WINE AUCTIONS - The Collective Napa Valley program raises funds year-round

The wine fraternity in Napa Valley is known for giving back to the community generously, reports Mira Advani Honeycutt who attended its latest Auction

- Mira Advani Honeycutt

Napa Valley is the most renowned wine region in the US. The local vintners have not only made a mark in producing world-class Cabernets but are also known for their generosity which in previous years was evident at the annual Auction Napa Valley (ANV). The region’s flagship fundraiser, presented by Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), raises astronomical sums over a weekend and draws global attention as bidders fly into Northern California from all over the world.

Since its inaugural auction in 1981, the year when Napa became California’s first AVA (American Viticultural Area), the organisation has raised more than US$ 225 million through various events especially its annual ANV, funds that went to support health care and children’s education among other programs. However, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown, which gave many organisations a chance to rethink and reinvent fundraising events, the Auction Napa Valley pivoted to a truncated although extended version.

Welcome to the Collective Napa ValleyTogether Again Weekend The auction debuted on June 2 and 3 as a streamlined version of the highly successful Auction Napa Valley. The two-day event raised $3.8 million from the barrel and live auctions plus the Fund-a-Bright Future campaign, the proceeds of which provide Napa Valley’s youth with much-needed access to mental health services.