This year’s Naples Winter Wine Festival live auction raised $15.26m for charity, boosted by a $170,275 contribution from the 2018 event’s online auction.
Top lots at the Naples Winter Wine Festival 2018 included:
- $780,000 for the first Rolls Royce ‘Phantom’ car ever made plus a collection of Alpha Omega wines from Napa Valley, including a six-litre bottle of flagship wine ‘ERA’ from the 2014 vintage and a 12-month, two-bottle membership of the Alpha Omega wine club and a winery visit.
- $520,000 for a 10-day trip to South Africa, for two couples, and including travel with Shari and Garen Staglin of their namesake vineyard, plus 12 bottles of Staglin Cabernet Sauvignon spanning 2009 to 2014 vintages as well as private tastings at several wineries and VIP access to the Cape Wine Auction.
- $450,000 for the winner and 20 of their closest friends to have a living room concert by country music star Thomas Rhett, plus dinner paired with Garguilo wines. The couple also won three double magnums of Garguilo Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 and also a first-class flight to Garguilo’s ‘Flowering of the Vines’ weekend.
- $320,000 for dinner with 24 at Silver Oak winery in Napa Valley – or alternatively at the bidder’s private home – and in the company of Silver Oak’s Duncan family. The evening will include a live performance on the piano by Chuck Leavell and the prize also came with a balthazar, imperial and double magnum of Silver Oak Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, all signed by David Duncan, from the lauded 2013 vintage.
- $220,000 for one winner to take home a magnum of every wine from participating wineries and winemakers.
Online auction
Bidders from across the US also competed for the online lots, including rare wines, winery and rock star experiences, dinners by award-winning chefs, sporting events and other excursions.
The top online bid of $12,000 secured lunch at Gargiulo Vineyards for 10 people, including a ‘family-style picnic’ at the Oakville estate featuring a number of Gargiulo vintages.
A five-night luxury voyage through the rivers and canals of Burgundy aboard floating hotel The Grand Victoria fetched $11,000, while $10,000 was the winning bid for an evening with Cliff Williams of rock group AC/DC, including an autographed guitar and dinner at Sea Salt Naples.
The online auction was supported by 11 restaurants and 30 businesses based in Naples, Florida, while the funds raised will help support the work of the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), which will award grants to local organisations in March.
NCEF CEO Maria Jimenez-Lara thanked all participants in the Naples Winter Wine Festival for their support, adding: ‘With your help and support, we were able to raise over $15m and we’re excited to continue helping our community rebuild after Irma and further our mission to help at-risk, under-privileged children in Collier County.’
The Naples Winter Wine Festival is famed for its luxury experiences and exclusive auction lots, and has raised more than $176m for charity since the first event in 2001.
