Zinfandel Festival Auctions
This year we are unveiling several new options to enjoy the thrill of bidding on fabulous Zinfandel experiences!
The LIVE Auction at the Friday night Evening with the Winemakers event will be an opportunity to Unmask Your Passion! Incredible Packages combining Wine, Art, Travel, and Interactive Winemaking - jet off to Cabo, Vegas, or the Caribbean, team up with an Iron Chef, dinner on a movie set, overnight in a villa, blend with the masters, tryout Zinfandel Boot Camp or become a Zin-tern for Crush 2009, and more!
SILENT Auction lots will be open for bidding at all three events - Good Eats & Zin (Thursday), Evening with the Winemaker (Friday), and the Saturday Grand Tasting - to give everyone the chance to go home a winner!
A vast array of unique Zinfandel items, specially etched bottles, big bottle formats, winery excursions, "meet the winemaker" events, one-of-a-kind items and a treasure trove of Zinfandel delights will be available.
CHECK OUT THE 2009 LIVE AUCTION LOTS!
New lots will be posted as they become available - check back again!
Evening with the Winemakers
Friday January 30, 2009
Sonoma Safari for 4
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With over 60 years of winegrape growing in the Russian River Valley, and six generations of winemaking behind them, the Gamba family truly embodies the history of winemaking in Sonoma County. This is a rare opportunity to learn about the finer points of growing and producing truly old vine Zinfandel, as Gus Gamba takes you into the vineyards for an in depth look at his passion for preserving his over 100 year old vines. Enjoy a private barrel tasting of 2008 vintage Zinfandels, and food pairing with Gus and Paulette in their new barrel room on the over century old Gamba Estate Vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley.
After enjoying a relaxing day among the vines, prepare yourself for a wild night! You will head just down the road, but find yourself a world away, at Safari West. You will discover the spirit of Africa in the Heart of the wine country, as you feel you are deep in the African Serengeti. You will soon find that you are surrounded by an array of incredible wildlife, from Antelopes to Zebras! Discover an exotic world few have experienced, as you embark on a private safari tour of 400 acres of wildlife preserve, aboard an authentic African safari jeep. By now you will have worked up an appetite for a sumptuous dinner at the Savannah Café’, complete with library selections of Gamba Zins! At the end of this exhilarating day, relax in your luxury African Safari tent cabin. Rest on your private patio, with wine glass in hand, gazing at the giraffes grazing nearby, and be lulled to sleep by exotic sounds of the wildlife!
Each couple will take home a hand painted, signed, etched magnum of 2007 Gamba Estate Zinfandel as a momento of their fabulous experience.
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Donated by: Gamba Vineyards and Winery
Hitchcock Fans Raise Your Hands! For 6
Show your passion for Alfred and Joel as you masquerade on the set of The Birds. Start your evening with a private gourmet dinner for 6 with Joel, in the historic school house in Bodega (as seen in the movie!). Plenty of blood red Zinfandel will be poured which may attract some unwelcomed feathered friends! After dinner, step away from the windows and settle in for a private viewing of “The Birds”
When the coast is clear (well, depending on the time of year!) you’ll run down the hill to your cozy accommodations at the famous Inn at the Tides, Bodega Bay. Joel will send you away with a 6 liter bottle of his 2001 Ravenswood Old Hill Zinfandel…which may help to calm your nerves!
Donated by: Joel Peterson and Ravenswood Winery
Take a Hike for 6
Take a hike with Bill Easton and son Ridge high up in the Sierra Nevada near Carson Pass. Zinsters will have a beautiful wildflower loop trip from Woods Lake with an option to climb to the peak of Round Top where the views go on forever. Daytime snacks will be provided to keep you going.
Later in the afternoon the crew will head back to the Easton winery in the Shenandoah Valley and have a tour of the cellar while sipping on something cold and play a little petanque….who knows the rules?
Then sit out on the patio for a Zinfandel Feast designed and prepared by Easton co-owner and chef, Jane O’Riordan. The menu will showcase two distinct Zin verticals from the Easton cellar featuring the Fiddletown, Eschen-Rinaldi Vineyard and the Easton Estate Bottled vineyard. Cap off the evening with a little dessert and Late Harvest Zinfandel and enjoy those beautiful sierra summer stars.
Donated by: Easton Wines
Cliffside Cabo Villa for 8
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Grab your sunglasses, your swimsuit, and the next great American novel. You and seven friends are heading south for a full week of rest and relaxation...or NOT...you may want to spend some time snorkeling in the great reef right out your back door, or explore the area in your kayaks each morning, or a day of deep sea fishing with lunch and beer included!
Doug and Nancy Beckett say “Mi Casa es Su Casa” and open their private retreat for seven nights and eight days and will hand over the keys with a case of Peachy Canyon Winery Zinfandel to bring along for your sipping pleasure! The lovely Casa de Beckett is located on the east cape of Baja between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas, on the Sea of Cortez, complete with your own private path to the beach, four bedrooms with spectacular ocean views from each, and three baths.
You can’t rent this fabulous Cliffside Cabo Villa, so it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for a seaside siesta! Your package includes: seven nights/eight days at Casa de Beckett for eight, a case of Peachy Canyon Winery Zinfandel, a rental car allowance, a day of deep sea fishing with lunch and beer, kayaks and snorkeling equipment at the house, plus pure relaxation!
