Auction Napa Valley Raises $15.7 Million for Local Nonprofits

Auction Napa Valley

Napa Valley’s most celebrated charity wine event had yet another fantastic weekend – raising $15.7 million for the local community, which is $1 million more than what was raised in 2016.

The 37th annual four-day fundraiser included most attendees favorite event -the barrel auction on Friday, as well as the live auction on Saturday at Meadowood Resort in Saint Helena. Members of Coppola’s filmmaking family served as the honorary chairs of the event, adding a touch of Hollywood glamour to an already luxurious event.

Meadowood Napa Valley has been the host venue every year since its inception in 1981. The bidding was vigorous inside the big white tent designed by Jenna Lam Events to feel like a 1930s nightclub, complete with a live jazz band and a nostalgic dance troupe.

The top single lot of the day was donated by Dalla Valle Vineyards and included a 6-liter bottle of the winery’s red wine blend ‘Maya,’ named for proprietor Naoko Dalla Valle’s daughter, and a week-long excursion with the Dalla Valles to some of their favorite spots in Naoko’s native Japan.

The day’s top fundraising lot from Colgin Cellars, including a horizontal collection of large format bottles of their 2007 wines combined with trips to Napa Valley and Champagne was tripled, raising a total of $2.1 million. The Antica Napa Valley – Antinori Family Wine Estate/Staglin Family Vineyard joint lot, featuring 10 large-format bottles of wine from the two vintners along with a luxurious, guided trip to Tuscany, was also tripled, bringing in $1.5 million.

Following the Live Auction, more than 900 guests moved to the fairway for an al-fresco dinner of Italian family favorites prepared by Francis Coppola himself, with support from local chefs John Sorensen along with Alejandro Ayala and the Meadowood events culinary team. After that, it was back to the big tent for dancing to a private performance by soul singer-songwriter Leon Bridges.

On Friday, 2,000 guests gathered at the Coppola’s historic Inglenook estate where, inside the winery’s caves, bidders tasted with winemakers and vied for the 108 lots, each selling as 10 single cases of current release Napa Valley wines. I’m happy to report that I had a winning bid on Red Mare’s lot made by Heidi Barrett. The top-selling lot came from The Mascot winery, raising $73,550. TOR Wines led electronic auction lots at $20,000.

Roman Coppola said: “Napa Valley is our family’s home and we’re grateful for the generosity of our bidders, fellow vintners, partners and donors, local chefs, volunteers and every member of the community that comes together to make Auction Napa Valley a success year after year.”

Proceeds from Auction Napa Valley benefit community health and children’s education programs. Last year alone, the lives of more than 100,000 clients of 27 different Napa County nonprofits were touched by Auction proceeds.

The next Auction Napa Valley is May 31-June 3, 2018 and will be chaired by The Mondavi Sisters of the Peter Mondavi Sr. Family. Tickets will go on sale in early February at auctionnapavalley.org.

If you’re interested in Napa Valley wine country properties, I have access to some extraordinary wineries, vineyards, estates and homes that are not on the open market and would be delighted to help you find your dream wine country property. You can reach me at 707-738-4820 or [email protected].