AUCTION

2011 BIG SUR FOOD AND WINE AUCTION ITEMS

This auction will be held on Saturday afternoon, from 3:30-5:30pm, at the Henry Miller Library. As in the past, there will be spirited bidding for some remarkable lots, including big bottle lots, special stays at private residences and luxury resorts, and a wonderful chance to be a part of Survivor: Paso Robles, generously donated by Justin Baldwin, among so many more.

In addition, there will be a Silent Auction that afternoon featuring many lots of wine, gift certificates, massages, special services and a host of other donated items.

A special thank you to all of those who so generously donated to help fund nonprofit activities in the Big Sur area specifically focusing on Health, Safety and Education programs as well as a culinary scholarship for a talented local.

10/12 - These are the initial auction items, and will be added to as we receive further confirmations. Please be aware that some auction items are subject to specific schedules, according to the donors. This is not the order in which the auction items will be presented during the live auction.

WILD BIRD! DINNER FOR THREE COUPLES

Join Guy and Julia Hands, owners of this truly remarkable and exquisitely renovated home, perched on the edge of the world here in Big Sur. Our winemaker for this is Gary Franscioni of ROAR Vineyards. As in the past, you and two other couples of your choosing will be sitting with Guy and Julia, two of their close friends, Gary and his lovely wife, Rosella, and Toby and Linda Rowland-Jones. Your chef for this magical evening will be Cal Stamenov, of Marinus at Bernardus, recognized as one of the great chefs of America. We'll start the evening with a lengthy pre-dinner reception, replete with appetizers and wines from Gary's collection as well as from the Festival's cellar.

It would be hard to fully describe the feeling when you walk onto Guy and Julia's property and then enter this stunning house. With a sheer drop of 500' into the crashing waves below on both sides of the house, you are transported somewhere else. There is a good chance that we'll see condors, as they lazily glide by, this being a key gathering location for them. We are greatly privileged and delighted that Guy and Julia support our event in this manner. You could not wish to enjoy a livelier dinner evening. The date will be set for this prior to the auction on November 5th, and must be adhered to, as Guy and Julia live primarily in Europe, and their travel schedule is extremely tight.

Value - priceless. Bidding starts at $5,000.

DINNER FOR SIX AT SHEILA AND GASTON GEORIS' BIG SUR HOME

Join Sheila and Gaston, your exceptionally lively hosts, as they welcome you and five of your friends with a sumptuous dinner prepared by Chef Brandon Miller, and with wines from the Madeleine Winery of Carmel Valley. Chef Brandon is a partner in the highly popular Mundaka Spanish tapas restaurant located in downtown Carmel. And Madeleine's wines, made by Damien Georis, have garnered extremely favorable reviews. Date and time will be agreed upon through mutual negotiations.

Value - priceless. Bidding starts at $1,500.

DINNER FOR 8 AT RANCHO GRANDE IN BIG SUR

Rancho Grande is the gem of Big Sur! Located on the coast just below Nepenthe, this truly remarkable property is home to the Packard family, and they have generously donated their beautifully crafted home for this dinner. Enjoy appetizers on the expansive deck prior to dinner, and maybe, as we did last time we were there, watch whales spouting in the distance as the sun sets! Joining you and your friends will be Aengus Wagner, Toby Rowland-Jones, Jason Burnett and Jason's wife Melissa. Jason is a Supervisor for the City of Carmel, served in the EPA, and is the grandson of Hewlett-Packard co-founder, David Packard, who first settled into this property in the mid 70's. We will be pouring the wines of Miura Vineyards, owned by our good friend and supporter of the Festival, Master Sommelier Emmanuel Kemiji, who will also be present for the evening's festivities. Your dinner for the evening will be created by our good friend, Chef Matt Bolton of the Highlands Inn. We know that Chef Matt will pull out all the stops on this one!

Value $4,000. Bidding starts at $2,500.

JUSTIN WINERY - "SURVIVOR: PASO ROBLES"

Three couples are invited to compete against each other during JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery's 2011 Harvest to fight for the coveted title of "Survivor: Paso Robles". This is your shot at fame! Experience the drama, excitement and intrigue of creating your own episode marooned in the isolated hillside vineyards of "exotic" Paso Robles. On arrival players will receive a private tour of the barrel caves and winery facilities followed by a tasting of JUSTIN wines. That night contestants will enjoy dinner with Proprietor Justin Baldwin at the hillside Chateau to build the strength needed for the following day's activities. Survivors will "camp" that night at the acclaimed JUST Inn located amongst the untamed vineyard lands of JUSTIN Winery. The next morning they will awake to a "hearty" breakfast and then the game begins!

