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| Guests have the opportunity to win a dinner for 24 at Silver Oak winery, complete with bottles of their finest wine//Photo by Naples Winter Wine Festival |
In case you needed another excuse to drink wine, here it is: drinking wine gives back to charity. The Naples Winter Wine Festival is the most successful international charity wine auction in the world, with all proceeds from the Festival benefitting the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), which works with more than 40 nonprofit organizations improving the lives of over 200,000 underprivileged kids. This year, the 17th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival is scheduled for January 27-29, 2017 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida.
The Festival, limited to 580 guests, allows guests to bid on a variety of luxury, exclusive and VIP experiences, with proceeds of the auction benefitting the Foundation. To date, the Festival has raised $146 million for the Foundation. Each January, guests of the festival enjoy a weekend of intimate dinners created by celebrity chefs, rare wines poured by top vintners and a live auction, where guests can win travel, wine and luxury goods otherwise unavailable to the general public.
This year, Wolfgang Puck is the events Chef de Cuisine, in addition to Pierre Lurton, acting as the Festival’s Honored Vinter. A complete list of participating chefs at this year’s Festival, as well as items and experiences up for auction, is available on the Naples Winter Wine Festival website.
Experiences up for auction this year include a chance to walk the Emmys red carpet and attend the ceremony as a VIP as well as joining the stars at the Governors Ball; a 10-day trip to India complete with custom-made saris and jodhpurs, personally fit by the tailor of the royal families and a dinner at the City Palace with a member of the royal family; and for "Sex and the City" fans, a private dinner with actor Chris Noth.
For those interested in bidding on wines, guests will be able to claim exclusive rarities from among the world’s best wines, including a hand-painted nine-liter bottle of 1994 Harlan Estate Napa Valley Red Wine (or, the equivalent of a full case of wine, and the only bottle of its size from that award-winning vintage), delivered in a built-to-order presentation case. The winning bidder also gets to enjoy a meal with the Harlan family themselves in Napa Valley.
“We are thrilled to provide yet another year of wine, travel, and luxury experiences available nowhere else in the world,” said Brian Cobb, co-chair of the 2017 Festival. “It’s a pleasure to work with such creative, dedicated donors who meet our guests’ high standards while also selflessly contributing to the wellbeing of local children in need.”
For travelers, other opportunities awaiting winning bidders include a stay at Cuvee’s Vue de Rêvesvilla in St. Barts, a 24-day journey around the world via private jet with TCS World Travel, and a trip to Barcelona and Ibiza, including dinner with Ferran Centelles, the longtime Sommelier of El Bulli.
A package courtesy of Robb Report offers the winning bidder a variety of international cuisine, wine and television experiences, including the opportunity to drive and help select the 2018 Car of the Year, sail on a 10-day Crystal Cruise along the Danube in a penthouse and a chance to sit in on a table read with the award-winning cast of Modern Family.
Ticket packages for the event are generally based per couple. An exclusive package, offering reserved seating for a party of four at a vintner dinner and under the tent, is available for this year’s festival as well. To inquire about ticket packages to the Naples Winter and Wine Festival, contact Barrett Farmer at [email protected] or by calling 239-514-2239.