Naples Winter Wine Festival Online Auction Returns for 8th Consecutive Year

Naples Winter Wine Festival Online Auction Returns for 8^th Consecutive Year, Featuring a Vast Array of Incredible Experiences in Food, Wine and Travel

The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF),is pleased to announce that its popular online auction will once again return for this year, allowing supporters from across Southwest Florida and beyond to bid on nearly 100 unique, one-of-a-kind food, wine and travel experiences.

Artist Amy Heuerman

Since its launch in 2015, the NWWF online auction has provided additional participation opportunities to the community as well as bidders and supporters nationwide, raising more than $2.1 million to benefit underprivileged children in Collier County. The online auction gives bidders the chance to support NCEF by bidding on items such as rare collectible wines, private wine tastings, over-the-top dinners with top chefs, exotic travel experiences, custom art, golf and more.

“Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our donors, we have been able to assemble some truly remarkable, one-of-a-kind auction lots that will attract 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 online auction lot highlights include:

• An Evening with Continuum and Tim and Carissa Mondavi in Naples (Lot 101):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.
• Tommy Bahama Custom Barrel Aged to Perfection (Lot 200): One (1) lucky bidder will receive a Tommy Bahama custom cask barrel with their choice of straight bourbon whiskey, rye whiskey or rum, aged to perfection. Tommy Bahama Spirits, distilled by the Coral Cay Beverage Group, is the result of a decade in development and embraces the easygoing style of island life. The custom cask barrel will hold the equivalent of 120 bottles, andwhen aged to perfection the bottles filled from the barrel will be awarded to the winner.
• Italian Dining in the Music City with Chef Tony Mantuano (Lot 304): One (1) couple will enjoy a special night in Nashville, Tennessee, with accommodations in a Deluxe Guest Room at The Joseph, a Luxury Collection Hotel, and an eight-course chef’s table experience with wine pairings inside the kitchen of Yolan. After experiencing Mantuano’s stunning dishes like cavatelli with sheep’s milk and crispy sausage, trout with Castelluccio lentils and wild boar with preserved mushrooms, the couple will believe they are in Italy.
• Mountain Retreat – Linville Ridge Country Club (Lot 602): Three (3) couples will enjoy five (5) 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.
• Reclaiming the Everglades: Nighttime Python Hunt and purse by BSWANKY (Lot 900): Two (2) guests will adventure out on a night hunt in the Everglades with Professional Python Hunter Amy Siewe to catch invasive Burmese pythons. Native to Southeast Asia, the non-venomous Burmese python is one of the largest species of snakes and has overtaken the Everglades in recent years. Siewe is contracted by the South Florida Water Management District to capture and euthanize the snakes. This experience includes aBSWANKY “Windley” shoulder bag in silver/platinum color that was featured on the NBC Python Hunting Comedy Series Killing It. The purse is a beautiful python purse by BSWANKY, which has artisans that are known for their incredible craftsmanship where they combine a balance of innovation and tradition ensuring every handbag is the highest quality.
• Original Painting: “Bliss” by Amy Moglia Heuerman (Lot 702): One (1) lucky bidder will win the 48” x 48” framed seascape canvas painting donated by the acclaimed local artist and philanthropist. “Bliss” is a piece inspired by the burst of joy upon returning to Naples for the season and the warm greeting from the community. Although it is an abstract floral painting, the bouquet is clearly visible in a clean and pure palette, with vibrant and varied colors. The acrylic seascape painting comes framed on stretch canvas.

Those interested in participating in the online auction are invited to go to nwwfonlineauction.comto bid high and bid often starting on Friday, January 21 at 8 a.m. (EST) until Tuesday, February 1 at 5 p.m. (EST).

With the theme “Rise Up: Twenty Twenty Twogether,” the NWWF will return to The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples on January 28-30, 2022, highlighting the finest food, wine and incredible live auction lots. This year’s event marks the 22^nd anniversary, impacting more than 50 of the most effective nonprofit organizations in the local community and providing more than 275,000 at-risk and underprivileged children with the essential services and resources they need to excel.

For additional information on the Naples Children & Education Foundation or the 2022 Naples Winter Wine Festival and/or related news, please visit NaplesWineFestival.com.

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 NWWF has raised nearly $220 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 more than 50 of the most effective nonprofits in the community, providing more than 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.