Decadent White Truffle Dinner kicks-off Palm Beach Auction Events – Truffle-centric menu at Trevini Ristorante whets the appetite for Kravis Center’s January benefit

The second annual White Truffle Dinner at Trevini Ristorante is presented as a pre-event to the Palm Beach Wine Auction – a taste of things to come in January. If the response from guests at Sunday’s event is any indication, Palm Beach Wine Auction attendees should start saving room and making space in their wine cellars– as the January 30gourmet food and wine event is certain to be a showstopper!

Featuring an array of impeccable wines from Napa Valley’s very special Antica Family Estates, the sold-out evening at Trevini began in the restaurant’s beautiful courtyard – where guests gathered for cocktails and truffle inspired hors d’oeuvres – including truffle infused cheeses and tiny spoons of truffle honey, while they enjoyed the balmiest weather in the country under sparkling twinkle lights.

After working up an appetite under the stars, serenaded by musicians Maychol and Lilian, guests moved inside for silent auction bidding and an applause-worthy menu of truffles, truffles and more truffles.

An antipasto of seared foie gras, baked pears, baked fennel and truffle infused fig reduction was paired with Antica’s Moscato D’Asti Prunotto 2011. A second course of truffle risotto with Maine lobster brought out the delicate flavors of the Antica Napa Valley 2012 Chardonnay.

The Antica 2010 Sangiovese and 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon side by side paired to showcase the different flavors of the evening’s headliner course – a speck, truffle and fontina-filled veal chop with wild mushroom grappa sauce, truffle crepe and steamed asparagus.

Worthy of a standing ovation, the dessert of mixed berries, dark rum, Cointreau, chilled vanilla cream and shaved Swiss dark chocolate was served in a generous martini glass and paired with Grappa Berta or Limoncello Meletti.

Palm Beach Wine Auction founder and chair, and Kravis Center board member Ted Mandes welcomed guests and toasted Trevini’s owner and soon-to-be-grandpa, Gianni Minervini for his encore participation in the benefit kick-off. He also thanked all the guests for their important role in exposing Palm Beach County children to the arts through their support of Palm Beach Wine Auction events.

“Even though the upcoming Wine Auction involves celebrity chefs and stellar vintages, the real stars are Palm Beach County’s underserved children,” said Mandes. “This exclusive event provides us the opportunity to involve a worldwide audience who value performing arts and creates awareness of the education programs at the Kravis Center, which are so vital to our youth today.”

Kravis Center CEO, Judy Mitchell, thanked Mr. Mandes for his incredible support of the Wine Auction’s seven-year run and invited guests to the main event on January 30 at The Mar-a-Lago Club.

Considered one of the most exclusive wine auctions in the nation, the Palm Beach Wine Auction is created as the ultimate wine experience for those who are passionate about very special vintages — with appeal to both the wine connoisseur and anyone who enjoys world-class cuisine.

The January auction event will feature a five-course dinner paired with specially selected wines from all over the world. Diners will be able to bid on wines presented during the evening, as well as some of the world’s most renowned and highly-rated wines and wine experiences.

The auction will be under the direction of Michael Troise, retired Auction Director for NY Wines/Christie’s Fine and Rare Wine Department and an expert with more than 40 years’ experience tasting, buying and brokering wines.

Led by local chefs Zach Bell, currently executive chef of Addison Reserve Country Club and former Café Boulud executive chef; Lindsay Autry, Bravo TV’s Top Chef finalist; and Aaron Fuller, executive chef at The Mar-a-Lago Club along with Graham Randall, pastry chef also at Mar-a-Lago; the five courses for the evening will be prepared and presented by an all-star line-up. In addition to Chefs Autry, Bell, Fuller and Randall, participating chefs also include James Beard award winner and New York’s own Andrew Carmellini, whose recent opening of Lafayette in NoHo was referred to as “The Great Gatsby” of restaurants;Joshua Hasho, from The Omni Hotel in Chicago, who will feature his stellar charcuterie; and Cleveland’s Doug Katz, owner and executive chef of Fire, Food and Drink.

Vintner participants include Beau Vigne, Bucella, Carte Blanche, Colgin Cellars, Domaine Serene, Krug, Louis XIII, Piero Antinori’s Antica Winery, Rudd Winery and The Stags Leap division of Chateau Ste. Michelle, among others.

Palm Beach Wine Auction committee members include: Ed Dudnyk, Roderic R. Fink, Barbara Golden, Steven M. Gottlieb, John H. Kessler, Stacey Levy, Shelley Menin, Patrick M. Park, I. Jeffrey Pheterson, Martin Rivard, Jeffrey Sabean, Lewis M. Schott, Laurie S. Silvers, A. Richard Sloane, Daniel J. “Rusty” Staub, Mark Stevens, Michael Troise and Jill Wachter.

Event sponsors include: GRAND CRU – Park Foundation; PREMIER CRU – PNC Wealth Management; Laurie Silvers and Mitchell Rubenstein; PRIVATE RESERVE – Madeline and Roderic Fink, Barbara and Jerome Golden, Steven M. Gottlieb and Laurie Raber-Gottlieb, Chris N. Kritikos, Mark and Stacey Levy, Craig and Rochelle Menin/Menin Development, Inc., Jane M. Mitchell, and Lewis M. Schott; and PLUS GRAND NEGOCIANT – Tiffany & Co. Media Support provided by Classical South Florida and Gulfstream Media Group, publishers of Jupiter Magazine, The Palm Beacher, Stuart Magazine, Gold Coast and Boca Life

The Palm Beach Wine Auction benefits the Kravis Center’s education programs which have served almost 2 million children of all ages over the last 21 years. In six years, approximately $2 million in funds have been raised from the Palm Beach Wine Auction, providing the children of our community with an introduction to the arts, many of whom might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience live theatre.

Tickets for the Palm Beach Wine Auction are $1,000 per person. For sponsorship and ticket information, please visitwww.PalmBeachWineAuction.org or reach the Kravis Center events team at (561) 651-4320.