The wine collection of a beloved local Nashville wine collector will be auctioned with global wine auction house, Acker, on May 17-18, with net proceeds dedicated to the Nashville Wine Auction and its efforts to fund cancer research, and The Naples Children & Education Foundation. Bill Nunnelly, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and active member of the Nashville community dedicated his wine collection to charity before his passing in 2022. He and his surviving wife, Rosann, were each decades-long members of the organizations, and frequent attendees at wine tasting events all over the country that advocate for the underserved, committed to the betterment of their communities.
The two-day auction will be conducted by Acker, the largest fine wine and spirits auction house in the world and oldest wine merchant in America. Nunnelly’s lots are a featured collection in the sale, alongside other tremendous offerings of top Burgundy, Bordeaux, cult California, and the most highly sought regions of the wine world.
Comprised of nearly 75 lots, The Nunnelly Collection features rare gems including Bordeaux’s 1990 Chateau Haut Brion, 1989 La Mission Haut Brion, and magnums of 1982, 1986, and 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild. More exceptional 1982 Bordeaux include Chateaux Latour, Mouton, Gruaud Larose, Calon Segur, Leoville Poyferre, Ducru Beaucaillou, and Leoville Las Cases, plus lauded Burgundy Domaine J.F. Mugnier 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2010 Musigny, and 1999 Chambolle Musigny Les Amoureuses. Each lot in the collection, which also includes choice selections from Champagne, the Rhone Valley, Italy, and California, represent the best from their respective regions from a lifetime well-spent collecting the world’s finest wines.
Said Loren Chumley, President/CEO of Nashville Wine Auction, “Bill and Rosann Nunnelly have been patrons and supporters of the Nashville Wine Auction for more than 40 years. Their extraordinary generosity to help fund the fight against cancer has been immeasurable. We are so grateful to be a named beneficiary in this tribute to Bill.”
The Nashville Wine Auction raises funds for cancer research through events that encourage generous giving from wine enthusiasts. Since its inception in 1980, Nashville Wine Auction has raised more than $33 million for organizations whose purpose is directly related to cancer research, patient treatment, and caregiver/patient support. Nunnelly served as chairman of the organization in 1987. He was honored with the Norman M. Lipman award for Dedicated Service and Generosity in 2022.
For more information regarding this special auction, visit ackerwines.com, or contact Jamie Pollack, Global Managing Director of Acker at jamie@ackerwines.com.
