Charity fundraiser showcases wine industry’s generosity and quality
The Auction of Washington Wines, one of the nation’s top charity wine auctions, wrapped up its 38th year with a weekend defined by celebration and generosity. In August of 2025, more than 2,000 guests gathered in Woodinville, Bellevue, and online—raising their auction paddles and wine glasses—to help generate more than $4 million in support of the organization’s beneficiaries.
The festivities brought together over 300 winemakers, vintners, and growers, showcasing the exceptional breadth and scope of Washington wines.
Funds raised support a philanthropic commitment to Washington State University’s Viticulture & Enology Department, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and Vital Wines, a nonprofit that provides medical care to vineyard workers. Since its debut in 1988, the Auction has raised more than $72 million.
“This year’s auction events were a powerful reminder of what makes Washington wine so special. It is the people behind the wine and those who come together to give back,” says Jamie Peha, executive director of the Auction of Washington Wines. Peha is a 30-year veteran of the wine industry who retired at the end of August 2025 after wrapping up the events.
At Saturday’s Gala, Peha introduced Katie Maltais as the Auction of Washington Wines’ new executive director to an enthusiastic crowd.
Washington’s premier philanthropic series included the following highlights:
The Washington wine community gathered at Sparkman Cellars for the 4th annual “Toast!” celebration on August 14 honoring Washington wine luminaries and emerging leaders.
Guests enjoyed a multi-course dinner paired with wines, and the evening’s first awards were presented to honorary vintner Jean-François Pellet of Pepper Bridge Winery and honorary grower Tom Waliser.
Washington wine’s largest party of the summer took place at the Winemaker Picnic & Barrel Auction on August 15 on the grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle, welcoming more than 1,000 guests. Over 100 local wineries poured their best, paired with Northwest-inspired bites from a variety of Puget Sound chefs.
At the lively onsite Barrel Auction, guests bid on 175 exclusive, not-yet-released cases from top wineries—raising a grand total of $125,500, with the highest bids going to Cairdeas Winery, Upchurch Vineyard, and Dossier Wine Collective.
The Hyatt Regency Bellevue was a new location to the marquee event of the weekend, a glamorous Gala featuring a two-hour social reception with 20 wineries pouring followed by a five-course dinner at 45 winemaker-hosted tables.
Live bidding included global travel packages and exclusive Washington wine lots, which raised more than $1 million. Top lots included a five-night trip to Bordeaux with the 2025 Auction of Washington Wines honorary chair Kyle MacLachlan, with private tours of Château Margaux, Château Lynch-Bages, Château Haut-Bailly, and Château d’Yquem, which sold for $140,000; a seven-night luxury villa experience in Champagne, which raised a total of $99,000; an exclusive experience in Napa Valley and on Red Mountain guided by Marchese Piero Antinori, Renzo Cotarella, and Bob Betz, MW, that sold for $90,000.
The room erupted in applause during the paddle raise, which raised a total of $1.8 million, with multiple gifts over $100,000, and a record-breaking $250,000 opening gift from auction patrons Stewart and Susan Kuehne. The Gala event raised in excess of $3 million.
“It’s a joy to come together tonight to celebrate this community,” said Kyle MacLachlan, addressing the crowd at Saturday night’s Gala. “We are stronger together than as individuals. We are better when we celebrate our successes, and our failures, as our community—and I realize that’s the way we do things in the Washington wine world, we support each other.”