Friends of Larkin Street Live Auction
hosted at the Pre Gala Party on March 15
1. An America’s Cup Experience aboard America’s Cup Challenger, USA 76
You + 11 guests will enjoy a thrilling 2 1/2 hour private sail on San Francisco Bay and feel what it’s like to be a crew member for America’s Cup aboard USA 76!
USA 76 was previously owned and raced by ORACLE Racing in their challenge for the 2003 America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand and it’s one of the most recognized yachts in international sailing. USA 76 won 21 of 33 races in the 2003 America’s Cup and it is operated by Brad Webb, America’s Cup legendary bowman and one of the longest serving crew of the ORACLE Racing team. You and your guests will receive the most intimate and up to date knowledge of the next America’s Cup event in 2013. Because this experience delivers you the very best “bragging rights”, we’ll provide a photographer to document your outing!
Donated by: Brad Webb, ACsailingSF
2. 2 Night Stay for 6 people at The Vineyard House built by Dupont Heiress Lenore Stern
Enjoy a 2 night stay for 3 couples at the stunning Gabrielle Collection estate.
Experience a very rare opportunity to visit this historic and organically farmed vineyard and garden built by DuPont Heiress and silent movie star Lenore Stern that is not open to the public. During your visit you will enjoy a private vintner Napa Valley Estate Vineyard and Garden Tour, and a special tasting of wines paired with culinary specialties, with owners Gabrielle Leonhard or Wayne O’Connell.
Donated by: Gabrielle Collection
3. Dinner for 6 in Your Home – “Chef Mark Comes to your House Lot”
Chef Mark Gordon, Executive Chef of Rose Pistola, Terzo, and Rose’s Café will come to your home to cook a dinner with wine pairings for you and five of your friends.
Donated by: Laurie Thomas & Michael Hoy
4. Double Magnum (3L) – 2000 Château Léoville-Las-Cases – Red Bordeaux
Wine Spectator rated 100 points
Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases is a second-growth Bordeaux located in St.-Julien-Beychevelle next door to Chateau Latour. 2000 Leoville Las Cases, a blend of 76.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.4% Merlot, and 8.8% Cabernet Franc. The wine is truly profound, with an opaque purple color and a tight but promising nose of vanilla, sweet cherry liqueur, black currants, and licorice in a dense, full-bodied, almost painfully rich, intense style with no hard edges. This seamless classic builds in the mouth, with a finish that lasts over 60 seconds. Still primary, yet extraordinarily pure, this compelling wine, which continues to build flavor intensity and exhibit additional layers of texture, is a tour de force in winemaking and certainly one of the great Leoville Las Cases.
Donated by: Greg Pelling
5. 2003 Quilceda Creek Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum
Wine Spectator 100 Points
Quilceda Creek is Washington State’s most acclaimed wine producer. Its Cabernet Sauvignons have been earning awards and high ratings from reviewers ever since the 1980s, and Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Quilceda a winery “that remains below the radar of even the most knowledgeable wine enthusiasts. These are prodigious, world class wines.” Located in Snohomish, Washington, not too far north of Seattle, Quilceda Creek’s 32 acres of vineyards are in several of Eastern Washington’s appellations. Alex Golitzin, founder and owner, was born in France at the beginning of WWII but moved to San Francisco during the war with his parents. His uncle was Andre Tchelistcheff, one of Napa Valley’s earliest crafters of fine wines. Paul Golitzin, Alex’s son, is now chief winemaker at Quilceda Creek. The winery’s vineyards are planted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Vines are 12 to 23 years old. Some 38,000 bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon are produced annually.
Donated by: Greg Pelling
6. 2007 Verite Winery Red Wine, La Joie Cabernet Sauvignon 750 ml
Robert Parker 100 points
Composed of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, the 2007’s fruit came from four sources, Alexander Valley Mountain Estate, Knight’s Valley, Chalk Hill and Bennett Valley. This utterly perfect, flawless wine reveals great intensity along with a wonderful perfume of roasted coffee, blueberries, blackberries, spring flowers, forest floor and crushed rock. Full-bodied and viscous without being heavy, the wine possesses admirable precision as well as good acidity and balance. It should last another 30 years.
Donated by: Greg Pelling
7. Front Row Access to Watch the America’s Cup World Series!
You and 7 friends can enjoy a close up view of the World Series to take place August / September 2012 in San Francisco, CA. Watch aboard a new 2011 Benetau and enjoy a fully catered day, including wine with your friends.
Donated by: Rob Theis
8. Magnum of 2006 Napa Valley Reserve Plus Exclusive Wine Tasting for 8 People!
Enjoy and exclusive magnum of 2006 Napa Valley Reserve and a wine tour for up to 8 of your friends.
In the glass, the 2006 has a dark ruby, opaque color with violet edges. The dark fruit nose reveals warm, sweet tobacco, cherry and coffee notes. Fine, ripe tannins and persistent finish are supported by a lovely balanced, fresh impression in the mouth.
Though youthful at release, the 2006 vintage will continue to evolve gracefully and gain interest with 15+ years of aging.
Situated on an eighty-acre property in St. Helena, California, with close ties to luxury resort Meadowood (which Harlan established in 1979), the Napa Valley Reserve is a members-only winery and vineyard project founded in 2004 and described as “the nation’s first wine country club”, and as “the wine world’s most elite fantasy camp”.
With a client base that includes actors, sports stars, and affluent professional workers, the establishment is an invitation-only club.
Donated by: Napa Valley Reserve
Auction Donors
Brad Webb and ACSailing
Rob Theis
Gabrielle Collection
Greg Pelling
Ken Sawyer
Laurie Thomas
Michael Hoy
Moreno Fine California Sparkling Wines
Napa Valley Reserve
Schumacher Photography
Trish McEvoy
Wilkes Bashford
Contact Information
For further information on the event, tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or auction items, contact Nicole Garroutte at (415) 673.0911 ext. 305 or email