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Me and the big spenders in old Napoli (di Florida)
I’ll try not to rub in the fact that I’ll be at the Naples Winter Wine Festival Jan 28-29s since you probably don’t have your $7500-a couple ticket, of course I’m in the peanut gallery but it’s worth saving your ducats for the next time. For the real fun of bidding you’ll need save a bunch more for very rarely does a single lot go for under $20,000.
In 10 years the festival has put southwest florida on the map, even if they do flay the stars in by provate jet. And such stars. From U.S. wine country the festival draws the names behind the labels at Harlan, Colgin, Grace, Colgin and Staglin and from overseas, the giants who create Vega Sicilia, Antiniori, Drouhin, Lynch-Bages, Haut- Brion, Beaucastel and more. Plus the newest celebrities with wine Labels, tennis great Annika Sorenstam and actor Kyle MacLachlan (cue dwarf and edgy music).
Chefs include Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, Dean Fearing, Emeril Lagasse’s Daniel Boulud and a full brigade of Ritz-Carlton all-stars from hotles across the U.S.
Celebrated wines under glass included real treasures, like a 100-bottle instant cellar of Austrlian greats includeiong 12-vintage verticals of Hill of Grace and of Penfolds Grange (with multiples) . I’ll let you know what they sell for.
How does Naples get such great stuff? One clue: Many of them are deep into wine as collectors and as vintners and wineyard owners; they know wine and winemakers.You can count Napa’s Swanson and Gargulio wines, Figge in Monterey and Domaine Serene in Oregon , as “Florida wines, once removed.”
The Harlans are the Vintner of the year and if you can’t make it to cheer them on as the grand marshal in this luxury parade, B-21 has their near perfect ’04 red on hand at $599.99. That’s not a case price but a bo ttle and the judges agree on the quality: 97, 98, 98,97.
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