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Embark on an extraordinary culinary and wine adventure through the stunning city of Cape Town, South Africa, and its surrounding wine regions. This private luxury journey for two offers an opportunity to enjoy South Africa’s sophistication and beauty while tasting some of the best wines and cuisine in the world.
Sir Francis Drake called Cape Town “the fairest cape in the circumference of the earth.” This exceptional trip includes stays at two of the most spectacular hotels in the region. First, you will spend three nights at the stunning Winchester Mansions Hotel. Classical elegance abounds in the iconic building with luxurious rooms and views of the mountains or the sea. Harvey’s Restaurant will be your first stop for a memorable dinner of South African cuisine with a European twist. From here, explore the exciting and historic city for two glorious days with the help of a personal local guide.
After your time in Cape Town, it’s off to the hills where you will spend two luxurious nights at the incomparable four-star Devon Valley Hotel, hidden away in a peaceful corner of the Stellenbosch vineyard region. The pretty university town of Stellenbosch is now the heart of the Premier Wine Route in South Africa.
From here, you can also visit the historic town of Paarl and Franschhoek, a nearby tranquil village known for its French Huguenot Heritage, fine wines and award-winning restaurants. Included in this portion of the trip is a cap classique and meringue tasting at the house of JC le Roux, a cellar tour and barrel tasting at the Middelvlei and Clos Malverne Wine Estates, as well as a guided vineyard walk with a valley viticulturalist. Back at your hotel, you will be treated to dinner at the hotel’s Flavours Resturant, which offers contemporary Cape cuisine and local live classical and jazz music. The romance level is high with this one. Don’t delay; start your bidding now and discover all the wonders of South Africa together.
OPENING BID
$5,000
INCLUDES
Two Dinners for Two
Five-Night Stay for Two (breakfast included)
Private Ground Transportation for Two
Guided Tours and Tastings for Two
DONORS
Rufaro Destination Management
Beth Hinkson, Auction Shake Up
This just might be the weekend getaway that puts all others to shame. Five couples will head off to Park City, Utah, for a little skiing and a little sipping. After a day shredding the slopes, embark on a private tour and whiskey tasting at High West Whiskey’s brand-new distillery at Blue Sky Ranch. Located just minutes from the famed ski town, Blue Sky Ranch spans 3,500 beautiful acres and is an authentic working ranch and mountain adventure company, embracing the traditions of the American West.
High West is Utah’s first distillery since the 1870s and the only ski-in gastro-distillery in the world. Learn what makes these small-batch, mountain-crafted spirits so special and sample their great-tasting, award-winning products. You have the chance to get behind the scenes with a private High West Whiskey ambassador, who will lead your group through a full whiskey tasting, paired with cheese and charcuterie. An intimate distillers tasting dinner for ten follows in the private tasting room at High West’s Park City Saloon.
And the accommodations? Not to worry. You will enjoy the ultimate in luxurious lodging at a private home in The Colony at White Pine Canyon in Park City, one of the finest ski estate neighborhoods in the world. With soaring views of the surrounding mountains and over 18,000 square feet of living space, this spectacular home has 9 bedrooms, 11 baths and a separate guest house, as well as multiple offices, a home theater, family rooms, a gourmet kitchen, sauna, billiards room and ski room. You can ski in and ski out to the most desired lifts at the resort. Don’t let this opportunity slip through your fingers!
OPENING BID
$5,000
INCLUDES
Two-Night Stay for Ten
Private Tour and Whiskey Tasting for Ten
Dinner and Tasting for Ten
DONORS
High West Distillery & Saloon
Michael Levinthal
How about this for an enticing combination—fancy chocolate, fine art, fast cars and swift sailing. Along with airfare and accommodations… all in the Bay Area? Now that’s what we call an AUCTION LOT. This trip for two to San Francisco has a little bit of everything. Once you land, you will arrive at the illustrious and grand Fairmont San Francisco hotel, where you will spend three wonderful nights. The grandeur of the luxury hotel atop Nob Hill coupled with its reputation for impeccable service promises a truly memorable experience.
Spend your first day taking in the sights and visit the largest exhibition space in the world dedicated solely to photography, Pier 24, for a two-hour private tour of the collection. Located on San Francisco’s Embarcadero, Pier 24 Photography provides a quiet, contemplative environment for viewing photographic works and houses the permanent collection of the Pilara Foundation, which is dedicated to collecting, preserving and exhibiting photography.
