The oldest and oldest wine auction in the country will benefit Arts programming and education in Wood River Valley, Idaho
KETCHUM, Idaho (August 2, 2022) — Sun Valley Museum of Art (SVMoA), a contemporary art museum in Ketchum, has raised over $1 million at 41st Annual Sun Valley Wine Auction, now officially the oldest and oldest wine auction in the country. The week’s events, which took place from Wednesday July 20 to Friday July 22, brought together more than three hundred and fifty patrons, fifty-six wineries and more than twenty renowned chefs to raise vital funds for the arts and arts education. in the Wood River Valley, resources that provide unparalleled experiences and much-needed arts scholarships to youth, teens and teachers in the community.
The theme for the 41st Annual Sun Valley Wine Auction was “Welcome, Enjoy, Be Kind, Make New Friends, Give Back” and the week-long festivities and celebrations delivered on that vision. Along with Wine Auction event chairs Ron and Susan Greenspan, patrons and guests celebrated and enjoyed wines from Napa and Sonoma to Walla Walla and Willamette, as well as from around the world with countries such as Argentina, France and South Africa represented.
The highlight of the week’s events was the Live Auction, Paddle Raising and Concert on Sun Valley Resort’s Trail Creek Cabin lawn with the MarchFourth Marching Band on Friday, July 23. 22 live auction lots, a raffle and 23 online silent auction lots offered exclusive opportunities to taste, visit and meet winemakers from the world’s top wine regions and celebrity chefs from across the country. The lots included cult wines, rare vintages and large-format bottles, as well as extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
In true Sun Valley spirit, the highest paying lot of the day was Lot #17, Big, Bold, Brilliant: An Afternoon at Grumpy’s with Chappellet & Trefethen. The lot went wild at $500 for 50 pairs, and then longtime patron and Sun Valley wine auction veteran David Cimino doubled the value of the lot, fetching $52,000.
Rounding out the next two first bundles, Bundle #11, Take Me to Church: 4 Days in the Wilderness of Frank Church with Lombardi Wine and Middle Fork rafting, a rare and unique 3-night rafting trip and 4 days on the Salmon River in the Idaho wilderness courtesy of Lombardi Wines and Middle Fork Rafting for eight guests, including 12 magnums of Lombardi’s one-of-a-kind Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir in multiple vintages; and Lot #9, Viva Argentina: 9-Day Mendoza Wine Country Tour and Tasting with Dr. Revana & Essentialist, a nine-day, eight-night package tour through Argentina’s wine region with tours and tastings in wineries including Corazon del Sol, Bodega Catena Zapata, Terrazas de Los Andes, and Ring’s End, spa time at Entre Cielos Luxury Wine Hotel & Spa, and a hot air balloon ride over the Finca Beltrán de Santa Julia vineyards.
The excitement continued when Corry and Mike Clayville, sponsors of Lot #15 Rip & Van Winkle with the Clayvilles, doubled down on two lucky bidders to $35,000 each. The Lot featured an evening of horseback riding at Clayville’s Elk Run Ranch north of Ketchum with dinner accompanied by tastings of extremely rare and limited release Pappy Van Winkle bourbon with special guests the Van Winkle triplets Louise, Carrie and Chenault and the actor Cole Hauser, star of a hit TV series Yellow stone.
This year’s ‘Raise Your Paddle’ wine auction critical fundraising bundle featured SVMoA scholar Luke Mauldin reading his winning essay ‘When I Knew I Belonged’. In the words of Luke, “Art is the reason I work. If I stopped making art, I would stop working. In addition to Luke’s heartwarming talk about the need for the arts, the center lot featured a short film created with the inspiring words and voices of fellows and captivating images from SVMoA programming and community. The “Raise Your Paddle” is the most fundamental batch of the evening. These funds allow SVMoA to serve more than 4,000 youth and teens in Blaine County, ensuring students in the Wood River Valley have access to arts, performers and performances from around the world and unique and transformative educational experiences. .
“The unwavering support from our donors and patrons is incredible, and this year was no exception,” said SVMoA Executive Director Jennifer Wells Green. “From the paddle lift to the extraordinary offers for our living lots, the commitment and enthusiasm is a validation of the importance of the arts and education and the lifeline they provide to this community.”
“The Sun Valley Wine Auction is a celebration of the incredible talent, rare experiences, unique community and innovative arts that are iconic to Sun Valley,” said Peter Burke, Director of Wine Auction. . “We have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support, love and kindness from everyone involved. We continue to be amazed at how much can happen when our community comes together in a single day and the impact this can have on the arts and people of the Wood River Valley.
About the Sun Valley Wine Auction
Founded in 1971, the Sun Valley Wine Auction is the nation’s oldest wine auction and largest fundraising event for the Sun Valley Museum of Art, a multidisciplinary contemporary art museum in the Wood River Valley. The Sun Valley Wine Auction provides 50% of the Museum’s annual revenue and raises vital funds for the Museum’s educational outreach programs, which reach nearly 4,000 participating students in Wood River Valley schools and beyond. beyond every year. The money raised from the wine auction allows SVMoA to offer free programs to all students. Additionally, the wine auction supports SVMoA’s annual scholarship program, now in its 24e year. The scholarship program has awarded over $1,000,000 to local high school students, college students, and educators to further their education in the arts and humanities outside of our valley. SVMoA serves 24,000 people per year. 25% of the participants are children and 60% of the programs offered to children are free. For more information about the Sun Valley Wine Auction, please visit www.sunvalleywineauction.org.
About Sun Valley Art Museum
The nonprofit Sun Valley Museum of Art (SVMoA), formerly Sun Valley Center for the Arts, has nurtured curiosity, sparked conversation, and engaged the Blaine County community since 1971. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums , the SVMoA reaches an annual audience of 40,000 with its mission to enrich the community through transformative artistic and educational experiences. SVMoA’s diverse programming includes visual arts exhibitions, lectures, concerts, classes, performances, play readings, and multidisciplinary BIG IDEA projects. SVMoA enhances K-12 arts education in local schools with elementary education, student exhibit tours, professional artist residencies, arts-based classroom enrichment projects and scholarships for students and teachers. To learn more about the Sun Valley Museum of Art, learn about upcoming events, become a member, or get involved, visit www.svmoa.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
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