Auction Napa Valley starts tonight

Even as it was drizzling outside midday on Tuesday, Napa Valley Vintners officials were meeting to discuss contingency plans for Auction Napa Valley, a mostly-outside event that begins with vintner parties tonight.

Terry Hall, communications director for the NVV, which organizes and sponsors Auction Napa Valley, said it’s not unusual for a prediction of rain in early June, as there was a threat of it both last year and the year before. “The good news is it won’t be blazing hot on Friday and Saturday,” he said. 

Hall commented that the last time he remembered rain at ANV was in 1998, when Michaela Rodeno, who was with St. Supéry at the time, jumped up on the table inside the auction tent and asked the crowd to vote on whether dinner would be served inside or outside. The vote was to head outside, Hall said. “It drizzled for half a second and then it was fine,” he added.

“We’ll have contingency plans A, B and C,” Hall said, adding the details were still being worked out on Tuesday.

Prior to the four-day Auction Napa Valley, the Napa Valley Vintners run an online “e-auction” with more than 150 lots. As of Tuesday, more than 500 people had bid on large-format bottles of wines, wine collections, trips and adventures, wine experiences and overnight stays in the Napa Valley. The bidders are from across the United States as well as from Mexico, Canada and Hong Kong, Hall said.

“Since the auction opened on Sunday morning, the top lots have changed hour by hour,” he said. “But those in strong pursuit of the leader board at this very early stage include Domaine Chandon, the NVV lot in partnership with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Chateau Montelena, Heitz Wine Cellars, Round Pond and a walk-on role on ‘Entourage’ with Clos du Val.”

The bids range from the starting bid of $250 to $3,200 for the lot from Chateau Montelena. A lot with wines from the Calistoga Appellation was at $1,611 as of Tuesday afternoon. Anyone older than 21 can register and bid. Details on the lots can be found at napavintners.com. The e-auction closes at 

6 p.m. Sunday, June 5.

Some 2,000 people are expected to attend Friday’s Marketplace and Barrel Auction, which will be held for the first time at the Culinary Institute of America, Greystone in St. Helena. It will begin at 11 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. One hundred vintners will pour their wines from barrels during the barrel auction. Starting bids for a case of wine are $175 and each vintner is offering 10 cases to the highest bidders. The wines will generally be delivered in 2012.

The Marketplace includes vintners pouring their current releases and a number of Napa Valley’s top chefs serving bites to go along with the wines.

Festivities continue with another round of private vintner parties Friday night throughout the Napa Valley.

On Saturday, the day begins at noon at Meadowood Napa Valley in St. Helena with a preview of the live auction lots, followed by an American picnic lunch, prepared by Chef Cindy Pawlcyn and her staff. Auctioneers Fritz Hatton and Ursula Hermacinski are heading up the live auction, which includes 40 live lots. Following the auction, a dinner prepared by Chef Michael Chiarello will be served to all the guests, followed by dancing.

The “Farewell Fete” will be from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday in the outdoors Vintners Glen at Meadowood. The preliminary results from the auction will be announced and the honorary chairs for 2012 will be introduced.