Next, be sure to find your way to the city’s chocolate mecca…Dandelion Chocolate is a bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the Mission District of San Francisco. Their bars are made with techniques and machines that were popular 100 years ago, before chocolate production was industrialized, and they use only two ingredients: cocoa beans and cane sugar.
A Dandelion staff member will give you an introductory tour of the chocolate factory to tell you about each step of the bean-to-bar process and guide you through a tasting of the single-origin bars. Or, you can choose to attend Dandelion’s “Chocolate 101” class for an even more in-depth introduction to chocolate. You’ll get to taste chocolate in all of its unfinished and finished forms, taste their three single-origin bars, take a tour of the space and ask lots of smart questions.
To cap off this incredible weekend, you also have the opportunity to experience speed—by boat and by car. Go for a 2.5-hour sail out on the Bay on USA 76, the famous American International America’s Cup Class Yacht that competed for the coveted America’s Cup in New Zealand in 2003. Then head out to Sonoma Raceway to hit the track with Audi Sportscar Experience for a one-day skill building course with Audi high performance vehicles. This is the good life.
OPENING BID
$3,000
INCLUDES
Three-Night Stay for Two
Chartered Sailboat Outing for Two
Economy Airfare for Two
Private Art Gallery Tour for Two
Private Chocolate Factory Tour & Tasting
Driving Experience for Two
DONORS
Dandelion Chocolate
Pier 24
Audi Sportscar Experience, Sonoma Raceway
Golf lovers come hither! Generations of discriminating guests have returned again and again to the secluded coastal retreat of Sea Island, Georgia. Experience beautiful golf courses, spectacular dining and signature activities that make the Necker Open Qualifier a can’t-miss event for the golf enthusiast. The Necker Open Qualifier offers two-person teams of all levels the opportunity to compete in a spirited shambles handicapped golf tournament, in which the top three team finishers draw for a spot into the Necker Open Pro Am Travel Package, a $90,000 value. The event includes 36 holes of golf and ample time for enjoyment off the golf course including complimentary transfers to and from the airport and around the island in a Rolls-Royce, cocktail receptions, beachside dinners and a culminating Charity Dinner, Auction and Party. All Necker Open Qualifier participants are invited for a chance to mix and mingle with Greg Norman, Chevy Chase and other Necker Open golf pros and celebrities during the evening festivities.
If you love the beach and a beautifully manicured golf course, then Sea Island is your happy place, offering everything a golfer and lover of life would want. Guests will have the chance to test their golf skills at two different courses while participating in the Necker Open Qualifier including “Seaside,” the pinnacle of links golf. Situated at the southern tip of St. Simons Island at The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club, this oceanside course places a premium on careful shot selection, recovery and putting. You will also play on Rees Jones’ masterful renovation, Plantation Course. Found among a forest of ancient live oak and cedar, with a hint of danger lurking in its tidal creeks and lakes, Plantation boasts expansive fairways that give definition to the course, showcasing beautiful views of the ocean, oaks, and blooming flowers—enticing the accomplished and inviting the novice. They call it “parkland by the sea” for good reason.
This year’s Necker Open Qualifier begins with a Welcome Dinner and Draw Ceremony where guests can get to know each other and have a great time. The next day is marked by the Qualifying Opening Round and a lively cocktail reception and dinner. The Qualifying Final Rounds and a Winners Ceremony take place the following day, along with the Charity Dinner, Auction and Party. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Official Partner of the 2015 Necker Open, welcomes you to join them for an unforgettable event!
Event takes place from August 25 – August 28, 2015.
OPENING BID
$5,000
INCLUDES
One Ticket to Necker Open Qualifier Golf Event
Event Meals and Drinks for Two
Tickets for Two to Charity Dinner, Auction and Party
All On-Site Event Activities for Two
Private Airport Transfers for Two
Private Ground Transportation for Two
DONOR
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA
The Antinori family history is a narrative of devotion to winemaking woven through 630 years and 26 generations and stretching from the family’s legendary vineyards in Tuscany to their latest venture with the Antica Napa Valley winery. There is a clear connection between these two important estate vineyards at the core of Antinori winemaking.
As the winner of tonight’s lot, you will spend a week enjoying the luxury and quiet splendor of Italy from your own private Umbrian villa. This beautifully restored farmhouse, just outside the town of Ficulle, sleeps a total of 16 people. The home, furnished with elegant antiques, boasts a gourmet kitchen, massive dining room, and an expansive terraced patio, perfect for entertaining. To make your visit even more special, you get to explore Rome for a day with your own private tour guide.
