(Bloomberg) - One-of-a-kind jeroboams, a sleepover at first-growth Chateau Latour, dinner with Robert Parker, a meeting with Bulgari’s head watch designer, cool cars, and, above all, plenty of frenzied bidding for these over-the-top lots: That’s only part of what to expect at this year’s glitzy, wine-soaked Auction Napa Valley, which takes place the first weekend in June.

Last year 2,000 attendees at this annual three-day charity event splashed out a hefty $15.8 million, though not quite up to 2013’s $16.9 million or 2014’s record-breaking $18.7 million.

Behind the scenes, the pressure is on to bring in even more.

“The most intimidating part of being this year’s auction chair is meeting expectations,” said Agustin F. Huneeus. His father, a native of Chile, founded Quintessa winery as well as other wineries in Napa and Chile. The family is adding South American flair to the live-auction dinner by importing famous open-fire-cooking chef Francis Mallmann and a salsa band.

Perusing 2016’s mix of 318 auction lots, I notice more parties and more less-expensive (it’s all relative) opportunities for “irrational generosity” than at the many previous auctions I’ve attended.

“Not everyone can spend $800,000 for one big lot,” explained Huneeus. “We’ve added more ways for friends of Napa to ease in at $10,000 to $20,000.” (Oh, thanks!)

It’s tough to estimate how much these lots are actually worth in dollars because most include one-of-a-kind experiences or items that simply aren’t for sale. You’re expected to bid high since all the money goes to Napa County charities. Over its history the auction has donated more than $145 million.

Here’s a preview of how to play, whether bidding in Napa or absentee bidding from home.

The E-Auction 

The E-Auction, in which anyone around the world can bid, is a kind of warm-up that opens on May 29 with 168 lots. Bids wrap up on June 5.

The standouts for me are the Five Decades of Clos du Val (a rare collection of five 6-liter imperials of the winery’s reserve cabernet) and the weekend stay at Grgich Hills Estate, plus dinner with legendary winemaker Mike Grgich, who made the chardonnay that won theJudgment of Paris tasting in 1976. Minimum bid for all e-lots is $250. 

The Barrel Auction and the Big Board Auction

The official kickoff is June 2 with vintner parties under the stars, but more bidding starts the morning of Friday, June 3 with the 100-lot barrel auction and tasting at Robert Mondavi winery.

My picks are Lot 218 (2014 Chappellet “Pritchard 47” cabernet, a special blend for the auction) and Lot 222 (2015 Continuum Estate), because these wineries consistently produce stunning, complex reds that age brilliantly. Minimum bids are $200.

In the brand-new Big Board silent auction (a kind of live auction lite), I’d grab Lot 101, the chance for 10 couples to spend a day harvesting grapes and also groove at Napa’s wine-industry-exclusive harvest party on Aug. 2.

Friday evening, your ticket lets you attend a glamorous vintner dinner, with the chance to taste even more special wines. An example: the intimate one at very private Sloan Estate, with a chef flown in from Hong Kong and a candlelit reception in its fabulous caves, which I toured last month with Jenny Pan, daughter of Chinese billionaire owner Pan Sutong.