The pandemic posed challenges for charities, particularly those whose events depend on human interaction in a live auction setting. The Naples Winter Wine Festival, the world’s most successful wine charity event, took place in a virtual format last year to safeguard the health of all donors, patrons, and staff. That festival raised $7.2 million—approximately one-third of the just over $20 million total in 2020, but still an impressive outcome under the circumstances.
This year’s festival, the twenty-second, will be live once again. Held at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, January 28–30, it will feature an impressive cast of world-class winemakers, celebrity chefs, and Master Sommeliers uniting under the theme of “Rise Up: Twenty Twenty Twogether.”
Presented by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the festivities begin on Friday morning with Meet the Kids Day, when donors get to meet the recipients of the funds raised and hear their stories firsthand. Vintner Dinners are held in the homes of NCEF trustees on Friday evening. The famous live auction, the festival’s main event, will take place Saturday afternoon at the hotel, offering a collection of one-of-a-kind culinary, wine, and lifestyle experiences. All proceeds from the auction go directly to charities serving underserved children in Collier County.
“We are excited to have assembled such an incredible lineup of renowned vintners and chefs for the 2022 Naples Winter Wine Festival,” says Shirlene Elkins, this year’s Chef Committee co-chair.
“Each of these individuals is a true legend with a solid reputation for excellence in their field.”
Participating chefs include Chef de Cuisine Nancy Oakes of Boulevard in San Francisco, who will be joined by luminaries such as Dean Fearing, Michael Mina, Charlie Palmer, Tony Mantuano, and Cassidee Dabney of The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. Featured wineries include Silver Oak and Twomey Cellars, Krug Champagne, Burgundy’s Joseph Drouhin, Harlan Estate, Château Cos d’Estournel, Darioush, and Peter Michael Winery.
Ticket prices for the 2022 Naples Winter Wine Festival are $15,000 per couple for a Double Magnum package and $35,000 for two couples for a Jeroboam package.
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