2025 Auction Items

Be prepared for our fabulous live auction, hosted on Charmaine’s Garden Terrace by auctioneer Subyn Novelle! Raise your paddle and bid on these extraordinary auction lots.

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LOT 1

Art of Food & Wine 20^th Anniversary Original Artwork

Painted Live by Artist Amy Wong

With a passion for capturing the best memories, artist Amy Wong is on-site this evening at Art of Food & Wine, live-painting the 20th annual celebration of this exquisite culinary event at Montalvo Arts Center. This is your opportunity to memorialize the pure joy of this event in a spectacular original artwork created by Amy. This 18″ x 24” oil painting will include recognizable images of Angela McConnell, our auctioneer Subyn Novelle, and the winner of this auction item, along with the Villa and event banner. You’ll also walk away with a handpainted bottle of champagne, depicting beautiful scenes of Montalvo—a truly special piece of art to celebrate a special occasion.

DONATED BY: Baker Tilly US, LLP

Painting will be delivered to the winner after the event

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LOT 2

Private Gourmet Dinner Party for 10 in the Villa

An Evening of Elegance with a French-Inspired Menu

Imagine hosting an unforgettable evening at Villa Montalvo for yourself and nine guests. You’ll enjoy an exquisite five-course French-inspired meal, thoughtfully prepared and served by volunteers from the Montalvo Service Group Gourmet Dinner Committee.

Begin the evening with hors d’oeuvres and champagne in the Library followed by a candlelit dinner in the Dining Room, returning to the Library after dessert for a goodnight cordial to conclude the evening.  

We’ve partnered with Thomas Fogarty Winery to pair exceptional wines with several courses during the evening. You choose the main entree: beef, chicken or fish—and we’ll handle the rest. Prepare for an extraordinary night of fine food, wine, and gracious hospitality.

DATE: Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 6-10pm
DONATED BY: Montalvo Service Group

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LOT 3

Paella Party for 20!

In-Home Macarena Experience with Flamenco Guitarist and Spanish Wine

A wonderful opportunity to host a Macarena Experience at home for up to 20 of your guests—a celebration of authentic Spanish flavors, warm hospitality, and joyful shared moments. This exclusive experience features a carefully curated menu designed for the occasion, including a live paella cooking demonstration and artisanal desserts.

Kick it up a notch with guitarist Rod Teague, as he livens up the experience with authentic flamenco guitar music. To ensure the signature Macarena experience, a dedicated event and catering team will be present on-site to serve and attend to every detail, guaranteeing a memorable and seamless event. Spanish wine included!

DATE: To be mutually decided upon with host and Macarena
DONATED BY: Baker Tilly US, LLP

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LOT 4

ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ARTIST LAURA ENGDAHL

PLUS STUDIO VISIT FOR 8

Enjoy a Luncheon and Studio Visit with the Artist at Her Stunning Portola Valley Home

Don’t miss this opportunity to add Whisper Gingerly (30″x 30″, pictured left), a stunning mixed media work from Laura Engdahl’s Dappled Light series, to your collection. Included with the artwork is a private lunch with wine and tour of the artist’s gorgeous Portola Valley home and studio with sweeping views of the valley hills, where you and 7 guests can learn more about Laura’s artistic process.

Laura Engdahl lives in Northern California. Her mixed media work is inspired by the ethereal nature of time combined with the ideas around growth and expansion—a visual narrative about a world that is constantly in flux. Her paintings are suggestive, revealing portions of a story, a memory, or a place.

Her background surfaces begin with vintage materials with an interesting history; things like out-of-print Italian textbooks, handwritten letters home from war, her daughter’s grade school homework, or blueprints for buildings built over a century ago.  She builds layers gradually.  As the layers evolve, she quiets them by selectively painting, scraping, incising, obscuring, and sanding; often revealing hidden layers from the background of the work. 

Her work is about creating calm spaces out of the chaos of an increasingly interconnected world.  She grew up in the Silicon Valley as the area became an epicenter for technology.  Laura prefers a hands-on approach in her artwork which has little to do with technology.

Laura has exhibited extensively for over 30 years and her work is in private collections and part of permanent public collections at Stanford University Hospital, Land Rover, Inc., and the cities of Palo Alto and Dublin, California. 

DATE: Studio visit to be coordinated with host
DONATED BY: Laura Engdahl

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LOT 5

“LAST DROP” WHISKY TASTING FOR 12

with SOMMER WALKER &

DINNER BY LE PAPILLON IN THE VILLA

Twelve Seats. Six Pours. One Legendary Table.

This An evening of rarity and refinement awaits. You and 11 guests will join Sommer Walker, U.S. Lead of The Last Drop Distillers, in tasting six of the world’s rarest spirits—with values ranging up to $10,500—inside Montalvo’s historic Villa.

