“The roster of vintners for 2008 is a wine-world pantheon from Torbreck in Australia and Fontodi in Italy, to California greats like Araujo Estate Wines, Colgin Cellars, Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, Shafer Vineyards and many other admired vintners,” said Don Gunther, Naples Children and Education Foundation trustee and chairman of the 2008 festival. “It’s an intoxicating combination: Guests enjoy exceptional wines throughout the festival; bid on fine, rare wines during the auction; and also spend time with the vintners themselves.”

According to Scott Lutgert, chairman of the vintner committee, during the festival’s Saturday auction on the grounds of The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, large-format bottles of prized wines and other rare wine lots will likely generate six-figure bids. “At the 2007 festival, we raised a record-breaking $15.6 million under the auction tent for children’s charities,” Lutgert said. “The very first lot received a winning bid of $150,000 for 32 very special 1.5 liter bottles of wine, each selected and signed by a participating vintner.”

2008 Naples Winter Wine Festival Participating Vintners

Arietta Caren and Fritz Hatton St. Helena, California		Faiveley Erwan Faiveley France		Shafer Vineyards Barbara and John Shafer Annette and Doug Shafer Napa Valley, California
Antucura Anne-Caroline Biancheri and Gerardo Cartellone Argentina		Figge Cellars Peter Figge Marina, California		Sine Qua Non Elaine and Manfred Krankl Oak View, California
Araujo Estate Wines Daphne and Bart Araujo Calistoga, California		Fontodi Giovanni Manetti Italy		Sloan Estate Stuart Sloan Napa Valley, California
Château Palmer Thomas Duroux France		Gargiulo Vineyards Valerie Boyd and Jeff Gargiulo Napa Valley, California		Staglin Family Vineyard Shari and Garen Staglin Rutherford, California
Château Pichon Longueville Baron Christian Seely France		Grace Family Vineyards Ann and Dick Grace St. Helena, California		Swanson Vineyards Elizabeth and W. Clarke Swanson, Jr. Oakville, California
Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Florence and Daniel Cathiard France		Harlan Estate Deborah and Bill Harlan Oakville, California		Torbreck David Powell Australia
Clos Erasmus Daphne Glorian and Eric Solomon Spain		M. Chapoutier Michel Chapoutier France		Valdicava Vincenzo Abbruzzese Italy
Colgin Cellars Ann Colgin St. Helena, California		Paul Hobbs Winery Paul Hobbs Sebastopol, California		Vega Sicilia Pablo Alvarez Spain
Continuum The Mondavi Family Oakville, California		Revana Family Vineyard Madaiah Revana Napa Valley, California		Vérité Winery Barbara Banke Healdsburg, California
Domaine Serene Grace and Ken Evenstad Dayton, Oregon		Screaming Eagle Ali and Charles Banks Oakville, California		Viader Vineyards Vineyard 29 and Winery Anne and Chuck McMinn Delia Viader St. Helena, California Napa Valley, California

2008 Featured Vintner
Each year, NCEF trustees, who founded the festival in 2001, select an honored vintner. Family vintners John and Doug Shafer of Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley were chosen as the honored vintners for 2008. Shafer Vineyards has produced award-winning wines since the family’s first vintage in 1978. Among its many accolades are top-in-the-nation honors from Food & Wine magazine’s American Wine Awards. Shafer Vineyards is also among a select few wineries featured in Robert M. Parker, Jr.’s book, “The World’s Greatest Wine Estates.” In the book, Parker writes: “There’s no question that since the early 1990s, the quality at Shafer … has resulted in some of the world’s greatest wines.”

“John and Doug Shafer are great supporters of the Naples Winter Wine Festival,” said Vintner Committee Chairman Lutgert. “We are very pleased to honor them and are extremely appreciative of their support.” Lutgert added, “At the 2007 festival, the lot donated by the Shafers was auctioned off for $300,000. It was a prized selection of large-format Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon and an exclusive Napa trip for eight, including a private dinner hosted by the Shafers at their vineyard. Bidders obviously agree with Robert Parker and other wine experts that the Shafer family is among the true greats in the wine industry.”

“Doug and I are very pleased to be selected as honored vintners for the 2008 festival,” said John Shafer. “At Shafer Vineyards, we have a tradition of service to the community, and so our values and focus are well-matched with the Naples Winter Wine Festival’s mission of serving underprivileged and at-risk children. This will be our sixth year as a participating vintner, and we look forward to again supporting this very meaningful cause.”

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, it 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.

Attendance at the festival is limited to approximately 550 individuals. Ticket packages are $7,500 per couple; $20,000 for reserved seating at the same vintner dinner for two couples. In addition to elegant vintner dinners, guests tour children’s charities that have been wine-festival beneficiaries; followed by lunch and wine tasting guided by acclaimed Napa Valley vintners; enjoy a culinary showcase, wine tasting and world-class wine auction at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort; attend a fun, laid-back wine-down party; and celebrate at a final brunch.

For a schedule of 2008 festivities and more information about the Naples Winter Wine Festival, please visit www.napleswinefestival.com or call the wine festival office at 888-837-4919.