The 46th annual l’Eté du Vin Raises the Bar — and Millions — to Fight Cancer

As guests arrived at the Nashville Wine Auction’s 46th annual l’Eté du Vin, choruses of “Cheers!” and “Salud!” erupted from one of the many tasting tables outside and inside the JW Marriott ballroom. Each year, the weekend-long celebration reaches its pinnacle with the Saturday night auction. Guests parade in with bottles of wine to share, and an electric energy fills the room as all eagerly anticipate which lots will sell to which lucky bidder. Between trips to browse the impressive silent auction, revelers stop by tasting tables helmed by charming vintners to enjoy a sip or two of their wine. 

Throughout the reception, co-chairs Lisa Maki and David Osborn and Kristen and Brian Junghans mingled with guests and winemakers, graciously introducing visiting vintners to local oenophiles. Guests gathered at installations, including the Nfocus Portrait Studio to capture a quick photo, and the Champagne and Diamonds table to enter to win a Diamond Cellar necklace and enjoy a glass of 2013 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne.

As veteran l’Eté guests know, once the auction opens, the bidding can be fast and furious — and this evening was no different. Bid paddles flashed in the air, claiming lots of rare wines, private dinners and exclusive trips at a faster and faster pace. Auctioneer Fritz Hatton kept the action moving, even as surprise lots debuted on the stage. The top auction item — an intimate dinner with collectors Leslie and Jimmy John Liautaud, featuring 1959 Château Lafite-Rothschild, 1989 Pétrus, and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, paired with Southern cuisine by chef Sean Brock — went for the top bid of $125,000.

For 46 years, the Nashville Wine Auction’s l’Eté du Vin has worked tirelessly to raise funds to fight cancer in Middle Tennessee. To date, l’Eté du Vin has raised more than $43 million for local cancer-fighting organizations, helping countless community members experiencing the disease.