Winery experiences and exclusive labels for “The Golden Vines Charity Online Auction”

Guided tours through vineyards, tastings in cellars, and dinners prepared by renowned chefs, along with prestigious wine labels and a “vip experience” with Andrea Bocelli - at his turn, a wine producer with Bocelli 1831, the family estate in Lajatico, Tuscany, with nearly three centuries of history - featuring two front-row seats to any concert, exclusive backstage access, and a personal meeting with the world most famous tenor (starting bid 100,000 dollars). Also this experience is part of the 2025 “The Golden Vines Charity Online Auction” by the Gérard Basset Foundation, organized by Liquid Icons, featuring over 100 lots donated by producers, and not only, with bids open until midnight on November, 9th. The auction once again highlights global wine excellence, with proceeds supporting the charitable projects of the Gérard Basset Foundation, a non-profit created in memory of Gérard Basset (the only person in the world to hold the titles of Master Sommelier, Master of Wine, and Officer of the Order of the British Empire, who passed away in 2019), which supports wine education programs focused on diversity and inclusion and has raised 5 million dollars since its foundation to date, directly impacting 1,600 beneficiaries in over 30 countries.
In addition to the exclusive Bocelli experience (and a luxury private jet trip across North America aboard Slate Aviation, starting at 125,000 dollars), the top wine lot is French, and it is made up of two magnums of Pomerol 2009 by Château Le Pin, in addition to a guided tour of the Bordeaux estate with owners Fiona and Jacques Thienpont, and award-winning journalist and author Jancis Robinson, including tasting, vineyard visit, and lunch: the starting bid is 40,000 dollars. Always in France, and always in Bordeaux, there is also the lot which includes three bottles of Liber Pater from vintages 2015, 2018, and 2019 (the world most expensive red wine at launch) with a full estate tour (tasting, visit, lunch or dinner) alongside owner Loic Pasquet with a starting bid of 25,000 dollars. From a jeroboam (3 liters) of Charlemagne 2022 by Domaine Bonneau du Martray with tasting and tour (10,000 dollars), to a magnum of Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru 2019 by Domaine Leflaive with full estate tour (12,000 dollars), and a rare selection of threeDom Perignon Rosé Vintage 1988, Dom Pérignon Vintage 1971 e Dom Pérignon Vintage 1978 (starting bid 15,000 dollars, including visit, tasting, and lunch by chef Marco Fadiga), always to remain in France.
Italy’s top lot features a mathusalem (6 liters) of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015 by Biondi-Santi Tenuta Greppo, the “cradle” of Brunello di Montalcino, with a vineyard tour and visit to “La Storica”, the private cellar housing every vintage of Riserva ever produced, followed by a tasting with ceo Giampiero Bertolini, a Michelin-starred lunch, and overnight stay in Montalcino (starting bid 8,000 dollars). And, which is well represented in the catalog: from a 5 liter Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago 2019 by Castiglion del Bosco (winery tour, tasting, and two-night stay in a Junior Suite at the Rosewood Hotel, starting bid 4,000 euros), to a magnum of Madonna delle Grazie 2020 by Il Marroneto with private vineyard tour, guided tasting, and lunch with owner Alessandro Mori ( starting bid 2,000 euros), from 3 jeroboams Tassi of Brunello di Montalcino 2017, Vigna Colombaiolo 2017, and Vigna Franci 2015 by Tassi (with tour, tasting, dinner, and overnight stay in Montalcino, at 2,000 dollars), to 12 bottles of Brunello Vigna del Suolo 2016, Brunello di Montalcino 2007, 2012, 2019, Solengo 2018 e 2021 by Argiano (two units each) with guided tour and dinner by chef Elena Montini ( with starting bid of 1,100 dollars), from 3 liters of Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2021 by Casanova di Neri with tour, tasting, lunch with a family member, and two-night stay at Casanova di Neri Relais (starting bid 1,000 euros), and a magnum of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006 and one of Brunello di Montalcino 2004 by Poggio di Sotto with visit, tasting, and lunch (starting bid 900 euros).
Remaining in Tuscany, Bolgheri offers a 3 liter Ornellaia 2007 by Tenuta dell’Ornellaia (with visit, tasting, and dinner starting from 1,600 dollars); Val d’Orcia features a jeroboam of vintage 2019 by Tenuta di Trinoro with vertical tasting of five vintages and gourmet lunch with a private chef at the estate villa (300 dollars); and in Arezzo, three bottles of Oreno Toscana Rosso Igt 2008, 2013, 2015 e 2019 by Tenuta Sette Ponti (with tour, tasting, vineyard visit, dinner, and overnight stay with starting bid of 2,000 dollars). Regarding other Italian wine regions which are protagonists of the various lots, these include a jeroboam of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2001 by Emidio Pepe (with visit, tasting, and dinner at 1,250 dollars), to Giulio Ferrari Collezione Magnum 2004 by Ferrari Trento (plus visit to Alto Margone vineyard and gourmet lunch with Michelin-starred wines at Locanda Margon, starting from 1,000 dollars), and a balthazar (12 liters) of Barolo Riserva 2017 by Giacomo Borgogno & Figli (plus visit to Cannubi vineyard, the most iconic Barolo Cru, and the cellar, with gourmet lunch by a dedicated chef and overnight stay, 300 dollars).
Among the auction lots, there is also an exclusive evening at the University Club of New York, hosted by fine wine collector James Finkel, former Chair of the Club’s Wine Committee and Burgundy wine scholar, featuring a four-course gourmet dinner paired with bottles worth nearly 30,000 dollars, including Champagne Vielles Vignes Francaises 2004 by Bollinger, Montrachet 1988 by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Château Lafite Rothschild 1961, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1978 by Château Rayas, Le Musigny 1990 by Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier, Château d’Yquem 1975, and the historic Cognac Napoleon 1811 (starting bid 12,000 dollars).
These are just some of the exceptional lots in a charity auction which also features names like Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Latour, Familia Torres, Catena Zapata, Vega Sicilia, Penfolds, Egon Müller, Harlan Estate, Viñedo Chadwick, and also Champagne houses such as Krug, Boerl & Kroff, Frerejean Frères, Henriot, Jacquesson, Charles Heidsieck, Salon, Delamotte, Ruinart, and not only.