PULLMAN, Wash. — Some tickets are still available for the tenth anniversary “Celebrate Washington Wine,” the annual black-tie gala dinner and auction to benefit the Washington State University Viticulture and Enology Program.
This year’s gala will be held on Saturday, Jan. 22, beginning at 6 pm at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, 14111 NE 145th Street in Woodinville.
This year’s festivities will include two new features, a jewelry raffle and a bottle pull.
One hundred keys will be sold to attendees for $25 each, and one of those keys will unlock a box containing a beautiful pair of one-half carat A+ quality diamond earrings valued at $1,200, donated by Warren Jewelers of Kirkland and Burlington.
In the wine pull, a $25 donation enables the purchaser to pull an anonymous bottle of wine from a special collection. All wines in the collection will be excellent but a few will be exceptional and valued at well over the donation price.
Two perennial live auction favorites are back this year: A weeklong stay in a luxurious South African game lodge located within what is considered one of the world’s finest wilderness conservation areas, and a one-hour session flying a commercial airliner in the Boeing flight simulator for four.
As always a wide array of fine dining and wine tasting experiences, golf getaways, sporting events and memorabilia, and special wine collections will be up for bid.
This year’s auction will also feature beautiful handcrafted and signed glass centerpieces by award winning fused glass artist Deborah Barnard. Barnard’s glass studio is located in Richland’s Barnard Griffin Winery that she co-owns with husband Rob Griffin. Each of the 20 pieces created specifically for Celebrate Washington Wine will be unique, and all will be available for bidding.
Tickets for the gala are $250 and include a reception and gourmet dinner with wine pairings in addition to the exciting silent and live auctions. Visit http://www.wineauction.wsu.edu to view the entire auction catalog and to register to attend. While you’re there, check out the online auction that is currently underway by clicking on the link on the right.