One-of-a-kind auctions lots
added to roster for
Wine Jewels of the World:
The Wine Auction at Berkshire Museum
Travel packages, rare wines and more added to auction at May 28 event
Pittsfield, Mass.—Berkshire Museum is pleased to announce more hard-to-find—and in some cases, one-of-a-kind—auction lots as they continue to be added to an already impressive roster of live and silent auction items at Wine Jewels of the World: The Wine Auction at Berkshire Museum. This much-anticipated event will feature premium auction lots including wine-themed trips around the world, carefully curated packages of extraordinary wines, highly desired sports and concert tickets, and exclusive dinners prepared by some of the best chefs in the Berkshires.
This biennial event begins at 5 p.m. on May 28 and will feature delicious hors d’oeuvres, champagne, and two celebratory wine dinners in addition to live and silent auctions. Wine Jewels of the World: The Wine Auction at Berkshire Museum is a fundraiser for Berkshire Museum’s renowned education programs, which last year served over 14,000 students from the Berkshires and beyond. Advance tickets are available but going quickly. For more information, to reserve tickets, or to receive a complete list of auction lots, please call 413.443.7171, ext. 45. An extended list of highlighted lots can be viewed at http: //bit.ly/wineauctionlots.
“The Wine Auction is always a very special evening that only the Berkshires can provide. All the better that it does so much to support Berkshire Museum’s ongoing work with students from throughout the region,” says Nancy Edman Feldman, co-chair of the Wine Auction Committee.
One highlight among the newly announced auction items is a package donated by the Wine Auction’s special guest of honor, Albéric Bichot of Maison Albert Bichot, the historicBurgundy Négociant House: an all-inclusive trip (including airfare and lodging) to the heart of Burgundy wine country for the renowned Hospices de Beaune wine auction, perhaps the forerunner of all great wine auctions; VIP tastings of some of the world’s finest wines; and one-and-one-half cases of red and white wine from Maison Albert Bichot. This is a truly unique package that is only available to guests of Wine Jewels of the World: The Wine Auction at Berkshire Museum.
Other key auction lots include wine-themed travel packages to Argentina and South Africa; a chance to experience the best of the New York/Boston sports rivalry with a package of prime tickets to see the Red Sox vs. Yankees, Celtics vs. Knicks, and Patriots vs. Jets; unparalleled wine dinners at The Old Inn on the Green and Blantyre; a James Taylor package including tickets to see him perform at Tanglewood after viewing the private sound check that afternoon, and an autographed piece of sheet music to “Fire and Rain” from the artist’s personal collection; a mixed case of rare Grand Cru Burgundy wines; and two bottles of perhaps the most highly-coveted and hard-to-find wines in the world, the First Growth Bordeaux from Château Lafite Rothschild of Pauillac, 2000 vintage.
In addition to the live auction beginning at 6:45pm and led by Charles Antin, Wine Specialist and Associate Vice President at Christie’s of New York, more than 80 lots of wine, travel, evenings out, and merchandise will be offered in a silent auction from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Two celebratory wine dinners follow the live auction. The evening’s festivities include wine tastings throughout the galleries and delicious hors d’oeuvres by Kate Baldwin Food, Mission Bar and Tapas, SOMA, and Haven Café & Bakery. The Celebratory Wine Dinner in the Crane Room is catered by Chef Michael Roller of Savory Harvest Catering, featuring wines by Maison Albert Bichot. The Berkshire Fresh Market Wine Dinner onstage at the Colonial Theatre is catered by Chef Shelly Williams of Haven Café & Bakery, featuringwines by Patrick Mata of OLE Imports of Spain.
Wine Jewels of the World selected auction highlights
Très Très Bon! Burgundy, Beaune and You!
Gifts of a lifetime for the true wine lover. From our guest of honor, Albéric Bichot, a rare and magnificent experience along with magnificence for your cellar. The wines from Maison Albert Bichot comprise gorgeous Burgundian white and red: 6 bottles of Domaine Long-Depaquit Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos, 2002 (pass the oysters!), plus a full case, 12 bottles, of Domaine du Clos Frantin Vosne-Romanèe Premier Cru Les Malconsorts, 2003.
