Lyric Opera 2022-2023 Issue 4- Don Carlos

17 | Lyric Opera of Chicago Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, and Côte Chalonnaise. The Drouhin family is donating a two-night stay for four people at their private guest house with a personalized tour of the vineyards and historical cellars, plus lunch or dinner with the Drouhin family. The Lyric Wine Auction team has also donated a separate 16-bottle lot representing the best of Drouhin’s portfolio, including Corton-Charlemagne, Bonnes-Mares, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, and Chambolle- Musigny Les Amoureuses, all from the 2019 vintage. Among the other impressive auction offerings con rmed is a Château d’Yquem lot that includes a bottle from each of six decades, spanning from 1921 to 1975, generously donated by Stephen A. Kaplan, a member of Lyric’s Board of Directors. French wine lovers can also ght over a lot of six magnums of 1996 Château Margaux, which received a perfect 100-point rating from Robert Parker, donated by Patrick G. and Shirley Welsh Ryan. These are wines you simply can’t nd anywhere else. A number of lots venture beyond wine into the world of one-of-a-kind culinary and travel experiences. Beam Suntory and Rick Bayless are offering a tequila tasting and ve-course dinner for eight guests in Chef Bayless’ garden, paired with Beam Suntory’s El Tesoro tequila. A four-night stay at Nimmo Bay Luxury Resort in the heart of Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia will be on offer, donated by Karen Z. Gray- Krehbiel and John H. Krehbiel, Jr. The wilderness adventure includes a y shing excursion, two customizable helicopter adventures, a whale watching excursion, and dinner with wine pairings. “We have raised the bar on the event each time,” Searle says. “All the vintners that are coming have become my friends. You develop relationships with them across the years and it’s very rewarding to see them come back.” Searle expects close to two dozen Featured Vintners at the event, and in the days before the auction, they too will enjoy some local hospitality, with exclusive tours of Chicago landmarks. Donations are still being accepted and the auction catalogue will be nalized by early 2023. But most important is to mark your calendars and reserve a table now. The pent-up demand for this special set of experiences—the bubbles in this sparkling bottle, as it were—is nothing short of effervescent. For more details, and to make your reservations, visit www.lyricopera.org/wineauction Pommard and its legendary surrounding vineyards.