News | January 28, 2025

Naples Winter Wine Festival Raises Over $34 Million

News | January 28, 2025

The 25th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF), one of the world’s leading charity wine auctions, reached new heights this weekend at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón raising more than $34 million to transform the lives of underprivileged children in Collier County.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF)

The Naples Winter Wine Festival is founded by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) dedicated to improving the educational, emotional, and health outcomes of underserved children. Supporting nearly 90 impactful nonprofits, NCEF has provided 350,000 children with essential resources and services. Since the festival’s inception in 2001, more than $336 million has been donated to NCEF with recent initiatives including the launch of the Collier CARES app in 2021, the re-opening of NCEF Early Childhood Development Center in 2024, and future initiatives for 2025 include establishing the NCEF Wellness Center in Immokalee and expanding integrated healthcare systems to community pediatricians’ offices.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF)

This year’s honorees included the saluted vintners Count Louis-Michel and Countess Constance Liger-Belair, proprietors of the esteemed Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair wine estate in Burgundy, France. Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, established Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair in 2000, reviving and stewarding family-owned vineyards with a legacy spanning over two centuries. The celebrated chef honored was Angelo Auriana, the visionary culinary artist behind The Factory Kitchen and BRERA Ristorante. Renowned for his mastery of seasonal California ingredients and traditional techniques, Auriana launched his first solo venture, Masque Ristorante, in 2003 with partner Niki Rivieccio at the prestigious La Borgata complex in El Dorado Hills. Later, as a co-founder of Factory Place Hospitality Group with Matteo Ferdinandi, Auriana expanded their acclaimed concepts to Las Vegas, introducing Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano and BRERA Osteria at the Venetian Resort on the iconic Las Vegas Strip.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF)

Prior to the live auction, attendees delighted in an array of small bites that doubled as culinary art in the Grand Tasting tent created by Chef Lerome Campbell, Chef Juan Carlos Zermeño, and Jesus Portocarrero from The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Chef Rahul Shetty, Chef Jared Young, and Yuya Sunagawa from The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, and Chef Sean Ellis from JW Marriott Marco Island. Dish highlights included grilled corn ribs with soy butter and corn husk miso soup, smothered blue crab with jumbo lump with Old Bay seasoning, sherry, and she-crab velouté with butter cracker crumble, roasted corn, and aged Gouda, alongside a selection of uniquely creative desserts including an Insta-worthy paella-sized apple pie with individual Granny Smith apples served in each slice. Guests paired these innovative dishes with an array of rare and sought-after wines both nationally and globally including the Pacific Northwest including 2022 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Napa and Sonoma including Staglin Family Vineyard Stagliano Estate Sangiovese 2022 and Rudd Oakville Estate Samantha’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhône featuring a 2008 Chateau Troplong Mondot, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru and 2011 Chateau Leoville-Las Cases ‘Grand Vin de Leoville’, Australia and New Zealand including the Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolás 2016, and more. Following sips and snacks, guests enjoyed an energetic and lively performance from the Gulf Coast High School Drum Line upping the anticipation of the coveted ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ 52 auction lot affair.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF)

The NWWF live auction showcased some of the most spectacular offerings in the event’s history. The auctions were announced by this year’s auctioneers: Lydia Fenet, a bestselling author and keynote speaker who has raised over $1 billion for nonprofits globally as the Principal Auctioneer and Global Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships at Christie’s Auction House alongside Humphrey Butler, a former auction house specialist with over twenty-two years’ experience in the international jewelry field working for both Christie’s and Sotheby’s.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF)

Guests bid passionately on 52 extraordinary lots, featuring rare wines, bespoke travel experiences, and culinary indulgences, including these top auction lots:

“Driving at the Speed of Bentley” ($1.7M): A 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible with Damson exterior and a bespoke Mulliner interior of white and Damson hides with silver piping was auctioned alongside a four-night VIP Bentley experience at Monterey Car Week (Aug 14–18, 2025). The trip includes first-class airfare, luxury stays at The Inn at Spanish Bay, VIP access to Bentley events at The Quail and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, exclusive receptions, and a round of golf with Bentley Americas’ President, Michael Rocco.

