Exploring Top Charity Wine Auctions: Beaune, Napa, and Naples

An auctioneer supervises the Hospices de Beaune 163rd charity wine auction in Beaune, on November 19, 2023, in central France. (Photo by ARNAUD FINISTRE / AFP) (Photo by ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP via Getty Images)

Are wine sales decreasing? Perhaps, but the mood surrounding charity wine auctions remains festive. Here are three respected events that have posted robust results at the most recent charity wine auctions, all of which are worthy of your attention. Beaune, in France’s heart of Burgundy, and Napa, smack in the middle of California’s famous winegrowing region, may come as no surprise, but how about Naples, Florida? Hold on to your hats … or rather, your corkscrews.

The Hospices de Beaune benefits from funds raised at the 162-year-old auction, the oldest and most famous charity wine auction, held annually on the third of November.

The oldest and most famous charity wine auction in the world, the Hospices de Beaune, first hit the gavel on a charity sale 162 years ago. Celebrating the Trois Glorieuses weekend of festivities, the medieval town holds three events marking the end of the wine growing cycle in addition to tastings, concerts, parades, and a half marathon.

In 1859, an evening gathering of philanthropic oenophiles placed bids on wine à la bougie, by candlelight, to raise funds for the Hôpital de Beaune. The sale went to the last bid before the candles burned out. That tradition continues today, but only for the charity barrel, Pièce de Charité.

This photograph, taken on November 19, 2023, shows the “Nouvelle cuverie”, where the wines that will be sold at the 163rd Hospices de Beaune charity auction in Beaune, central France, are tasted by the professionals.

On the third Sunday in November, the Hospices de Beaune auction puts up a single current vintage each year en primeur, or as futures, for bids. Recently vinified by Ludivine Griveau in the Domaine des Hospices winery, this young wine that is only a few weeks old has not yet displayed its potential. Bidders are invited to a tasting event to decide whether, and how much, to bid.

An auctioneer supervises the Hospices de Beaune 163rd charity wine auction in Beaune, on November 19, 2023, central France.

At the December 2023 event, $27.4 million was raised at the 163^rd sale to benefit Hospices Civils de Beaune’s 600 years of operation, second only to 2022’s $32 million. The funds will assist the hospital in medical research on aging and longevity, along with modernization and construction of new buildings for the charity hospitals.

Friday, May 31, 2024 kicks off the annual Napa Valley Barrel Auction with a sampling of small-production barrel samples from Napa Valley’s boutique wineries. A weekend of wine, food, wine tastings, vintner dinners, and a string of associated festivities ensues.

A table brimming with attendees raise their glasses for a toast during the Auction Napa Valley. (Photo by Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

The Collective Napa Valley organization is a philanthropic program combining social events with fundraising in an effort to improve the lives of children. The 2023 event raised $3.8 million which was donated to SHINE Napa Valley, an organization helping Napa County’s mental health organizations and schools address chronic sadness in elementary and secondary school children.

The Auction Napa Valley wine dinner will be hosted this year at Far Niente, offering participants the exclusive opportunity to mingle with local winery owners, wine connoisseurs, and savor culinary masterpieces by renowned chefs. Attendees can also look forward to enchanting dance performances, late-night treats, and a few undisclosed surprises.

A memorable day from the annals of Napa Valley history was a Wine Auction held under a tent on a sweltering day in June of 1984. The vivid image was captured by Steve Ringman for the San Francisco Chronicle and transported many enthusiasts back in time to that significant moment in the valley’s viticulture.

Interestingly, all the wine is sold while still in the birthing stages of its life cycle – the barrel. Once sold, the remainder of the development is left in the trusted hands of the winemakers, who carefully watch over its maturation and take charge of its bottling at the most optimal times. Each auctioned lot represents a single half-barrel of wine, subdivided into ten individual case offerings. A bid list is maintained, and the top ten bidders earn the privilege of owning a twelve-bottle case, filled at different increments.

Another significant wine auction event that might have escaped your notice, but packs a punch in terms of its philanthropic ambitions, is the Naples Winter Wine Festival. In its recent edition held in the last weekend of January 2024, it proudly raised an impressive $33 million. The much-needed funds are directed towards assisting at-risk and disadvantaged young ones in Collier County. Since its inaugural auction in 2001, the festival has gathered a staggering almost $302 million, bringing a ray of hope to over 300,000 children. The most recent year saw a turnout of 650 attendees.

This all-electric Rolls Royce fetched a top bid of $1.4 million at the Naples Winter Wine Festival in Naples, FL, Nov., 2023.

This year’s schedule began with a pre-function Thursday, a wine tasting and luncheon for 40 guests at The Wine Cellar in Naples, followed by a kickoff dinner honoring vintner Véronique Boss-Drouhin of Oregon’s Domaine Drouhin and Burgundy’s Maison Joseph Drouhin. A Meet the Kids Day tour and luncheon on Friday morning, a tour of the Lot Room Friday afternoon, and vintner dinners on Friday evening kept guests busy.

Happy bidders applaud the winning bid at the 2024 Naples Winter Wine Auction held at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Tiburón.

The big event on Saturday evening, held at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon, featured the live auction followed by a Wine Down dancing and music celebration. Sunday, a celebration brunch at the Ritz-Carlton capped the weekend.

Several of the auction items included voyages paired with top-rated wines. Among the 50 auction items, auction-goers could bid on a seven-night sailing experience on the 122 ft. yacht Navilux along the Croatian coast, a week in the Caribbean on the Ritz-Carlton Evrina, or a seven-night journey in the Mediterranean aboard the 312-foot superyacht Whisper.

There are also reputable charitable wine auctions in locations such as Cape Town, South Africa, Atlanta, GA, Destin, FL, Sonoma, CA, and Sun Valley, ID, among others, as well as a plethora of online and for-profit auctions. If you’re a wine enthusiast who wants to make a positive impact with your purchase, consider starting your journey in Naples, Florida, rather than Italy.

---

About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!