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Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
Hosts Sixth Annual Palm Beach Wine Auction
The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts hosted the sixth annual
Palm Beach Wine Auction on January 31, for the first time at The
Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach.
Around 200 friends and supporters attended this popular, sold-out
event that has, since it was started, generated more than $1.6 million
to support the Kravis Center’s award-winning education programs
that have served more than 1.7 million children of all ages over the
last 21 years.
“To further advance and broaden the scope of the educational
experience of our youth is not just a cause, but an ongoing
obligation,” said Palm Beach Wine Auction Chair Ted Mandes, a
member of the Kravis Center’s Board of Directors.
In collaboration with the James Beard Foundation, one of the
highlights of this year’s event was the culinary participation of four
celebrity chefs: the world-renowned, James Beard Foundation awardwinning
chef Larry Forgione, hailed as “the godfather of American
cuisine” and named Chef of the Year by the Culinary Institute of
America, and his three talented sons: Iron Chef Marc Forgione,
winner of the third season of The Next Iron Chef and Star Chef’s
Rising Star of the Year in 2010; Bryan Forgione, the Executive Chef
of Society Café at Encore Las Vegas; and Sean Forgione,
apprentice to Chef Larry Forgione at the Conservatory of American
Food Studies and Farm to Table Studies at the Culinary Institute of
America at Greystone.
The Forgiones were hosted by Mar-a-Lago’s Executive Chef Aaron
Fuller and his culinary team: Executive Pastry Chef Graham
Randall, Chef Xavier Santiago and Banquet Sous Chef Sarah
Dingle. Representing the James Beard Foundation at the event were
Yvonne Ros, Director of Sponsorship and Special Events, and Julie
Marshall, Director of Events and Marketing.

Also attending the Palm Beach Wine Auction and the exclusive
Vintner’s Dinner at Tiffany’s the night before were Margareth
Henriquez, President and CEO of the House of Krug, Patrick
Sullivan, Winemaker for Rudd Winery; Ed Snider, owner of Beau
Vigne; and Alex Gambal, an expert in Burgundy and the creator of
Maison Alex Gambal.
The evening began with a reception around the Mar-a-Lago pool that
featured a foie gras and caviar station, followed by an elegant fivecourse
dinner where each course was perfectly paired with specially
selected wines from around the world.
“Once again, everyone raved about the incomparable food and wine,”
said Judith Mitchell, Kravis Center CEO. “The atmosphere and décor
were exquisite, and the wine auction was highly charged with many
excited bidders. This is precisely what true wine connoisseurs expect
a world-class auction to be. Ted and his committee did an outstanding
job again this year.”
Just before the auction started, Mark Stevens of PNC Wealth
Management thanked everyone for attending the elegant event. He
was followed by Emmy-winning dancer/photographer Steven Caras,
who gave a short presentation about the cultural contribution made
by the Kravis Center’s education programs and the critical role that
the annual Palm Beach Wine Auction plays in funding these valuable
programs.
The auction of 37 impressive lots was once again under the direction
of Michael Troise, the retired Auction Director for NY
Wines/Christie’s Fine and Rare Wine Department and an expert with
more than 40 years experience in tasting, buying and brokering wines
from vintages dating as far back as the late eighteenth century. Mr.
Mandes described him as “the elegant gentleman who controls the
hammer at the podium.”
The Premier Grand Cru sponsor for the annual Palm Beach Wine
Auction was PNC Wealth Management, with Patrick M. Park as the
Grand Cru sponsor, also serving as Grand Cru Ambassador.
The Premier Cru sponsors were Marjorie Fink, Madeline and

Roderic Fink, Chris N. Kritikos, and Laurie Silvers and Mitchell
Rubenstein.
Private Reserve Sponsors included Braman Motorcars, Inc., Stuart
and Sharyn Frankel, Barbara and Jerome Golden, Steven M.
Gottlieb and Laurie Raber-Gottlieb, Mark and Stacey Levy, Craig
and Rochelle Menin, Menin Development, Inc, Jane M. Mitchell
and Lewis M. Schott. Plus Grand Négociant was Tiffany & Co.
Media Contact:
Gary Schweikhart
PR-BS, Inc.
561.756.4298
gary@pr-bs.net
Attached Jpegs:
(All IDs are L-R – Photos by Corby Kaye’s Studio Palm Beach)
1. Ted Mandes, Larry Forgione, Patrick Park
2. Sonja and Mark Stevens
3. Ted and Cindy Mandes
4. Patrick Park and Lola Astanova
5. Rod and Madeline Fink
6. Fotios Pantazis, Marjorie Fink, Lee Bell
7. Laurie Silvers and Mitchell Rubenstein
8. Martin and Christine Rivard, Gina and Jeff Sabean
9. Sharyn and Stuart Frankel
10. Barbara and Jerry Golden
11. Laurie Raber-Gottlieb and Steven Gottlieb
12. Stacey and Mark Levy
13. Shelley and Craig Menin
14. Jeffery Bland and Jane Mitchell
15. Merrell and Craig Grant
16. Carolyn and Richard Sloane
17. Ed and Margaret Dudnyk
18. John and Monika Preston
19. Dave Anderson and Kristen Norwood, Julie and Amin Khoury
20. Ed Snider and Michael Troise