Naples Winter Wine Festival News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dawn Montecalvo, Executive Director, (239) 514-2239

Children in Need Propel Naples Winter Wine Festival to New Fundraising Record

NAPLES, Fla. (Jan. 27, 2007) - The 2007 Naples Winter Wine Festival has once again smashed fundraising records and kept its perch atop the world's most successful charity wine auctions. Under a giant tent set on the grand lawn of The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, the auction of 72 spectacular lots and the raffle of a new Maserati Quattroporte pulled in a world record $16.4 million.

With ticket sales and sponsorships included, the grand total raised at the seventh annual festival was a record-breaking $18.3 million - besting last year's total of more than $13.7 million. Since the festival was founded in 2001 by trustees of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, it has raised more than $55 million that goes directly to improving the lives of underprivileged and at-risk children in Collier County, Fla.

"The festival truly lived up to this year’s theme of transformations," said Linda Malone 2007 festival chair and NCEF trustee. "With every bid, we came closer to transforming more children’s lives for the better, and that is what the festival is all about. Every year, the trustees are amazed and awed by the generosity of the bidders, donors and sponsors, and we are absolutely delighted to again reach a new milestone for the children."

The Jan. 26-28 gala was attended by 570 guests and reached a frenzy of excitement during the live auction of one-of-a-kind wines, special travel and culinary experiences, exotic cars and other luxuries. The lots, donated by NCEF trustees, renowned vintners, star chefs, private wine collectors, and other sponsors and patrons, generated bids that ranged from $50,000 to an all-time high of $2 million, the highest bid for any single lot at a charity wine auction.

The astounding $2 million bid was for Lot No. 14, a 2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe - the only car of its kind delivered to date in the U.S. The second highest bid of the auction was for Lot No. 28a, a show-stopper that brought the crowd to its feet and captured a winning bid of $1.7 million. The lot's allure was a fantasy trip for eight couples: a New York shopping spree at Saks Fifth Avenue and more for the ladies and a Scottish golf adventure for the gentlemen.

Two superstar vehicles also brought in sky-high bids at auction:

Lot No. 28 – 2008 Lexus LS 600h L found a home with a winning bidder who paid $280,000.
Lot No. 56 – 2007 Bentley Continental GTC Convertible sold for $1.3 million.

Living up to its wine festival name, several wine lots attracted high bids from oenophiles.

Leading off the auction was the ultimate wine lot, which commanded a winning bid of $150,000. Called the Vintners' Magnum, the lot held 32 very special 1.5 liter bottles of wine - each personally selected and signed by a participating vintner. Other high-bid wine lots:

Lot No. 26 - large format and other bottles of Colgin Cellars 2002 Colgin Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and a California getaway that featured a walk-on role on Grey’s Anatomy TV show sold for $460,000.
Lot No. 9 - a prized selection of Shafer wines, including an exclusive Napa trip for eight was auctioned off for $300,000.
Lot No. 68 – Italy's famed Il Boro wines from Ferragamo coupled with a Tuscan adventure for six – Ferragamo style - for $300,000.
Lot No. 20 - called Days of Wine and Roses, this selection of Lokoya wines combined with a Kentucky Derby experience sold for $240,000.
Lot No. 20 - fabulous Araujo Estate wines matched up with a spectacular New York truffle-infused dining experience for $200,000.
Lot No. 29 - called the Jewel Maker, this Burgundy visit for four was highlighted by a selection of treasured Joseph Drouhin wines and sold for $200,000.
Lot No. 13 - a very special Swanson vineyard wines package sold for $170,000.
Lot No. 30 - called For the Children, this lot featured Grace Family Vineyards' wines etched & painted with Naples Winter Wine Festival charities' logos and sold for $100,000.

Exotic trips, exciting excursions and other luxury packages also captured the imagination and pocketbooks of guests:

Lot No. 18 - a trip to Tuscany and Rome that included a private tour of the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum sold for $140,000.
Lot No. 21 - Flight Options’ two-year jet lease brought $400,000 at auction.
Lot No. 42 - a super sports extravaganza with tickets to The Masters Tournament, the World Series and others famous sporting events sold for $260,000.
Lot No. 63 - a privately guided nine-day African safari for three couples brought $220,000 at auction.

Festival events began with an exclusive pre-festival wine tasting presided over by influential wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr., followed on Friday by a "meet the kids" tour and grant luncheon, which gave guests a glimpse of their donations at work and treated them to a luncheon attended by acclaimed Napa Valley vintners who shared their finest wines.

At intimate Friday evening vintner dinners, renowned vintners shared their special wines and famous chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck and Daniel Boulud created culinary magic at 18 Naples homes of trustees. On auction day, festivities began with a wine-tasting and gastronomic showcase under the tent at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort and ended with a wine-down party featuring more unbelievable wines. The closing event is a celebration brunch prepared by some of WCI Communities’ finest chefs.

Major sponsors of the 2007 festival were The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples (founding sponsor), AmSouth (founding sponsor), The Private Banking and Investment Group at Merrill Lynch, The Lutgert Companies (founding sponsor), WCI Communities (founding sponsor), and Waterside Shops at Pelican Bay.

To distribute a portion of the funds raised at the 2007 festival, trustees of the Naples Children & Education Foundation will hold a grant presentation ceremony in the spring, with funding allotted to local children's charities that are dedicated to making a sustainable difference in the quality of life of Collier County's neediest children. Last April, more than $6.7 million was awarded to 18 area charities. In December, NCEF announced a gift of $5.65 million to build a pediatric dental facility and an early learning center on the Collier County campus of Edison College. It was the first gift of reserved funds aimed at fulfilling the foundation's four strategic initiatives: early learning, medical/oral health, out of school programs and social welfare.

For a complete listing of auction lots, further details and information about the 2007 Naples Winter Wine Festival, please visit napleswinefestival.com or call the wine festival office at (888) 837-4919.