Live auction lots

Donated by: Marilyn and Michael Misch

Estimated value: Beyond priceless!

During Sherwood Deutsch’s years at Century Wine and Spirits, most of us experienced “The Sherwood Upgrade,” his gentle guidance to bottles he knew would please us more than those we came in to buy. His unerring instincts also have helped guide the Toast To Your Health Wine Auction, enabling it to grow and evolve into a truly extraordinary event.

While we have always appreciated Sherwood’s ability to guide us to good wines and his smart wine auction decisions, the thing we REALLY love about Sherwood is his irrepressible joie de vivre. The man enjoys life to the fullest and it shows. That smile. The twinkle in his eye. The way he turns the everyday into the extraordinary. It’s a rare gift he shares freely with everyone around him. 

For the past four years, we’ve kicked off the Toast To Your Health Wine Auction with a special lot: The Sherwood Upgrade, created to honor his many contributions. Last year we gave The Sherwood Upgrade an upgrade of its own, and this year we have given that upgrade a few tweaks to make this lot even more irresistible.

Those who know Sherwood well know he loves Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne. On his annual buying trips to France for Century Wine and Spirits, he often would treat those accompanying him to Cristal at the end of the day. And on special occasions—whether in Bordeaux, Burgundy or Paris—he would pair that Cristal with caviar. It was and is one of those small but meaningful gestures that make Sherwood so special.

This year, The Sherwood Upgrade will begin with a rare magnum of 2012 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. A classic Cristal that marries power precision, finesse and balance, it is Champagne at its very best. Accompanying the Cristal, will be a blini platter featuring Caviar Russe Classic Osetra. The chilled magnum, Champagne flutes and caviar will be delivered to the winning bidder’s table upon completion of bidding, so they can “pop the cork” on this year’s live auction. 

Please show Sherwood Deutsch your appreciation for all he has done for our community by bidding generously.

Donated by: Tony Gugino and Earlene Siebold and John and Martha McKenna

Estimated value: $5,600

The Roaring 20s, from 1920 to 1929, were a period of great change in the United States. The Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, new technologies like automobiles and radio, the booming movie industry, women gaining the right to vote, and—of course—Prohibition made the Roaring 20s among the most exciting decades in United States history.

Through it all, the Champagne flowed, both at speakeasies and at people’s homes. In 1921, a bootlegger visited St. Pierre and Miquelon, islands just south of Newfoundland that were—and remain—French territory. The islands’ proximity to the East Coast and its low tariffs on alcoholic beverages made it the perfect location from which to smuggle French wines and spirits into the United States. And smuggle they did; within a year, motherships were bringing so much wine and booze from the islands to just offshore of the eastern United States that they often formed a line from Long Island to southern New Jersey. From there, small speedboats spirited the illicit liquid cargo into the United States.

Prohibition decimated the United States wine industry, but foreign wines and Champagne thrived. Indeed, the head of one Grande Marque Champagne House commented it sold more bubbly in the United States during Prohibition than before.

The Roaring Twenties Champagne Collection celebrates this remarkable decade in grand style. Rare bottlings, top vintages, Grande Marques—all are represented in these 15 bottles. Several of the bottles come in their original presentation boxes. A truly outstanding selection of bubbly.

2015 Dom Perignon Jean-Michel Basquiat Tribute Brut
2008 Dom Perignon Rosé
2006 Krug Vintage Brut
2008 Krug Vintage Brut
2011 Krug Vintage Brut
Krug Edition 27eme Brut Rosé
2015 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut
2012 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Rosé
2015 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut
2013 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut Rosé
2010 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut
2004 Dom Ruinart Rosé
2005 Pommery Cuvée Louise Brut
2012 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut (1.5-Liter)

Estimated value: $1,800/seat

At Amore Italian Restaurant & Lounge, authentic Italian dishes and a vibrant atmosphere combine to create a truly memorable dining experience. Chef Pasquale Sorrentino brings the flavors of Italy’s Amalfi Coast and the Mediterranean to life in classic yet contemporary dishes that feature fresh seasonal ingredients.