In addition, four people will enjoy an exclusive tour and tasting at the nearby Antinori nel Chianti Classico Cellars that will take guests on a journey through the rich Antinori family history. Tour through all stages of production from “Vineyard-to-Glass” and visit the family museum and wine shop following a leisurely tasting. The outing concludes with lunch for four at the Rinuccio 1180 Restaurant.
As the second chapter in this incredible auction lot, you and three guests will be treated to an afternoon of Tuscan hospitality on the other side of the globe, Napa style, hosted by Glenn Salva at Antica Napa Valley. Enjoy a tour of the vineyard, a private tasting and a delicious lunch prepared by Chef Kim Wiss. Guests will develop an understanding of the famous vineyards and wines of Tenuta Tignanello and Antica Napa Valley. Compare Italian wines from Tignanello Estate alongside Townsend, Antica’s single-vineyard wine, some of Napa’s finest.
You will also take home these six Magnums of Antinori and Antica wines to add to your cellar:
• 2008 and 2009 Antica Napa Valley Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2008 and 2009 Antica Napa Valley Townsend Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2009 and 2012 Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT
Clearly, it’s best to start plotting your bidding strategy NOW.
All experiences to be scheduled a minimum of three months in advance on a mutually agreeable date (fall/winter months only for Italy, Nov-Mar). This donation is non-transferable. The home sleeps up to 16 but the tours and tastings are for 4 people.
OPENING BID
$6,000
INCLUDES
Seven-Night Stay for Twelve to Sixteen
Two Private Winery Tours and Tastings for Four
Private Tour of Rome for Four
Two Catered Lunches for Four
Six 1.5-Liter Bottles
DONORS
Antica Napa Valley
Marchesi Antinori
Ludovica Giuriati,
Italian Tours
Carlo Papini Giuriati,
Rome Guide Services
Round Pond Estate, a family-owned and family-run working estate of vineyards, gardens and orchards, is known as a premier artisan producer of extra virgin olive oil, premium red wine vinegar, citrus syrup and other fine foods. And with this auction lot, you have the chance to explore and delight in the delicious world of Round Pond Estate in the comfort of your own home.
Round Pond is going on the road and bringing their bounty to you. You and nine guests will share this special experience. You’ll begin with a welcome from the winery chef and an educational wine tasting, followed by a multi-course dinner inspired by the bounty of the season and paired with an array of voluptuous Round Pond wines. Engage in a spirited culinary debate about the best ways to pair wine with food with Chef Eric Maczko during a cooking demonstration and fantastic kitchen-side dinner. Or simply enjoy an elegant multi-course Round Pond dinner at home with friends and family.
As Executive Chef, Eric Maczko oversees menus and wine pairing for Round Pond Estate’s extensive wine and food programs. He is dedicated to the concept of farm-to-table dining, and creates original dishes from the produce of on-site organic olive orchards and biodynamic produce gardens, including the estate olive oils, citrus syrups and red wine vinegars.
Prior to joining Round Pond Estate full-time, Eric served for nearly a decade as Executive Chef at the historic Pine Ridge Winery, where he developed a style based on the marriage of classic French cuisine to contemporary California fare. Prepare your taste buds to be impressed. Also on hand will be one of Round Pond’s skilled and knowledgeable winemakers to guide you through each course and its perfectly paired wine.
This lot will go quickly, so get your paddle ready and don’t lose your focus.
Available for a mutually agreeable date.
OPENING BID
$3,000
INCLUDES
Private Wine Tasting and Dinner for 10
DONOR
Round Pond Estate
It’s your turn to live the high life and enjoy the leisurely pace, “Irie” people and tropical surroundings of Jamaica with this one-of-a-kind auction lot. Located within the private resort of The Tryall Club, 12 miles from the Montego Bay airport, the “Ma’Moura” villa, which translates loosely to “blessed house of happiness,” offers the very best of the Caribbean.
At Ma’Moura, a private retreat situated high on a hill overlooking the ocean and one of the most beautiful and challenging golf courses in the Caribbean, four couples will experience the epitome of luxury for a week. Ma’Moura is for guests looking for an authentic, “unfussy” vacation in an unforgettable setting. The villa’s solicitous, full-time staff of five is there to fulfill your every need and help you ease into the island lifestyle and laid-back pace.
This unique house sits by itself on four lots with no houses next to it. It is built around a 42-foot circular pool, surrounded by four air-conditioned bedrooms, each with a private bath. With its comfortable Caribbean style, the living room is a perfect haven for family and friends to gather. Enjoy tropical breezes and sweeping views on the verandas while you sip a cocktail or read a novel. And the new outdoor terrace is the perfect setting for evening cocktails or dinner under the pergola.
