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Contact:
Dawn Montecalvo, Executive Director, NCEF, 239-595-0846, dawn@napleswinefestival.com
Andrea Steffy, PR Counsel, Gravina, Smith & Matte, 239-272-9480, asteffy@gravinasmith.com
Auction Lots Fulfill Fondest Passions at 2008 Naples Winter Wine Festival
NAPLES, Fla. (Dec. 26, 2007) – Pick a passion and the 2008 Naples Winter Wine Festival will likely have an auction lot that fulfills that desire -- from items impossible to buy at any price to private access never before granted. For adventurers, there’s a very special trip to the exotic Galapagos Islands. For oenophiles, a private, grand tour of Australia’s premier wine regions is in store. For sports enthusiasts, there are tickets to the Summer Olympics or custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles ready to ride. For fashionistas, there is coveted entrée to the Chanel spring fashion show in Paris and his-and-her Chanel watches.
With 72 auction lots, a fantasy trip or precious jewel is only a winning bid away come Jan. 26, when 600 guests will gather under a giant tent set on the lawn of The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples for the eighth annual charity auction that benefits underprivileged and at-risk children. Here are several lots that feature trips and other luxuries.
Adventures of a lifetime
 Lot 21, The Wine Wonder of Down Under, offers an all-inclusive luxury odyssey to Australia for four people for two weeks. Renowned vintners and winery proprietors will personally guide the winning couples on winery tours and tastings at such famed wineries as Penfolds, D’Arenberg, Torbreck and Two Hands.
Lot 31, Survival of the Biddest, features a 10-day expedition to the Galapagos Islands for two couples aboard the National Geographic Islander. The unforgettable voyage will bring passengers face-to- face with some of the world’s most fascinating animals. Winners also receive two Leica C-LUX 2 digital cameras for capturing the flora and fauna of the exotic islands of Bartolome, Santiago, Isabela, Fernandina and Floreana.
Lot 42, Let the Games Begin, presents a 19-day trip for four to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing as well as personally guided tours and luxury accommodations in Shanghai, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Hong Kong. While at the Olympics, winners will watch the colorful Opening Ceremonies unfold and attend swimming, tennis, men’s basketball and artistic gymnastics events.
Lot 45, A Bippidi Boppidi Beautiful Disney Dream Vacation, aptly describes this fantasy trip for six to Walt Disney World for four days. The very special experience begins with transportation to Disney on a Citation X private jet. While at Disney, guests stay in palatial suites at the entertainment empire’s most fabulous properties; enjoy VIP and behind-the-scenes tours of Disney theme parks; dine at famous Disney restaurants; enjoy a private fireworks cruise and tickets to Cirque de Soleil’s La Nouba show.
Lot 48, A Grand, Premier Cruise to the Grand and Premiers Crus, offers a French holiday for 10 days for six people. After three luxurious nights in Paris, the winners tour the Burgundy region aboard the ultra-deluxe hotel-barge Fleur de Lys and take home 24 bottles of legendary Chateau Haut-Brion wine.
Lot 54, As Chic as a Sheik, features a one-week trip for four people to global travelers’ newest hot spot – the Emirate of Dubai. Suite accommodations are at the famous Burj-al-Arab, a seven-star resort built in the form of a billowing sail, with a day aboard the resort’s private yacht.
Lot 58, Safari en Suite, presents a South African safari adventure for four people for 16 days. The trip includes luxurious Orient-Express Safari camps and suite accommodations aboard Rovos Rail. Private tours and VIP assistance make this safari unlike any other.
For the love of fashion and baubles
Lot 56, Chanel No. 575 OVX, transports four people to Paris for a one-of-a-kind Chanel holiday for four nights. Highlights include otherwise unattainable access to the Chanel Spring Act II 2009 fashion show and an exclusive tour of designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s Parisian apartment. His-and-her Chanel watches and two 3-liter bottles of esteemed Gargiulo Vineyards 575 OVX wine complete this luxury package.
Lot 61, Passionate Necking, takes four people to Milan and Lake Como for a four-night Italian holiday, with private winery tours of the Franciacorta Region. The piece de resistance: an 18-karat gold Bulgari Celtaura necklace encrusted with pearls, pave diamonds and semi-precious stones in a design distinctively representing Bulgari’s renowned heritage.
A taste of Hollywood
Lot 37, 24 or 6 from ’04, brings Hollywood glamour to the auction – a walk-on role on Fox’s popular “24” – with a behind-the-scenes tour. The winning couple will spend two nights at the award-winning Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills and enjoy a private dinner prepared by celebrity chef Tom Colicchio at the Los Angeles home of esteemed vintner Ann Colgin. Capping off the prize lot: a never-before released horizontal of phenomenal Colgin Cellars wine, including a magnum and 3-liter bottles of every wine produced by Colgin in the highly acclaimed 2004 vintage.
Lot 50, Lights, Camera, AUCTION, features exquisite wine from Staglin Family Vineyard paired with an unforgettable Beverly Hills trip. The lot includes a walk-on role on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives”” and Fox’s “Back to You.” The glitz continues with four tickets to the Academy Awards ceremony and the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, followed by a visit to the Judge Judy show (and lunch with the judge), dinner at a private Malibu home and a private museum tour. To top it off, the winners fly by private jet to the El Dorado Golf & Beach Club in Cabo San Lucas for a two-night stay at a private villa.
Extreme sports
Lot 6, You Be the Judge, anoints a lucky bidder as one of Robb Report’s “Car of the Year” judges. The lot also includes two days in Napa for two, test driving some of the finest vehicles in the world -- Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati and Rolls-Royce, just to name a few. A three-day visit to Cardinale Winery in Napa follows, with a helicopter tour of the vineyards, a private dinner with acclaimed vintner Chris Carpenter, dinner at La Toque, a customized six liter bottle of Cardinale wine and a special limited edition 2006 Cartier Roadster watch.
Lot 23, Wheels with Wings, presents two 2008 Harley-Davidson CVO Screamin’ Eagle Limited Edition motorcycles, customized for the festival. The 105th anniversary-edition cycles are paired with six magnums of highly esteemed Screaming Eagle and a coveted place on Screaming Eagle’s mailing list. The lot also includes two nights in Napa Valley for eight people, with one night at Screaming Eagle and another night at Meadowood. A guided motorcycle tour of Napa Valley will round out the adventure, with several secret pit stops.
Lot 35, Celebrate Speed, takes four people to England for four nights highlighted by the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed, including VIP access as guests of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, and a visit to the famed automaker’s manufacturing plant. While in London, winners stay at The Lanesborough London and enjoy a custom sightseeing itinerary, chef’s table dinner with a world-renowned chef and a night at the theater. Back stateside, the winners also receive 24 100-point bottles of wine -- an all-star collection from the last three decades and the finest examples from every major wine-producing region in the world.
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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