AN AUCTION WITH GREAT WINE, GOOD FOOD…A UNIQUE EVENT THAT BENEFITS PALO ALTO’S VISTA CENTER

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 28TH ANNUAL VINTAGE AFFAIRE: SATURDAY, JUNE 26TH

POP THE CORK! AN ELEGANT PARTY WITH FINE WINES, GREAT FOOD, AND ONE-OF-A-KIND AUCTION ITEMS

Vintage Affaire 2010 will take place on Saturday, June 26 on the grounds of a private estate in Woodside. It is one of the largest wine and destination auctions in California and benefits Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Palo Alto. Over the past 27 years, Vintage Affaire has raised nearly $6 million for the Center. These funds enable Vista Center clients to achieve their highest potential through programs that promote independence and improve the quality of life.

The event is organized by the nonprofit Vista Center Foundation Board of Directors and is staffed entirely by community volunteers. As always you will find the unique auction items and fine wines you have grown to expect. The auctions typically include wine lots from hard-to-find California vintages, first-growth French Bordeaux, and emerging vineyards from “Down Under”. In addition, there are tours and tasting events at Napa and Sonoma vineyards, and wine country dinners in Napa and on the Peninsula.

NEW FORMAT!

We are fortunate to be presented with overwhelming demand to attend Vintage Affaire and for the first time, we will be offering two tiers of tickets, both of which let you support Vista Center. Choose the afternoon and evening that works for you. All of the festivities take place on the grounds of an elegant estate in Woodside.

Tier One: The afternoon will begin at 2:30 under the big tent with a silent auction amidst elegant wine tasting featuring approximately 30 of California’s top vintners and hors d’oeuvre pairings prepared and served by noted local chefs from Quattro at the Four Seasons, Silicon Valley; The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay; Madera at Rosewood, Palo Alto; Donato Enoteca, Redwood City; Woodside Pub; and Cetrella in Half Moon Bay.

Tier Two: At 5:00 the seated Live Auction begins. Enjoy special wines and hors d’oeuvres as you bid on fine wines and unique auction items. When the auction is finished, stroll to the elegant garden for a sit down dinner. A live band completes the evening providing music to let you dance the night away.

Back by popular demand, auctioneer Ursula Hermacinski, wrote the book on buying wine at auction – really! It’s called The Wine Lovers Guide to Auctions: The Art and Science of Buying Wine, and it’s packed with information gleaned from her 24-year auction career and longtime love of fine wine. She began as an auctioneer at Christies’s, where she established its New York wine department in 1994. Since then, this pioneer has presided over some of the country’s most prestigious events, including the Napa Valley Wine Auction (since 1992), where she and Jay Leno brought in a whopping $10.5 million in 2005.

Ursula has also wielded the gavel for the foundations of baseball star Rusty Staub and celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, among others. A sought after speaker, Ursula has appeared at the Aspen Food & Wine Festival, the International Pinot Noir Celebration, and the American Institute of Wind and Food Nation Convention. Often called upon to comment on wine buying and its investment potential, she has been featured on CNN’s Marketplace and in Wine Spectator, Decanter, Wine & Spirits, Town & Country, and Glamour magazines. Her website is www.gavelgal.com

Ticket Information

To receive an invitation, please call Vista Center at (650) 858-0202, or complete the online form on our invitation page. You can also buy tickets online. There are multiple ticket levels, beginning at $125 for Tier One and $250 for Tier Two, which will let you support Vista Center.

2010 COMMITTEE

photos by Sam Fontejon