International Vintners' Personal Wine Selections to be Auctioned at Naples Winter Wine Festival

Naples, FL, January 23, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Vintners known around the globe for their extraordinary vintages have selected some of their finest wines to be auctioned at the 2008 Naples Winter Wine festival on Jan. 26. The vintners’ offerings include first releases, one-of-a-kind large-format bottles, prized verticals and wines specially produced for the festival. Many vintner lots include exclusive trips, private wine tours and tastings. “The vintners’ wine lots are incredibly exciting,” said 2008 Festival Chair Don Gunther, who also serves as a trustee of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, which founded the festival. “Nowhere else can you find such an astonishing array of the finest and rarest wines. It’s one of the festival’s hallmarks, and we are so appreciative of the vintners’ generosity.”

Following is a sample of auction lots donated by participating vintners. For details on other vintner lots, see press releases posted at www.napleswinefestival.com.

Lot 1, By Magnumanimous Decision, features a wine-connoisseur’s dream collection of 31 wines - a magnum (1.5 liters) donated by each of the festival’s participating vintners. A custom-made wine cabinet to house these gems will be specially made to the winner’s specifications by Naples’ own Thomas Riley Artisans’ Guild.

2005 Aida Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 Antucura
1998 Araujo Estate “Eisele Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon
2002 Arietta Red Wine “H Block Hudson”
2004 Clos Erasmus Priorat
1999 Colgin “Cariad” Napa Valley Red Wine, etched
2005 Continuum
2003 Corton “Clos des Corton Faiveley” Grand Cru
2004 Domaine Serene “Evenstad Reserve” Pinot Noir
1997 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve
2005 Gargiulo Vineyards 575 OVX Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Grace Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Harlan Estate
1999 M. Chapoutier Le Pavillon
1982 Château Palmer
2005 Paul Hobbs Lindsay Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir
2003 Château Pichon Longueville
1996 Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne
2004 Revana Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 Screaming Eagle
1999 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon
2002 Sine Qua Non “Just For the Love of It” Syrah
2003 Sloan Estate Napa Valley Red
2000 Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Grand Cru Classé de Graves
2003 Staglin Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, etched
2004 Swanson Estate Alexis
2002 Torbreck Run Rig Barossa Valley
2001 Valdicava Brunello Riserva “Madonna del Piano”
1991 Vega Sicilia Unico
2004 Vérité Le Desir
2004 Viader “V” Petit Verdot Blend

Lot 17, Hillside Splendor, will lure bidders with 30 magnums of Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet - three bottles each from 1994 through 2003 of this highly prized wine. Rounding out the incredible lot is a luxury three-night stay in Napa Valley, a private dinner with the Shafers - the festival’s honored vintners for 2008 - a private session with the host of the PBS show Wine, Food & Friends, dinner at The French Laundry and a private cooking class with Hugh Carpenter.

Lot 20, Mountain Gems, combines fine wine, precious stones and a private retreat. The lot includes etched 3-liter double magnums of each of three cuvees from the 2002 vintage of Vérité; a pair of ruby and diamond earrings from Beverly Hills jeweler Martin Katz; and a four-night stay for two couples at the Yellowstone Club in Montana, the world’s only private ski and golf community.

Lot 34, The Power to Change, holds twin 9-liter salamanazars from the 2005 vintage of Grace Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. These scarce large-format bottles are produced solely for charity auctions and, for the Naples festival, the bottles are etched and hand painted with logos of the charities the festival has supported. A cork, branded “Be Optimystic,” secures each massive bottle.

Lot 44, Readin’, Writin’, and Rising Global Powers, combines an unforgettable East Asian land-sea trip with exquisite wine - a double magnum each of Swanson Estate 2004 Alexis and Oakville Merlot. The trip includes four nights in Beijing and a 12-night luxury cruise on the Silver Whisper, which sails from Hong Kong to Shanghai, Seoul, Nagasaki and Taipei. While on board, the winners will attend the East Asia World Symposium where George H.W. Bush, former United States president, ambassador to the United Nations and China and director of the CIA, will be one of the featured speakers.

Lot 57, Modern Masterpiece, holds one astounding bottle of wine - a 12-liter 2003 Sine Qua Non “Inaugural” Syrah - the only bottle produced of this size from the Inaugural vintage. The vintage has been described by wine expert Robert Parker Jr. as “mind-boggling,” and since the 1997 vintage, 48 wines from this winery have earned “classic” 95-plus point ratings from The Wine Advocate.

Lot 59, The Past as Prologue, holds the first case from the first vintage of the Robert Mondavi family’s Continuum. Along with the inaugural case of this special 2005 vintage, the winning bidder and nine guests will join members of the Mondavi family at Tim Mondavi’s Napa Valley home for a special celebration dinner. The lot also includes the guarantee of a case of wine from each of the first 10 vintages of Continuum.

The Naples Winter Wine Festival is the most successful charity wine auction in the world. Ranked by the Luxury Institute as a top 10 arts and entertainment event for wealthy Americans, the festival was founded by and is hosted annually in Naples, Fla. by trustees of the Naples Children & Education Foundation. Their vision was to create an exquisite event that would raise funds for area charities that assist underprivileged and at-risk children. Since the first festival in 2001, more than $55 million has been raised toward making a profound and sustainable difference for children in need.

For a complete listing of auction lots and more information about the Naples Winter Wine Festival, please visit www.napleswinefestival.com, or call the wine festival office at 888-837-4919.

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