And the unmatchable experience: Four spectacular wine-focused days in Beaune, the historic heart of Burgundy, centering on the magical Hospices de Beaune Weekend. Likely the great, great granddaddy of charity wine events, the Friday through Sunday Hospices de Beaune is devoted to the food and wines of Burgundy, and tickets are simply impossible without very special connections. The festival culminates in a world famous wine auction, held annually since 1851. The auction is preceded by a black tie dinner at famous Clos de Vougeot on day one, and followed by the lunch “La Paulée de Meursault.”
Your VIP invitation for two includes the full barrel, so to speak: airfare, four nights’ hotel in Beaune, vineyard and winery tours, and VIP wine tastings of Burgundy’s (the world’s?) very best. This package is only available from the Wine Auction at Berkshire Museum.
The Perpetual Big Game
No matter the sport, the Boston versus New York rivalry is probably the fiercest. And for Boston sports partisans these tickets are the ultimate. This package includes:
Two Lower Box seats to a Red Sox/Yankees game in the 2011 season at Fenway Park
· Two Center Court seats to a Celtics/Knicks game for the 2011-2012 season at Boston’s TD Garden, Fleet Center
· Two tickets to a Patriots/Jets game for the 2011 season in Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium.
All tickets are limited to the 2011 season; dates to be selected by mutual agreement with donors.
The Greatest Prize—Times Two
“Hot” collectible wines come and go, but First Growth Bordeaux endure as great prizes in the world of wine. Château Lafite Rothschild from Pauillac is perhaps the most famous of this handful of consistently profound reds. Throw in the exceptional 2000 vintage and dueling perfect 100-point scores from both Parker’sWine Advocate and Wine Spectator and, voilà!, you have what is likely the single most coveted wine in the world! Anticipated maturity: 2011-2050. Two 750 ml. bottles of this impossible-to-find liquid perfection.
THE Wine Dinner of a Lifetime
How often can you plan one of the greatest meals of your life—an evening of 16 stunning wines that inspire course after delicious course by a world-class chef—all in a romantic candlelit dining room in the Berkshires? Here’s your chance. Ten guests will join the hosts at The Old Inn on the Green, where chef Peter Platt will pair these incredible wines with his carefully matched signature dishes.
Spanning four decades and four continents, these mature, gorgeous wines have been perfectly stored in the legendary cellar of donors Sheldon and Carol Rabin:
2002 Dom Perignon Vintage
1997 Kistler Chardonnay
1992 Bâtard-Montrachet, Dom R. Caillot
2004 Grands Echezeaux, Domaine Romanée-Conti (DRC)
1978 Château Margaux, Margaux
1976 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
1997 Angelo Gaja ‘Costa Russi’ Langhe
2004 Achaval Ferrer ‘La Consulta’ Mendoza Malbec
1994 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie ‘La Landonne’
1989 Domaine Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Reservée
1995 Penfolds ‘Grange’ Shiraz
2001 Ridge Switchback Petite Syrah ‘Petersen Family Vyds’
2004 Numanthia Tinto de Toro
1971 Château d’ Yquem Sauternes
1976 Trockenbereenauslese (TBA) Neirsteiner Reinbach Reinhold Seter Wiengut
1992 Taylor-Fladgate Vintage Port
Argentina: The Hottest Destination
A fabulous opportunity to experience Argentina’s dynamic and exciting new wine culture.Nick Ramkowsky, owner of Vine Connections Imports, which specializes in quality Argentine wines, will act as travel organizer and consultant for the trip – you choose the date and how long you’d like to stay.
Included in this priceless package:
In the Mendoza wine region, located at the foothills of the Andes Mountains:
· VIP tour and tastings at great wineries: Catena, Mendel, and Dominio del Plata (Susanna Balbo Wines), including a personal driver for your visit
· Dinner and tasting with Luis Reginato, renowned winemaker for Luca, Tikal, and La Posta Wineries
· Reservations at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Mendoza
In exciting Buenos Aires
· A day of touring with Mariana Cirer, the best guide in Buenos Aires
In both Mendoza and Buenos Aires, you will receive the corporate discount rate for your hotel room (hotel stays are at winning bidder’s expense), and Nick will give you his personal recommendations for the best restaurants in each location.
