The fog rolled into the valley as people arrived at the biggest viticulture event of the year. 

With a wine glass in hand and country music playing, each guest walked around and scoped out auction items available for bidding. 

On Friday Nov. 12 the Viticulture Club hosted their 68th Annual Fall Harvest Dinner at Kings River Winery in Sanger from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

This event’s significance lies in the fact that Fresno State’s Viticulture Club was created in 1952, making it the oldest club on campus.

Fresno State is the first university in the United States to have a license to produce, bottle and sell wine and have a winery. 

This event’s purpose: is to bring alumni and friends together and to help raise funds for the new year’s annual activities and student scholarships while enjoying what viticulture has to offer: good wine and great people. 

The festival consisted of a four-section silent auction, dinner and wine.

The event was a sell-out, with tickets available online ranging from $45-50. 

Attendees were a mix between members, supporters, wineries around the area and Fresno State students. 

Tickets, which were given upon entry, doubled as raffle tickets to win free bottles of wine or apparel later on in the event.

Those who wanted to drink were given a wristband after showing  proof of I.D. at the entrance.

Attendees were invited to grab a provided wine glass at their selected chair and head to the wine bar where people were waiting to describe and pour the wines. 

The bar offered Fresno State wine among other selections, which included a mix of reds, whites and rosés. 

For those not drinking, water and sodas were available. 

Fan-favorite songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Beautiful Crazy” played throughout the event as everyone walked around the auction tables drinking wine — or soda —and mingling. 

Around 7 p.m. guests were invited back to their seats while Marnelle Salie, president of the Viticulture Club, sometimes affectionately referred to as the “Vit Club”, gave an introductory speech. 

During this speech Salie highlighted the club’s accomplishments, the event’s significance and members who went above and beyond within the club.

The dinner was a traditional barbecue with bread rolls, salads, beans, and the attendee’s choice of ribs, chicken or brisket. 

A separate table offered three different barbecue sauces: sweet, smokey and “hottie.” 

Sections one to three of the auction consisted of items and baskets, while section four consisted of desserts. 

Items at the auction tables catered to anyone and everyone. 

Wine lovers were able to bid on bottles of wine, wine holders, clocks made from the top of a barrel, raisin boards and a chance for a tour of the Fresno State Winery, along with four free tastings. 

The auction also offered the opportunity to bid on a matching purse set, a full set of Moroccan oil products, plant hangers, a basket of tools and a $50 Topgolf certificate. 

Fresno State fans and alumni had Bulldog merch like blankets, T-shirts, sweatshirts and ticket bundles for various sports available for bidding.

The dessert auction included treats from cakes, cookies, lemon bars to South African Malva Pudding and ranged from store bought to homemade. 

Sonet Van Zyl, associate professor of Viticulture, said that the event pays for students to attend the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento in January. 

The symposium is the largest of its kind in North America, and includes a trade show where the viticulture department has a booth, while also providing networking opportunities for students with industry professionals. 

Along with the symposium, the club also hosts an educational spring break trip to a grape and wine region in California.

Van Zyl said that the barbecue itself is usually a fun event, but difficult to set up and successfully pull off. For example, Salie and her team of officers and club members worked for months to raise donations for the auctions.

The viticulture’s VIP table was the top bid at $2,000 of the first section of the auction, which closed later in the evening. 

This VIP table included 12 seats for the following year’s event, in which they would be provided with student servers who would bring them wine, food and dessert without the guest needing to leave their table.The top bidder also won three front row parking spots at the event.