The Soul of Napa Valley

Auction Napa Valley is more than just your typical wine festival. Sure, much like a typical festival, auction-goers get to imbibe their fair share of the fruits of the region and dine on expertly paired cuisine over the course of the weekend, but there are some key differences that set this celebration of wine apart from all others.

First, the setting. While the sands of Miami’s South Beach or the mountains of Denver, Colorado, may be pretty savory settings for trying out a montage of wines and cuisine, nothing compares to enjoying the nectar of the gods in the same place the grapes were transformed into splendid wines.

Second, the hosts. Auction Napa Valley provides an opportunity to personally connect with the people and personalities behind your favorite Napa Valley wines, who open their homes, estates, and vineyards for private gatherings. Numbers are kept small to ensure an intimate experience.

And, finally, the cause. ANV is put together by the Napa Valley Vintners, a non-profit trade association whose mission is to promote and protect the winegrowing region. The association regularly hosts a number of initiatives, including educational programs, barrel auctions, and writer symposiums, and Auction Napa Valley is its annual fundraising event. Since its premiere in 1981, ANV has given $90 million to support area programs, including healthcare, youth services, and affordable housing.

Quick Stats

Dates: Thursday, June 3 to Sunday, June 6

The Events

Thursday: Welcome to Napa Valley Bidder Dinner Parties with the Vintners

Friday: Taste Napa Valley and Friday Night in Napa Valley, during which vintners welcome guests into their estates for private dinners

Saturday: Live Auction Lot Preview and Pre-Auction Lunch on the Lawn, followed by the Live Auction then the Post-Auction Dinner & Party

Sunday: Farewell Fête & Announcement of Results

Ticket Categories

• Four-Day Package ($2,500 per person)

All-access to all of the auction

• Three-Day Package ($1,000 per person)

Thursday, Friday, and Sunday’s events,  but you miss the big shebang—the Live Auction itself, held Saturday (although ticket holders do get a bidding number for the Barrel and E-Auctions).

• Taste Napa Valley ($250)

Friday’s daytime event at Rubicon and bidding number for Barrel & E-Auctions. It’s a popular event, and tickets sold out months ago.

Safety First

There’s a whole lotta drinking going on, so rely on one of these services to get around:

• Magnum Wine Tours (www.magnumwinetours.com; 707.753.0088)

• Pure Luxury Transportation (www.pureluxury.com; 800.626.5466)

• Beau Wine Tours (www.beauwinetours.com; 800.387.2328)

Where to Stay

The hotels book up weeks in advance, so be sure to secure your room now. Calistoga Ranch (www.calistogaranch.com; 707.254.2800) is offering special rates for patrons of ANV, and a slew of local properties are patrons of the event, including:

• Auberge du Soliel

• Meadowood Napa Valley

• The Meritage Resort of Napa

• Villagio Inn & Spa/Vintage Inn

The Details

Thursday, June 3

“Welcome to Napa Valley” Bidder Dinner Parties with the Vintners.

Those who opt for the three- or four-day package options receive invites from around 20 different vintners throughout Napa Valley to join them at their estates and wineries in celebrations that range from relaxed to formal. While last year, Thursday night’s gathering was more of a block party where guests were free to roam between events, this year, upon ticket purchase, auction-goers RSVP’d their preferences for both Thursday and Friday night’s private dinners.

Haute Highlights

For the Haute: An Evening @ CADE Estate Winery

For the second year, Haute Living will join CADE Estate Winery for an event to kick off Auction Napa Valley weekend. While not an official part of the auction (meaning it wasn’t one of the invites sent to three- and four-day ticket holders), the purpose is to honor CADE’s recent LEED Gold certification. Guests will enjoy wines paired with cuisine from Morimoto Restaurant, while checking out eye candy in the forms of models donning Max Mara fashions, and autos by electric supercar-maker Tesla.

For the Connoisseurs: Dinner @ Bond

Bill and Deborah Harlan will host 20 guests to enjoy wines from BOND’s impressive library paired with a unique culinary experience. It is guaranteed to be one of the most highly coveted invites of the evening, so be sure to have a back-up in mind.

