The 44 “super” lots up for grabs at Auction Napa Valley 2008 Saturday night are the stuff of which dreams are made.

Ranging from one-of-a-kind trips and wine parties to luxury automobiles, artwork and fashion, the offerings at the 28th edition of the Napa Valley Vintners sponsored auction are once again expected to bring top dollar for local charities.

Without a doubt, the lot attracting the most attention this time around is one celebrating the life of industry icon Robert Mondavi, who passed away at his home three weeks ago, a little over a month shy of his 95th birthday.

Last summer, Garen and Shari Staglin had dinner with Bob and Margrit Mondavi to discuss some ideas about a special lot for this year’s auction.

The Staglins — who in recent years put together lots that earned bids topping $1 million — told the Mondavis that instead of designing an individual lot they wanted to pay tribute to vintner Mondavi on the occasion of his 95th birthday.

Out of that dinnertime discussion came a plan to include nine vintners and five chefs (who had taken part in the Great Chefs program at Robert Mondavi Winery) in a special tribute to be held at Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts, which Mondavi helped finance and establish in 2001.

Scheduled for June 28, and now a celebration of Robert Mondavi’s life, the event includes a sparkling and still wine reception in the gardens at Copia, followed by a panel discussion by people who knew vintner Mondavi well. Moderator for the panel will be celebrated author/wine writer Jancis Robinson, with Peter Mondavi, Tim Mondavi, Agustin Huneeus, Margaret Duckhorn and Joe Phelps taking part as panelists.

Preparing the dinner that follows will be chefs Charlie Trotter, Alice Waters, Julian Serrano, Gary Danko and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Member vintners sponsoring this lot will provide current releases and cellar selections to accompany the meal. Also paired with dinner will be the wines of Charles Krug and Continuum, the recent wine venture that saw the honoree, his wife and two of his children, Tim and Marcia, in a new partnership.

“And a lot like this wouldn’t be complete without an etched and signed bottle of reserve wine from each of the sponsoring vintners in a special wooden box with the title, ‘It’s only the beginning,’ Bob’s motto for life,” noted Garen Staglin. Sponsoring vintners include Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Opus One, Quintessa, J. Davies, Robert Mondavi Winery, Rubicon, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Staglin Family Vineyard Estate and Duckhorn Vineyards.

Winning bidders will not only take home wine but also a limited edition portrait print of Bob Mondavi by world renowned artist Christopher Brown.

This celebration of Robert Mondavi’s life will be the last lot of the evening and is expected to prompt spirited bidding among the 350-plus bidders in attendance.

Staglin said bids will be taken for 10 tables of eight and 10 individual tickets (starting bids of $80,000 and $10,000, respectively). “It’ll all come down to the last 10 standing in both categories,” he concluded.

The 2008 auction lot from Robert Mondavi Winery is also expected to generate a wealth of bids. It allows the successful bidder to join Mondavi winemaker Genevieve Janssens to craft his or her personal blend of cabernet sauvignon from the To Kalon Vineyard, winding up with 10 cases of this special Oakville blend. Also included in the lot is a six liter bottle of 2005 reserve cabernet hand painted by Margrit Mondavi, plus lunch, a vineyard tour and dinner for six at Margrit Mondavi’s home.

Potential top lots

Napa Valley Vintners, the 300-member trade association that sponsors the auction, has a couple of lots that should attract serious bidders. One is a trip to visit noted watch manufacturer Girard-Perregaux in Geneva, Switzerland, after being outfitted for the trip by designer Ermenegildo Zegna. Following the business class Lufthansa flight, the couple will be able to visit the Girard-Perregaux Museum and pick out their own timepieces.

Another NVV lot offers the successful bidder a new hybrid luxury utility vehicle from Lexus, a set of custom-fit Callaway Golf clubs and three days mastering one’s golf skills at Annika Academy, a teaching facility created by Annika Sorenstam outside Orlando, Fla.

Another lot for lovers of golf is offered by Far Niente, Dolce and Nickel & Nickel. The winning bidder and some 30 friends will get to play 18 holes at a home club with a half dozen golf pros, enjoy a special dinner with host wines and take home 18 magnums of wine.

Vineyard 7 & 8 is offering a restored British-made 1956 Austin Healey as part of its lot. In addition, the top bidder and seven guests will visit the Steffans family’s new winery atop Spring Mountain for a barrel tasting in the caves conducted by winemaker Luc Morlet and an alfresco dinner.

