For the first time ever in the 102-year history of the exclusive Explorers Club Annual Dinner, Redwood Creek wines is inviting adventurous diners across the nation to bid on tickets to this famous members-only event. On Saturday, March 18th, the world’s most renowned explorers and these two special guests will congregate at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, for a most memorable black-tie evening.

The Explorers Club Annual Dinner—the oldest, continuously-held fundraising dinner in New York City--will begin with a cocktail hour from 5 to 7 p.m., featuring exotic hors d'oeuvres such as honey-glazed scorpions, elk stroganoff, tarantula tempura and other unusual foods. Redwood Creek’s winemaker, Cal Dennison, will be on hand to offer adventurous wine-pairing suggestions for these adventurous dishes.

Tempura Tarantulas were popular enough last year to be
included included in the menu for this March.

The winning bidders will then be invited to join Cal at his table for a private exotic food and wine pairing session and a never-before-served delectable dinner. There will also be presentations from today’s prestigious explorers, such as Ed Viesturs, America's leading high-altitude mountaineer who has climbed Mount Everest six times, and Andrew Skurka, who became the first person to hike 7,770 miles across North America along the Sea-to-Sea Trail. Luc Jacquet, internationally acclaimed filmmaker, will be presented with the Explorers Club Communication Award during the dinner ceremony.

Both Explorers Club Annual Dinner tickets will be available for bidding exclusively on eBay beginning March 5th and ending March 10th. In addition to winning access to this exclusive event, the highest bidder will also take home a complimentary case of Redwood Creek wine. Proceeds generated from the auction will be donated to The Explorers Club’s Exploration Fund, which provides grants to graduate students and emerging scientists in support of exploration and field research. To bid on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, long onto www.ebay.coj100% of the proceeds generated from the auction will benefit The Explorers Club’s Exploration Fund, which provides grants to graduate students and emerging scientists. To bid on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, log onto http://www.ebay.com/redwoodcreek (please note this link will go live on March 3rd).

A Bengal Tiger cub was one of Jim Fowler's
"Animal Ambassadors" last year.

The Master of Ceremonies for the evening is Explorers Club President Richard Wiese, who will be joined by Honorary President Jim Fowler and his animal ambassadors, which have in the past included bald eagles and lion cubs. “There’s no event that compares to The Explorers Club Annual Diner” says Richard Wiese, “The Explorers Club and Redwood Creek hope that this year’s theme, What’s Left To Explore, will demonstrate that there is still so much left to be discovered in our vast natural world.”

Redwood Creek is the sponsor of The Explorers Club’s longstanding public lecture series held every Monday evening at the Club’s headquarters in New York City, where speakers from expedition leaders to renowned mountain climbers share their fascinating stories. Since 1904, the Explorers Club—a nonprofit educational society dedicated to preserving the instinct to explore—has served as a gathering place for explorers and field scientists worldwide. Past and present members include many of history’s most distinguished explorers, including the Club’s honorary chairman Sir Edmund Hillary, Jane Goodall and Buzz Aldrin.

Editor’s note: Last year Dan Clarke reported on a pairing of Redwood Creek wines and exotic foods held in San Francisco (http://www.californiawineandfood.com/events/scorpion-tasting.htm).