A silent auction of wine and food items for a great cause

WINE TALK
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Hi everyone. I hope it’s alright for me to share something here (I got Todd’s permission before doing so). I don’t post often, but with today being Giving Tuesday, I wanted to mention something personal in a way that’s respectful of the community.

A close friend’s daughter, Rayas, is a bright, thoughtful teenage girl who has been fighting a rare and life-threatening illness for more than a year. Her treatment has been intensive and all-consuming, and her mother, Keiko Niccolini, a longtime member of the wine industry, has had to step away from work to care for her full-time.

A group of people from the wine, food, and hospitality worlds came together to organize a silent auction to support them. The generosity has been extraordinary, and many of the lots are truly special: dinners cooked by Michelin-starred chefs, private vineyard tours with iconic winemakers, rare large-format bottles, unique wine collections, cooking classes, photographic art, and other one-of-a-kind experiences. The outpouring of support from the industry has been incredible. Ross Cobb donated 20 cases of wine (!). And that’s just one of the jaw-dropping things you can find in this auction. We also have 6 bottles of Rayas wines, direct from the cellar.

I’m sharing this here not to be pushy, but because this community includes many people who appreciate memorable wine and food experiences — and, on Giving Tuesday, some may be looking for meaningful ways to contribute. Even simply taking a look or sharing the link (hint hint) would be deeply appreciated.

And if you bid, please know that even as you are securing an amazing bottle or meal for yourself, you are helping a single mom stay by her child’s side through a nightmare none of us should ever have to face alone.

If you’d like to browse the auction, here is the link:

:point_right: https://rayasandkeiko.betterworld.org/auctions/rayas-keiko-auction

Every bid goes directly toward supporting Rayas’s ongoing care.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for the generosity of spirit that defines communities like this.

#Auction4Rayas #GivingTuesday

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This is a great cause and thanks for sharing . I was excited by some of the dinners until I realized that they were in San Francisco. Pity; they looked amazing.

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Thanks Mark. I think if you were gonna send a jet or foot the travel costs of the chefs, they could be persuaded to cook in your city, but for now they’re Bay Area focused. Please send to all your Bay Area friends!

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I’ve put in a bid, myself! Was hoping @Robert.A.Jr would bite on the Rayas lot!

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Thanks for your support Todd! I was thinking some folks might want to gang together and grab those 10 case lots of 2021 Cobb…

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I was thinking the same, lol, as who other than @Brian_Tuite or @MChang buy in that quantity!! I’d be interested…

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Originally, if you can believe it, Ross donated a 20-case lot!

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yeah, that tracks

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Ubelievable generosity. What people are donating to this auction has left me and many others in tears for the last couple of weeks.

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Wonderful offerings - I have bid. I wish I could bid on the Thai cooking class here in our kitchen.

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Some very nice lots there! I assume this is not a tax deductible charity (if bidding in excess of the fair market value), but more of a go fund me type deal. I only ask because I might bid even higher if deductible.

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Chuck, you are correct. The beneficiary of this auction is an individual not a registered non-profit. Please consult with a tax professional to make a judgement as to whether there are any tax benefits to be had by bidding in this auction.

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bids in

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Thank you Jeff!!

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Put in a bid with a higher max bid for the Dan Kosta bottles. Best wishes to everyone @alderyarrow

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I quickly got outbid on mine, and now it’s well beyond my comfort zone. A good problem!

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Yeah, I put in an initial fixed bid that was well over the then current bid for the Rayas, it held for a hald day but then I got outbid. Then I jumped it up with a max bid, and was immediately outbid by someone else’s max bid, so I am out of that one. I still have the high bid on another lot, but expect it won’t hold. We’ll see.

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Thanks all for the support. Some auction lots are still being added – new one of a dozen Zaltos and decanter, a magnum of Downstream from Philippe Cambie and Justin Saxum, 10 bottles from CA women winemakers, and more.

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Can you please confirm the date and time this auction closes?

Thank you.

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December 11th 8:30 PM Pacific. And I guess it’s not easy to see that, so I added that information on the front page of the auction. Thank you for the heads up.