Napa Valley Vintners presents Auction Napa Valley May 30th – June 2nd
By Matt Larson
The 39th Annual Auction Napa Valley is fast approaching! Four days of vintner-hosted parties await at the world’s only single-case auction of 100 or more lots that include tasting wine, directly with the winemakers, straight from the barrel.
An annual sell out, tickets are now on sale, so get them as soon as possible! Especially now that special guests Katy Perry and Ayesha Curry have been announced, this event is the real deal. If it’s already sold out by the time you read this, start planning for next year, as it gets bigger and better each and every time.
You’ll also find an e-auction, open to wine lovers and bidders anywhere in the world in case you like to party from afar. And to keep in tradition, the grand Live Auction Celebration will again be held on the grounds of the same place where it started, and it has always been at Meadowood Napa Valley’s luxurious resort.
Produced by Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), proceeds from Auction Napa Valley support a wide variety of nonprofits and strategic initiatives that focus on bettering community health and children’s education. To date, they have invested $185 million in Napa County’s nonprofit organizations since their inception in 1981.
From American Canyon to Calistoga, impacts have been made in communities throughout the entire county. Some of those organizations that have benefitted from this event include NapaLearns, helping school district staff adopt innovations necessary for the future of their students; Aim High, making sure kids stay focused and motivated during summer break and easing their transition into adolescence; ParentsCAN, providing free services for families raising a child with special needs—NVV via Auction Napa Valley has been a real playmaker for nonprofits in Napa County for one year shy of four decades, so this event is a great way to show your support.
Now that you know Auction Napa Valley is a benefit for not just one, but dozens of phenomenal local causes dedicated to the greater good … what’s to expect?
“The spectacular, natural beauty of Napa Valley, the warm hospitality of our vintners, untold opportunities to taste Napa Valley wines and food from many of Northern California’s most renowned chefs…” Communications Manager Cate Conniff explained. “Our main objective is to provide an extraordinary experience for our guests and to do as much good for our community as possible.”
Everyone that attends has a different take on what their “favorite” aspect of Auction Napa Valley would be, as there is so much to see and do over the course of the four-day fête. “The vibe is pretty electric, and it’s great to meet people who come to our small valley from all over the world,” Conniff added.
Popular facets include bidding on special wines during Friday’s Barrel Auction, spending one-on-one time with vintners and winemakers as they talk about their wines that you’d be enjoying right along with them, noshing down with the chefs that made said noshes, attending exquisitely conceived dinner parties for very small groups, kickin’ back with Katy Perry and Ayesha Curry (from a distance, most likely)—the list goes on and on when you consider the perks of attending the auction to end all auctions that is Auction Napa Valley.
So while you won’t necessarily be able to cheers a glass of vino with Katy Perry and discuss the ups and downs of the music business over a peaceful meal at Meadowood, she will be launching the spirited bidding at Saturday’s Live Auction Celebration accompanied by a presentation of some of her biggest hits.
The main event is indeed the Live Auction Celebration, held under the big tent at Meadowood Napa Valley where you can bid on the region’s finest wines, as well as some rare adventures and treasures that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
Following the main event, guests will meander over to the towering conifer-shaded lawn at Meadowood to find celebrity cook and author Ayesha Curry, along with chefs hailing from the award-winning restaurant group of the Michael Mina family. Here, they will be cooking up some savory dishes over open flames that are sure to surprise and delight.
Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) is sponsoring the event, which is a nonprofit trade association that has been “cultivating excellence since 1944.” It consists of 550 members who produce some of the highest-quality, most-consistent wines in the Napa Valley.
This year marks NVV’s 75th anniversary. To commemorate such a milestone, 30 past board of director chairs will be coming together to serve as the honorary co-chairs of Auction Napa Valley. Louis M. Martini is one of the seven founding members of NVV, so for the big 7-5 the Friday Barrel Auction—the first major event of Auction Napa Valley—will be held at the newly restored Louis M. Martini Winery, leading many to refer to this night as somewhat of a homecoming. Positivity will be flowing through all parts of this event, especially since it’s all for such great causes, which is a much longer story than we mentioned above…
When the new school year began last fall, NVV awarded $2.5 million to children’s education in Napa County. They also donated an additional $4 million in capital expenditures to help build two new Boys & Girls Clubs facilities on each end of the county (one being in American Canyon and the other in Calistoga, both having opened in 2018).
OLE Health, the largest recipient of NVV funding, is one of Napa County’s only nonprofit health clinics. OLE practices a new model of healthcare where each patient works with a dedicated team of medical professionals to get the range of services they need, when and where they need them. One in five Napa County residents utilize it.
Supporting such a range of local nonprofits all at once is made possible only by the Napa Valley Vintners’ Auction Napa Valley. The event is to be held from May 30th through June 2nd. Ticket package options and plenty of additional information are available at auctionnapavalley.org. Prices can range from as low as $150 per person to attend the Saturday after party, to as high as $20,000 per couple for the full VIP experience.
There is indeed something for everyone at Auction Napa Valley; however, again, they sell out every year, so head online now to make sure you don’t miss out. You can also call (707) 963-3388 or email reception3@napavintners.com. Happy bidding! And tasting, and/or spitting if you’re driving.
Larson is an actor/comedian/director from Vallejo who lives a double life between the Bay and LA. When he’s not writing for Local Happenings Magazine he could be editing a short film or working on his next rap album—who knows!
Keep up with all things Larson at www.MarsLegstrong.com.”
