California’s Petersen Automotive Museum will mark its 30th anniversary and honour founding chairman Bruce Meyer at its annual Gala on Saturday, October 19, 2024. Meyer has curated an exclusive collection of Harlan Estate wines for the event’s charity auction, with proceeds benefiting the Petersen Museum’s scholarship fund.
Meyer and Harlan Estate founder H William Harlan’s friendship dates back to their days as UC Berkeley students. Their friendship led to Meyer’s acquisition of wine from every vintage since 1990, which Harlan uniquely agreed to cellar at the winery – a privilege extended to no other collector. The collection comprises one bottle from each of the first 30 vintages (1990-2019) and the winning bidder can request Harlan’s signature on the bottles.
“The Petersen Museum is such a huge part of my life, and I’m honoured to support what is considered the world’s finest automotive museum,” said Meyer. “This collection mimics the museum in that the value of each item is high, but the value of the collection as a whole is what makes it truly special. Nothing like this has ever been made available, and the funds raised will make a significant impact on the museum and our community.”
“No one else owns all our wines with perfect provenance, and if anyone understands provenance, it’s people who own fine automobiles,” said Harlan (pictured above). “The 30th anniversary of the Petersen and our 30th wine release happened at the same time; Bruce’s contribution of this unparalleled collection is the perfect way to celebrate the occasion.”
Located in the stunning western hills of the Napa Valley, the 240-acre Harlan Estate has established itself as one of the leading producers of Bordeaux-style red wine in the US since being founded in 1984.
The Harlan Estate produces a single flagship wine – a blend consisting predominantly of Cabernet Sauvignon complemented by smaller amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The estate’s soils, elevation and climate contribute to the wine’s unique character.
The Gala and auction will be hosted by car collector, comedian and TV personality Jay Leno. Donations to the Petersen Foundation contribute towards creating fascinating exhibits and education programmes, allowing the safeguarding of important artefacts and the digitisation of the museum archive.
This world-class collection of wines will cross the block at the Petersen Gala on October 19, 2024. For more information, email [email protected].
