In late January, Palmaz Vineyards had the distinct pleasure of participating in this year’s Naples Winter Wine Festival and auction — a gala event in Naples, Florida, that raised more than $11 million for children in need.

A tony crowd of attendees from around the world came together to bid on 64 live auction lots: exclusive wines; culinary and travel experiences; even the first Rolls-Royce Dawn automobile ever imported to the United States. (All this, of course, while sampling some of the finest Old and New World vintage wines that were poured throughout the festivities.)

In addition to the auctions themselves, the social highlight of the three-day extravaganza was the 17 intimate Vintner and Chef Dinners held throughout Naples on the evening of Friday, January 29 — yet it was the Meet the Kids Day & Luncheon earlier that same day which truly put things into perspective. Sponsored in part by Palmaz Vineyards (Florencia Palmaz and a wonderfully knowledgeable volunteer poured both 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2013 Amalia Chardonnay), Kids Day drew considerable attention to the great work done by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the festival’s founding organization and the host of the annual oenophile’s celebration.

At Meet the Kids Day, guests were able to mingle with the men and women who run NCEF-supported charities, as well as some of the remarkable children who benefit directly from the organization’s grants and initiatives.

Since its inception in 2001, NCEF has raised $146 million for charities that benefit underprivileged and at-risk children in Collier County, Florida, on the state’s Gulf coast. That eye-popping figure makes it the world’s most successful charity wine auction that brings together renowned vintners and chefs with wine enthusiasts and philanthropists eager to do good — and taste exceptional wine.