Depending upon the stage of the harvest, tribal couples will compete in challenges such as picking fruit, soaking barrels, sorting clusters, stirring lees and punching down caps. After a few challenges, cast members will join the JUSTIN crew for a filling Harvest lunch. Following lunch, participants will attend their first "Tribal Council" at which time immunity points will be awarded and one couple's torch will be snuffed.

The remaining two couples will continue to compete in the challenges. Prior to a sumptuous wine-paired dinner in the winery's intimate, award winning restaurant, The Restaurant at JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, all tribal members will attend a "Final Council" to determine the "Survivor: Paso Robles". The winner will receive one case of the wine on which they worked that day to be aged and ultimately bottled with their own personal label. While their wine is maturing, they can begin their JUSTIN cellar with a rare six-year vertical of JUSTIN ISOSCELES (2003- 2008) and each couple will receive a signed magnum of JUSTIN 2008 ISOSCELES. Who will prevail to become Survivor: Paso Robles?

Value - priceless (a very similar auction donated by Justin to the Aspen auction raised $24,000!). Bidding starts at $2,500.

CENTRAL COAST WINE CLASSIC PACKAGE

Thank you Archie McLaren of our Board of Advisors, dear friend and supporter. Archie is co-founder and Chairman of the Central Coast Wine Classic, one of the most respected and successful wine festivals in the country. Archie has kindly donated a Deluxe Package to the 2012 Central Coast Wine Classic for two, to include the breathtaking dinner at Hearst Castle on July 12th, a barrel tasting, three separate enlightening and edifying panels, the Rare and Fine Wine and Lifestyle Auction and Luncheon, a Friday evening wine maker dinner and a reserve tasting on the Sunday. The Hearst Castle experience alone is a remarkable event, and is always sold out as soon as tickets go on sale. You are already fast-tracked into the castle! All in all, this is a truly wonderful weekend! Please note that travel and accommodations are not included in this.

Value - $3,500. Bidding starts at $2,000.

HAHN FAMILY WINES GET-AWAY DAY FOR FOUR!

Enjoy a splendid Seasonal Pairing for four lucky guests; lunch with Chef Brian Overhauser at the newly created Chef's Kitchen at Hahn Family Estate. Prior to lunch, cruise the vineyards on a Wine Country Safari with Chef Brian, and then sit down and relish the Farm to Fork Wine Pairing. This is a much sought-after experience and certainly not to be missed! Also, this evening, collect your signed magnum of 2007 Lucienne Pinot Noir to enjoy prior to your visit with Chef Brian!

Value - $1500. Bidding starts at $800.

2012 BIG SUR FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL DELUXE PACKAGE FOR TWO

What more could one ask for? Please be the lucky bidder and join us next year for a comprehensive package for the 2012 Big Sur Food and Wine festival (November 1-3) - all accommodations included, as well as luxury shuttles in and around Big Sur in a glorious Mercedes Benz! Come to the Gateway to Big Sur at the Highlands Inn for the opening night celebrations, followed by your choice of one of the cleverly created wine panels, select one of the Hiking With Stemware events, join the Grand Public Tasting and Auction and then indulge in the stellar Dinner With Friends to be held again at the Restaurant at Ventana.

Value - $2,500. Bidding starts at $1,500.

A BIG SUR DAY FOR 6 GUESTS

Come and spend a magical day and night in Big Sur and see the coast from a completely different and magical perspective! Toby and Linda will lead you on a short but (almost) challenging walk from their home on Partington Ridge, home to many past and present artists, such as Henry Miller, Jaime de Angulo, Nick Roosevelt, Bob Nash and others. Then mosey on back down the hill to a lovely feast prepared by Toby, Aengus and Alicia, your Big Sur Food and Wine festival chefs! Wines will be from a local winery as well as the festival cellar. Then you'll be shuttled back down the hill to enjoy a night at the Big Sur Lodge, which is situated in the heart of the majestic Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Get up the next morning and we might well join you for a breakfast at Deetjens Big Sur Inn, where they serve the best breakfast on the planet (well, at least in Monterey County)!

Bidding starts at $750.

CONDOR RELEASE COURTESY OF VENTANA WILDERNESS SOCIETY

Two lucky adventurers will spend a day with Executive Director, Kelly Sorenson in Big Sur and go searching for condors! You'll meet at the VWS Discovery Center, located at Andrew Molera State Park, then travel up into the Big Sur wilderness on a private dirt road which leads to the condor sanctuary in a coastal canyon 2,800 feet above the ocean. Wild California Condors are often seen in the area, as this is a feeding station and release point for rehabilitated or juvenile condors. The tour occurs from 10:00am to 3:00pm and includes lunch, snacks and drinks.

Value - $750. Bidding starts at $250.

