Imagine the possibilities – January 2015

travel imagineThe 2015 Naples Winter Wine Festival promises to be yet another unforgettable weekend featuring the very best of the world’s wine and food. In just a few weeks, guests will mingle with over forty of the most talented and respected vintners in the world, traveling to Naples from
three dozen wineries in 15 global wine-producing regions, five countries and two continents. They will also dine on award winning food prepared by 18 all-star chefs who collectively boast 23 James Beard awards.

Of course, the highlight every year is the exhilarating live auction, providing guests with the exclusive opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind auction lots found nowhere else in the world, including a 10 day trip through Florence, Venice and Istanbul based on Dan Brown’s “Inferno;” a tour of Gettysburg with legendary filmmaker Ken Burns; an around the world tour in a private jet; and much more.

If you’re unable to attend the Festival this year, you don’t have to miss out! For the first time ever, the Naples Winter Wine Festival is hosting a special online auction, which opens on Monday, January 12 and closes at 8:00pm on Saturday, January 24; the night of the live auction.

The whole community is invited to bid on an array of exclusive online auction items, including exceptional wines, unique fine art, jewelry and fashion, intimate dining experiences, and amazing travel adventures. Even if you are planning on attending the Festival, the online auction is a great way to get in the know early – or bid on items you won’t have a chance to bid on under the tent!

art imagineHere are just a few of the amazing items available through the online auction:

  • Win a two-night stay at The Viceroy in Santa Monica for the ultimate Hollywood package: two VIP tickets to a taping of Jimmy Kimmel LIVE and a backstage pass to meet the comedian. After the taping, enjoy dinner at the new hot spot Republique, where the menu will be specially
    paired with PROMISE wines. The winner will also receive one six-liter bottle of PROMISE Cabernet Sauvignon – the equivalent of eight bottles!
  • Experience wine country at its finest by spending the day with the Donelan family in Sonoma County to visit their boutique winery. Enjoy an alfresco lunch, special barrel tasting with Joe Donelan and his winemaker, bottle tasting of their ten-wine portfolio, and a private dinner with the winemakers at Bistro Ralph in Healdsburg, CA. Dinner will be paired with prized wines from the family’s personal cellar.
  • Travel halfway across the world for a luxury Singita safari adventure in Tanzania. See wildlife in their natural surroundings  accompanied by experienced guides. This is the ultimate experience for anyone who loves animals and yearns to see the natural beauty of some of the most fertile grazing grounds on Earth.
  • Add to your personal art collection with a custom framed print by artist Kim Keever, famous for his aquatic abstract expressionism. Keever’s art is exhibited at the Thomas Riley Studio in Naples, which generously donated the piece, and in museums and galleries throughout the United States and abroad.
  • Dine in style at a unique and rare French inspired dinner and wine experience for 8 to 10 people in the private dining room of one of Naples’ finest Italian restaurants, Sea Salt, prepared by Chef/Owner Fabrizio Aielli. The winner will also receive a special collection of French wines.
  • Enjoy the ultimate shopping experience at the Village on Venetian Bay. The package includes a hair appointment for you and three girlfriends at Robert of Philadelphia, private shopping experiences at some of the village’s finest shops, lunch at M Waterfront Grille, a sunset boat ride, dinner at Bayside Seafood Grill & Bar, and more.

imagine photoFor a complete list of online auction items, and to bid once the online auction opens, please visit www.napleswinefestival.com.

If you’d like to purchase tickets to the Naples Winter Wine Festival, please contact Barrett Farmer at 239.514.2239 or  barrett@napleswinefestival.com to inquire whether tickets are still available.

Festival tickets start at $8,500 per couple, and include a $20,000 package with reserved seating for a party of four at the same vintner dinner and at the live auction.

The unforgettable weekend of wine and food all supports a great cause. Since its inception, the Festival has raised more than $123 million dollars to support its founding organization, the Naples Children & Education Foundation, whose annual grants and initiatives have provided nearly 200,000 children with the services and resources they need to excel.

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