Napa Valley Vintners raises $6.5 million for charity
Napa Valley Vintners raised $6.5 million for charity at the weekend, with its annual Auction Napa Valley, attracting new and younger faces to the annual event in the bargain. The post Napa Valley Vintners raises $6.5 million for charity appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Napa Valley Vintners raised $6.5 million for charity at the weekend at the Auction Napa Valley, attracting new and younger faces to the annual event in the bargain.
This year's sum raised more than the $4.8 million raised last year - although it has yet to come anywhere close to the pre-pandemic record of 2014, when it raised $18.7 million.
The annual auction, which is now in its 45th year, saw around 700 bidders driving record levels of engagement, with online bidding started strongly, so that every lot receiving a bid within the first hour of going live on Tuesday 3 June. The organisers also flagged the “noticeable wave of new faces, younger participants and fresh energy” among the 2,000 strong attendees to the Barrel Auction on Friday night, which they said signalled “a promising future for the event and the wine industry”. Bidders not only came from California, but from Florida, Texas, Arizona, New York and beyond.
The Barrel auction comprised wines from 110 wine producers, mostly consisting of the 2023 vintage, with the top 10 bidders receive 12 bottles of unique wines, while the highest bidder of the night went home with a barrel head signed by the winemaker, Wine Business reported.
Top lots here included offerings from Chappellet Vineyard, Pulido~Walker Estate Vineyard and Winery, Cardinale, Alpha Omega, Shafer Vineyards, Peter Michael Winery, B Cellars, Darioush, Seven Stones Winery and ELLMAN. Indeed the opening lot featured 45 magnums from previous auctions along with two all-access passes to Auction Napa Valley for the next 45 years — raised a whopping $120,000. T
The Mystery Wine Shop also proved a hit, selling out and raising an additional $50,000 for youth programs.
There was also a live auction and dinner on Saturday night at the Chandon for 350 guests, presided over by auctioneer Jacqueline Towers-Perkins, which sparked fierce competition and raised $2.6 million overall. The top five lots of the night comprised experiences curated by Antinori Napa Valley and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, comprising a stay at Marchesi Antinori’s Tuscany estate, plus Napa winery experiences, (which raised $550,000) Alpha Omega and Bouchaine Vineyards, St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery and CHANEL, Darioush and The World, and Kenzo Estate, which comprised a five-night insider tour of Japan plus follow-up tour in Napa. Meanwhile the final Vintners’ collective lot, entitled Because One Bottle is Never Enough comprised 100 magnums, which sold for $120,000.
Proceeds from the sale will benefit Napa Valley Vintners' Youth Wellness Initiative, which was represented by a group of Napa Valley youth who shared how the local programs have changed their lives.
Robin Baggett, owner of Alpha Omega and co-chair of this year’s Auction Napa Valley with wife Michelle Baggett said the results were "amazing".
“There was a lot of love for our Napa Valley youth, for our wines and for the auction lot experiences we will be sharing," he said. "From those who come back year after year to our new friends who jumped right in, all showed up in a meaningful way. And we are very grateful.”
This year's sum raised more than the $4.8 million raised last year - although it has yet to come anywhere close to the pre-pandemic record of 2014, when it raised $18.7 million.
The annual auction, which is now in its 45th year, saw around 700 bidders driving record levels of engagement, with online bidding started strongly, so that every lot receiving a bid within the first hour of going live on Tuesday 3 June. The organisers also flagged the “noticeable wave of new faces, younger participants and fresh energy” among the 2,000 strong attendees to the Barrel Auction on Friday night, which they said signalled “a promising future for the event and the wine industry”. Bidders not only came from California, but from Florida, Texas, Arizona, New York and beyond.
The Barrel auction comprised wines from 110 wine producers, mostly consisting of the 2023 vintage, with the top 10 bidders receive 12 bottles of unique wines, while the highest bidder of the night went home with a barrel head signed by the winemaker, Wine Business reported.
Top lots here included offerings from Chappellet Vineyard, Pulido~Walker Estate Vineyard and Winery, Cardinale, Alpha Omega, Shafer Vineyards, Peter Michael Winery, B Cellars, Darioush, Seven Stones Winery and ELLMAN. Indeed the opening lot featured 45 magnums from previous auctions along with two all-access passes to Auction Napa Valley for the next 45 years — raised a whopping $120,000. T
The Mystery Wine Shop also proved a hit, selling out and raising an additional $50,000 for youth programs.
There was also a live auction and dinner on Saturday night at the Chandon for 350 guests, presided over by auctioneer Jacqueline Towers-Perkins, which sparked fierce competition and raised $2.6 million overall. The top five lots of the night comprised experiences curated by Antinori Napa Valley and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, comprising a stay at Marchesi Antinori’s Tuscany estate, plus Napa winery experiences, (which raised $550,000) Alpha Omega and Bouchaine Vineyards, St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery and CHANEL, Darioush and The World, and Kenzo Estate, which comprised a five-night insider tour of Japan plus follow-up tour in Napa. Meanwhile the final Vintners’ collective lot, entitled Because One Bottle is Never Enough comprised 100 magnums, which sold for $120,000.
Proceeds from the sale will benefit Napa Valley Vintners' Youth Wellness Initiative, which was represented by a group of Napa Valley youth who shared how the local programs have changed their lives.
Robin Baggett, owner of Alpha Omega and co-chair of this year’s Auction Napa Valley with wife Michelle Baggett said the results were "amazing".
“There was a lot of love for our Napa Valley youth, for our wines and for the auction lot experiences we will be sharing," he said. "From those who come back year after year to our new friends who jumped right in, all showed up in a meaningful way. And we are very grateful.” 
