Bacchanalia Gala Dinner & Auction raises $319,000

Vancouver, BC (March 3, 2006) – Spirited bidding spurred the Bacchanalia Gala Dinner & 
Auction to a record $319,000 in auction revenue on Wednesday night. Bacchanalia Gala is the 
crown jewel of the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, which concludes its 
weeklong celebration of the grape on Sunday. The gala is co-chaired by Nancy Burke and 
Barb Inglis.

Ray Signorello Jr., a West Vancouver resident and winery owner, led the way at the auction, 
paying $32,000 for a five-litre bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild 2000. Julien Sereys de 
Rothschild, youngest son of Baroness Philippine de Rothschild and co-owner of Château 
Mouton Rothschild and a member of the supervisory board of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, 
donated the wine and was on hand to sign and present the bottle to Signorello.

A private six-course dinner for eight to be cooked in the winner’s home by celebrity chef Rob 
Feenie of Lumière drew the second-highest price. The “IRON CHEF IN YOUR HOME” package, 
which includes eight wines donated by Sid and Joan Cross of Vancouver, sold for $30,000.

A dozen bottles of 1982 Château Haut Brion (Graves) donated by Paul and Nicole Reynolds 
went for $19,000. 

Rothschild said that he was delighted that all proceeds of the auction would benefit the 
Playhouse Theatre Company. “My grandfather owned a theatre and my mother was an actress, 
so I have a special place in my heart for theatre,” he told the audience, which included artistic 
director Glynis Leyshon. The dinner took place at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

The live auction portion of the evening raised $191,100 (compared with $111,900 last year); 
four silent auctions and a wine cellar silent auction accounted for the rest of the auction income. 
Other Bacchanalia revenues will be announced separately.

“We are indebted to our sponsors, donors, volunteers and the many wineries in the festival – to 
say nothing of our enthusiastic bidders,” said Leyshon when announcing the interim auction 
total. “Their support is integral to the success of the Playhouse Theatre.”

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is a fundraising event for the Playhouse 
Theatre Company and is sponsored by Chubb Insurance Company of Canada.

Media contact:
Betty Verkuil – 604-988-9502
media@playhousewinefest.com