2011 Auction of Washington Wines Picnic & Barrel Auction

The 24th annual Auction of Washington Wines Picnic and Barrel Auction (#AWW11) has come and gone.  I stand by my opinion that this is one of the best events of the year for Washington wine.  More importantly, this year the entire 3 day event raised 1.5 million dollars for Seattle Children's uncompensated care program.

Rebecca Gunselman of
 Robert Karl Cellars

With the temperature in the mid 70s, I seemed to gravitate towards the white and roses.  Rebecca Gunselman from Robert Karl Cellars offered me a wonderful, crisp Sauv Blanc that was a welcome respite from the heat of the day.
I also loved the big selection of Roses to choose from. Some of my favorites from that table were the Dusted Valley Ramblin Rose and the Kaella Winery Rose of Sangiovese.

This is not to say that I did not sample any reds.  I especially enjoyed chatting with Erica Blue from Adams Bench and tasting their fabulous Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon.

White Chocolate Cremeux & Passion Fruit
Gelee Golden Eggs

Once again the Tulalip Resort and Casino wowed us with their culinary creations.  They really outdid themselves with dessert this year setting up the "Adult Sugar Ride", which was in a separate dessert tent.  This Willy Wonka-esque escape included homemade supersized Oreos, edible wallpaper, and three huge chocolate fountains.

I thoroughly enjoyed this year's picnic.  I highly encourage both wine and food lovers alike to put this event on your radar next year.  Next year marks the 25th anniversary of the Auction of Washington Wines, so you know it will be special and not to be missed!