New record for the charity wine auction, raising €987,000. A total of €3.358 million raised over the first four editions
The fourth edition of Barolo en Primeur brings together donors from New York, London, Montreal, and China. On November 10, the fifteenth barrique of Barolo Vigna Gustava will be auctioned during
the International Alba White Truffle Auction, live-streamed with Hong Kong.
Grinzane Cavour, October 25, 2024 – Barolo en Primeur continues to grow: the charity auction, promoted by the CRC Foundation Donare ETS and the Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo Foundation in collaboration with the Consortium for the Protection of Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba, Langhe, and Dogliani, sets a new record by raising €987,000, which will go toward charitable purposes. After €666,000 in 2021, €834,000 in 2022, and €877,000 in 2023, the auction has now reached a cumulative total of €3.358 million over four years.
The auction featured Barolo and Barbaresco from the 2023 vintage: 14 barriques of about 200 liters of Barolo Vigna Gustava, vinified separately by winemaker Donato Lanati based on vineyard plots and accompanied by commentary from world-renowned wine critic and CEO of Vinous, Antonio Galloni, each yielding 270 bottles; and 10 communal lots, comprising 1,229 bottles from over 80 wineries within the Consortium, divided into 938 standard bottles, 243 magnums, and 48 double magnums, totaling 1,212 liters; along with the President’s Tonneau, over 400 liters, yielding 540 bottles.
Now one of Italy’s most prestigious and significant charity events, the Barolo en Primeur auction was held at Grinzane Cavour Castle and live-streamed from Christie’s New York and 67 Pall Mall in London. Bids, also submitted online via the Auction Collective platform, came from Italy, the USA, England, Canada, and China, all under the hammer of Christie’s Italy Director, Cristiano De Lorenzo.
This result will be added to the proceeds from the lot associated with the fifteenth barrique, which will be auctioned on November 10 at the International Alba White Truffle Auction, also held at Grinzane Cavour Castle with live streaming to Hong Kong. The proceeds will support the international charity Mother’s Choice, which has been helping orphaned children and young mothers in need since 1987.
All bottles, made unique by labels featuring the artwork “Broken Token” by Scottish artist Susan Philipsz, will be delivered to the new owners once the required aging time has been completed: 38 months for Barolo and 26 months for Barbaresco from November 1 of the grape harvest year. Proceeds from the auction will be immediately directed to the charitable projects associated with the lots, which include the restoration of historic buildings, cultural initiatives, promotion of the arts, youth education, support for people with disabilities, medical research, welfare system development, and aid for mothers in need. Proceeds from the communal lots will go to support infrastructure and educational innovation at the Enology School of Alba and other local organizations, strengthening the bond with the territory that produces this precious wine.
“The fourth edition of Barolo en Primeur confirms the great success of this initiative, not only for the new fundraising record but also for the positive growth trend, which, year after year, delivers increasingly significant results,” said Giuliano Viglione, President of the Donare ETS Foundation. “Giving inspires giving, as I like to say: one aspect that makes Barolo en Primeur unique is precisely the range of contributors, who receive an extraordinary wine in return, and the social projects supported by these funds.”
“Tonight’s charity auction is a victory for all Langhe producers,” said Sergio Germano, President of the Consortium for the Protection of Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba, Langhe, and Dogliani. “In its fourth edition, Barolo en Primeur has secured a place on the calendars of philanthropists and investors, the latter attracted by the opportunity to secure lots of Barolo and Barbaresco that will increase in value over time. This year, we delivered the first bottles of Barolo to those who participated in the first edition of the auction and Barbaresco to those who acquired them in the second edition. Now we will monitor the secondary market for these labels, as the sector’s interest is growing, and we are confident the market will respond enthusiastically.”