2007 AUCTION NAPA VALLEY - NAPA VALLEY, CA -

The Napa Valley Vintners' (NVV) Auction Napa Valley (ANV) charity wine auction concluded today, raising more than $9.8 million during the annual four-day event, for health care, youth services and affordable housing non-profits. Now in its twenty-seventh year and appropriately themed "The American Classic," the event was again the quintessential Napa Valley experience focusing on the outstanding wines from NVV member wineries, the culinary excellence of the region's chefs and restaurateurs, the renowned hospitality of the vintners and the collaborative effort in the Napa Valley with over 800 local volunteers.

The auction proceedings began as soon as the over 800 guests, including bidders and vintners, were seated when comedian Dana Carvey welcomed the crowd with his infamous humor that pokes fun at current events and politicians. Not long into his program he took several jabs at Speaker of the House and Napa Valley vineyard owner Nancy Pelosi. Then, when it was brought to his attention that her husband Paul was seated near the stage, Carvey recovered with a laundry list of compliments praising the Speaker, hoping to get off the self-inflicted hot seat with Mr. Pelosi. The crowd roared and Pelosi countered that it was all in good fun.As the final gavel fell, 45 Live, 106 Barrel and 81 E lots that offered extraordinary collections of wine, vintner-hosted events and travel adventures donated by the organization's many wineries had raised more than $9.8 million.

Perhaps the most moving bidding came just before the final five lots were offered when John Shafer of Shafer Vineyards took to the stage to encourage bidders to raise their paddles in an ANV-first - "fund a need." Here with no prize to be won other than supporting children's medical care at Clinic Ole, bidders raised their paddles to get in on the giving, beginning with those in for $1000, then those in for $5000 and so on, finally paying their top bid placed. The highest bids of the round came from perennial top-bidder Joy Craft of Woodside, CA who gave $200,000 and from the Trinchero Family and Joseph Phelps Family who jointly gave $225,000. When the lot closed, it had raised $764,000 from 68 bidders.

Breaking new records, the Staglin Family Vineyards Lot 24 surged ahead in bidding that had stalled at $900,000 for a package that included not only wine, but a six-day driving trip with the Staglins in Italy with the use of two Maserati sports cars, when winery owners Shari and Garen Staglin added ownership of one of the Maseratis if the bidder advanced to $1.1 million. A couple from Woodside, who asked to remain anonymous, raised their paddle and the gavel fell setting a new auction benchmark.

ANV 2007 bid farewell to ever-feisty auctioneer Ursula Hermacinski, who has worked nearly every Auction since 1992. Her co-auctioneer Fritz Hatton handed her the gavel to close the final bidding of the night and the 2007 event. Hermacinski will continue to be an integral part of Napa Valley as she has joined the team at Screaming Eagle winery.

Auction Lots	Winning Bid
2007 10 Top Live Lots
1. Staglin Family Vineyards-- Bidder: John Thompson of Woodside, Calif. Three 3-liter bottles and a driving tour of Italy hosted by the Staglins	$1.1 million
2. Screaming Eagle-- Bidder: Joy Craft of Woodside, Calif. Three 3-liter bottles and a campout at the vineyard	$500,000
3. Hundred Acre-- Bidder: Anonymous 18-liter bottle and dinner for 10	$400,000
4. Harlan Estate-- Bidder: Ron Kuhn of Wheaton, Ill. Four 3-liter bottles and dinner for eight	$380,000
5. Napa Valley Vintners and Lexus-- Bidder: Mary Miner of Oakville, Calif. A Lexus hybrid sedan, wine collection and a weekend in Napa Valley	$360,000
6. Araujo Estate Wines-- Bidder: Joy Craft of Woodside, Calif. Wine collection and dinner for 10	$340,000
7. Colgin Cellars-- Bidder: Anonymous Seven bottles of wine, dinner for 10	$320,000
8. Opus One-- Bidder: Ann Colgin of St. Helena, Calif. 10 magnums and a trip to Bordeaux	$280,000
9. Shafer Vineyards-- Bidder: Anonymous Three 3-liter bottles and dinner for eight	$250,000
10. NVV Connoisseurs Lot-- Bidder: José Nazar of Los Angeles Wine collection, trip to Singapore for Premiere Festival del Sole	$220,000