Once again, Rich Frank, of Frank Family Vineyards, has teamed up with TV exec Steve McPherson to offer a walk-on part in a hit ABC series — this year it’s “Grey’s Anatomy” — in addition to dinner for four with some of the cast members at Mozza, hosted by chefs Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali. Following the Hollywood events, Frank will whisk the quartet off to New Zealand on an Air New Zealand Business Premiere flight for a week of wine tasting and lavish tastings and dinner parties. Also included in the lot is a five year vertical of etched magnums of Frank Family’s Winston Hill cabernet sauvignon and a case of 2005 Promise, Frank and McPherson’s new joint venture of small lot cabernet sauvignon.

Domaine Chandon will invite two couples to dinner at étoile in Yountville and then arrange for them to visit the Chandon sparkling wine operation in Australia’s Yarra Valley, flying business class on Quantas Airlines. Accommodations, wine tastings and meals are included.

Lokoya has put together a Royal Safari at Thanda Private Game Reserve in South Africa for the paddle holder bidding highest on its lot. Two couples will receive five nights accommodations at Thanda Private Game Reserve, along with a private reception and dinner with His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and his daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Nandi Zulu (who is attending this year’s auction). The visit includes safari drives and treatments at the Thanda Wellness Center. The lot also includes four double magnums of Lokoya cabernet from Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, Diamond Mountain and Spring Mountain vineyards.

Blackbird Vineyards is inviting a successful bidder and three friends to experience the excitement of a Chanel fashion show in Paris and to stay in the upscale Hotel Plaza Athénée, situated midway between the Eiffel Tower and Champs Élysées. While in Paris, a tour of the private apartment of Coco Chanel is also on the agenda. Two double magnums of Blackbird’s proprietary blend are also included in the lot.

The chair’s lot includes exclusive use of the Point, a former Rockefeller Great Camp in the Adirondacks of New York, for eight couples. Heitz Wine Cellars is including roundtrip jet travel between Chicago and the Adirondacks, a dinner and wine tasting with Kathleen Heitz Myers at the luxury camp as well as a number of other meals during the four day stay.

All about wine

Ron and Teri Kuhn are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their Pillar Rock Vineyard with a special dinner for 10 couples on the 10th of October. The winning bidder will take home a six vintage vertical of Pillar Rock magnums (1999-2004) while the nine other couples take away a six-vertical 750 ml six-pack. And, if that isn’t enough to tempt bidders, the Kuhns are throwing in tickets to all events at the 2009 Auction Napa Valley, including a stay at Meadowood Resort, for the winning bidder.

Colgin Cellars always attracts the big spenders. This year’s offering should do the same — five double magnums from the 2005 harvest, IX Estate Red and Syrah, Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Cariad Red and Herb Lamb Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Heidi Peterson Barrett’s Amuse Bouche Winery should will attract collectors, too. This special lot includes the only Blue Dog jeroboam Amuse Bouche 2006 etched/painted by artist George Rodrigue, complemented by a six-pack of little Big Dogs, plus a five liter remarqued bottle of Vin Perdu 2005 cabernet sauvignon.

And sure to spark a bidding frenzy is lot number 17, six magnums of Screaming Eagle from the very first vintage, 1992 — a case of magnums never before offered. This lot includes dinner for eight at the winery.

In addition to inviting five couples to dinner, Boots Brounstein is offering the successful bidder an opportunity to prepare his or her own blend with Diamond Creek Vineyards winemaker Phil Steinschriber. The Diamond Creek lot includes two giant bottles of cabernet sauvignon from the Lake Vineyard, both from the ’96 harvest. They are rare not only because of the six- and nine-liter formats but due to the fact that a wine from the small three-quarter acre vineyard is not made every year.

There should be a sea of paddles as well when the Bryant Family Vineyard lot goes on the block. It includes an eight magnum vertical of Bryant Family Vineyard cabernet from 1993 through 2000. On top of that, the winning bidder and five guests will join Don Bryant at a private dinner at his New York City residence paired with Bryant wines.

As always, when wines from Harlan and Bond are auctioned off, there’s lots of interest. Harlan is offering a ten magnum vertical of its Bordeaux blend (1995-2004), while Bond has four double magnums of cabernet sauvignon (Melbury, Pluribus, St. Eden and Vecina).

And expect considerable interest when Bart and Daphne Araujo offer two imperials of cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc and a pair of jeroboams of syrah and viognier.

As for collectors of really big bottles:

Darioush has put on the block an 18-liter bottle of its signature 2005 cabernet sauvignon. To sweeten the pot, a dinner for 18 paired with Darioush wines is included.

The largest bottle at this year’s auction is a 27-liter bottle of Revana Family Vineyard 2005 cabernet sauvignon. Included with the giant bottle of wine is an invitation for four to dinner at Revana Estate, including accommodations and first class airfare.