The Auction of Washington Wines took place last weekend in Woodinville, Washington. The events, from a picnic to winemaker dinners, a 10k run, and the gala auction, raise money for Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center and the Washington Wine Education Foundation. The event is in its 21st year. Tickets for the events ranged from $125 to $500 per person.

I thought the event looked like fun but, even for a good cause, was a little spendy for my blood (especially with new releases from Long Shadows, Quilceda Creek, and Betz Family Wineries to pay for this month).

The event raised a staggering $2.25 million over the course of the weekend. If I felt like I was priced out of the event tickets, I don’t think I would have had any better luck at the auction. The top item was a collection of bottles from DeLille that went for $70,000. An article in the Wall Street Journal details other items of interest including:

– Three decades of Leonetti wine for $17,000
– A collection of Cayuse 3L bottles for $16,000
– Dinner with Matt Dillon and Allen Shoup of Long Shadows for $15,000

Wow. I don’t know who these people are, but if you are out there and are looking for someone to open those bottles with…

In all seriousness, give us your thoughts if you attended any of these events.