For this Epic Italian Epicurean Evening, Chef Sorrentino and his team will create a grand Italian feast. Each course will be paired with truly exceptional Italian wines. Two superb white wines lead off the evening: Castello della Sala Cervaro, a blend of chardonnay grapes and a small quantity of grechetto make a wine that can age over time and represent the elegance and complexity of this unique Umbrian estate. Complementing Cervaro will be Petrolo Boggina B; a bit of Burgundy with a Tuscan twist made with 100% Trebbiano Toscano known for its quality since the 1300s. Two elegant reds will follow: 2022 Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva, from the historical vineyards of Tignanello and 2009 Fattoria La Lecciaia Brunello di Montalcino, Sangiovese Grosso aged to over 16 years of perfection!  World renowned Antinori Super Tuscans will follow with 2022 Tignanello, a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2020 release of Solaia praised as amongst the most influential wines in the history of Italian viticulture. The evening will conclude with glasses of Tommasi Amarone Valpolicella Classico DOCG and Pommery Apanage Brut Champagne.

The Amore Epic Italian Epicurean Evening is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Seats will be sold individually at $1,800. A maximum of 30 seats are available.

Donated by: Ed and Ann Pettinella

Estimated value: $5,400

The Napa Valley produces many great wines, but few iconic wines. These Napa Valley icons are wines that have consistently embodied excellence, have stood the test of time and have influenced their peers. Two such Napa Valley icons are Joseph Phelps Insignia and Dominus Estate. Now, experience these Napa Valley icons with six bottles of each from the superb 2013 vintage.

The 2013 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Wine marries powerful black fruit with generous accents of leather, spice, and cocoa. Concentrated, layered, structured and balanced, it now is beginning to reach maturity. This 40^th anniversary vintage of Insignia received a 98+ from The Wine Advocate.

The 2013 Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red Wine displays power and restraint in its black currant fruit and truffle, cedar, and earth nuances. Dense yet racy, the palate stays silky smooth through the almost endless finish. This 30^th anniversary vintage of Dominus received unanimous praise from the wine pundits, with many—including The Wine Advocate—awarding it a perfect score of 100.

This is a rare opportunity to follow Napa Valley icons from a great vintage as they evolve into maturity. Don’t miss out.

Donated by: Travis and Katie Betters, Anna and David Brown, Claire and Alex DelMonte, Ben and Larissa Dobrzynski, Joel and Katy DiMarco, Wendy and David Dworkin, Jamie and Loren Flaum, Dan and Victoria Goldstein, Bill and Rhonda Goodrich, Rufus and Amy Judson, Rebecca Kerr-Jarrett, Dr. Mike Maloney and Kara Maloney, Marilyn and Michael Misch, Heather and Brad Papietro, Steven and Tiffany VonDeak, and Drs. Josh Weitz and Lesley Loss.

Estimated value: $11,500

When members of our Live Auction Committee aren’t soliciting great lots for the Toast To Your Health Wine Auction, they are collecting choice wines for their own cellars. Last year’s Live Auction Committee generously donated some of their prime bottles to create one of 2024’s most popular live lots.

This year’s committee has upped the ante by donating a stellar collection of bottles, all of which received perfect scores of 100 from the wine pundits. These rarities are “the best of the best,” according to The Wine Advocate, Vinous, The Wine Spectator, The Wine Enthusiast, Jeb Dunnuck and Jim Suckling. Wine lovers part with such treasures only reluctantly (unless they are pulling the corks themselves), so please show your appreciation to this year’s Live Auction Committee by bidding often and bidding high.

2016 Masseto Toscana IGT
2021 Marchesi Antinori Solaia Toscana IGT
2001 Chateau d’Yquem (Sauternes, Bordeaux)
2018 Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon
2021 Colgin Cellars Tychson Hill Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Hundred Acre Wraith Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
1975 Chateau Latour (Pauillac, Bordeaux)
2021 Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red Wine
2010 Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac, Bordeaux)
2015 Chateau Cheval Blanc (St.-Émilion, Bordeaux)
2008 Krug Vintage Brut (Champagne)
1990 Chateau Montrose (St.-Estèphe, Bordeaux)
2020 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux)
2015 Chateau Lafite Rothschild (Pauillac, Bordeaux)
2013 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Rosé (Champagne)
2005 Chateau Larcis Ducasse (St.-Émilion, Bordeaux) (1.5-Liter)