For the Lovers: Kiss the Cooks! @ Peju

Herta and Lisa Peju—two fantastic women who embody the spirit of Napa Valley— will host “Kiss the Cook,” a theme that will be brought to life by celebrity chef Juan-Carlos Cruz and leading aphrodisiac foods authority Amy Reiley. The duo will use the opportunity to debut their new book, The Love Diet, and guests will dine on plates designed to inspire sensuality and spark romance, paired with wines from Peju’s portfolio.

For the Winemakers: The Votes Are In! @ Conn Creek Winery

Being billed as a combination of The Winemaker Reality Show and Top Chef, guests will create their very own Napa Valley cabernet blends, which will be judged by top media hosts. While a “fabulous grand prize” awaits the maker of the best blend, all 40 guests are sure to enjoy a fantastic evening.

For the Foodie: Chef’s Table with Gary Danko @ Darioush

Twenty guests will relish in hearing the tale of celebrated Chef Gary Danko’s culinary journey while indulging in a meal of small plates paired with rare vintages from Darioush’s cellar.

For the Green: Celebrate Sustainable Cuisine @ HALL Rutherford

Former U.S. Ambassador to Austria and owner of HALL Wines Kathryn Hall will welcome 25 guests to experience the local bounty of Napa Valley. The dinner, set in the HALL Rutherford cave, will feature seasonal sustainable cuisine paired with hand-crafted, limited-production wines from the HALL Artisan Collection.

Other options

Bocce Ball & BBQ @ Celani Family Vineyards; Progressive Wine & Food Pairing Adventure @ Cuvaison Estate Wines; Casual BBQ in the Vineyards @ Kenefick Ranch Winery; Relax! Howell Mountain Style @ Neal Family Vineyards; Datenight @ Phifer Pavitt Wine; Sunset Splendor @ Rocca Family Vineyards; Decadance With a Wink @ Swanson Vineyards; Third Annual Hoedown @ Tetra; Dinner and a Movie in the Vineyards @ The Grade Cellars; Wild West Cookout @ The Terraces; Forever Tango @ Viader Vineyards.

Friday, June 4

Taste Napa Valley

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rubicon Estate, Rutherford

The event name is taken quite literally, as more than 2,000 people gather to taste the best of Napa Valley’s wines and restaurants. Francis Ford Coppola’s historic Rubicon Estate will provide the majestic backdrop for the 2010 Taste, and more than 100 local vintners serve as the day’s hosts, pouring their finest releases to revelers. They are joined by dozens of restaurateurs, chefs, and artisans who hold court in the outdoor marketplace. Inside, guests can peruse the E-Auction lots and place last-minute bids (the E-Auction started online weeks before the event), and also check out the Barrel Tasting & Auction, where bids are placed on still-aging wines.

Friday Night in Napa Valley

The vintners will once again open their doors and welcome guests into their estates for dinner experiences like no other.

Haute Highlights

A French-Inspired Napa Valley Experience @ Vineyard 7 & 8

Following a tour of the caves and a barrel tasting of future wines, 16 guests will indulge in a five-course meal from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon restaurant while taking in the spectacular sunset from the top of Spring Mountain.

Decadent Dining in the Caves @ Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars

Stag’s Leap is an integral part of the history of Napa Valley; when it’s 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon won the Judgment of Paris, it put the wine region on the international map. For this experience, Stag’s Leap winemaker will be digging into the cellar to bring out some of the best vintages while also providing tastings of yet-to-be-released wines. The 20 guests also will enjoy truffles, caviar, and other delicacies prepared by Chef Ken Frank of La Toque.

What We Give @ Opus One

An evening at Opus One is certainly cause to break out the good stuff, which 20 guests will do for this black-tie event—the only formal gathering of the evening, which includes a five-course dinner paired with five vintages from Opus One’s cellars.

Dinner @ Harlan Estate

This is your opportunity to experience the wines that Wine Enthusiast awarded a perfect 100 points. Bill and Deborah Harlan will welcome 14 guests for an intimate evening of elegant cuisine and “more than a couple” of vintages from their celebrated cellar.

