Join us for the 38th Annual Wine Auction: July 18-20!
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts is thrilled to host the 38th Annual Sun Valley Center for the Arts Wine Auction from Thursday, July 18, through Saturday, July 20, 2019. This celebratory charity event unfolds over three glorious, activity-filled days in the heart of Sun Valley, Idaho. The Wine Auction is The Center’s largest fundraiser of the year, raising 50 percent of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ budget in support of arts education. This year’s selection of top vintners, chefs, sponsors, entertainment and auction lots will once again deliver on the auction’s reputation as one of the 10 best charity wine auctions in the country and one of the Valley’s premier summer season events.
A Celebration of Wine • A Benefit for Arts Education
Participants will delight in exclusive Vintner Dinners, an unforgettable Wine Auction Gala, a lively wine tasting and, to close out the weekend’s festivities, the Vine & Dine extravaganza, all while supporting programs that have a profound impact on the community.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts Wine Auction is presented by the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, the largest nonprofit arts organization in the state of Idaho, established in 1971. Reaching more than 24,000 people annually, The Center is an accredited museum and delivers the very best of art and ideas year-round through visual arts exhibitions; award-winning Company of Fools professional theatre; performances by some of the nation’s finest musicians; lectures by award-winning authors and scholars as part of BIG IDEA projects; and extensive arts education programs.
IMPACT
For nearly 50 years, the Sun Valley Center for the Arts has served as the cultural anchor of the Wood River Valley, bringing together members of the community through shared arts experiences. For 38 of those years, the ever-popular Wine Auction has been a primary source of support for The Center’s many arts education initiatives, which are essential to creating engaged, curious, and inspired communities and citizens.
In service of its mission, The Center provides free, high-quality arts education experiences to every student in Blaine County. These initiatives, which include educational programs in visual arts, theatre and music performance, reach more than 4,000 youth (K–12) each year and are designed to engage creativity as a tool to enhance learning, promote confidence, inspire self-expression and support core curriculum in the schools. Proceeds from the Wine Auction directly support The Center’s arts education programs and also help fund its Scholarship Program, which since 1998 has awarded $932,397 to local students and educators for advanced study in the arts and humanities.
2019 WINE AUCTION HONORARY CHAIR
This year, the Sun Valley Center for the Arts is thrilled to name Carol Swig as Honorary Chair of the 2019 Wine Auction. This honor recognizes Carol for her many years of unwavering commitment to The Center and celebrates her belief in the power of the arts to “provide transformative opportunities to people of all ages.” In addition to her enthusiastic support of The Center and its programs, Carol has sponsored programs with Trey McIntyre Project, Ballet Idaho and LED; she also founded Handmade: Your Creative Expression, an art center in Eagle, Idaho. Carol understands that “the arts expand people’s lives,” and she is the ideal person to host the event that makes The Center’s arts education programs possible.
VINTNER DINNERS
The Wine Auction celebrations begin with the Vintner Dinners. These intimate gatherings with some of the country’s top winemakers are held in beautiful private homes around the valley, delivering an extraordinary experience. Both locally and globally renowned chefs prepare these unforgettable wine-paired meals. The list of participating vintners for 2019 is as impressive as ever. Featured wineries include TOR Wines, Chappellet Winery, Ovid, William Cole Vineyards, DuMol and Revana, among other standouts. Vintner Dinners are available only as part of a Grand Cru or Premier Cru Patron Package.
An outstanding lineup of chefs will be pairing their gourmet dishes with these fine wines. Prepared by both visiting chefs, such as Sue Zemanick of Zazu in New Orleans and Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of State Bird Provisions in San Francisco, as well as fantastic local chefs, including Scott Mason of Enoteca and Anna and Bradley Geist from The Gastrolab, the cuisine is certain to impress.
WINE AUCTION GALA
The Wine Auction Gala is renowned for its fabulous entertainment, stellar cuisine, special winery-hosted tables with designated stewards and impressive auction lots. The 2019 Live Auction includes extraordinary experiences and exclusive wine lots, while the Silent Auction will feature premium and hard-to-find wine and wine experiences.
This sellout event will be anchored by an incredible menu of multiple gourmet courses, all prepared with Idaho flair, and entertainment from country music star Jake Maurer and the Jake Maurer Band. Gala attendees will have the opportunity to support The Center by bidding on exceptional silent and live lots: travel, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, extraordinary wines and so much more.
VINE & DINE
The Wine Auction extravaganza culminates in the signature Vine & Dine event at Dollar Mountain Lodge—a lawn party with great wines, tasty food, live music and dancing. Gifted local chefs present tapas-style specialties while 14 featured wineries showcase their best varietals for guests to enjoy. For those who may be interested in an afternoon beer, local favorites Warfield Distillery & Brewery and Sawtooth Brewery will anchor the beer garden, complete with Sun Valley Mustard and pretzels.
All attendees will take home a complimentary commemorative tasting glass. This is a sure-to-sell-out event and the perfect ending to an unforgettable weekend.
SOLD OUT! VINE & DINE PLUS
The Vine & Dine Plus package offers a unique and intimate indoor tasting with participating vintners before the picnic. Only a limited number of tickets will be available for this event, so reserve now to ensure early entry and access to fantastic food and premium wines.
2019 WINE AUCTION SPONSORS
The 2019 festivities are made possible by the following sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor: Wells Fargo Private Bank
Housing Sponsors: Alpine Lodging and Sun Valley Resort
Media Sponsors: Mountain Living and SVPN
Grand Cru Sponsor: Silver Creek Ford
Champagne Sponsor: Nicolas Feuillatte
Bubbly Bus Sponsor: Domaine Ste. Michelle
Event Sponsors: Atkinsons’ Market, Bissinger’s, Corroon, Hayden Beverage, Jackson Jet Center, Sun Valley Company, Studio Eleven, White Otter Outdoor Adventures and Zenergy
Technology Sponsor: COX Communications
To reserve a spot at the 2019 Sun Valley Wine Auction and to stay up to date on breaking announcements, visit sunvalleycenter.org/wineauction or call The Center at 208.726.9491.
Vine & Dine General Entry Tickets are still available. Buy your tickets now at sunvalleycenter.org/wineauction/tickets or by calling 208.726.9491.