PULLMAN – Some of the most popular items from January’s “A Celebration of Washington Wines” gala auction will be back on the auction block next January, along with some exciting new offerings.
Etched magnums, collectible cabernets and syrahs, exclusive dinners and wine tastings, exciting adventures and romantic getaways are among the items that will be up for bid at the eighth annual “A Celebration of Washington Wines” auction on Saturday, Jan. 24, starting at 6 p.m. The black-tie event held at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville will include a reception, silent and live auctions, and a gourmet dinner.
One of the last auction’s most popular lots, a private dinner and wine tasting for 10 in the Boeing suite of Seattle’s Fairmont Olympic Hotel hosted by Boeing Commercial Airplane president Scott Carson, will again be available to the highest bidder. Among the new items up for bid is a 30-minute acrobatic flight over Puget Sound in a classic biplane.
The annual gala, which is expected to draw a capacity crowd, benefits the WSU Viticulture and Enology Program. In its seven-year history, the event has grossed more than $1 million to benefit the WSU program that trains aspiring wine makers and grape growers. In each of the last two years the event has raised more than $235,000 toward an endowment for a chair in the Viticulture and Enology Program at WSU. The university recently announced that internationally known enologist Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling will assume that position in February.
The dinner, prepared by the award-winning culinary staff at Chateau Ste. Michelle, will include wines paired with each course. Margo Meyers, news anchor, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News, will emcee the event. Stokes Auction Group’s Jeff Randall, a veteran of radio and television broadcast known for his high energy, will return as this year’s auctioneer.
Tickets are $250 per person and can be reserved by calling Linda Bailey at (509) 335-7772 or by e-mail to lmbailey@wsu.edu
For more information on the event, including details on donating to the auction and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.wineauction.wsu.edu
