The “dream” of Italy among exclusive hotels, great bottles and art at the charity auction in the Usa

The “dream” of Italy, among exclusive hotels, Michelin-starred dinners, prestigious wines, and iconic landscapes, between great art and millennia-old history, continues to hold its timeless charm on the wish lists of Americans This is confirmed by the huge success, with record-breaking bids for top Italian lots, at the charity auction organized by the edition No. 26 of the “Naples Winter Wine Festival”, the famous fundraising event held every year in Florida. 51 unique lots were auctioned off, dedicated to wines and travel experiences in the most exclusive destinations on the planet. From a stay on Lake Como in the luxurious Villa Polli and a dinner at Hotel Passalacqua, sold for 1.1 million dollars, to the wine and food journey across Italy with gourmet stops between Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma in the company of two American winemakers, sold for 650,000 dollars, passing through the “full immersion” in the Brunello di Montalcino area with visits to the estates of Argiano, Altesino, Caparzo, and Castiglion del Bosco, auctioned for 240,000 dollars, Italy played a starring role. Also Tuscany “gems” were auctioned off with experiences and bottles from Biondi Santi, the historic Montalcino winery, in a lot auctioned off for 350,000 dollars; the luxurious tour of the estates of Marilisa Allegrini across Veneto and Tuscany, which went for 500,000 dollars; and the Tasca d’Almerita experience, from one of Sicily most important wineries, purchased for 450,000 dollars. Altogether, the auction raised over 30 million dollars, which will fund the “Naples Children Foundation” to support initiatives helping children in need.
The “Naples Winter Wine Festival”, held in the city of Naples, Florida, is considered one of the most important charity events in the United States: every year, in just a few days, it manages to raise tens of millions of dollars to finance educational and support programs for children and families; at the heart of the event, there are dinners with top chefs and personalities from the wine world, tastings, and one of the world most prestigious charity auctions. The lots are not simply “rare bottles”: they are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. This year, more than 30 million dollars were raised, to be allocated to children in need in Collier County.
Among the Italian offerings, the lot that reached the record price of 1.1 million dollars included seven luxurious nights on Lake Como with a stay at Villa Polli, a residence with seven en-suite bedrooms, a heated swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, hammam, gym, cinema, and game room, lush gardens, and full daily service with a private chef and butler, as well as a 24-hour concierge to meet every need. The package also included a dinner at Hotel Passalacqua, named “best hotel in the world.” The “Gargiulo: Un viaggio attraverso l’Italia culinaria” - “Gargiulo: A Journey Through Culinary Italy” package, auctioned oof for 650,000 dollars, offered a six night food and wine trip throughout Italy with Valerie Boyd and Jeff Gargiulo, owners of Gargiulo Vineyards in Napa Valley, with visits to producers of Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.
The “Montalcino Dreaming” lot, auctioned off for 240,000 dollars, featured a tour of exclusive experiences with accommodation and tastings at the 16th century Argiano estate, one of the oldest wineries in the area, today owned by Brazilian entrepreneur André Santos Esteves and headed by winemaker Bernardino Sani. The estate offers private gardens, a still-consecrated chapel, picturesque vineyards, and views reminiscent of a Renaissance masterpiece. During their stay in Montalcino, the couples will also visit and taste wines from Altesino and Caparzo, two estates owned by Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini, known as “the lady of Sangiovese”, one of the leading ambassadors of quality Brunello. One of the highlights of the Montalcino “dream” will be dinner at the two-Michelin-starred Ristorante Campo del Drago at Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, with chef Matteo Temperini. The lot also includes a valuable collection of magnums from Argiano’s historic vintages (the winery reached no. 1 in Wine Spectator’s “Top 100” in 2023 with its 2018 Brunello di Montalcino). Also a week of luxury in Tuscany in the lot “The Jewels of Biondi Santi & the Gems of Fratelli Piccini” was auctioned off for 350,000 dollars, which included private visits in Florence to the Fratelli Piccini atelier, the Roberto Casamonti collection, the Art Institute plaster cast gallery, the Uffizi, and Palazzo Strozzi; an overnight stay at Castello di Ama, one of Chianti most renowned estates; and an exclusive experience at Biondi Santi, the iconic Brunello producer, with a walk through the vineyards, a visit to the cellar, and lunch with ceo Giampiero Bertolini, along with a collection of Biondi Santi Brunello Riserva wines.
Auctioned off for 500,000 dollars, the “Living Italy. One sip at a time” lot included a tour of the beauty and heritage of Italy most iconic wine regions: Verona, Bolgheri, and Montalcino through the estates of Marilisa Allegrini, one of Italy most influential women in wine. From Relais Villa della Torre in Verona, with a Michelin-starred dinner, private tours, and a cooking class with the owner, to a helicopter transfer to Bolgheri to visit Tenuta Poggio al Tesoro (with a stop at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello) and a seaside dinner at Ristorante La Pineta, concluding at the San Polo estate in Montalcino, including a collection of 6 magnums from Allegrini estates. “We offered the best of the artistic, culinary, and territorial heritage of the places where our estates operate: Villa della Torre in Valpolicella with Verona, Lake Garda, Mantua and Palazzo Te, San Polo in Montalcino and Poggio al Tesoro in Bolgheri - explains Marilisa Allegrini - the generous winners of the lot will have the chance not only to taste our most iconic wines, but to enjoy unique made in Italy experiences, from Michelin-starred restaurants to stunning landscapes and historic abbeys that will stay in their memory”.
“L’arte della Sicilia con Tasca d’Almerita” - “The Art of Sicily with Tasca d’Almerita” lot, auctioned off for 450,000 dollars, showcased Sicilian culture and wine, with a stay at the historic Regaleali estate (including private tastings, Sicilian cooking and ceramics classes, and family dinners paired with Tasca d’Almerita wines), followed by nights at the legendary San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel in Taormina, with visits to the Tascante estate on Mount Etna and lunch in the vineyard. The winners also received a selection of large-format Tasca d’Almerita wines. “Once again this year, Tasca d’Almerita returns to the 2026 “Naples Winter Wine Festival” with a simple idea: to tell the story of authentic and unexpected Sicily through the people, territories, and places that define it. In 2025, the experience “The Sicilian Legacy of Tasca d’Almerita” was sold for the exceptional sum of 550,000 dollars”, affirms Alberto Tasca d’Almerita.
Puglia, one of the world most beloved tourist destinations, will welcome the winners of the “The Sun-Drenched Paradise of Puglia” lot, offering seven nights at Villa Dusenszky Vitale of Black Book Villas, a five-star estate with nine bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms, indoor and outdoor pools, hammam, spa, multiple kitchens, a tennis court, and 23 hectares of gardens and olive groves, accompanied by pizzica concerts and mozzarella-making classes.
Fashion could not be missing among the Italian excellences: the “The Grand Tour of Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda” lot includes access to the designers haute couture show in Italy in July, along with dinners, events, parties, a limited-edition handbag, and a 15,000-dollar voucher for Dolce & Gabbana shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue in Naples. But the auction was not only about Italy: among the most exclusive lots auctioned yesterday were the “Million Dollar Night of Country”, with private dinner and concert by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett (sold for 1.3 million dollars); a 2026 Aston Martin Vanquish convertible paired with a Vip driving experience in Miami (1.1 million dollars); a “Million Dollar Meal” at Prime Social Reserve with renowned chef Dustin Valette; and a luxurious eight-night voyage through the Greek islands aboard a private yacht.