Avenue Vine

The top bid was $50,000 for a five case lot from Rombauer Vineyards of their 2005 Stice Lane Block D Cabernet Sauvignon. The winning bidder, V.J. Jazirvar of the Petroleum Club in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, also purchased the top lot in 2006, a Rombauer offering that netted $85,000. Jazirvar's Petroleum Club was the seventh-largest bidder of the day.

The top bidder for the day was once again Gary Fisch, owner of Gary's Wine and Marketplace with three stores in northern New Jersey, who is both a perennial attendee and high bidder. This year Fisch purchased 21 lots totaling 145 cases paying a total of $331,000 (an increase from his 115 cases at $220,500 in 2006).

"The event offers us the opportunity in a short period of time to taste hundreds of wines from a single vintage," said Fisch. "We are able to taste these wines ourselves instead of having someone telling us how good they are. Plus, our customers want something that is unique and of super-high quality, and at this event we know that's what we are able to find."

In total, 71 successful bidders purchased 192 lots of five-, 10-, and 20-case lots of one-of-a-kind Napa wine futures. The average case price was $1,781. Though the top bidders purchased a large number of cases, Premiere Napa Valley 11 saw a record number of bidders buying single lots, making these wines accessible to many retailers and restaurateurs.

For many of the attendees, comprised of close to 1,000 winemakers, restaurateurs, retailers and wine wholesalers and media, Premiere Napa Valley is an opportunity not only to purchase futures, but to learn about the latest vintage and to discover new producers. "The reason Premiere Napa Valley is important to us isn't just because of the auction, but it's a chance for us to meet and greet wineries that can't make it to the Midwest," said successful bidder Larry Kaplan of The Wine Cellar in Palatine, Illinois. "It also tells us who is serious about their wines and who is looking for the next Robert Parker score."

In turn, the vintners appreciate the chance to connect with clients, friends and perspective buyers. "It's a chance to contact all of our supporters in the trade and present them with the best we have to offer," said Delia Viader of Viader Vineyards. "It's also a great way to support Napa Valley Vintners."

The second-highest selling price of the day, $42,000, was earned by two lots. The first, from Premiere Napa Valley rookie Hourglass, was a five case blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena that was purchased by Fisch. The second lot was a five case blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from Lewis Cellars that was purchased by Nakagawa Wine Company in Tokyo, Japan, the third-highest bidder on the day. Capitol Cellars in Roseville, California was second.

The exclusivity of the lots also attracts a number of bidders. "You will bring something unique back to the store, something that you can literally not buy anywhere else," said David Courtney of Beaver Liquors in Avon, Colorado. "These are lots that the accountants would never allow them to do."

Alan Arora, representing top-10 bidder Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant in Nassau, Bahamas, agreed. "These wines offer a certain cachet for an already premium wine list," said Arora. "These wines are a cut above the rest, the only way you are able to get above the luxury wines already on the wine list."

Top 10 Bidders
1. Gary's Wine & Marketplace, Madison, NJ
2. Capitol Cellars, Roseville, CA
3. Nakagawa Wine Company, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
4. The Wine House, Los Angeles, CA
5. Hi-Time Cellars, Costa Mesa, CA
6. Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant, Nassau, Bahamas
7. Petroleum Club, Oklahoma City, OK
8. Willow Park Wine & Spirits, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
9. Fireside Cellars, Santa Monica, CA
10. Fine Wine Source, Livonia, MI

Top Lots

$50,000
Lot #114 Rombauer Vineyards

$42,000
Lot # 30 Hourglass
Lot # 155 Lewis Cellars

$40,000
Lot #11 Shafer Vineyards
Lot # 149 Joseph Phelps Vineyards

$38,000
Lot # 48 Cliff Lede Vineyards
Lot # 67 Robert Foley Vineyards and Switchback Ridge

$36,000
Lot # 120 Viader Vineyards

$35,000
Lot # 97 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

$30,000
Lot # 105 Revana Family Vineyards
Lot # 116 Beringer Vineyards

$28,000
Lot # 81 D.R. Stephens Estate
Lot # 169 Jones Family Vineyards

$26,000
Lot # 64 Duckhorn Vineyards
Lot # 75 Hartwell Vineyards
Lot # 173 Saintsbury
Lot # 182 Pride Mountain Vineyards

Source: “Annual Premiere Napa Valley Barrel Auction Breaks $2 Million Mark,” Mary-Colleen Tinney, Daily News Links, 0February 26, 2007

Last year’s Article: “Premiere Napa Valley Auction 2006 Event Was a ''Gavel Breaker'' Setting New Records,” February 28, 2006