3/10/2011 - St Helena, CA--Auction Napa Valley--the premier charity wine auction in the country, taking place this year from June 2-5 has always focused on food nearly as much as on wine, showcasing the cuisine of top chefs from around the country. Toques who have provided their time, energy, and talents to make the Auction weekend a true destination event in the past have included everyone from Suzanne Goin (Los Angeles) and Gina DePalma (NYC) to Gary Danko (San Francisco) and Frank Stitt (Birmingham).
This year, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) and the 2011 Honorary Chairs, The Rombauer Family of Rombauer Vineyards, are pleased to present a culinary program that focuses exclusively on Napa Valley chefs. The program with a particular emphasis on farm-to-table dining, echoing the Auction's theme of all things local: local charities, local vineyard-to-table wines, and local culinary talent. At dinner parties up and down the Valley on June 2 and June 3, as well as a the Friday (June 3) Barrel Auction and Marketplace, scores of the region's chefs will prepare meals to accompany great Napa Valley wines and create a wholly Napa Valley experience for Auction attendees.
And the culinary highlight: The main day of the Auction, Saturday, June 4, will feature the cuisine of two Napa Valley food superstars, Cindy Pawlcyn (Mustards Grill, Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, and Go Fish) and Michael Chiarello (Bottega Napa Valley and NapaStyle—not to mention shows on Food Network and PBS).
Chef Pawlcyn will prepare a picnic-style lunch on Meadowood's lawn right before the Live Auction, as bidders and vintners gear up for a festive afternoon to benefit local Napa Valley charities. As at her restaurants throughout the Valley, Cindy will draw from her renowned garden (located behind her restaurant Mustards Grill), serving the best products of the season--and the best foods to accompany Napa Valley white and light red wines. Indeed, Cindy's farm-to-(picnic) table fare will be matched by a "Long Cool Bar" of NVV member wines, chilled in galvanized troughs and poured by the vintners who made them.
After the Live Auction wraps up and the sun starts to go down, bidders, vintners, and other attendees will indulge in an al fresco dinner from Chef Chiarello. Michael promises to let out all the stops as he creates a meal that showcases the ingredients of the Napa Valley, grilling lamb on an open Asado-style barbecue. In the usual Auction Napa Valley custom, vintners will provide dozens of bottles of their own wines to accompany the family-style meal, served at long tables abutting the dance floor (yes, it's a dinner and dancing affair, and you can be sure Michael and Cindy will both be on the dance floor with the rest of the revelers as the stars come out).
Auction Napa Valley ticket packages range from $350 to $2500 per person. Tickets, which typically sell out quickly, go on sale March 31, 2011, at 8 am at www.napavintners.com/anv. First-time guests are encouraged to setup an online account in advance so as to have instant access to tickets when they go on sale.
About Auction Napa Valley
Auction Napa Valley is the most successful charity wine auction in the world and to date
has given nearly $100 million to scores of non-profit programs. The annual fundraiser is hosted by the Napa Valley Vintners. The auction was founded in 1981 under the vision of Robert and Margrit Mondavi and has grown to be a four-day celebration of wine, food and fundraising held the first weekend in June.
About the Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) is the non-profit trade association responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley appellation as the premier winegrowing region. From seven founding members in 1944, today the association represents 400 Napa Valley wineries and collectively is a leader in the world-wide wine industry. To learn more about our region and its legendary American wines, visit www.napavintners.com.
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Contact: Terry Hall, Communications Director 707-968-4217 thall@napavintners.com
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