“Million Dollar Night of Music with Scotty McCreery” ($1M): Forty couples paid $25,000 each for a private acoustic concert by Scotty McCreery at Campiello in Naples, FL, on Dec 11, 2025. The evening featured a cocktail reception, dinner, and McCreery’s live performance.

“Million Dollar Meal…All for the Kids!” ($1M): Another 40 couples contributed $25,000 each for an exclusive Italian dinner at Bleu Provence, Naples, FL (Nov 18, 2025), curated by Celebrity Chef Angelo Auriana. The multi-course meal highlighted authentic Northern Italian cuisine.

“Set Sail Along the Croatian Coastline” ($850K): Four couples will embark on an eight-night yacht journey along Croatia’s coast (Jun 14–22 or Jul 19–27, 2025), flying one-way private or business class. The trip includes a luxury hotel stay in Dubrovnik or Split, seven nights aboard the 122-foot Navilux yacht, and a curated itinerary with gourmet dining and cultural excursions.

“The Art of Time with Staglin and Panerai” ($1.6M total): Two couples (sold twice at $800K each) will travel to Switzerland for Watches and Wonders (Apr 2026). The itinerary includes luxury stays in Geneva and Lausanne, private tours of Panerai Manufacture and Old Town Geneva, and curated wine and dining experiences. Exclusive gifts include a Panerai watch and a Staglin Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

“Meet Me on the Right Bank” ($800K): Five couples will spend five nights at Château Troplong Mondot in Bordeaux. The stay features private tastings, Michelin-starred dining, visits to neighboring Grand Cru Classé estates, and wellness activities including yoga and massages.

“Through the Centuries and Generations of Marchesi Antinori” ($750K): Two couples will enjoy an eight-night Italian wine journey through Antinori estates, with luxury stays in Florence, Chianti, Umbria, and Rome. Highlights include estate tours, Michelin-starred dining, and a rare Antinori wine collection.

Chef Dean Fearing

Photo Credit: Photos Courtesy of Louis Venne

The festival’s magic extended far beyond the auction tent. The weekend began with a pre-festival Vintage Cellar tasting and luncheon, honoring legendary Count Louis-Michel and Countess Constance Liger-Belair of Burgundy’s Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair and celebrity chef Angelo Auriana. On Friday, festival guests experienced the transformative power of their contributions during Meet the Kids Day, where heartfelt success stories illustrated the life-changing impact of NWWF’s initiatives. That evening, 20 acclaimed chefs including Dean Fearing, Chef and Owner of Fearing’s Restaurant, Cassidee Dabney, Executive Chef of The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Emeril Lagasse, Chef and Owner of The Emeril Group, and more along with esteemed vintners including Kelley and Jim Bailey of Knights Bridge Winery, Grace Evenstad of Domaine Serene and Château de la Crée, Shari and Garen Staglin of Staglin Family Vineyard, Cliff Lede of Cliff Lede Vineyards, and more. These talents joined forces to host intimate dinners in Naples’ most exquisite private homes and estates in Port Royal delivering world-class cuisine paired with exceptional, excitable wines for collectors and connoisseurs alike.

Chef Dean Fearing with his team and guests

Photo Credit: Photos Courtesy of Louis Venne

This year’s “Fund a Need” initiative, Fund the Future, generated over $5.8 million in direct donations, benefiting all seven of the Naples Children & Education Foundation’s strategic priorities, including early learning, healthcare, hunger, mental health, and vision. This essential funding plays a pivotal role in ensuring that Collier County’s most vulnerable children receive the comprehensive care they need to thrive. The total funds raised this year will be distributed to local nonprofits on March 17, 2025, furthering the Naples Winter Wine Festival’s tradition of creating a meaningful impact in the lives of Collier County children. After the live auction, attendees enjoyed a celebratory brunch on Sunday as the Naples Children & Education Foundation announced the trustees chairing next year’s event: Bill and Nena Beynon along with Ashley and Adam Gerry.

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