August brings one of our favorite summer wine events — the Auction of Washington Wines and its Picnic & Barrel Auction on the scenic grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery.

On Aug. 15, more than 100 creative Washington state winemakers will be on hand, along with the talented chefs from Tulalip Resort, to provide fine wines and tasty treats. Talk about a gourmet picnic!

Notably, the largest and most prestigious selection of limited production bottles will be sold to the highest bidder, with proceeds going to Seattle Children’s Hospital and Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology Program.

As you wander through the beautiful lawns, winemakers will be pouring their recent releases and more than happy to chat about Washington wine. So this is truly an event for both experienced wine enthusiasts and novices alike.

And if you want more tastes, barrel samples of yet-to-be-bottled wines are also available at the Barrel Auction. When you find one you like, place your bid on a case. The top-five highest bids for each winery will take home a medal, and be the first to receive the wine when it is released.

We love the Picnic & Barrel Auction because we can chat with our winemaker friends and make new ones. We can learn about the latest vintage, experience pours from many different wine regions, and feast on amazing appetizers such as “Rare Beef Tenderloin Lollipop with Roquefort Hazelnut Crust.”

At the Auction of Washington Wines website, you’ll find a full list of wineries participating in the auction, wineries pouring to guests, and the samples on the restaurant menus, along with an easy way to purchase tickets to an afternoon of fun and worthy causes.

We hope to see you there!

Cheers!