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A masked gunmen awaits the arrival of the Napa Valley Wine Train, carrying Auction Napa Valley top bidders.
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Gunmen celebrate the loot captured, but leave guests with their money for bidding at Auction Napa Valley.
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Hailey Trefethen of Trefethen Family Vineyards, Auction Napa Valley 2009 chairs, fires back at the "robbers."
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Train robber/vintner Blakesley Chappellet at the holdup of the top bidder dinner party.
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The train robbers approach the Wine Train, carrying guests for the Top Bidder Dinner on the eve of Aucction Napa Valley 2009.
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Auction co-chair John Trefethen stands up to the train robbers.
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Guests check out the caves at the newly opened CADE Winery's Auction Napa Valley kick-off party.
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CADE Winery principal Gordon Getty and partner John Conover at the winery's kick-off party for Auction Napa Valley.
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Guests mingle at the CADE Auction Napa Valley kick-off party.
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More than 600 local volunteers help put on Auction Napa Valley each year; a final pre-event check in ensures a smooth event.
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Strike up the band! California Repercussions greets arriving guests at Friday's Taste Napa Valley, held at Robert Mondavi Winery.
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Vintner "swamis" Jack and Dolores Cakebread reading palms at Taste Napa Valley.
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The spacious Vineyard Room at Robert Mondavi Winery was the site of the E-Auction, and a number of vintners and restaurateurs plied attendees with food and wine as they placed their bids.
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Attendees could have "virtual postcard" pictures taken at Taste Napa Valley.
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Auction chair Janet Trefethen of Trefethen Family Vineyards leads the band in a song at the Taste Napa Valley event.
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Napa County Superintendent of Schools and ANV volunteer Barbara Nemko celebrates a guest's bid in the Barrel Auction.
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Saintsbury owner/founder Dick Ward pours a barrel sample for a Taste Napa Valley attendee.
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The Live Auction lot exhibition featured 42 mega-lots to be auctioned off on Saturday evening.
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Guests place bids for the E-Auction via kiosks on Friday afternoon at the Taste Napa Valley event.
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The close of the E-Auction is announced with the blow of an airhorn.
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When guests wanted a break from the food, wine, bidding and festivities, the vineyards of Robert Mondavi Winery provided a beautiful panorama.
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A volunteer literally jumps for joy over the Barrel Auction.
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The Marketplace at Taste Napa Valley offered a bounty of food for guests to enjoy.
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Great food and warm hospitality welcomed guests at the Marketplace.
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Napa Valley Vintners' strategic partner Lexus provided top bidders with cars and drivers for the weekend of fesitivies.
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Acrobats were only one of many types of entertainers on site at Taste Napa Valley.
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Rock stars of both the food and wine worlds were at Taste Napa Valley. Here, Thomas Keller of the French Laundry greets attendees.
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Placing bids in the closing minutes of the E-Auction at Taste Napa Valley.
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Another bite to pair with one of the dozens of wines poured in the Marketplace.
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Bidders keep a close eye on their bids in the Barrel Auction.
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Domaine Chandon winemaker Jim Kress pours a barrel sample for Auction guests.
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Margrit Biever Mondavi shares a laugh with Robert Mondavi Winery winemaker Genevieve Janssens.
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Vintner John Shafer pours a barrel sample at the Barrel Tasting & Auction at Friday's Taste Napa Valley event.
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Guests and vintners mingle and share a taste of wine at the Barrel Tasting & Auction.
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The top bidder for each winery's barrel auction lot receives an engraved (and signed) barrelhead as a memento.
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Auction Napa Valley guests arriving at the Chateau Montelena party on Friday evening.
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Chateau Montelena winemaker Bo Barrett greets guests at the winery's dinner party on Friday evening.
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Cheateau Montelena founder Jim Barrett (r) and winemaker Bo Barrett (second from right) welcome guests to the pre-dinner reception at the winery's Friday evening dinner party.
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Cheateau Montelena's historic building makes a dramatic backdrop for the winery's multi-course dinner, prepared by chef Brandon Sharp of Solage Resort.
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Guests at Conn Creek's Friday evening dinner party enjoyed a dinner prepared by chef Jan Birnbaum's Epic Roast House and paired the winery's Anthology and other cellar treasures.
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A guest at the Conn Creek Friday evening dinner party enjoys a glass of the winery's Anthology.
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A sweet ending to the Conn Creek dinner party, which was hosted by winemaker Mike McGrath.
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Paddle 29 at the Live Auction of the 29th annual Auction Napa Valley.
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Bidders raise a glass to Auction Napa Valley 2009, which brought in $5.7 million in auction revenue.
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H. William and Deborah Harlan place their winning bid for the Chappellet Winery & Vineyard "Pritchard Hill to Patagonia" Live Auction lot.
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Mary Miner celebrates her winning bid for the Antica Napa Valley - Antinori Family Wine Estate's auction lot.
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Janet Trefethen of Trefethen Family Vineyards, whose family chaired Auction Napa Valley 2009.
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Glasses of sparkling wine awaited guests arriving at Meadowood Napa Valley for the Live Auction.
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Guests and vintners mingle at the pre-auction reception held on the green at Meadowood Napa Valley.
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Auction guests arrive for the Saturday evening Live Auction & Dinner at Meadowood Napa Valley.
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Vines "recycled" from a replanted vineyard make for a dramatic and green chandelier in the Live Auction tent.
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Vintners Shari & Garen Staglin of Staglin Family Vineyard and Alex Ryan of Duckhorn Vineyards take part in the vintners' Big Bottle Parade to direct guests into the tent.
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Auction co-chair Janet Trefethen welcomes attendees to the Live Auction at the 29th annual Auction Napa Valley.
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Guests begin to take their seats in anticipation of the evening's festivities.
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A "practice run" on bidding in preparation for the start of the Live Auction.
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Vintner Chuck McMinn thanks the successful bidder for the Vineyard 29 Live Auction lot.
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A toast to Barney and Belle Rhodes at Lot 16, a tribute to the Napa Valley icons.
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Vintner Ann Colgin greets the winning bidder for her Live Auction lot.
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San Francisco mayor/CADE and Plumpjack principal Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, check out the items up for bid at the Live Auction.
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One of the evening's successful bids came from a bidder in Hong Kong via bidder Mario Sculatti's cell phone.
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The women vintners behind the Jamie Davies tribute lot, Lot 24, congratulate the winning bidder.
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Auction co-chair Loren Trefethen races against his father John Trefethen in a promotion for their auction lot, which includes a behind-the-scenes experience at the Indy 500.
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Margrit Biever Mondavi sweetened the deal for the Robert Mondavi Winery Live Auction lot, offering a bottle of 1969 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon from her personal cellar.
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Rick Jones is off to the Indy 500, as the successful bidder for the Trefthen Family Vineyards' chairs' lot.
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Dozens of children from the Boys & Girls Club of Napa Valley thank Live Auction bidders for supporting the Fund a Need, which raised $572,000 for children's health and well-being.
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The view from outside the Live Auction tent at Meadowood Napa Valley.
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"Napa Vintner Men Who Cook" ready to take the stage as their lot is announced.
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The view from the bidder's perspective at the Live Auction.
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Marchese Piero Antinori with the three winning bidders for his winery's auction lot.
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Ann Colgin and Joe Wender, winner of the "Ultimate New York Experience" are congratulated by the NVV strategic partners who donated to the auction lot.
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Auction attendees celebrate another successful auction, which raised $5.7 million in auction revenues for Napa County health, youth and affordable housing non-profits.
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