This great news arrived in my inbox today: “A Celebration of Washington Wines” dinner and auction held a week ago at Chateau Ste. Michelle raised more than $180,000, which lifted net proceeds to more than $1 million for Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology Program.

According to Dan Bernardo, dean of the WSU College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, attendance at the event was lower than in recent years but the generosity of the state’s wine enthusiasts continued.

“Washington’s wine industry remains a bright spot in the state’s economy, and we deeply appreciate the generosity of those who attended in supporting the WSU program that provides the research and training that supports the industry,” Bernardo said. “In the current economic climate, the showing of support is even more critical, and even more appreciated.”

Now this next part of the press release contains statistics that are well known to our state’s wine enthusiasts, but it always makes me feel good to repeat it!

“Washington is second only to California in domestic wine production, and its wines are internationally known for their premium quality. An analysis pegged the wine industry’s total economic benefit to the state at $3 billion annually. Today, there are nearly 600 wineries in the state and more than 30,000 acres in wine grape production.”

Cheers!