Event Schedule for Auction Napa Valley 2009
June 4, Thursday
Auction Eve Kick-Off
Kick off your Auction experience with a Valley-wide block party! You'll
receive invitations from
vintners throughout the Valley to join them at celebrations hosted at their
homes, wineries and
cellars that range from relaxed to formal. Take it easy for your first
evening and cherry-pick one
or two parties to check out, or secure some transportation and party hop
up, down and around
the Valley.
June 5, Friday
Taste Napa Valley
11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Taste Napa Valley, held at Robert Mondavi Winery this year, is a celebration
of all the finest
Napa Valley has to offer: its people, hospitality, food and, of course,
wine, all enjoyed in an
incomparable setting in the heart of the Valley. Explore the outdoor Marketplace,
filled with more
than 100 vintners personally pouring some of their finest releases for
you; dozens of Napa Valley
restaurateurs and artisan food purveyors tempting you with their specialties;
and an array of live
music and entertainment. Then head into the cool of the To-Kalon cellar
for the hot Barrel Tasting & Auction, where 120 winery owners and winemakers
pull samples of unbottled futures of aging
wine directly from the barrel for you to taste. Then place your bid on
a case or more in this high energy
celebration of the grape.
In the Vineyard Room, you'll find the final rousing hours of the E-Auction,
where you'll bid
against online bidders from around the world. These e-offerings include
wine in all forms of rare
bottlings, verticals and other collections, as well as unavailable-elsewhere
library releases; special
private events including private winery stays, parties and one-of-a-kind
experiences; and more. In
addition, vintners and restaurateurs will be in the room to ply you with
their finest wine and food
to keep your energy going while you bid online with wine lovers from around
the world.
And don't forget to preview and make your bidding strategy for the 43 ultra lots to be auctioned at the grand Live Auction on Saturday evening—they make their one and only appearance for the weekend here, in a spectacle of vintner creativity and generosity. All are built on a solid foundation of the Napa Valley classics: renowned wines, offered in special bottlings and rare collections not found elsewhere; exclusive bidder-only events hosted by our vintners; as well as fine dining, world-class accommodations and more. In addition, a handful go above and beyond the Napa Valley, adding to these offerings luxury items, travel and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that span the globe.
"An Evening in Napa Valley"
Bidder Dinner Parties with the Vintners
After an afternoon with hundreds of your closest wine-loving friends, switch
gears with an intimate
and private dinner party hosted by a vintner for an insider's look into
the cellars, homes and gardens
of some of the most renowned names in the wine industry.
June 6, Saturday
"A Day in Napa Valley"
Mid-day Parties with the Vintners
Relax for the morning, then you're off to another private party! Vintners
welcome guests into
their homes, wineries and vineyards for more casual, yet just as spectacular,
private parties around
midday—the not-to-be-missed "warm-up" for the festivities to come later
that day.
Live Auction and Dinner
5:00 pm to midnight
In the evening, guests and vintners—now old friends—meet at Meadowood Napa
Valley for Wine
Country's must-attend party of the year. Sip sparkling wine and rub elbows
on the lawn, then pick
up your paddle and head into the main tent to meet your next vintner host
at your reserved table.
You'll savor a multi-course chef 's tasting menu, prepared by legendary
American chefs whose
collective trove of Michelin stars could fill the sky above Meadowood this
evening: Charlie Trotter
of Charlie Trotter's, Chicago; Dean Fearing of Fearing's at the Ritz Carlton
Dallas; Joachim Splichal
of Patina Restaurant and the Patina Group, Los Angeles; Joseph Humphrey,
chef at Murray
Circle at Cavallo Point in Sausalito, CA; Christopher Kostow, chef, The Restaurant at
Meadowood Napa Valley; Vincent Nattress, executive chef at Meadowood Napa
Valley; and Denise
Fox, pastry chef at Ubuntu, Napa. All paired, of course, with the legendary
wines of the vintners
surrounding you.
As you feast, the weekend's highlight begins: the Live Auction. But this
auction is unlike any other,
with auctioneers and vintners working the catwalk and the tent; entertainers
popping up throughout
the evening; live music and elements of surprise at every turn; and 43
amazing lots that'll keep you
glued to your seat (and your hand glued to your paddle) until the final
gavel drops. And with every
successful bid, the vintners will be on hand to personally congratulate
you and toast your win.
Then take the festivities back out onto the greens, with dancing to live
music and continued revelry
under the stars until the clock strikes midnight.
June 7, Sunday
Farewell Fete
10:00 am to 1:00 pm
The perfect way to wind down from an incredible weekend: a little wine, a little food and a little music; a look back on a memorable weekend and a look forward to what's to come in 2010, with the chairs of both Auction Napa Valley 2009 and 2010 among your hosts on hand to bid you farewell.