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Donated by: Doug and Nancy Beckett, Peachy Canyon Winery
Be A Biale Zin-tern! For 2
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This exclusive experience is the chance to pull on the boots, roll up the sleeves and get down and dirty in the Biale vineyards and winery!
Come harvest, around September 2009, you will become official Zin-terns for two days of hands-on winemaking…Biale style! Uncover those secrets to making scrumptious Zins…see what it’s like to:
- walk historic Zinfandel vineyards with Bob Biale and winemaker Steve Hall.
- pick and taste grape samples at sunrise
- get to know Biale’s growers
- work the vineyard and harvest grapes
- work the crush pad: sort, crush, punch-down, sanitize, fill barrels
- taste new wines with the winemaker and monitor fermentations
All of that hard work will spark an appetite! Of course, you will be part of the “harvest lunch” both days you are working and the Biale Boys have planned a “graduation dinner” finale plus magnums to take home. You have four nights accommodations in Napa, so you can rest up before or after your Zin-ternship begins, making sure you have your story straight…exactly which Zinfandel was your blend?!
Your Biale Zin-tern experience will include:
- 4 nights lodging in Napa
- requisite Biale t-shirts/caps, beverages.
- two winery lunches
- a “graduation dinner” finale at Napa’s Uva Trattoria with Biale wines.
- two magnums of Black Chicken Zinfandel
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Donated by: Robert Biale Vineyards
Vines, Wines and More for 4!
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Become a grape grower and drink amazing wines as you join Sextant for two days and one night for “all things Zinfandel” in Paso Robles. Not only is this an adventure fit for Zin lovers but also for aspiring winegrowers! Along with your stay in Paso Robles you will receive a bundle of certified Heritage Clone 8 grafted Zinfandel on disease resistant rootstock from Sunridge Nurseries to start your very own vineyard.
The adventure kicks off with proprietor, Craig Stoller and winemaker, Kevin Riley in Templeton at Sextant’s certified mother block vineyard. See where the dream began and where it is going as you navigate through the vineyard and the future site of our production facility, tasting room and hospitality center. You may even pick up some tips to use in the planning and nurturing of your own Zinfandel vineyard!
From there, Craig and Kevin will take you to the Sextant’s tasting room in San Luis Obispo for a special VIP tasting experience and private lunch. Your Zin affair doesn’t end there…we will explore some of our favorite local vineyards and wineries, taking your wine tasting adventure to another level.
As the evening nears, you will discover the beauty of “west-side” Paso Robles with a Willow Creek Vineyards Farm-Stay. A beautifully situated, rustic and cozy cabin overlooking the vineyards awaits you. This quaint cabin offers four queen size beds and two baths located in the heart of the west-side on a 33 acre ranch complete with 16 acres of vineyards. If the vineyard views and towering 100 year old majestic oak trees are not enough, take in the views from the comfort of the pool or Jacuzzi while sipping on a bottle of Sextant’s finest. Willow Creek Vineyards Farm-Stay is a true diamond in the rough.
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Donated by: Sextant Wines
Gold Medal Rafting for 4
Tim and Lani Holdener, Macchia Wines (owners/winemaker) will guide you through one of California’s most popular stretches of white water. The South Fork of the American River has challenging Class 3 rapids with names like “Troublemaker”, “Meat Grinder” and “Triple Threat”. Or, if you are feeling adventurous, try paddling your own inflatable kayak or rubber ducky.
Then enjoy a relaxing gourmet lunch at California’s Gold Discovery site at Sutter’s Mill. Wander through the park and learn about one of the most important events in California’s history. The wines you will be drinking are some of the state’s best nuggets… all Gold Medal winning Zinfandels from Macchia’s library.
You will strike it rich when you leave with a case of Gold medal Zinfandels, which of course, includes the 2008 California State Fair’s Double-Gold Best Zinfandel…the 2006 “Outrageous”, Lodi Zinfandel! Taken from the owner’s private library!
Donated by: Macchia Wines
Friday Night Live Auction
2008 Live Auction Catalog
Saturday Silent Auction
2008 Silent Auction Catalog
Support ZAP's Heritage Projects
Your support of ZAP's Live and Silent Auctions during the Zinfandel Festival sustains ZAP's Heritage Projects, including Zinfandel research at the Heritage Vineyard in Oakville, run by UC Davis.
Click here for more information on the Heritage Vineyard.
ZAP's Heritage Projects
Support Zinfandel Research and Education
Among ZAP's Heritage Projects, we have established a scholarship fund to support and expand the wine courses taught at City College of San Francisco Culinary Arts & Hospitality Studies program and to aid students interested in enology, wine service and wine education.
Funds raised from a 2005 Live Auction lot were dedicated to the memory of Jane and Bill Dickerson and donated to Operation USA in support of their ongoing humanitarian relief and development work.
The Association of Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. ZAP is dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history.
Contributions, grants and gifts are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law and provide support for our research and educational programs.
Federal Tax ID: 94-3151462
Shipping Made Easy!
Shipping will be available on site for items purchased at the auctions or ZAP's Marketplace through
WW Shipping Solutions, Inc.
ZAP's official shipper.
Last Updated: September 17, 2008
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