The high-profile Auction Napa Valley began last Tuesday, when online bidding opened via Sotheby’s.
Every single lot received a bid within the opening hour, setting the stage for competitive action throughout the week.
Almost 2,000 people then descended upon Louis M. Martini Winery for a barrel auction on Friday, and the main event took place at Chandon the following evening.
Auctioneer Jacqueline Towers-Perkins presided over Saturday’s event, which featured 14 exclusive lots. Here are the highlights:
- Antinori Napa Valley & Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars: A week-long experience at Marchesi Antinori’s Tuscany estates, plus a luxury visit to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and various wines, fetched $550,000.
- Alpha Omega & Bouchaine Vineyards: A blending session and farm-to-table lunch in Napa, followed by a stay on the private Caribbean island of Mustique, brought in $425,000.
- St. Supéry: Lunch at the Dollarhide Ranch vineyards, plus a trip to Paris to see winery owner’s Chanel’s ready-to-wear collection and jewellery, fetched $240,000.
- Kenzo Estate: A five-night tour of Japan with a follow-up wine event in Napa, received a winning bid of $180,000.
- Darioush: A two-week trip aboard a mega-yacht called The World, culminating in a Napa dinner hosted by the Khaledis, owners of the Darioush and Ashes & Diamonds wineries, and featuring rare Darioush wines, also brought in $180,000.
Saturday’s auction raised $2.64m, taking the total for Auction Napa Valley 2025 to $6.5m. That was a significant increase on last year’s $4.8m, although it was some way off the record of $18.7m achieved back in 2014.
‘The results this year were just amazing,’ said Alpha Omega owner Robin Baggett, who co-chaired Auction Napa Valley 2025 alongside his wife, Michelle. ‘There was a lot of love for our Napa Valley youth, for our wines and for the auction lot experiences we will be sharing.
‘From those who come back year after year to our new friends who jumped right in, all showed up in a meaningful way. And we are very grateful.’
Napa Valley Vintners, the event’s organiser, has now invested more than $230m (£169.5m) in the local community.
The proceeds from this year’s auction will support youth wellness programmes across Napa County, including mental health services and summer learning programmes.
‘Thanks to the long-standing investment by Napa Valley Vintners, we’ve been able to deepen our impact in the community, giving thousands of young people a safe place to learn, grow and thrive,’ said Jaime Gallegos, interim executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley. ‘It’s a partnership that has truly changed young people’s lives for the better.’
