The Sun Valley Center for the Arts' annual Wine Auction brings together guest chefs, winemakers, wine lovers, food lovers, generous donors and mountain-living enthusiasts in Sun Valley for a weekend of unforgettable fun.
Now in its 29th year, the Wine Auction has consistently been ranked among the top 10 charity wine auctions in the country by Wine Spectator magazine. Proceeds from the Wine Auction weekend account for more than half the operating budget of the nonprofit Sun Valley Center for the Arts, which provides arts and humanities programs throughout the Wood River Valley.
The Wine Auction is a three-day celebration, with events ranging from intimate, small-group dinners at private homes to a Wine Tasting Extravaganza that attracts hundreds of wine aficionados, novices and experts alike.
This year, two special guest chefs will work in partnership with Sun Valley Resort chefs to create a superlative dinner for guests attending the Wine Auction Gala, the main fundraising event. The gala is scheduled for Friday, July 23, at 5:30 p.m., at Dollar Mountain in Sun Valley. The event features a live and silent auction followed by dancing. This year's guest chefs will be Christopher Kostow, chef at The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa, Calif., and Beau MacMillan, executive chef at Elements restaurant in Paradise Valley, Ariz.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts Junior Patron Wine Auction Party is for younger individuals who want to take part in the festivities. The evening will begin with a private gathering for appetizers and wine at Sego Restaurant and Bar in Ketchum on Friday, July 23, at 6:30 p.m. A raffle at Sego will include prizes of magnums of wine or a cultured freshwater pearl necklace by Ezmaralda Gordon. At 9 p.m., Junior Patrons can enter the Wine Auction Gala at Dollar Mountain Lodge for dancing. Tickets for the Junior Patron event are $125. For details, call 726-9491.
< On Thursday, July 22, Kostow and MacMillan are among the dozen prestigious chefs and teams of chefs who will prepare multi-course meals to pair with wines poured by guest vintners at 12 unique private residences made available by their owners. Seats are still available at several vintner dinners. For details, call Christl Holzl at 726-9491, ext. 15. Other guest chefs at the Vintner Dinners include several Wood River Valley chefs, as well as chefs from beyond the valley.
The Wine Auction's final food-and-wine-pairing event is the Wine Auction Picnic and Concert on Saturday, July 24, at Warm Springs Ranch in Ketchum. This annual celebration of food, wine, friends and music will have a platoon of 15 local restaurants and businesses working together to prepare the meal while guest vintners pour their favorite wines.
The evening will include live music by Clinton Curtis, who plays everything from indie rock and reggae to rockabilly music. Tickets for the picnic are $80, which includes unlimited food and wine. In addition, Riedel "O" glasses will be for sale for $5. A free shuttle will leave from the bottom of Fifth Street in Ketchum to Warm Springs Ranch—it will include champagne during the ride over. Parking at Warm Springs will cost $50.
Prior to the picnic on Saturday, July 24, the Wine Tasting Extravaganza will take place from 12:30-3 p.m. at the base of Dollar Mountain. The $40 ticket includes a Riedel wine glass. Participants can test their palates with wines from dozens of vintners from California, Washington, Idaho and beyond.
Additional Wine Auction weekend events include a Riedel Wine Symposium on Friday, July 23, with Maximilian Riedel, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sun Valley Inn. Riedel is an 11th generation glassmaker and CEO of Riedel Crystal America. In addition, "The Power of Pinot," a symposium with Master Sommelier Fred Dame, will take place on Saturday, July 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sun Valley Inn.
Ticket prices for the Wine Auction events range from $40 to $600 for individual events, although many patrons prefer to purchase packages. Auction lot viewing and registration will take place Thursday, July 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Dollar Mountain Lodge and Friday, July 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For tickets and details about times, locations and parking, visit www.sunvalleycenter.org or call Christl Holzl at 726-9491, ext. 15. Attendees at all Wine Auction events must be 21 and over.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Auction lots
Many live and silent auction lots feature rare large-format bottles—up to 9 liters—seldom available anywhere else. Auction lots also include trips to New Zealand, Hawaii, Italy and the Bahamas, plus wine-and-dine packages that often include meals at some of the country's top restaurants. The silent auction includes an array of fine wines, which highlight the winemaking of Northwest, California and Idaho.
Live auction lots also include a special auction lot, Take Part for Art, which raises money for arts scholarships for local students and teachers. In addition, a special auction item includes the "Idaho Mountain Playhouse," which was entered into the Hailey Fourth of July parade by Old Cutters subdivision and Coldwell Banker-Conklin and Co. The playhouse has been donated to The Center for auction and all proceeds from its final bid will go toward funding youth programs at The Center.
One of the most exciting raffles of the Wine Auction weekend is the raffle for a Lexus RX 450h hybrid car. Only 300 raffle tickets will be available, costing $500 per ticket.The winner does not need to be in attendance for the drawing.