily was revealed during which Emily expressed how touched she was that the community made her feel like a hero—and then confessed that some days she didn’t feel like a hero at all and wished she had a cape to help her pretend to be one.

To the V Foundation Emily is a hero. In that spirit Emily was presented with a V Foundation hero’s cape that has been signed by the guests of the Wine Celebration event, during a standing ovation where guests were moved to tears. 

In a touching, heartfelt moment, Emily spoke to the guests and expressed gratitude for their support of lung cancer research in her honor. As a tribute, guests donated over $700,000 to the Fund-A-Need during the auction. The grant will be made in Emily’s name, who was recently featured as the “New Face of Cancer” in Women’s Health magazine.

2008 Vintner's Grant

Nickel & Nickel and Far Niente

The 2008 Vintner’s Grant was awarded to the team at Nickel & Nickel and Far Niente wineries, who has designated thyroid cancer for their grant, in honor of Far Niente winemaker Stephanie Putnam.  Nickel & Nickel and Far Niente have been instrumental to the success of the V Wine Celebration with their generous and constant support.

2007 Vintner’s Grant

Robin Lail of Lail Vineyards was our 2007 Vintner’s Grant recipient. Robin is a breast cancer survivor and has been a long-time supporter of The Foundation’s mission.  In her name, The V Foundation will grant $100,000 to Ju-Seog Lee, PhD, at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston.

2006 Vintner’s Grant

In 2006, The V Wine Celebration was pleased to honor longtime supporters Chuck and Anne McMinn of Vineyard 29.  Wanting to make the “biggest difference” with their grant, Chuck and Anne chose to fund a V Scholar for two years.  Their grant funded Konrad Hochedlinger, Ph.D., at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.

 2005 Vintner’s Grant

In 2005, The V Wine Celebration was pleased to honor Todd Zapolski and Leslie Rudd of Girard Winery and Rudd Vineyards & Winery respectively.  Todd and Leslie have been longtime supporters of the V Wine Celebration and have designated lung cancer as the area of research for funding which was awarded to Dr. Alan Fields, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Jacksonville, Florida.

2004 Vintner’s Grant

Garen and Shari Staglin of Staglin Family Vineyard were honored as the recipients of the 2004 Vintner’s Grant.  The Staglins designated leukemia, in memory of his father, Pasquale Stagliano, for the $100,000 grant which was awarded to Ianna Aifantis, Ph.D. at The University of Chicago Cancer Research Center.

2003 Vintner’s Grant

The V Wine Celebration honored Mark Beringer of Duckhorn Vineyards as the recipient of the 2003 Vintner’s Grant.  Marc earmarked the $50,000 in funding for Sarcoma research at the University Of California Davis (UCD) led by Dr. Cheryl London.

2002 Vintner’s Grant

The 2002 Vintner’s Grant honoree was Mitch Cosentino of Cosentino Winery in Yountville. The Cosentino Vintner's Grant funded melanoma related research led by Dr. Lynne Bemis at the University of Colorado Health and Sciences Center in honor of Mitch's mother, Arlene.

2001 Vintner’s Grant

The 2001 Annual Vintner’s Grant of $100,000 was awarded to the UCSF Medical Center to fund pancreatic cancer research in honor of Joan Rombauer of Rombauer Vineyards, who was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.  The Rombauer family, who directly influenced the focus of the research, generously matched the V Foundation grant dollar for dollar, increasing the total donation to $200,000.  

A second 2001 Vintner’s Grant was awarded to Kathy Matthay, M.D. in the field of Neuroblastoma Research in honor of Dick Grace of Grace Family Vineyards, who has been a major contributor and supporter of the V Foundation Wine Celebration since its inception.