To both whet your appetite before the trip and to rekindle memories, the package includes a case of 12 Argentine wines with a cross section of the finest Malbecs. Two bottles each of:
· Mendel Malbec (93 WA)
· Susana Balbo Malbec (91 WA)
· Luca Malbec (93 WA)
· Tikal Malbec (92 WA)
· Mapema Malbec (90 WA)
· Anoro Malbec (90 WA)
Sweet Baby James
Two tickets to the sold-out James Taylor and his Band Essentials concert at Tanglewood on July 3, 2011, and an invitation to attend the sound check that afternoon. In addition, you’ll take home a personally autographed “Fire and Rain” piano part from James Taylor’s personal copies of the sheet music.
The World’s Greatest Whites?
Fine Grand Cru Burgundies are certainly among the top contenders, and many serious wine collectors count the exuberant nose, complex flavors and seemingly endless finish of an aged Corton Charlemagne or Montrachet as their single most memorable wine experience. This lot features 8 bottles of three top-shelf Louis Latour wines from the excellent 2008 vintage; all earned 94 points or better and the coveted “Don’t Miss” accolade fromBurghound:
· 4 bottles, Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, 2008
· 2 bottles, Louis Latour Chevalier Montrachet Les Demoiselles Grand Cru, 2008
· 2 bottles, Louis Latour Montrachet Grand Cru, 2008
California Dreamin’
Here’s a rare opportunity to purchase an assorted case of perfectly stored, mature West Coast legends, including four mini-verticals.
Beaulieu Vineyards:
Georges de Latour, Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, 1993
Georges de Latour, Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, 1996
Tapestry Reserve, Napa Valley, 1996
Caymus Vineyards:
Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, 1993
Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, 1996
Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, 1997
Joseph Phelps Winery:
Insignia, Napa Valley Proprietary Blend, 1993
Insignia, Napa Valley Proprietary Blend, 1996
Insignia, Napa Valley Proprietary Blend, 1997
Shafer Winery
Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag’s Leap District, 1993
Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag’s Leap District, 1996
Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 1996
Exquisite Dinner for Four at Blantyre
World famous as a Relais & Châteaux, Blantyre set in a secluded park in Lenox, Massachusetts, maintains its luster with an elegance and quality that is almost impossible to find in the 21st century. Dinner is always served on antique plates, crystal, and tableware in a room resplendent with old world decoration. The evening starts with a glass of champagne and splendid hors d’oeuvres in a separate sitting room, followed by an unparalleled five-course meal by Chef Christopher Brooks. Dinner is accompanied by the world class wines from the cellar of Sommelier Luc Chevalier. The two lucky couples who win this evening of indulgence will finish the night with an after-dinner libation in the sitting room, “just to let the good vibes sink in.”
Dinner is valid through June 2012, based on availability, excluding Friday and Saturday evenings and dates in July and August. All gratuities and taxes are included in the package.
Lot 17 Cape Grace Hotel: A trip to South Africa's Cape Grace Hotel is included in the live auction
South Africa: A Fantasy Tour
An unforgettable Singita safari and a luxury visit to the Cape Town waterfront.
Begin your South African tour with a two-night rest at the gracious Cape Grace Hotel, on a private quay in Cape Town’s Victoria and Albert waterfront. Next, embark on a stunning two–night stay in a private secluded suite in Singita’s Ebony Lodge overlooking the Sabi Sand Game Reservation. Luxurious air-conditioned accommodations include spectacular views from your private deck, a heated plunge pool, and superb cuisine accompanied by the finest vintage wines. Discover leopards, lions, buffalo, elephants, and antelopes during two safaris each day by open Land Rover as well as walking and night safaris. As a special treat, visit the Lodge’s extraordinary wine cellar full of rare South African gems and enjoy tastings with François Rautenbach, a foremost expert on South African wines. (Must be used by May 2012; not available between December 15, 2011 and January 5, 2012)
If you have the time and energy, we can arrange some visits to vineyards in the celebrated Stellenbosch region to round out your visit to South Africa.
The Impossible is Possible
The owner of Rao’s Restaurant in Manhattan, Frank Pellegrino, is known as “Frankie No” because if you call for a reservation, the answer is always “No.” That’s a 100% “No,” not a “No, unless somebody cancels, No.” “No” is “No.” Zagat calls it the hardest reservation on the planet but one lucky bidder here will enjoy dinner for six at the world famous Rao’s. All of the ten tables have been given to regulars for more than 20 years. Don’t even ask how you become a regular. That’s another “No.” What you get is the right to eat at Rao’s on the fourth Tuesday of any month you agree upon with the Carringtons. You still have to pick up the check for your southern Italian family style dinner.