5/5/2014 - St. Helena, CA—The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) today announced that Auction Napa Valley lots showcasing the quality wines for which Napa Valley is renowned are now live for viewing at auctionnapavalley.org. These include lots for the Barrel Auction, the Live Auction and the open-to-all E-Auction.
Wine lovers from around the world and from the novice to the connoisseur can jump in on the Auction Napa Valley excitement with the NVV’s E-Auction, which this year features a record 175 lots. The E-Auction offers bidders anywhere the chance to acquire extraordinary and often one-of-a-kind wines and experiences with vintners and winemakers, while supporting community health and youth education.
In addition to each package showcasing Napa Valley’s coveted wines, more than 80% of the E-Auction lots feature a vintner and/or winery experience not available to the general public, creating very personal connections with the Napa Valley and its winemaking community. Categories of lots include “Instant Cellar” (24 or more bottles of wine), “Verticals” (some quite rare and many older vintages), “Insider Experiences” (often meals with vintners in private Napa Valley locations), “Sleepover” (Wine Country overnight accommodations, many at winery guest houses never seen by the public), “Big Bottles” (large format bottles, many of which are not otherwise available) and “Collaboration” (where multiple wineries are involved, often with a common theme).
“This online auction is an exciting way to share in the spirit of Auction Napa Valley from the comfort of your own home anywhere in the world,” notes Shannon Staglin, chair of this year’s E-Auction committee. “While gaining access to exclusive e-lots, bidders can be part of the transformation of great wines into the great causes funded by Auction proceeds.”
Also live for viewing are the Barrel Auction and Live Auction lots, both of which are at the heart of the Auction Napa Valley experience. The Barrel Auction is unlike any other, where guests can taste samples directly from the barrels of 100 Napa valley winemakers and take part in spirited bidding on these limited-offering wines, most of which are from the much-lauded 2012 vintage. The top ten bidders on each lot then secure a future release case of the wine they discovered and can now call their own.
The centerpiece of Auction Napa Valley is the Live Auction where guests experience the thrill of the bid on extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime lots of wine, dining, travel, art, and truly “ultimate” experiences. “The Napa Valley has been described as an earthly paradise that offers the best of human endeavors and delights. The auction lots presented by Auction Napa Valley 2014 enable successful bidders to enjoy unique aspects of this jewel along with other exotic international experiences. The end result of the generosity invested in these lots is a major contribution to the most vulnerable people, especially children, who are seeking the American dream,” notes Carmen A. Policy, chair of this year’s Live Auction lot committee and former president and CEO of the San Francisco Forty-Niners.
Some of this year’s Live Auction lots are: Lot 4: Designs for a home or winery by renowned Wine Country architect Howard Backen; Lot 12: “Two Perfect Days in Oakville” complete with 34 etched magnums of wine; Lot 22: Your very own American classic, a rare and professionally restored 1957 Chevy Corvette; Lot 29: A private yacht tour in the Mediterranean; Lot 13: A trip to Rome and Bulgari’s High Jewelry workshop to create one’s own piece of jewelry; Lot 31: The Biggest Game in town, a very special Super Bowl L experience; Lot 41: The Ultimate Baseball Experience and many more.
Wine enthusiasts are encouraged to visit auctionnapavalley.org, peruse the E-Auction, Barrel Auction and Live Auction lots and comment on their favorites using #eAuction and #ANV14 or post comments on the Napa Valley Vintners' Facebook page.
Online bidding for the E-Auction starts on Sunday, June 1 at noon PDT and the e-gavel begins to come down on Sunday, June 8 at noon PDT.
A limited number of packages to Auction Napa Valley are still available. To purchase tickets, visit auctionnapavalley.org.
Auction Napa Valley is the NVV's annual community fundraiser that for more than 30 years has utilized the worldwide reputation of Napa Valley wines and the scenic beauty of the region to raise funds to enhance the health and wellbeing of the Napa Valley community. To date, the NVV has invested more than $120 million from Auction Napa Valley proceeds in Napa County nonprofit organizations.
About the Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence for 70 years by inspiring its 500 members to produce consistent quality wines, provide environmental leadership and care for the extraordinary place they call home. Learn more at napavintners.com.
Contact: Cate Conniff, Communications Manager 707.968.4229 cconniff@napavintners.com
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