HIGH POINT – If you’re a wine connoisseur – or if you simply want to support the local arts community – Expo Vino has your ticket.

“We have about 100 different wines from around the world, paired with fine food, for the wine-tasting portion of the evening,” says Debbie Lumpkins, executive director of the High Point Area Arts Council, which benefits from the annual fundraiser.

“Most wine-tastings don’t have anywhere near that many wines to choose from, so this is a great opportunity to try some new wines without having to invest, or to try something that might otherwise be outside your budget.”

Expo Vino, set for Nov. 13 at the High Point Country Club, will combine the wine-tasting with silent and live auctions – including a unique auction item from High Point University – with all proceeds going to the arts council.

“We are actually going to auction off Nido Qubein,” Lumpkins says, referring to the well-known HPU president. “He has offered to host a dinner for 12 at the university’s new steakhouse (1924 Prime Steakhouse), and then guests will have front-row seats at an HPU basketball game and receive an HPU goody bag.”

The HPU package will be one of three items up for bids during the evening’s live auction. The other two packages are:

• An Anthony Dean Griffey package, provided by High Point’s internationally acclaimed opera star and classical singer. The package will include two tickets to one of Griffey’s upcoming performances in New York, plus backstage meet-and-greet after the performance and a basket of Griffey memorabilia, including autographed DVDs and CDs.

• The Director’s Choice Wine Barrel, featuring bottles of wine selected by the arts council’s 21 board members, plus a book of toasts, all in a stainless-steel tub engraved with “Expo Vino” on it.

The silent auction will feature about 200 items, including a package of 12 tickets to an N.C. State basketball game. Other items include furniture, vacation packages, restaurant packages, pottery, tickets to plays and other performances, paintings, photography, jewelry and more.

Last year’s event netted about $29,800 for the arts council, and officials have set a net goal of $32,000 for this year, according to Lumpkins.

Tickets to Expo Vino are $40 each, and reservations should be made by Monday.

“This is just a great event,” Lumpkins says. “It has become a networking event and has developed a real following, which I just think is really neat.”