The Grapevine
April 2015 DCWAF Newsletter 
The Results Are In

 

On April 24 & 25th, we celebrated our 10th Annual Destin Charity Wine

Auction and raised over $2.3 million. The record breaking results are an increase over the $2.035 million raised last year and helped achieve a $1 million increase in fundraising in just two years. In fact over the last 10 years, DCWAF will have donated more than $10 million to non-profit organizations to serve children in Northwest Florida.

 
We are extremely grateful for the support of so many. We are so lucky to live in a community with generous, philanthropic   individuals . The vintners and chefs invest so much in us year after year. Our charities and volunteers help make this event possible from building the floor to placing the celebration crowns on the winning bidders heads. Our Sponsors lend the support to build a venue to have 600 patrons, 25 proprietors and
wine makers , chefs, and local restaurants.

 

In addition, during the Wine Auction weekend, 13 Patron Dinners were held in notable restaurants and private homes in the area. These dinners pair celebrity chefs with participating vintners to create a memorable dining experience for every attendee. At each dinner, a charity representative attends and an auction takes place to help raise funds for the needs of that charity, whether it be counseling hours, construction or renovation, medical care, etc. These dinners brought in over $100,000 more than last year. A huge thank you to each and every generous patron, and especially to the hosts who went above and beyond delivering such a special evening. 

 

The auction was comprised of more than 200 unique live and silent offerings. The Live Auction kicked off with the Magnum Force lot (39 autographed magnums from DCWAF vintners past and present), which matched last year's winning bid of $45,000. The highest grossing lot was  Chateau de Beaucastel. Donated by the honorary international vintner Marc Perrin, the one-of-a-kind experience includes a stay at the Beaucastel guest house in the historic village of Vinsobres with exclusive wine tours. The lot also includes a stay at Hotel La Villa Gallici along with a VIP tasting at the Miraval Tasting Room in Aix de Provence, featuring the Miraval Rose, a joint venture between Jolie-Pitt, and Perrin. Other memorable moments included a special 3-liter of 1996 Insignia donated by Honorary Vintner Bill Phelps in honor of the recent passing of his father, legendary Joseph Phelps, which earned $15,000, as well as a special 9-liter of 2004 Charles Krug donated by Chan Cox, which garnered $11,000. Justin Gaffrey included an original painting that was painted live during the Reserve Tasting, which auctioned off for $15,000. The auction team doubled the Switzerland lot, resulting in a $90,000 donation, and tripled the Costa Rica lot, bringing in $108,000. 

 
The funds raised are distributed to 14 local non-profit organizations for specific projects and programs that benefit children. Charity partners for 2015 include Children in Crisis, Children's Volunteer Health Network, Emerald Coast Autism Center, the Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center, Food for Thought, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, Horizons of Okaloosa County, Opportunity Inc., Pathways for Change, Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, Shelter House of Northwest Florida, AMIKids Emerald Coast, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, and Youth Village.  The money raised at this year's auction will be presented to the charity partners during a check presentation event in the Fall.
   
See Photos From The weekend on our Facebook Page 
and in our Photo Gallery
DCWAF Celebrates 10 years

We kicked off the auction with a montage of the last 10 years. In case you missed it, here it is! Cheers to 10 more years and thanks to everyone for another incredibly successful auction.

SAVE THE DATE
The 11th Annual Destin Charity Wine Auction Weekend will take place 

APRIL  29, 30, & MAY 1, 2016

TICKETS GO ON SALE IN THE FALL!
________ De La Vigne_________
What We Are Drinking Now:

On April 25th we also celebrated the birthday of Marc Perrin, grandson of Jacques Perrin of Chateau de Beaucastel. We toast to our successful auction and to Marc for spending his birthday helping us raise funds for children in need in Northwest Florida. We are enjoying the Chateau de Beaucastel Hommage Jacques Perrin, 2011, which "opens to a gorgeous nose with red fruits (blackberries, redcurrants), figs, black pepper and spices. The mouth is round and lush with a lot of flesh and intensity, backed by a great graphite spine. It displays aromas of blue fruits, porcini mushrooms, black truffles and mourvedre meaty components. The wine is long and round with intense tannins that are already soft but will hold the wine for the next 20-30 years." Robert Parker rates it a 96. Vintage 2010 was given a perfect rating of 100.

What's Cookin':


Attending the auction weekend with Marc Perrin, was Chef Laurent Deconinck . Joining the PERRIN family at Chateau de Beaucastel to cook delectable dishes to pair with a notable wine portfolio. His mission is to reflect, adjust and prepare a match for each wine and each vintage taking into account the characteristics of the "terroir" where the wine comes from.  "Inspired by local, Provencal and Mediterranean cuisines, the match is the result of research on the cultural setting of our region and will place the wine back to its origins." 
Hosted by Gary & Carolyn Dietzen, Laurent was assisted by Wine World's very own Chef Trey Griffith. 
We are honored to have had both Marc and Laurent attend our 10th annual auction, and as always, we welcome them back anytime! 


YOU SHOP. 
AMAZON GIVES.
Still Celebrating Mom? Consider using smile.amazon.com and select Destin Charity Wine Auction as your charitable organization.  Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile 
purchases to DCWAF.

A BIG Thank You to all of our Sponsors:

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