The Golden Vines® Charity Online Auction is a unique opportunity for fine wine and rare spirit lovers to buy some rare jewels, direct from estate cellars, along with ‘money-can’t-buy experiences’ at the world’s leading estates for you and your guests.
Always wanted to gain entry to Petrus, the famed Pomerol estate? You can buy a very rare Imperial (six Litre) of 1996 Petrus with a VIP tour, tasting and vineyard visit at the estate, followed by a private lunch featuring historic back vintages hosted by owner, Jean Moueix, at his family estate in Libourne for eight guests. Finding it hard to gain access to top Burgundy estates? There are over 20 lots coming from Burgundy for you to choose from in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.
Champagne is very well represented by the likes of Krug, Salon, Charles Heidsieck, Boëhl & Kroff and an incredible lot from Dom Pérignon that includes a unique magnum collection of P3 from the 1966, 1976 and 1985 vintages (see main picture), along with a lunch, hosted by Chef De Cave Vincent Chaperon and crafted by Chef Marco Fadiga, for six guests.
Always wanted to visit Harlan Estate in Napa Valley? You and seven guests can do so, and also come away with a rare Double Magnum (three litres) of 2016 Harlan Estate signed by Bill Harlan. Trying to get hold of Magnums (1.5 Litre) of Klaus Peter Keller’s G-Max Riesling? This is your chance, with a picnic lunch with the Keller family at the top of his Schubertslay Vineyard also part of the package.
The Italian lots, in particular, are impressive and plentiful, with Tuscany and Barolo dominating the field with offerings from Sassicaia, Biondi Santi (see below), Il Marroneto, Ornellaia, Luca Roagna, Gaja, and many others.
And if Japanese sake is your thing, why not stay with six friends at the Kura (brewery) of super-premium IWA in Toyama Province hosted by the one and only Richard Geoffroy, the former Chef De Cave of Dom Pérignon and now owner of IWA. Elsewhere, there are plenty of mouth-watering, more affordable lots from every fine wine region on the planet.
Along with the fine wine lots, there are also some unique rare spirit offerings, including up to four bottles (of only 10 produced) of a uniquely blended old cognac from Maison Camus, created in homage to the late, great Gérard Basset (see bottom pic), with a private dinner with the owner, Cyril Camus, in his private apartment in Paris for every bottle purchased.
Or why not enjoy a private two-night stay for eight guests at the beautiful Glenmorangie House in Scotland while tasting fabulously rare cask bottlings?
There’s also a chance to bid on the Sotheby’s Golden Vines® Live Auction by placing a maximum bid before Friday 13th October including lots from VistaJet, Gucci, Boucheron, court-side seats at the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and a host of Michelin-3 Star experiences from the likes of Massimo Bottura, Alain Ducasse and Mauro Colagreco.
Money raised from the auction goes to the Gérard Basset Foundation to fund educational programmes in the wine, spirits and hospitality sectors focused on diversity and inclusivity. The Foundation funds programmes in over 15 countries globally, in addition to its ground-breaking scholarship programmes co-sponsored by Taylor’s Port, Dom Pérignon, Artemis Domaines, Camus, The Brooklyn Nets NBA team, Michel Reybier Hospitality and Wine Owners.
The auction opens online from 1st October and closes at midnight on Sunday 15th October. Curated, the fine wine members’ auction site, is hosting the auction for the Gérard Basset Foundation using their proprietary software. If you want to bid, please use this link from 1st October.
Lewis Chester DipWSET is a London-based wine collector, member of the Académie du Champagne and Chevaliers du Tastevin, co-founder of Liquid Icons and, along with Sasha Lushnikov, co-founder of the Golden Vines® Awards. He is also Honorary President and Head of Fundraising at the Gérard Basset Foundation, which funds diversity & inclusivity education programmes globally in the wine, spirits & hospitality sectors.
