“I can imagine, 40 years from now, reminiscing with an old friend, ‘Remember when we were there at the beginning?’ ”
That look to the future is from Jamie Araujo, whose family has a long and storied history as vintners in Napa Valley, having founded Araujo Family Estate and now are the proprietors of Accendo Cellars. And what is the “beginning” of which Araujo remarks and why look to 40 years from now?
The answer is the launch of Collective Napa Valley and its next-gen evolution from the celebrated Auction Napa Valley, through which the Napa Valley Vintners to date has given more than $200 million toward healthcare and education for the community since its inception in 1981.
“As a winemaking community, we were looking for a way to set a new gold standard for philanthropy, much as Auction Napa Valley has set the standard for the last 40 years,” notes Araujo. “We wanted to extend the ethos of Auction Napa Valley in gathering people together to enjoy Napa Valley’s wines, connect with people from all over the world and do so much good for the Napa Valley community.”
And so Collective Napa Valley was born.
Marking the innovation for which the Napa Valley wine community is rightly known, Collective Napa Valley sets the stage for a wider and more diverse audience to tap into the fun, collaboration and deep stewardship of the land that combined with the personalities of Napa Valley vintners brings forth a diversity of well-honed wines meant to be celebrated and shared.
Collective Napa Valley is year-round, with signature seasonal gatherings and a kaleidoscope of ways in which Collective members can connect with Napa Valley wines and the people who make them.
It is these connections that are being reimagined in capturing the zeitgeist of what we know as gathering in a post-COVID world. While the seasonal Collective offerings will all have enticing in-person components in Napa Valley, anyone from any walk of life from anywhere can become a Collective member and participate, in layers upon layers of access, virtually.
“If you have an email address, you can become a member of Collective Napa Valley,” suggests Araujo. Differing levels of participation, starting with a complimentary Supporter level involvement, allow for entry in becoming part of this expansive approach to gathering and being part of what philanthropy looks like in the 21st century.
Why not be part of this beginning?
