One-of-a-Kind Auction Items Will Dazzle at 2016 Naples Winter Wine Festival

Naples, FL – August 18, 2015 – Imagine winning an exclusive dinner with country music superstar Martina McBride, or a private tour of Versailles followed by a rare dinner in the apartments of Louis XV. How about engraved bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Staglin Family Vineyard Estate, a family-owned Napa Valley winery devoted to organic winemaking, plus a once-in-a-lifetime “behind-the-scenes” trip to Chile and Argentina to explore their burgeoning wine regions? These lots and more will be among the many spectacular offerings auctioned off at the 2016 Naples Winter Wine Festival, taking place from January 28-31, 2016 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida. These exclusive items, otherwise unavailable to the general public, have been generously donated to support children in need.

“The heart and pulse of the Naples Winter Wine Festival is the live auction, and our amazing team has assembled some of the most exciting auction lots we’ve ever seen,” said Tom Moran, Co-Chair of the 2016 Festival. “Guests who attend the Festival will have the chance to bid on experiences that can’t be purchased anywhere else, all while raising money for children in need. That’s what it’s all about.”

Since its inception in 2001, the Naples Winter Wine Festival’s live auctions have raised more than $135 million to support the Festival’s founding organization, the Naples Children & Education Foundation, which gives out annual grants that have provided more than 200,000 children with the services and resources they need to excel.

Among the many stand-out auction items donated by participating vintners is the “Judgment of Paris,” created in commemoration of the 40^th anniversary of the event that catapulted California wines onto the world stage. The winning bidder will receive large format bottles of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Chateau Montelena, the two wineries that bested the top French wines during this legendary tasting, signed by the original participants, and will enjoy private tours and tastings at both estates.

The incredible travel experiences available at the 2016 live auction include a trip to Florence to visit the Fratelli Piccini showroom – one of the most storied Italian luxury jewelry brands –to receive a custom piece of fine jewelry; a week-long cruise along the Burgundy canal in France complete with private tastings at Burgundy’s most renowned wineries; and a trip to  Southeast Asia aboard Singapore Airlines’ Suites Class, the most luxurious class of flying commercially available, plus a spectacular journey throughout Asia and Japan on a private jet.

Other one-of-a-kind auction items include, among others:

• A trip to New York City for a private dinner with a Broadway star, plus tickets and backstage passes to their show
• Two 12-liter bottles of Grace Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, both etched and hand-painted with the logos of the 2015 Naples Winter Wine Festival beneficiaries
• One-of-a-kind, custom engraved rings from Master Goldsmith Christoph Wellendorff, in addition to magnums of Hamel Family Wines and a trip to Sonoma Valley, among other stops, to enjoy a private tour, tasting and dinner at the Hamel Family Estate
• Private access to Bulgari’s High Jewelry Event and a private preview of Bulgari’s latest High Jewelry Collection
• 14 nights aboard The World, the largest privately owned residential yacht on Earth

Festival attendees will also have the opportunity to enjoy meals prepared by some of the top celebrity chefs in the country, including this year’s Chef de Cuisine, Rick Tramonto, and taste wines selected from the world’s best vintners, all during an unforgettable weekend of food, wine and philanthropy.

Ticket packages to this year’s Naples Winter Wine Festival, limited to 580 guests, start at $10,000 per couple. A $25,000 package that includes reserved seating for a party of four under the tent at a vintner dinner is also available. For more information about the Festival, please visit napleswinefestival.com or call 888-837-4919. A complete list of 2016 auction items will be posted on the website in November.

About the Naples Winter Wine Festival

The Naples Winter Wine Festival is one of the world’s most prestigious charity wine auctions, bringing together renowned vintners and chefs with wine enthusiasts and philanthropists for a three-day Festival that raises millions of dollars for underprivileged and at-risk children. Every dollar raised under the tent funds the Festival’s founding organization, the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), whose annual grants and strategic initiatives have provided more than 200,000 children with the services and resources they need to excel.  For more information, please visit napleswinefestival.com.