Opera's benefit wine auction opens online

Thirsty opera buffs can start bidding on their favorite wines today as the full catalogue for the Lyric Opera's Wine Auction 2009 goes online.

The auction takes place March 6 at the Civic Opera House. A very glam black- and/or white-tie affair, the wine auction is conducted once every three years by the Women's Board of the Lyric Opera. Hundreds of wines, dining packages, luxury gifts, travel and more, including a flight on a military jet, are put up on the block to benefit the Lyric.

Pierre-Henry Gagey, president of Maison Louis Jadot, is the auction's featured guest. He has donated one jeroboam (the equivalent of four standard bottles) each of 1971 Bonne Mares Grand Cru, 1961 Beune Premier Cru Clos des Ursules and a 1999 Montrachet Grand Cru to the auction.

The last auction, in 2006, raised a net profit of $1.02 million.