Your evening begins with a welcome cocktail in the Library, followed by a guided tasting journey through these extraordinary pours, brought to life by Sommer’s insight and storytelling. The night finishes with a delicious dinner crafted by Le Papillon. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will never be repeated.

The Last Drop Distillers of London are curators of the world’s most remarkable spirits. Their mission is to seek out and collect remarkable spirits from around the globe. There might only be enough liquid for a handful of bottles, but theirs is a quest for quality over quantity: constantly seeking that elusive but exhilarating blend of age, character, and vitality.

DATE: Saturday, January 31, 2026
DONATED BY: The Prestige Portfolio, 375 Park Avenue Spirits (a division of The Sazerac Company)

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LOT 6

ZAC BROWN BAND AT THE SPHERE VIP EXPERIENCE

With Two-Night Stay in a Sphere View King Room at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

Two lucky people will experience GRAMMY® award-winning multi-platinum group Zac Brown Band as they bring their one-of-a-kind Southern rock and Country soul to the revolutionary venue, The Sphere, Las Vegas.

This orb-shaped concert setting is equipped with a giant LED screen that wraps over and behind the audience, delivering a totally immersive visual environment and the world’s most advanced concert grade audio experience. A two-night, luxury king-suite stay at The Venetian Resort with views of the Sphere, gives you direct, easy walking access to the venue. This show marks the world premiere of the band’s highly anticipated new album, Love & Fear, with select songs performed live alongside their classic, beloved hits.

DATE: January 9-11, 2026 (Concert: January 10)
2 tickets in prime Section 307, Row 11, seats 3 & 4 (tickets transferred to the winning bidder closer to concert date). Includes $500 airfare credit.

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LOT 7

“PATRONS AND PROS”

4-Course Dinner & Wine Pairings in the Villa for 40

Prepared by Four Montalvo Trustees and Two Professional Chefs!

Montalvo trustees Paul Conrado, David Hsieh, Ray Montalvo, and Gilbert Vendryes will personally prepare four courses for 40 lucky guests, with the main course prepared by Chef Jarad Gallagher and Chef Aubree Arndt! Enjoy a craft cocktail, appetizers, dinner, and dessert, all paired with fabulous wine provided by Paul and David. This dinner experience will be one-of-a-kind and another very fun evening, given who’s cooking!

Chef Jarad received his advanced culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and London, after which he staged at many 3 Michelin starred restaurants across Europe. Working at Michelin-starred restaurants including Michael Mina, One Market, and Plumed Horse, Jarad obtained the skills and knowledge to drive the stoves at Chez TJ.

After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Arizona, Chef Aubree gained experience in top kitchens, including San Francisco’s Maverick and Loma Brewing Company.

Paul lovingly nurtures his Conrado Vineyard in Saratoga, as well as 28 raised beds, having grown vegetables for the Michelin-starred Plumed Horse.

David created a weekly cooking and dining show on Zoom, sharing his love of sourcing and creating fresh recipes far and wide.

While traveling globally for work and pleasure, Ray enjoys all foods local to the region. No matter the experience, from street carts to the Michelin-rated, you’ll find Ray tasting the best the region has to offer!

A true culinary art passionate, Gilbert draws inspiration from his native France and a lifetime of exploring the world’s best restaurants where he honed his palate and perfected his skills.

DATE: Saturday, March 21, 2026
DONATED BY: Chef Jarad Gallagher, Chef Aubree Arndt, Paul Conrado, David Hsieh, Ray Montalvo & Gilbert Vendryes

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LOT 8

ANDREW GEOFFREY PRIVATE DINNER FOR 10

At Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards in Picturesque St. Helena

You along with four other couples will join Peter Thompson, owner of Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards, for a spectacular sunset dinner on his 750-square foot redwood deck atop Diamond Mountain, overlooking the Napa Valley. Peter will act as your chef and wine sommelier for the evening, featuring an outdoor country-style vineyard dinner with grilled specialties and a 7-year vertical tasting of the award-winning Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon.

DATE:Valid May 15 through Oct. 15, and must be used by Oct 15, 2026. Date subject to agreement with Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards.
DONATED BY: Peter Thompson

Don’t miss our thrilling silent auction items located all throughout the Villa and grounds, including the following:

Silent Auction ends at 6:00 pm

Do you like your chances? 

Only 100 tickets are available in our special prize drawing for a stunning Joe Escobar Diamonds by the yard necklace.
A gorgeous diamond necklace made in fourteen karat yellow gold. This elegant Diamonds by the Yard necklace has fifteen (15) round brilliant cut diamonds set in evenly spaced bezels. The brilliant diamonds are F-G color and VS clarity, weighing 1.00 carats total combined weight. The necklace is 18″ with a bright polish. $100 per chance.

DONATED BY: Joe Escobar Diamonds

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