2022 Naples Winter Wine Festival Online Auction Raises More Than $631,000

2022 Naples Winter Wine Festival Online Auction Raises More Than $631,000

This brings total NWWF online auction proceeds to nearly$2.8 million since inception

in 2015 in support of the mission of the Naples Children & Education Foundation

The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF), announced that its eighth annual online auction was another tremendous success, bringing in $631,529. This year’s online auction proceeds bring the total amount raised through the online auction to nearly $2.8 million since its inception in 2015.

The online auction drew bidders from across the country, giving them the chance to bid on over 100 incredible auction lots, including rare collectible wines, virtual wine tastings, over-the-top dinners with top chefs, virtual performances, custom art, luxury sunset cruises, golf and more.

“Through the generosity of our donors, we were able to once again assemble some truly remarkable, one-of-a-kind auction lots that attracted bidders in all price ranges,” said Debbi Cary, co-chair of the NWWF Online Auction Committee. “In just eight years, the online auction has grown to become an integral part of the Naples Winter Wine Festival with every dollar supporting the mission of NCEF to improve the lives of underprivileged and at-risk children in Collier County.”

This year’s top online bid was$200,000 for “NCEF Golf Fore Kids Pro-Am Buy-A-Spot”:20 golfers bid $10,000 each for the chance to play in the 2^nd Annual Pro-Am at The Old Collier Golf Club on Monday, May 9, 2022. This exclusive event will be hosted by fan favorite Peter Jacobsen and several Pro friends, including Curtis Strange, Bobby Clampett and Kris Tamulis. This one-of-a kind experience will include a casual outdoor lunch and clinic on the Driving Range, an 18-hole golf tournament with the Pros, a wine reception and dinner prepared by Old Collier’s Chef, a special acoustic performance by “The Voice” finalist Ben Allen, team photos and more. A limited number of additional spots are available for purchase by calling the NCEF office at 239-514-2239.

Additional online auction highlights included:

 $15,500 for “Sleep Like a King”: One lucky bidder will receive a handmade-to-order King Size Vispring Tiara Superb Mattress and a Sovereign Box Spring. Known as the world’s finest and most luxurious mattress, the Vispring Tiara Superb is made of heirloom-quality from some of the most indulgently plush materials available in the world. The construction blends Shetland wool with organic Turkish cotton and hand-teased long-strand Austrian horsehair to create a mattress that fits each individual body like a piece of tailored clothing.

• $12,000 for “An Evening with Continuum and Tim and Carissa Mondavi in Naples”: Four (4) couples will get an insider’s glimpse into one of Napa Valley’s celebrated winemaking families with a private dinner at the local home of Jacki and Max Guinn. The Mondavis will pour wines and explain how and why they carried their family legacy into the second and third generations. Continuum is an award-winning wine producer which focuses on a single, proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot.
• $12,000 for “Chef Nancy Oakes”: Up to 12 guests will enjoy an exclusive private dining experience, paired with 100-point wines, with Chef Nancy Oakes in a suite at Boulevard Restaurant in San Francisco. For more than three decades, Oakes has been at the top of the San Francisco dining scene. Her first restaurant, L’Avenue, opened in 1988 and focused on creating extraordinary American food in casual surroundings. She closed L’Avenue in 1993 to open Boulevard, an acclaimed restaurant at the foot of San Francisco’s Bay Bridge that has earned Michelin Stars and a James Beard Award for Oakes as “Best Chef: California.”
• $12,000 for “The Imperial Bottle of Château Palmer”: One winning bidder will receive a rare six-Liter bottle of 2015 Château Palmer. Dating to the mid-18^th century, Château Palmer is one of the great estates of Margaux. Ranked as a Third Growth in the Classification of 1855, the wine typifies the combination of power and elegance that marks Bordeaux at its best. The 2015 Château Palmer is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. It received 98 points from Robert Parker and a perfect 100-point score from James Suckling, who claimed the wine left him “breathless” and felt that while it could be enjoyed now, it also had “the structure to last forever.” This Imperial bottle is the equivalent of eight standard 750-ml bottles.
• $10,200 for “Mountain Retreat – Linville Ridge Country Club”: Three couples will enjoy five nights’ accommodations in a luxury cottage at Linville Ridge Country Club in North Carolina. While there, they will enjoy full membership privileges, including golf on the highest elevation golf course east of the Mississippi River and activities around the clubhouse, including tennis, bocce, bridge, croquet or pickleball. A waiver of greens fees and a personal house account for dining and other incidental charges are included.
• $9,000 for “B.B. King and Eric Clapton Signed Guitar”: One winner will receive a Godin Double Cut Hollow Electric Guitar signed with a felt tip pen in a cursive style by two of the 20^th century’s greatest artists, B.B. King and Eric Clapton. Robert Godin began making guitars in rural Quebec out of a passion for music and craftsmanship and now, 46 years later, his sons continue the legacy. This priceless piece of music history includes a Letter of Authenticity Certification, which is marked with a Numeric Certification Number.

This year marked the 22^nd anniversary of the NWWF, impacting over 50 of the most effective nonprofit organizations in the community and providing over 275,000 at-risk and underprivileged children with the essential services and resources they need to excel. An amazing lineup of the world’s most acclaimed vintners, chefs and Master Sommeliers hailing from seven different countries set the stage for a weekend of unique, one-of-a-kind wine and culinary experiences.

During the live auction, festival guests were inspired to bid high and often on 43 incredible auction lots, many of which included exceptional wine lots from some of the most revered vineyards across the globe, hitting a record of over $23 million for underserved children in Collier County. This brings the total raised by the NWWF to nearly $245 million since its inception in 2001.

Using the funds raised from this year’s Festival, NCEF will award grants to local organizations and fund strategic initiatives supporting Collier County children in need on March 14, 2022.

For additional information on the Naples Children & Education Foundation or the Naples Winter Wine Festival, please contact Lisa Juliano at lisa@napleswinefestival.com or 239-514-2239.

*Please note donations are still coming in and bids are being certified.

 About Naples Winter Wine Festival

The Naples Winter Wine Festival, one of the world’s most prestigious charity wine auctions, offers a weekend of unforgettable memories. Guests enjoy world-class food and wine during intimate dinners in private homes and are invited to bid on once-in-a-lifetime travel and wine experiences during an electrifying live auction. Since its inaugural event in 2001, the Festival has raised nearly $245 million, making a profound difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.

 About Naples Children & Education Foundation

The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, is improving the educational, emotional and health outcomes of underprivileged and at-risk children. Through its annual grants and strategic initiatives, NCEF has impacted more than 50 of the most effective nonprofits in the community, providing over 275,000 children with the services and resources they need to excel. NCEF’s unique approach, which emphasizes collaboration between organizations and bridges public and private resources, has become a blueprint for how to transform a community, one issue at a time.