There’s a first time for everything and everyone, including the Santa Ynez Valley Rotary Club, which is hosting its very first annual Santa Ynez Valley Food and Wine Fest, Labor Day weekend.

“The Santa Ynez Valley is the premier wine growing region and we are blessed with fine restaurants so it’s really a natural for us,” said Rotary chairperson, David Wyatt. “It’s very rewarding, of course in Rotary we put on several fundraisers to benefit the community and we hope that this will become one of our major fundraisers in the future so we could continue to support various charitable organizations in the Valley.”

Scheduled from 3 till 7 p.m. Sep. 1 at the Old Mission Santa Ines, 1760 Mission Drive Solvang, the festival will offer entertainment, food and of course wine.

Performing artists include The Lighthouse Jazz Quartet, The Trio, featuring Linni Gilfry and Nicolete Birnie from Stone Horse, Calif. There will be a mixture of different genres of music, including jazz and country fold and American.

And just like the music, the food offered at the event will be from six different Valley restaurants and one grocery store.

“I thought that this was a good idea for a fundraiser, plus the fact that most tastings have one source of food, but we will be featuring six of the finest restaurants in the Valley and El Rancho will be offering fruit and cheese platters, freshly brewed coffee and deserts,” said Wyatt. Other restaurants participating in the event include, Brothers at Matty’s Tavern, The Vineyard House, Cabernet Bistro, A-RU Sushi, Restaurant Marcella and Trattoria Grappolo. The Santa Ynez Valley Rotary Club holds many fundraisers to give back to the Valley community and the festival is just another way to show its support. “The Rotary is an excellent group here in our Valley,” said Paula Parisotto, associate executive director the YMCA in Santa Ynez. “They have always been very supportive of the YMCA and we appreciate any and all support they have given.”

“I love wine and I love food, and the combination of wine and food sounds like it’s right up my alley,” she said. “I also like to support other groups in the Valley that support the Valley, that’s very important. We are all one big team.”

“I am also a Breakfast Rotarian but I have attended many functions and meetings put on by Noon Club,” said Vicki Morehouse, executive director for the Solvang Lutheran Home. “Both clubs have been very generous to the Lutheran Home; in fact they both donated $4,000 each to our Celebration of Life and Health Campaign to benefit our recovery residence. We are very grateful for what the Rotary does for not just the community, but the world.”

“We are absolutely looking forward to the event, so I’ll be there,” she said.