$13.5 Million Raised For The Love Of Wine And 'The Kids'

(Forbes) - At first glance the Naples Winter Wine Festival looks like any other luxury wine auction—a curious blend of hipster somms, world-class chefs and the jet set; with sponsors such as Maserati and NetJets, it’s a justifiable impression. Yet, underneath all the luxurious trappings is a serious, get-it-done effort that has become an annual standard bearer for philanthropy. In the Festival’s 14-year history, the auction has raised over $125 million dollars–coming in a close second is Auction Napa Valley which has donated roughly $120 million in its 34-year history. This year’s live auction of 66 different lots raised over $13.5 million dollars. One-hundred percent of auction proceeds benefit the underprivileged and at-risk children served by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF).

Anyone who collects wine, or has a wicked wine habit, should have this event on their bucket list, period. It’s a wine and food bacchanal with the awfully nice bonus of knowing that your contribution goes towards charitable programs that benefit children.

During my visit I counted seven Master Sommeliers, including Ian Cauble from the documentary Somm, pouring wines and answering questions. Thirty-eight winemakers, including Honored Vintner Olivier Krug, were on hand to pour and talk vintages and 16 chefs, including Chef de Cuisine Bill Telepan, put their talents to work Friday evening at the many private winemaker dinners. The preview party just prior to the auction featured ice buckets brimming with vintage Krug and celebrity chefs signing cookbooks. Ritz-Carlton chefs rimmed the tent area, serving up bites such as ahi tuna with cucumber and burrata foam, veal cheek, pork belly and a stunning array of pastry. In the midst of it all: a wine store’s breadth and depth of selections featuring hundreds of wines from all over the globe.

As the auction begins, there are even more wines opened. The wines on my table (and they pour freely) include a 2000 Château Figeac, 1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie, and Krug’s just-released 2003 vintage Champagne. Occasionally the tent breaks into a kind of fundraising cheer: “For the kids, for the kids,” a reminder of the purpose behind the splendor.