Renowned Winemaker Véronique Boss-Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhin and Domaine Drouhin Oregon Named Naples Winter Wine Festival Honored Vintner

The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, announced that it will celebrate renowned Burgundy and Oregon winemaker Véronique Boss-Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhinand Domaine Drouhin Oregon as its Honored Vintner at the 24^thannual Naples Winter Wine Festival on January 26-28, 2024.

Drouhin grew up in Beaune, France, in the heart of Burgundy. She decided on a winemaking career at an early age, inspired by her family and the small circle of women working in wine at the time. In the years since, she has become globally recognized for her work in Burgundy and Oregon, having made more than 30 vintages in each growing region, becoming an icon in both.

Today, Drouhin continues to make every wine for Domaine Drouhin Oregon, the winery that the family established in the Willamette Valley. In Burgundy, her title is “Guardian of the Drouhin Palate,” which makes her responsible for maintaining the Drouhin style and sensibility in every wine that the family produces, many of which are classified as Premier Crus and Grand Crus.

As the Festival’s 2024 Honored Vintner, Drouhin will be recognized for her significant contributions to the wine industry and help set the stage for a weekend of unique, one-of-a-kind wine and culinary experiences alongside an impressive line-up of other internationally acclaimed vintners, chefs and featured sommeliers hailing from the United States, France and Italy.

“It is extremely flattering for me to be named as the Honored Vintner for the 2024 Naples Winter Wine Festival, which attracts wine enthusiasts and loyal supporters from all over the world,” Drouhin said. “Having participated in eight previous festivals, I have witnessed firsthand the generosity and good work that it produces to support underprivileged and at-risk children.”

Drouhin chose the path of oenology at the University of Dijon and was the only woman in her class of 1985. Her education took her to Bordeaux and naturally to the family estate, where she worked alongside pioneering oenologist/winemaker Laurence Jobard as well as to Oregon to write a new chapter in the Drouhin family’s history. She carried out her first “personal” winemaking in 1988 at the then recently acquired Domaine Drouhin Oregon, under her father’s ownership.

“Founded in 1880, Maison Joseph Drouhin is one of the world’s most respected wine-producing names and remains a full-fledged family operation with Véronique serving as Head Winemaker for all wine projects,” said 2024 NWWF Chair Ralph Stayer. “Her participation as our Honored Vintner builds excitement for what promises to be an exhilarating Naples Winter Wine Festival.”

With the theme “Generosity in Full Bloom,” the 2024 Naples Winter Wine Festival returns to The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón showcasing the finest wines, exquisite cuisine and incredible auction lots to benefit children in need in Collier County. Preparations for another outstanding Festival are already well underway under the leadership of the 2024 NWWF Chairs Shelly and Ralph Stayer.

Festival guests will once again join in this charitable mission in 2024 as they bid on incredible, one-of-a-kind experiences during the famed live auction, part of a weekend that will also feature intimate dinners in elegant, private homes and settings showcasing world-class food and wine.

Ticket packages for the 24^th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival start at $17,500 per couple for a Double Magnum package and $40,000 for two couples to experience a Jeroboam Package. For additional information, please visit: napleswinefestival.com/about-the-festival.

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 elegant, private homes and settings throughout Naples 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 NWWF has raised approximately $269 million, making a profound difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.

About Naples Children & Education Foundation

The Naples Children & Education Foundation, 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 60 of the most effective nonprofits in the community, providing more than 300,000 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.

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