Tasting Room Magazine

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31st Auction of Washington Wine Raises Record $4.3M

Scenes from the 2018 Winemakers Picnic & Barrel Auction. LEFT: Bob Bullock pouring samples of his Eye of the Needle wines to event-goers. MIDDLE: One of several wine tents staffed by volunteers. RIGHT: Mike Martin, founder of The Walls Vineyards, a winery based in Walla Walla was a participant in the annual barrel auction. Photos by Washington Tasting Room Magazine

August 23, 2018 — This month concluded the 31st Auction of Washington Wines charitable events that raised a record $4,353,569 in support of Washington State wine research and Seattle Children’s Hospital.

The annual Columbia Winery Charity Walk & Run has been a cornerstone piece of the Auction of Washington Wines for over a decade, raising $1M over the past 12 years. “We are proud to contribute towards the incredible efforts that Seattle Children’s Hospital provides our community,” said senior manager John Sportelli.

Winemaker Sean Hails and John Sportelli of Columbia Winery present a donation check to executive director Shelley Tomberg of the Auction of Washington Wines.

In addition, numerous winemaker dinners, Winemaker Picnic & Barrel Auction and a festive dinner Gala event were a big success this year.

An auction lot from DeLille Cellars received the highest bid ever recorded during the Gala event held on Saturday, August 18, 2018. $160,000 marks the highest single selling auction lot (without a matching bid) in the Auction’s history. The winning bidders will receive a very special tour of Bordeaux’s famed Grand Cru wineries in France.

“The Auction means so much to DeLille Cellars and the Washington state wine community, and we are honored to be able to make a significant impact for the Seattle Children’s Uncompensated Care Fund,” said Tom Dugan, CEO of DeLille Cellars. “This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the winners.”

LEFT: Representatives from DeLille Cellars at the Auction Gala: executive winemaker & co-founder Chris Upchurch, CEO Tom Dugan, co-founder Jay Soloff and co-founder Greg Lill. CENTER: Chris Upchurch at Haut-Brion in France. RIGHT: Chef Jason Wilson and winemaker Chris Upchurch will host the winning bidders of DeLille Cellars’ auction lot during a tour of France’s famed Bordeaux region.

Three couples will partake in this incredible adventure, which includes access to some of France’s Grand Cru wineries, including a tour, tasting, and lunch at Chateaux Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion and a visit to Chateau Lafite Rothschild. The trip also includes stops to Chateaux Trotanoy, La Fleur-Petrus, and Belair-Monange, ending with a tasting at Grand Brulot in Cognac and tour of Tonnellerie Taransaud to witness the craftsmanship of this historic cooperage.

In the evenings, the winning bidders will enjoy a stay in a 17th-century chateau in the vineyards of Saint-Émilion with Chris and Thea Upchurch and Jason and Nicole Wilson, where chef Wilson will cook for the group each evening using ingredients sourced from local markets.

“The tour we have developed is beyond anything I imagined when we first came up with the idea for a trip to Bordeaux,” said Chris Upchurch. “We have worked closely with our French connections to create a world-class ‘insiders’ experience.”

Washington Tasting Room Magazine is a proud media partner of the Auction of Washington Wines. Readers can learn more at the Auction of Washington Wines website here.