A Vino-Filled Idyll in Sun Valley

A celebration of wine. A benefit for arts and education.

A hidden gem in the Rocky Mountain West, Sun Valley, Idaho is filled with plentiful year-round activities– including one of the most prestigious summer wine festivals.

In it’s 38th year, the Sun Valley Center Wine Auction will return for another luxurious event from July 18-20, 2019 with all proceeds benefiting the local Center for the Arts.

Accounting for 50 percent of all of the Center for the Arts’ budget for art education, this wine-filled event is one of Sun Valley’s largest fundraisers of the year– and rightfully so with intimate dinners with wine pairings, exceptional bottles for sale and an al fresco dining party on the lawn of Dollar Mountain Lodge.

By participating, the Center can provide quality education of the arts to students in Blaine County to promote self-expression and appreciation of the arts.

This year, this fest is hosted by Carol Swig, Wine Auction Chair and dedicated Sun Valley Center patron.

VINTNER DINNERS

To kick off the fundraiser, guests are invited into a variety of lavish homes throughout the valley for an exclusive private dinner hosted by some of the nation’s top winemakers. Prominent chefs will create thought-fully crafted cuisine to pair with each of the wines presented at each residency. This year’s culinary experts will boast local and global talent from Chef Sue Zemanick of Zazu in New Orleans to Scott Mason of Enoteca of Sun Valley. Some of the featured wineries include: TOR Wines, Chappellet Winery, William Cole Vineyards, DuMol and Revana. This package is only included as a part of the Grand Cru or Premier Cru Patron package.

WINE AUCTION GALA

A primary sellout event, the Wine Auction Gala is a huge crowd puller with wines, experiences and foods all up for bidding. There’s both a Live Auction and Silent Auction, with an abundance of prizes to purchase like premium wines or wine-filled activities. Gourmet meals are set to serve bidders that include a Sun Valley twist while listening to the tunes of country band, The Jake Maurer Band.

VINE & DINE

The concluding act of the festival is the outdoor Vine & Dine experience hosted at Dollar Mountain Lodge that will be filled with delightful tapas, libations and plenty of live music. 14 of the featured wineries will highlight some of their favorite sips from their vineyards, as well as other boozy options from Warfield Distillery & Brewery and Sawtooth Brewery at the beer garden (and yes, soft pretzels will be readily available to snack on with a cold brew).

There’s also the Vine & Dine Plus package, which accumulates all of the above elements but allows eager guests to arrive early for an indoor tasting of premier wines and foods before the outdoor picnic commences.

Tickets—particularly exclusive Patron Packages—are guaranteed to sell out quickly. Guests are encouraged to reserve their places now. Patron Packages and Individual Tickets are on sale now at sunvalleycenter.org/wineauction or by calling 208.726.9491.