Other options

Dinner @ Araujo Estate Wines; Evening of Romance @ Bialla Vineyards; An Evening @ Blackbird Vineyards; Sunset Spectacular @ CADE Estate Winery; A Perfect Blend @ Colgin Cellars; A Constant Soiree @ Constant; A “Wild” Table Under the Stars @ Continuum Estate; A Cornicopia of Flavors: From Farm to Table @ Covenant; Dinner @ Dalla Valle Vineyards; A Casual Evening @ Diamond Creek Vineyards; Big Night @ Gargiulo Vineyards; Hedonism @ JP Harbison; Caviste Affair @ Lokoya; A Meteor Lands in Napa @ Meteor Vineyard; An Evening with M by Michael Mondavi @ The Michael Mondavi Family; An Evening of Unrestrained Reserve @ O’Brien Estate; Convivium @ Ovid Napa Valley; Cave Dweller’s Dinner @ Porter Family Vineyards; A Platinum Anniversary @ Pride Mountain Vineyards; Evening @ Sabina Vineyards; June, Moon, Spoon @ Shafer Vineyards; An Epic Night to Remember @ Staglin Family Vineyard; Estate Property Dinner @ Whitehall Lane Winery; Historical Perspective @ William Cole Vineyards; Dinner in the Gardens @ Wolf Family Vineyards.

Saturday, June 5

Live Auction Lot Preview and Pre-Auction Lunch on the Lawn

Things are being done a little differently this year. In the past, full-package guests enjoyed a Day in Napa Valley on Saturday, with lunch at various vineyards, but for 2010, all of the day’s events have been centralized to Meadowood Napa Valley, the birthplace of the auction 29 years ago. From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., guests will preview the 40 mega-lots specially selected by a jury for the Live Auction. On the lawn, lunch will be prepared by 11 acclaimed gentleman chefs hailing from around the nation.

Live Auction

Following the preview, guests will gather in the main tent for the highlight of the weekend: the Live Auction. From 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., paddles will be flying as guests try to outbid each other for some pretty impressive packages donated by vineyards, sponsors, and patrons.

Haute Highlights

Napa Valley Vintners: Fund a Need

Support vital local programs that give children the building blocks to lead healthy, productive lives. Bids fund healthcare, educational programs, provide mentors, child advocates and home nurse visits, and more.

B Cellars: Hook, Line, & Sinker

Four days/three nights at Talon Lodge, Alaska’s premier fishing lodge on an eight-acre private island with B Cellars owner/winemaker Jim Borsack.

Alpha Omega: U.S. Open Pebble Beach or AT&T Pro-AM

After a night in Rutherford, four guests will hop a private jet to Pebble Beach, where they will spend five days and four nights being treated like royalty (read: being carted around in a limousine, yachting on the USS Omega, unlimited golfing, four-course wine dinners, and VIP access to either the U.S. Open in 2010 or the AT&T Pro-AM in 2011).

Casa Piena: Super Bowl 2011

Tickets for four to the Super Bowl at Dallas Cowboy Stadium, complete with passes to the Commissioner’s Party and the NFL Gala, along with an afternoon event with NFL greats, and a pre-game tailgate—Napa Valley style.

Frank Family Vineyards and Promise: All in the Family

This is your chance to be a star: one lucky winner gets a walk-on role on ABC’s All in the Family. This package comes complete with three nights at the Four Seasons, Beverly Hills, followed by a three-night stay at Esperanza, an Auberge Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Post-Auction Dinner & Party

After working up an appetite by waiving around their paddles, guests’ will be satiated by a fine dining experience courtesy of a collection of lady chefs. During the meal, each table will be hosted by a vintner. The magical evening will conclude with dancing under the stars.

Sunday, June 6

Farewell Fête & Announcement of Results

Don’t worry—it’s not over yet. Gather with your newfound friends from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Vintners Glen at Meadowood Napa Valley for more food and more wine, making your trip back home that much more enjoyable. And don’t be late—at 10:30 a.m., the Napa Valley Vintners will announce how much was raised over the course of the auction to support local programs. It is a fitting way to end such a magical weekend.