Rarest Screaming Eagle vertical of 3L bottles to be auctioned at Naples Winter Wine Festival; Phone bidding available worldwide on January 26th

The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) has announced that on Saturday, January 26th, 2019, one of the rarest and most collectible verticals of California wine will be up for auction as part of the 19th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, FL. Lot #7 features (8) 3-liter bottles of Screaming Eagle's very first Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings, spanning vintages 1992-1999. Screaming Eagle, the wine that kick-started California's Cult Cabernet phenomenon and transformed the world of wine, remains its scarcest and most collectible. Large format bottles of Screaming Eagle have never been offered for sale by the winery and this vertical is the only known set in existence. Originally purchased by NCEF Honorary Trustee Ron Kuhn in 2001 at Auction Napa Valley, the wines have since been stored in his temperature and humidity-controlled cellar and were delivered to Naples via private air.

Interested bidders may contact info@napleswinefestival.com to apply for bidding access. Pre-qualified bidders may arrange to bid by phone in real time.

"This rare vertical is poised to attract the attention of the wine collecting world, which is why we are opening bidding to the wine collecting community at large. Having been owned by just one collector, the wine has impeccable provenance," says 2019 Festival Co-Chair Tom Koehn.

Since its first bottling in 1992, Screaming Eagle achieved perfect and near-perfect reviews every year during the Nineties. Each wine featured in Lot #7 was produced while founder Jean Phillips owned the winery and was produced by her along with famed winemaker, Heidi Barrett. The allure of Napa Cult Cabernet has driven collectors worldwide to get their hands on a single bottle of Screaming Eagle, let alone a vertical of this capacity. This rare opportunity to bid on this collection without doubt will be historic in the wine world.

"I could not be more humbled by the great work that NCEF does for the at-risk children of Collier County, FL. It is my honor to be able to donate these wines to be auctioned off for this great cause," says Ron Kuhn.

About Naples Winter Wine Festival
The Naples Winter Wine Festival, one of the world's most prestigious charity wine auctions, offers a weekend of unforgettable memories. Guests enjoy world-class food and wine during intimate dinners in private homes and are invited to bid on once-in-a-lifetime travel and wine experiences during an electrifying live auction. Since its inaugural event in 2001, the NWWF has raised more than $176 million, making a profound difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.

About Naples Children & Education Foundation
The Naples Children & Education Foundation, the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, is improving the educational, emotional and health outcomes of underprivileged and at-risk children. Through its annual grants and strategic initiatives, NCEF has impacted over 45 of the most effective nonprofits in the community, providing 275,000 children with the services and resources they need to excel. NCEF's unique approach, which emphasizes collaboration between organizations and bridges public and private resources, has become a blueprint for how to transform a community, one issue at a time.

For more information on Lot #7, please contact Katherine Jarvis, Jarvis Communications, 310-313-6374, katherine@jarviscommunications.com

For more information on NCEF or the Naples Winter Wine Festival, contact Lisa Juliano at lisa@napleswinefestival.com or 239-514-2239.