St. Louis,:  Epworth Children & Family Services will hold its 17^th annual Wine Dinner and Auction on Sat., Nov. 9 at the Ritz-Carlton located at 100 Carondelet Plaza in Clayton, Mo.  The black tie event begins at 6 p.m. and features a reception with passed hors d’oeuvres, five-star dinner, live music by the Tim Cunningham Band, live and silent auctions.  All proceeds will benefit Epworth’s life-impacting programs and services.

The chef’s dinner highlights wine pairings with every course.  The first course includes a Lola Rosa salad with green oak and frisée lettuce featuring hazelnut praline marinated feta, sweet spice roasted figs, golden beet and honey gastrique.  Appetizers include cheese ravioli, chicken confit, wild mushroom mélange, sherry thyme butter sauce, and local honey.

The entrée is braised veal cheeks with brown butter potato mousseline, roasted winter vegetable, and cipollini onion in a red wine demi-glace.  Dessert is a triple chocolate mousse cake accompanied by raspberry sorbet.

Silent and live auction items include rare wines, as well as trips around the country, signed memorabilia by local sport teams, show tickets, and other luxury experiences.

Founded in 1864, Epworth Children & Family Services is a multi-service agency that helps children, youth and families move toward self-sufficiency by focusing on health, housing, education and employment.  Epworth offers emergency shelter, residential and intensive treatment, in-home family therapy, transitional housing, psychological evaluation and testing, foster care services, prevention services and a 24-hour help line.  The agency is headquartered at 110 N. Elm Ave. with offices in Normandy, University City, and St. Louis City.