The ‘Oscars of Fine Wine’ Charity Gala to Take Place in Paris on 13 October 2023. Donations to be revealed later this year.
22 MARCH 2023 | LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM & PARIS, FRANCE | Sotheby’s Wine today announces a new multi-year partnership with The Golden Vines® Awards and the Gérard Basset Foundation. Sotheby’s will conduct the Golden Vines® Live Auction which raises money exclusively for the Foundation’s work around diversity and inclusivity in the wine, spirits and hospitality sector. This year’s auction will be held during the Golden Vines® Dress to Party Charity Gala on Friday 13th October 2023 at Pavillons de Bercy in Paris.
The Golden Vines (known as the ‘Oscars of Fine Wine’) is one of the world’s most coveted and exclusive wine events, held over three days and attended by 300 guests. The centerpiece of the annual celebration are two gala dinners: the Dress to Party Charity Gala and the Awards Ceremony & Gala, with the Award winners having been voted by more than 900 members of the fine wine industry globally in 2022.
“Over the last two years, we have significantly expanded our support of charitable organisations by developing partnerships that provide greater awareness of each cause and our clients with opportunities to engage in new events and with different philanthropic causes. Our partnership with Golden Vines is a very exciting development for Sotheby’s Wine as it highlights the important need to enhance diversity and inclusion in the wine, spirits and hospitality industries, while being a truly world class event. It also resonates with our mission to broaden access to producers and their communities and follows a similar direction to the work we have being doing with the Hospices de Beaune, Napa Valley Vintners and Distillers’ Charity. France is emerging as a leader in charity wine auctions, where the wines are sourced directly from producers, and these sales add to the growing appeal of buying from Sotheby’s Wine in France, where we established a new team in 2021. The fact that Golden Vines’ third edition will be held in Paris is testament to the enthusiasm and attraction of international wine lovers buying in France.” – Amayès Aouli, Head of Sotheby’s Wine, Europe
“We are delighted to announce this multi-year partnership with the leading global fine wine auction house. Amayès Aouli and his team at Sotheby’s have been persistently enthusiastic and keen to join forces with the Golden Vines. Our joint aim and ambition for the years ahead is to raise significant funds for the Gérard Basset Foundation to continue its outstanding work in the wine, spirits and hospitality sectors.” – Lewis Chester DipWSET, Co-Founder of the Golden Vines Awards and Honorary President of the Gérard Basset Foundation
Liquid Icons and The Golden Vine Awards
Liquid Icons was founded by Gérard Basset OBE MW MS and Lewis Chester DipWSET. When Gérard discovered that he had terminal cancer, the need to create a lasting legacy for Gérard’s incredible achievements became a singular goal for the company. In 2018, with co-founder Sasha Lushnikov, The Global Fine Wine Report was born which, since Gérard’s death in January 2019, has become known as The Gérard Basset Global Fine Wine Report. Uniquely, the report is based on a detailed survey that is completed by leading fine wine professionals globally: Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers, sommeliers, wine brokers and merchants, wine press and other members of the fine wine industry.
In the summer of 2020, Lewis and Sasha had the idea of taking the ‘winners in the Report’ and creating the ‘Oscars of Fine Wine’, to be known as The Golden Vines Awards. These awards would help elevate the fine wine industry by creating a world-class event that would celebrate the very best from the world of fine wine. At the same time, in order to enhance Gérard’s lasting legacy, Lewis and Nina Basset (Gérard’s widow) agreed to create a charity in Gérard’s name: the Gérard Basset Foundation (the Foundation).
The two gala dinners in Paris will feature collaborative culinary creations from Alain Ducasse (3-star Michelin) and Akrame (2-star Michelin) and showcase wines from Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux’s Echezeaux Grand Cru, Liber Pater, a 30-year-old Harlan Estate, Château d’Yquem, Dom Pérignon P2, Krug Vintage, IWA Sake, Istvan Szepsy’s 6-Puttonyas, Taylor’s Port and many others.
Masterclasses will include a Burgundy masterclass from Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, Domaine Bizot, Domaine Leflaive and Domaine Hubert Lamy, and there will be further masterclasses from iconic Italian producers, as well as Dom Pérignon and Krug, amongst others.
There will also be a series of lunches on Saturday 14th October, including a Château Cos d’Estournel lunch in the library of La Reserve Hotel and an Italian Masters lunch at Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Hotel. On Sunday 15th October, guests will be treated to tailored VIP champagne experiences in the region, including at Dom Pérignon, Krug and Ruinart.
About Liquid Icons
Liquid Icons is a fine wine research and content production company founded by two friends to “do stuff in wine” – the late, great Gérard Basset OBE MW MS and Lewis Chester DipWSET. We create first-class original content and research about the world’s greatest fine wines and spirits. Our work encompasses motion picture, industry research, recognition and celebration of wine and spirits excellence, charitable and fundraising activities, as well as educational initiatives.
About the Gérard Basset Foundation
Set up to honour the legacy and memory of Gérard Basset OBE MW MS by addressing the wine industry’s most pressing issues through education, training & mentorship, the Gérard Basset Foundation comprises a multidisciplinary team of industry-leading professionals: Nina Basset FIH, Romané Basset, Lewis Chester DipWSET, Ian Harris MBE DipWSET, Sasha Lushnikov, and Jancis Robinson OBE MW.
About Sotheby’s Wine
Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 70 categories which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable and collaborative.
Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits achieved a record total of $158 million in 2022, a 20% increase from 2021. Sotheby’s currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most valuable bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most valuable bottle of spirits ever sold at auction, in addition to the highest ever total for a charity wine auction.
In addition to auction, Sotheby’s Wine launched a retail business in 2010. With a retail store located in Sotheby’s New York headquarters and e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions. Expertly assembled by our experienced specialists, the selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. A second retail location opened in Sotheby’s Hong Kong galleries in 2014.
