Some of the world’s most renowned wines hail from California’s Napa Valley, but you won’t need to travel hours north to get your hands on the region’s prized grapes. The ninth annual CureDuchenne benefit, happening Saturday, Nov. 4, will host dozens of Wine Country vintners, including Melka Estates, Alpha Omega, Cervantes Family, Brion, MooneTsai, Gandoa and Pahlmeyer, just to name a few.
The ninth annual Napa in Newport, which was held in Newport Beach for the first seven years until relocating last year, will take place this year at the tony Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. CureDuchenne, a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating Duchenne muscular dystrophy, will team up with Meika Estates to host a dinner featuring cuisine by chef Ken Frank, owner of La Toque in Napa, which once held a one-star Michelin ranking. In addition to the modern French cuisine dinner, guests can bid on collectable wines, getaways and other unique experiences.
The benefit raises funds and awareness to help stamp out Duchenne, one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy. Duchenne, which has an average life expectancy of 27 years, is caused by mutations in the gene encoding for dystrophin, a protein that muscles require to properly function. People living with the condition usually succumb to lung or heart issues. It affects approximately 1 in 5,000 male births.
“As we continue to make strides in Duchenne research, funding is critical to bring transformative treatments to thousands that need them,” said Debra Miller, founder and CEO of CureDuchenne, in a written statement, whose son is afflicted with Duchenne. “None of it would be possible without our vintners, sponsors, and attendees that support this event and bring us one step closer to a cure.”
Over the past eight years, Napa In Newport has helped pull in more than $10.5 million for CureDuchenne, which has raised more than $50 million for research and funded 18 research projects to advance human clinical trials.
For more details about CureDuchenne, visit cureduchenne.org. To purchase tickets or buy a table, head to thenapawineseries.com/napa-in-newport. The event starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov 4.
Find it: 1 Monarch Beach Resort N, Dana Point
