Food, Wine and a Silent Auction To Help Raise Funds for Huntington Historical Society

The Huntington Historical Society will mark a milestone this Friday when it hosts its 20th annual Evening of Wine Under the Stars on the grounds of the historic Dr. Daniel W. Kissam House. The four-hour wine tasting extravaganza will benefit the society's educational programs and the preservation of historical properties and will honor Mary Alice Meinersman, owner of Bon Bons Chocolatier, for her more than 30 years as a Huntington mainstay.

"I am extremely excited that we are honoring a woman who owns and runs a business and absolutely loves what she does," said executive board member Marie Failey, who is co-chairing the event with Claudia Fortunato. "Mary Alice generously gives back to the community and shares her knowledge of chocolate by giving tours and lectures. She promotes historic preservation through her donations to Society functions."

Meinersman, who is president of the Huntington Business Improvement District and a member of the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, said she was very surprised to hear that she was being honored.

"I think it is so wonderful because it is such a Huntington thing," said Meinersman, whose serendipitous journey to chocolate entrepreneurship began after she became a chocolate dipper for what was then Trahan's chocolate shop in 1980. "To me, it is a privilege. It's probably for longevity, too, because I have been in Huntington for so long."

According to Fortunato, last year's event attracted a crowd of more than 400 guests who socialized on the Kissam House's rambling grounds while enjoying local wine, food and music. And this year will be no different. Guests will be offered a plethora of tempting culinary delights donated by Joanina Restaurant, Black & Blue Seafood Chophouse, Rookies Sports Club, Mascali Restaurant, Crew Kitchen & Bar, Mirabelle at Three Village Inn, the Culinary Studio, The Melting Pot, Smoking Sloes, Paesano's Pizza and Good 2 Go Deli.

Generously providing the wines for the event are Castello Banfi, Wine Wave, Joanina's Wine Shop, Enoteca, and San Guiseppe Wines while micro-brewed beer will be provided courtesy of Blue Point Brewery. Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided courtesy of Whole Foods, Failey indicated.

Coffee from Starbucks and cake from Reinwald's Bakery will serve as the finale for the evening and guests will leave with a souvenir wine glass provided by Fidelity Investments, a journal, and chocolate favors from Bon Bons Chocolatier.

Outside of the charge for this event, the silent auction will help raise funds for the Historical Society. Highlights being auctioned off include a dinner for six to be served at some lucky winner's home by Jim Bancheri of Mascali Restaurant, a two-night stay at Oheka Castle, including a round of golf, and two round-trip Southwest Airlines tickets to any U.S. destination will also be up for grabs.

The 20th annual Evening of Wine Under the Stars will take place on Friday from 7 to 11 p.m. at Dr. Daniel Kissam House, located at 434 Park Avenue. Advance tickets are $50 for society members and $60 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $75.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org, by calling (631) 427-7045 ext. 401, or e-mailing cfortunato@huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.