TWO NIGHT STAY AT TREEBONES FOR 2 WITH DINNER/SUSHI AND TWO MAGNUMS OF WINE

TreeBones Resort is on the southern end of the Big Sur coast and a truly magical place, with outstanding ambiance and absolutely impeccable friendly service. Owned and operated by the Handy family, it is no wonder why this award-winning resort is exceptionally popular. Enjoy a wonderful sushi bar dinner one evening and then a small and intimate dinner in their restaurant the next. You will feel rejuvenated and relaxed after being perched on the edge of the world, just moments away from the crashing ocean! John and Corinne will also happily guide you around their organic garden explaining how they are creating a self-sustaining property here on the coast. John and his sons are proud members of the Big Sur Volunteer Fire brigade and we are indebted on so many levels to their deep commitment to the community of Big Sur.

Donation of John and Corinne Handy and the Big Sur Food and Wine Festival.

Value - $950. Bidding starts at $500.

TWO NIGHTS AT A PRIVATE BIG SUR HOME FOR TWO
DINNER AT THE BAKERY, DINNER AT DEETJENS

Have a wonderful relaxing two days in Big Sur! Your hosts, Bob and Lynda Sayre, have a truly peaceful and perfect cabin just south of Ventana, looking all the way down the coast. Quiet and removed from the world, this will be your base as you enjoy dinner at the famed Big Sur Bakery, and then the next evening at the historic Deetjens Big Sur Inn. Relax in the hot tub right outside your room and enter a world of carefree bliss. You might also wish to schedule a session with Lynda, a noted healing touch therapist. One amazing home, two amazing dinners. And we'll even give you four bottles of wine to enjoy during your stay! Accommodations are limited to weekday stay only.

Value - $950. Bidding starts at $600.

TWO NIGHTS AT ST FRANCIS HOTEL, DINNER AT THE OAK GRILL

Play in The City! Two wonderful nights for two in a fabulous suite at the historic St. Francis Hotel, located in the heart of San Francisco on Union Square. Get out into the hustle and bustle of one of the greatest cities in the world! Enjoy dinner at the delightful and beautifully designed Oak Room Restaurant, located in the Hotel. Then, join chef/owner David Lawrence as his guest at his phenomenal 1300 Fillmore Restaurant located in the Historic Jazz neighborhood.

Value - $1700. Bidding starts at $600.

NAPA VALLEY FAMILY!

Next year at the 2012 Big Sur Food and Wine Festival, we are honored to feature several distinctly superior Napa Valley families whom we have come to know and befriend, in a panel. Sitting at the same table will be Spottswoode, Chappellet, and Continuum. As a precursor to next year's stellar tasting, we have been able to create a Napa experience for two lucky bidders. Thanks to our dear friend, hotelier David Fink, you'll stay one night at the luxurious Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg, and then the other night at Meadowood Resort, famous for just about everything! During your visit, you'll visit Chappellet, Continuum, the very exclusive Merus and X. Hotel stays are limited to weekday, and we will work closely with you on the times and specific details for your winery visits. Get a taste before you come back to Big Sur next year!

Value - $2,500. Bidding starts at $1500.

GARY PISONI BARBECUE AT THE CELLAR!

Gary is offering dinner for up to 16 people at his cellar, and what an afternoon and evening this will be! Appetizers and wine out on the deck, maybe even a tour of the vineyards in the old green jeep (hang on to your hats!) and then a wild and maybe even raucous dinner in the heart of the cellar in front of the roaring fireplace! We highly suggest a mini-bus for this venture, and leave the worries of driving to someone else. Thank you Gary and your wonderful family for your astonishing support of Big Sur and the festival!

Value - of course it's priceless, as is Gary! Bidding, however, starts at $2500.

WORKSHOP OR RETREAT AT ESALEN INSTITUTE

The Esalen Institute is one of the world's most breathtaking places, and the work that happens there is ground-breaking, innovative, healing and life-changing. We do not use these terms lightly. The Institute, founded in the 60's, has been at the forefront of the holistic and mind/body energy fields ever since. We are honored to receive a workshop gift certificate for one, or personal retreat for two, in support of the Festival. You will experience something that will literally change you life! Your time at Esalen includes accommodations, all meals and access to the famed hot spring baths, perched 60 feet above the crashing surf.

Value - $655-840. Bidding starts at $400.

BIG BOTTLE FROM HELLER ESTATES

Heller Estates is a leading organic winery, and they are also firm supporters of this Big Sur community in so many ways. For this 2011 Auction, they have generously donated a 9 Liter bottle of their delicious 2005 Cabernet, specially etched with the Big Sur Food & Wine Festival logo for you to enjoy with your friends - make sure you invite Toby over! In addition, they are donating a gift certificate for a free tasting at their Carmel Valley tasting Room for 10 people.

Value - $550. Bidding starts at $300.