The house’s two golf carts are at your disposal to use while you are there, so you can take advantage of all the amenities at The Tryall Club. Set amid 2,200 lush acres, the club provides all the ingredients necessary for an exquisite experience: world-renowned golf, private beachfront, exceptional cuisine and the best views in Jamaica. All this magic is waiting just for you.
Dates to be mutually agreed upon for 2015-2016. Stay will be from Saturday to Saturday. Christmas and New Year’s dates excluded.
OPENING BID
$4,000
INCLUDES
Seven-Night Stay for Eight
Full-Time House Staff
Private Club Amenities
DONOR
Leslie & Michael Lanahan
Get your city fix in a big way and experience the magic of Manhattan, sampling some of the city’s finest arts, culture and cuisine with this unique package. This trip for two includes three nights at any of New York City’s Kimpton hotel properties, your base while you enjoy some of the Big Apple’s best arts and entertainment and sample some of its top restaurants.
Start off your visit with a special private tour of the Metropolitan Museum when the museum is closed and without the crowds. Your private tour guide has years of extensive knowledge.
Your next experience is with independent curator and consultant to private collectors, Gracie Mansion. She has advised corporations and museums and owned her own gallery. Now Gracie works with ArtNet in the famous 1916 Woolworth Building designed by architect Cass Gilbert. After a tour of this fabulous and otherwise inaccessible structure, Gracie will take you to lunch to share her knowledge and answer your art questions. She might even be able to arrange a studio visit if there is an artist you are especially interested in or a collection you want to see.
Matthew Bergen is your guide for an exclusive tour of the New York Historical Society, where you can browse the fascinating collection of manuscripts, prints, photographs and more with two of your friends. After the tour, enjoy a leisurely lunch at the Historical Society’s Caffè Storico. Stephen Starr’s charming Italian restaurant features a wonderful array of antipasti, artisanal pastas and panini. An all-Italian wine list, with 20 selections available by the glass, perfectly complements the cuisine.
Of course, you can’t go to New York City and not go to a Broadway show, right? Your urban adventure also includes tickets for house seats at the show of your choice and dinner, on us, after the theater. So choose your favorite restaurant and live it up with a festive night out on the town.
Certainly, this will be a trip to remember and these exclusive tours cannot be duplicated. Are you ready to take Manhattan by storm?
Some restrictions apply for Broadway show selection. Private Metropolitan Museum of Art tour to take place on a Monday only. Two weeks notice needed for Historical Society tour.
OPENING BID
$2,500
INCLUDES
Three-Night Stay for Two
Two Lunches for Four
One Dinner for Four
Broadway Tickets for Two
Two Private Museum Tours for Four
DONORS
Sandy & Jim Figge
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
Wendy & Alan Pesky
New York Historical Society
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Gracie Mansion
Schramsberg has been crafting outstanding wines in the hills of Napa Valley for half a century and Hugh Davies is back for another Wine Auction and ready to celebrate 50 years of history in the making. Schramsberg is one of the staunchest supporters of the Wine Auction, and Hugh knows how to get a party started. He will have the honor of kicking things off this year by opening one of their giant bottles of 2009 Blanc de Blancs bubbly for you to enjoy right away. And he will with do it with his own special flair. Start things off right and celebrate with the finest in sparkling wine. Tonight’s winning bidder will also enjoy a special caviar course prepared by Chef John Murcko and delivered to your table. It does not stop here, to celebrate you will receive eight tickets to the Gala at next year’s 35th anniversary Wine Auction, where you will sit at a signature table of honor styled by a local designer.
At the end of the evening, the winner takes home a second Salmanazar of 2009 Blanc de Blancs as well as three award-winning Magnums of Schramsberg’s top-shelf selections—the rich and delicious 2009 Schramsberg Brut Rosé, an elegant 2006 J. Schram and a signature 2012 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon from Diamond Mountain.
The winner of this opening lot will also have the chance to visit Schramsberg Vineyards in person, to see artistry at work and sample the goods at their source with a special tour and tasting for four, in the sparkling caves of the historic winery at “America’s House of Sparkling Wine” in the hills of Napa Valley.
Advanced reservation required, valid weekdays only, expires July 31, 2016.
OPENING BID
$2,000
INCLUDES
Two 9-Liter Bottles
Three 1.5-Liter Bottles
Caviar Course for Table
Tour and Tasting for Four
Gala Tickets and Special Table for Eight (2016)
DONORS
Hugh Davies,
Schramsberg Vineyards
Sun Valley Center for the Arts