Arriving on the grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery gives the immediate impression that this is a place of beauty, prestige, and grandeur.
The Auction of Washington Wines Winemaker Picnic on the lawn at this beautiful winery gave my Seattle Freeze theory a shake. It was simple to arrive, easy to check in, and flowed seamlessly starting with the first pours of wine that felt like a crisp summer invitation to the world of Washington wines. The hospitality ranked higher than any experience I've had so far and maybe that is what this event was all about.
As a Missourian, I'm always thinking about how to put out more food, desserts, and drinks than my people could actually want. It is part of the welcoming process because it signals: please come, please make yourself at home, and stay way past when the streetlights come on.
The Winemakers Picnic felt that way too, beginning with a crisp white wine from DeLille Cellars, a top-notch winery with roots deep in Washington. Extending their fabulous tasting-room hospitality to the lawn was explicitly on-brand for them. I'll never forget when I arrived for the umpteenth time at DeLille Cellars and they completely convinced me that their Chaleur Blanc was the white wine for red wine drinkers, a steadfast belief I had: only reds for me. They converted me before I got past the front desk. It's now one of the wines I hold dear. This white has earned a place beside my many reds at home.
With ten restaurants serving food, I was reminded of the warmth and abundance of the parties I grew up attending. Different foods, many of them comforting, but all served in an elevated way, neatly plated, and easy to eat. This did not feel like country fare. High heels were present on this lawn and the food matched that energy. The SOMM Hotel made an impression with their curated charcuterie board cups. Their flavor profiles matched the elegance of this occasion. Also, who doesn't want to have a wine glass in one hand and a charcuterie cup in the other?!
Catching Trophy Cupcakes and Party here added another layer of indulgence to the evening. This bakery lives up to the hype with its melt in your mouth flavors and gorgeous cakes with generous swirls of frosting, these sweet bites are the kind that remind me of my Southern roots.
The 100 plus winemakers and well over 200 pours gave the opportunity for every wine lover to indulge. The boards and the bidding brought excitement and laughter as the crowd grew fuller and wiser (thanks, wine) while seeking out the next great tastes Washington wine is delivering. There's nothing quite like tasting a wine you can't have yet. It's a brilliant way to draw people in and when this auction benefits Seattle Children's, Vital Wines, and WSU, it has a way of loosening pockets for all the right reasons.
You couldn't walk more than a few steps before being prompted for another taste from a winemaker with a fantastic story. The Missourian in me felt that pull to the countrysides in Washington, with generational and new winemakers alike, creating an art form from the land, one that bears the fruit of hard work, labor, immense expertise, all while existing at the mercy of wildfire, frost, extreme weather, and inevitable curveballs along the way.
This event made one thing clear: connection grows when people share a stake in what their community can create. The bond deepens even further when what they've created becomes a catalyst for giving back and investing in causes that strengthen the community around them.
Washington wine feels like a front porch because it creates the conditions for connection. It gives people a reason to gather, talk, taste, experience, and feel like they are a part of something bigger. Whether it is a traditional bold Washington red or the chance to be swayed into a summer white, the conversation begins effortlessly and commonalities surface.
And in this we realize we are all human, shaped by our own experiences, looking for connection in this world. It is, by all means, our survival.
The one thing I left wondering was each winemaker's story: the risks they've taken, every impact they've had by pursuing their dreams, and when I might get the honor and chance to hear it.