Deerfield Ranch Winery in Sonoma Valley hosts the 9th Annual Checkerbloom Gala

KENWOOD, CA, July 31, 2014 – Deerfield Ranch Winery is proud to be hosting the 9th Annual Checkerbloom Gala on Saturday, August 9th at 6:30pm. This annual event benefits the restoration and maintenance of the Kenwood Marsh, home of the Kenwood Marsh Checkerbloom. In 2000, Robert and PJ Rex, founders of Deerfield Ranch Winery, purchased 47 acres along Highway 12 in Kenwood to expand their winery and vineyards. Included in 14 of those acres was the Kenwood Marsh, the last remains of a wetlands ecosystem that once covered much of the small village of Kenwood in Sonoma Valley.

The Kenwood Marsh is one of only two places on earth where the endangered Checkerbloom plant exists [1]. “We’ve spent nearly ten years restoring the wetlands. When we purchased the property there were only a handful of Checkerblooms left,” states PJ Rex. In order to permanently protect Kenwood Marsh, Deerfield granted a conservation easement to Sonoma County and established the Kenwood Marsh Checkerbloom Society to assist with the fundraising for restoration and maintenance of the marsh.

So far, Deerfield Ranch Winery and the Checkerbloom Society have removed the Himalayan blackberries and other non-indigenous plant life that are dangerous to the Checkerbloom. They’ve also bridged the pond, and established three more Checkerbloom habitats with the help of US Fish and Wildlife Service. Yet there is still work to be done. The upcoming Checkerbloom Gala will help provide the necessary funds to further restoration efforts and ensure that this endangered plant survives.

The Gala will consist of a welcome reception on the winery’s crushpad with live opera performances by the San Francisco Opera, a seated 4-course dinner in the Grand Room of the wine cave, specialty wines provided by Deerfield Ranch Winery, and a live auction featuring rare and spectacular items. Gala-goers are encouraged to wear a splash of pink in support of the Checkerbloom.

Tickets are $125 per person, $100 for wine club members. Seats are also available at the winemaker’s table for $250 per person (winemaker’s table ticket also includes a signed bottle of DRX). Guests can purchase tickets through the website or by contacting Bill Klein at bill.klein@deerfieldranch.com or 707.931.4637.


[1] Sidalcea Oregana: a rare subtaxa called ssp. Valida (Kenwood Marsh Checkerbloom), which is federally designated as an endangered species. It is known only from two marshes in Sonoma County, California.