Lyric Opera to host its 2023 Wine Auction after 5-year hiatus

On Saturday, May 13, Lyric Opera of Chicago will host its highly respected 2023 Wine Auction. Originally occurring every three years, the spring event will return after a five-year wait due to pushback from the pandemic. Since 1988, the auction has raised over $11 million in support of Lyric Opera.

Prior to the auction, sponsors can attend one or two Featured Vintner Dinners on Thursday, May 11, which will be held exclusively in some of the most grandeur private homes in Chicago. Sponsorship levels range from a $2,500 Chablis Sponsor up to a $100,000 Côte de Beaune Sponsor.

On Friday, May 12, Lyric Opera will also host the Featured Vintner Tasting Reception in their Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Grand Foyer, where all guests can sip on a vast selection of wines. Hors d’oeuvres will be served, along with live performances.

Wine connoisseurs will find a robust catalogue of wines and experiences to bid on, including a few rare wines. Items sure to be particularly sought after include the following wine lots and excursions.

Featured Wine and Drink Lots

• A special lot from Laurent Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhin, the honored guest of the event – 22 bottles from Burgundy valued at $16,000
• A Chateau D’Aquem collection that spans 6 decades
• Pappy Van Winkle family reserve straight bourbon whiskey up to 23 years aged

Featured Excursions

• A remote luxury retreat at Nimmo Bay Resort in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest
• A jewelry selection from New York’s Tamzen Z, paired with a consultation in Ann Ziff’s Upper East Side atelier and tickets to the Metropolitan Opera or a Broadway show
• Five days in Cape Town, South Africa to explore wineries and then a week in Kenya for safari excursion with a private guide
• A five-course dinner with wine pairings and a tequila tasting in the Chicago home and garden of celebrity chef Rick Bayless

This lavish and much-anticipated event for wine lovers has been called a “Top Charity Wine Auction” by Wine Spectator Magazine in 2018, which raised a record-breaking $2.2 million. All proceeds raised will go to supporting Lyric Opera and its ability to continue putting on exceptional live performances.

The 2023 Wine Auction is hosted by Co-Chairs Nancy S. Searle and Erica L. Sandner. Both women have served on the Lyric Women’s Board – Ms. Searle since 1989 and Ms. Sandner since 2010 – and they have also served as co-chairs in previous years. Ms. Searle is also on the Lyric Board of Directors.

Vice Chairs Suzanne W. Mulshine and Eileen Austin Murphy have also helped bring this event to fruition, both also serving on the Lyric Women’s Board – the former since 2018 and the latter since 2009.

Tickets for the 2023 Wine Auction are not yet on sale, but those planning to attend or sponsor should RSVP on their website.

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