Silver anniversary of the Naples Winter Wine Festival brings in lots of green – $34M

Published: Updated:
silver anniversary nwwf

The Naples Winter Wine Festival auction on Saturday struck a chord with patrons and inspired them to open their wallets.

The festival’s live auction generated over $34 million to support at-risk and underprivileged children in Collier County, bringing the total amount raised in its 25-year history to $336 million.

The event, held at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, featured gourmet chefs, wine from around the world and live music.

“There is nothing like the Naples Winter Wine Festival,” said Lisa Najarian, expressing her admiration for the event. “The people, the food, the entertainment. The huge amount of generosity they give back to the children of Collier County.”

All of the auction’s proceeds will support nonprofit organizations in the community. In the last 25 years, 350,000 local children have been helped with essential services.

“Every dime under that tent right there will go directly to children’s charities that support them, and we’ve made a profound difference in this community,” said Jeff Gargiulo, a founding trustee of the festival.

Top auction lots and what they sold for:

  • “Driving at the Speed of Bentley” sold for $1.7 million. It included: a 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible with Mulliner configuration; a four-night VIP Bentley experience at Monterey Car Week; roundtrip, first-class airfare from any major city in the U.S. or Canada to the California Bay Area; four nights of luxury accommodations at The Inn at Spanish Bay; two tickets to Bentley’s VIP Terrace during The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering at The Quail Lodge & Golf Club and two VIP tickets to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with access to The Bench hospitality suite at The Lodge. Guests also will enjoy Thursday’s VIP Welcome Reception and Sunday’s Farewell Gathering at The Inn at Spanish Bay fire pits, exclusive access to Friday night’s Bentley Beach Dinner on Seal Rock Beach and access to Saturday night’s VIP invitation-only The Bentley Signature Party at The Beach & Tennis Club, plus one round of golf with Bentley Americas’ President and CEO Michael Rocco.
  • “Million Dollar Night of Music with Scotty McCreery” sold for $1 million. Forty couples each contributed $25,000 to attend an exclusive acoustic concert featuring award-winning artist Scotty McCreery at the Club Room at Campiello in Naples, Florida on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025.


  • “Million Dollar Meal… ALL for the Kids!” sold for $1 million. Forty couples contributed $25,000 for the opportunity to indulge in an exclusive Italian dinner on Nov. 18, 2025, at Bleu Provence in Naples, Florida. The meal will be prepared by Celebrity Chef and NWWF 2025 Chef de Cuisine Angelo Auriana.
  • “Set Sail Along the Croatian Coastline” sold for $850,000. This package includes: An 8-night yachting voyage along the Croatian Coast; in Croatia, guests will enjoy one night’s accommodation at a luxury hotel in Dubrovnik or Split before their seven-night journey aboard the 122-foot Navilux private charter yacht. The Navilux features five staterooms, a 16-foot tender, watersport equipment, a jacuzzi and a crew of eight. The trip also includes stops in Brač, Hvar, Korčula, Mljet and Šipan. An onboard private chef will prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each winning couple also gets a Magnum of 2022 Knights Bridge Draco Dormiere, Estate Vineyard, Knights Valley.
  • “The Art of Time with Staglin and Panerai” sold twice for $800,000 each ($1.6 million total). This trip includes an exclusive journey to Switzerland hosted by renowned vintners Shari and Garen Staglin and luxury watch designer Panerai; three nights of luxury accommodations, access to private dates of Watches and Wonders in April 2026, a private tour and lunch at the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel, a private walking tour of Old Town Geneva, dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant and lunch at Café Papon, serving classic “farm-to-table” Swiss cuisine; three nights of luxury accommodations in Lausanne. They also will enjoy a private tour of the Olympic Museum, a 90-minute boat ride with lunch on Lake Geneva, wine tasting at Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces in Grandvaux, a full-day visit to Chamonix, and a 6-liter bottle of 2022 Staglin Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, etched with the NWWF 2025 Logo in a special wooden box, and a set of Panerai watches with custom NWWF 25th anniversary engraving and strap embossing.
  • “Eastbound Westbound: A Journey through Napa and Bordeaux” sold for $750,000. It includes, in part: An exclusive seven-day, six-night luxury experience for two couples with an insider’s view of both Napa Valley and Bordeaux, hosted by ADAMVS and Château Fonplégade Proprietor Denise Adams. The winners also receive a collection of wines from both estates in Jeroboam and standard sizes, as well as bottles of their custom-blended wine.
  • “Castles, Cuisine and Baltic Coastlines” sold for $700,000. Two couples will spend three nights in Copenhagen, followed by a seven-night voyage through Scandinavia and the Baltics onboard one of the most luxurious vessels at sea: The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. After visits to museums and castles and a guided gastronomic tour of the city, they will board the superyacht Ilma. Guests will enjoy elevated cuisine and Grand Suites, offering luxurious living and dining space and a spacious terrace. Ports include Karlskrona, Sweden; Gdańsk, Poland; Helsinki, Finland; Tallinn, Estonia; and Mariehamn, Åland Islands, Finland, before disembarking in Stockholm.

The $34 million collected supports the efforts of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, or NCEF. Child advocacy-based nonprofits apply to NCEF for grants. After a rigorous approval process, NCEF decides which nonprofits get grants and the dollar amount.

In 2024, 57 nonprofits received grants.

Copyright ©2025 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.