Page 17 - Toast to Your Health Wine Auction | University of Rochester Medical Center

wine auctions nationwide, in addition to overseeing the
VINTNER & WINE AUCTIONEER production and sales of Arietta.

Fritz and Caren reside in Napa, California, with their two
daughters, Libby and Hattie. A native of Michigan, Fritz
is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and a summa
cum laude graduate of Yale University with a bachelor’s
degree in English literature. He is one of the first
students to enroll in the Yale School of Organization and
Management, from which he received an MBA in 1979.
After family and wine, Fritz’s major interest is classical
music, and he is just as happy playing the piano as he is
encouraging bidders to turn cash into collectible wine.
Wine milestones:

1981: Helped organize Christie’s first wine auction in
the U.S.
1982: Auctioned his largest lot: $420,000 for 50 cases
Fritz Hatton of Mouton Rothschild.

Fritz Hatton and his immediate family own Arietta, one of 1983: Conducted first wine charity auction, for the
Napa’s top producers of Bordeaux-style blended wines. Peninsula Center for the Blind in Woodside, CA. Served
He is also the nation’s most experienced wine auctioneer, as auctioneer for more than a hundred other charitable
having begun his career in Christie’s Wine Department in organization auctions thereafter.
1980. After a 12-year management career with Christie’s 1992: Conducted first auction exceeding $1 million in
in North America and the Far East, Fritz took a musical proceeds.
sabbatical on the West Coast in the early 1990s. He
conducted his first auction for the Napa Valley Vintners 1992-present: Auctioneer for Auction Napa Valley.
in 1992, and in 1995, returned to Christie’s as director of 1995-1998: Served as director for Christie’s Wine
Christie’s U.S. Wine Department. Department and organized their largest wine auctions

Out of Fritz’s musical and wine country experiences with conducted to date.
his winemaker friend, John Kongsgaard, emerged a wine 1996: Fritz and Caren co-founded the Napa winery,
brand with a musically inspired name: Arietta. In 1998, Arietta, becoming sole owners in 2005. With Andy
Fritz returned to California to launch Arietta with his wife Erickson serving as winemaker, Arietta has grown to
Caren Hatton. 3,500 cases and eight wines.
He remained with Christie’s as consultant and principal 2000: Auctioned the most expensive bottle ever sold: 6L
wine auctioneer before joining Zachys Wine Auctions 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon for $500,000.
in 2002. Fritz continues to conduct all commercial 2014: Generated the highest total for any charity wine
wine auctions for Zachys, as well as numerous charity auction, $18.7 million.

16 TOAST TO YOUR HEALTH FINE WINE AUCTION 17