This weekend is exciting for wine enthusiasts who want to make a difference.

It’s the 20th annual Washington Wines Festival, where – uniquely – more than 60 premium Washington wineries must be invited to pour at this prestigious event.

Here are the festivities:

• July 7: Winemaker dinners with locally renowned chefs are held in top Seattle restaurants and private homes for $200-$350. The $850 per-person dinners in Walla Walla and Red Mountain include round-trip chartered jet from Seattle.
• July 8: A magnum tasting for serious wine lovers at Waterfront Seafood Grill and Vinolution 14 – wine under the stars at the SAM Olympic Sculpture Park. All activities are $350; Vinolution tickets only cost $65 ($75 with parking).
• July 9: The main event is an auction of extravagant wine-related packages, a sunset barbeque from Waterfront Seafood Grill, and music on the rooftop of the Bell Harbor Conference Center ($350 and up).

The non-profit Festival benefits Camp Korey and Washington Wine Education. Last year, more than $850,000 was raised for Camp Korey, a free-of-charge, medically supervised camp for seriously ill children.

On the festival’s website, you can find more information about tickets, wineries, restaurants and chefs.

We hope to see you there !

Cheers!