Palm Beach Wine Auction: All Things Gourmet

Gerard Boudry and Margareth Henriquez, Cindy and Ted Mandes

Madeline and Rod Fink, Lindsay Chiarella
The offering was part of an evening featuring gourmet food prepared by prominent chefs, specially selected wines and an auction directed by Michael Troise, retired auction director for NY Wines/Christie’s Fine and Rare Wine Department.
Over the past 21 years, the Kravis Center’s education programs have served nearly 2 million children. Ted Mandes founded and chaired the Palm Beach Wine Auction, which since its inception has raised more than $2 million for the programs.

Jerry and Barbara Golden
In addition to the dinner from Henriquez, the other unlisted lot, which attracted the second-highest amount in “bids” at $55,000, were underwriting opportunities to send area kids to the Kravis Center’s camps and other education programs.
Other popular lots included cases and magnums of rare and special wines as well as tours and tastings at Colgin Cellars IX Estate in Napa Valley; a day with VIP stops courtesy of Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Rudd Vineyards and Pride Mountain Vineyards; a Louis XIII Connoisseur’s Journey with an overnight stay to experience the King of Cognacs at its birthplace; a “best of Montreal” package for four, with a three-night stay at the Omni Mont Royal Hotel; and dinner for 12 at the James Beard House in New York City.

Jim Peppelman, Cressman Bronson
When guests were seated, they were served an amuse-bouche of sunchoke tart with house smoked Verlasso salmon, pink peppercorn crème fraîche and micro arugula prepared by Douglas Katz, from Cleveland’s Fire Food and Drink.
That was followed by the first course, prepared by Andrew Carmellini, from The Dutch at W South Beach, of Hamachi with muscadine jus, celery, pine nuts and nasturtium. Zach Bell from Boca Raton’s Addison Reserve Country Club and chef Lindsay Autry teamed for the second course, open blue cobia with flavors of Provence and gratin of celery root and Florida stone crab.

Steven Gottlieb and Laurie Raber-Gottlieb
The dessert was a creation by Mar-a-Lago’s Graham Randall – pistachio and white chocolate pavé with crème chantilly, strawberry gelato and pistachio sabayon. As they left for the evening, guests received a send-off at the valet station from Randall of fried cinnamon doughnuts and a shot of warm chocolate bisque.
The sommelier team for the program was Jenny Benzie, Kirk Baker, Trish Sawyer and Brian Chamis.
Guests included Nicole and Cressman Bronson, Steve Brown and Jamie Stern, Steve Colanero and Mariann Tenaglia, Amos Dare and Maria Marchetti, Yves de Launay, Lesley and Brad Dubner, Margaret and Ed Dudnyk, Ed Fischer, Henni and John Kessler, Judy Mitchell, Monika and John Preston, Justus Reid, Carolyn and Richard Sloane, Rusty Staub, Agnes and Jeffrey Stoops, Kathryn and Leo Vecellio, Lesley and Bruce Zafran.

Mark and Stacey Levy
For information, visit www.PalmBeachWineAuction.org or call (561) 651-4320.
Photos by Corby Kaye’s Studio Palm Beach.