Connoisseurs from around the world are invited to experience “perfection in wine, food and art” at the 27th annual High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction, March 20-23, 2019. As the largest charity wine auction in the United States benefiting the arts and the largest fundraising event for the High Museum of Art, the Auction boasts proceeds of more than $30 million over the last 26 years.

The Auction provides significant funding for the High’s exhibitions and educational programs. The Paddle Raise, which began in 2006, has contributed more than $1.5 million to the High’s Art Access program, which subsidizes visits to the Museum for approximately 125,000 students per year across all grade levels and provides teachers with classroom resources.

“The Wine Auction is absolutely vital for the Museum, essential to funding our mission-driven programming and continued outreach in the community,” said Rand Suffolk, Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr., director of the High. “I look forward to a special celebration again this year, and I’m exceedingly grateful for the generosity of our donors, who make our work possible.”   

“Every year I think that the Auction couldn’t get any better, but it does,” said Steven Hargrove, Wine Auction manager. “We’re excited to welcome vintners, sommeliers, wine producers and enthusiasts from across the country to experience true perfection at this year’s events.”

The 2019 Auction is co-chaired by Allison Hill and Dawn Tresh, both Atlanta-based collectors of art and wine who’ve been supporters of the Wine Auction for nearly a decade.

This year’s Special Guests of Honor are James Beard Award Winners and co-authors of “Secrets of the Sommeliers,”Jordan MacKay and Rajat Parr. Both long-time supporters of the Auction, MacKay and Parr travel the globe speaking about wine, spirits and food and recently released the book “The Sommelier’s Atlas of Taste: A Field Guide to the Great Wines of Europe.”

MacKay’s expertise as a writer on wine, spirits and food is evident in his work for some of the nation’s top publications, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Food & Wine magazine. MacKay is also the author of six books, one of which, “Franklin Barbecue,” was a New York Times bestseller he co-authored with Aaron Franklin, winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest.

Partner/proprietor of Sandhi, Domaine de la Côte and Evening Land Vineyards, Parr is a sommelier and wine producer whose vineyards span the Sta. Rita Hills of California and the historic Eola-Amity Hills of Oregon. His passion for wine education also led him to establish the California non-profit wine group In Pursuit of Balance.  

The Special Guest Chef for the 2019 Auction is Todd Richards, culinary director of Jackmont Hospitality Restaurants One Flew South and Chicken + Beer, in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Richards is also owner of Richards’ Southern Fried in Atlanta’s Krog Street Market and has authored a cookbook, “Soul: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes.”

Wine Auction Week officially begins March 20 and continues through March 23. The 2019 weekend events will take place in the Tents at Atlantic Station. The week’s festivities include:

• Ladies Luncheon – March 20: This luncheon will feature food and wine pairings by top female winemakers and chefs. After lunch, guests will have the opportunity to bid on lots filled with items and experiences tailored for ladies.
• Gents Lunch – March 20: This boys-only gathering will celebrate its fourth year with winemaking masters while indulging in unique dishes designed for the proper man.
• Dine-Around Dinners – March 20-21: Some of the world’s best winemakers partner with Atlanta’s top chefs in renowned Atlanta restaurants to develop one-of-a-kind, way-off-the-menu, multi-course meals with wine pairings.
• Winemaker Dinners – March 21: Fine wine, fine cuisine and fine homes make these private dining experiences unforgettable. Homeowners open the doors to some of Atlanta’s most extravagant abodes, while talented chefs and visiting winemakers create dinners paired to perfection. 
• High on the Hog – March 21: This inaugural event will be a wine and food lover’s dream, boasting more than a dozen visiting winemakers, food stations and more.
• Tasting Seminars – March 22: Hosted at local venues, seminars cover topics handpicked by winemakers and sommeliers and feature some of the world’s highest-rated and most distinctive wines.
• Friday Fête – March 22: Inside the Tents at Atlantic Station, guests will mix and mingle with winemakers during a champagne reception, place bids on the impressive Silent Auction lots and enjoy a multi-course dinner prepared by the Special Guest Chef. The after-dinner jam session will be led by Bogey and the Viceroy.
• Vintners’ Reception and Live Auction – March 23: The weekend concludes with the main event, featuring wine tastings from many of the world’s top wineries, samples from Atlanta’s best restaurants and the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind wine, travel and food experiences.

For more information, click here. 

Release courtesy of the High Museum.