TASTE Walla Walla

TASTE Walla Walla™
TASTE Walla Walla™ Kicks off Week of Wine and Food Events to Benefit 42,000 children and families

PORTLAND, Oregon – (December 15, 2010) – More than 46 Walla Walla winemakers will travel to Portland to kick off a week of wine events to benefit the 27th annual Classic Wines Auction (CWA), which raises money for five area charities, including Friends of the Children, Metropolitan Family Service, New Avenues for Youth, Trillium Family Services and YWCA Clark County. The Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance will once again partner with CWA on the popular T ASTE Walla Walla™ event which introduces Portland-area wine enthusiasts to both emerging and veteran Walla Walla principals and winemakers.

TASTE Walla Walla™ BRINGS 46 WALLA WALLA WINERIES TO PORTLAND
This popular tasting event will be held on Monday, February 28, 2011 at Venue Pearl, 323 NW 13th Avenue, Portland from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. TASTE Walla Walla™ tickets are $50 per person or $90 per couple if purchased before the event. Tickets purchased at the door the evening of the event are $65 per person. To purchase tickets please visit www.classicwinesauction.com.

Participating wineries include: Abeja, Adamant Cellars, Amavi Cellars, Basel Cellars, Beresan Winery, Buty, Cadaretta, Castillo de Feliciana Vineyard & Winery, CAVU Cellars, Cougar Crest Estate Winery, Dusted Valley, Ensemble Cellars, Five Star Cellars, Forgeron Cellars, Fort Walla Walla Cellars, Gifford Hirlinger, Glencorrie, JLC/Spofford Station, Kontos Cellars, L’Ecole No. 41, Long Shadows Vintners, Northstar, Otis Kenyon Wine, Pepper Bridge Winery, Rasa Vineyards, Reininger, Russell Creek Winery, Saviah Cellars, Seven Hills Winery, Sleight of Hand Cellars, Sinclair Estate Vineyards, Spring Valley Vineyard, Stella Fino Winery, SuLei Cellars, SYZYGY, Tamarack Cellars, Tertulia Cellars, Three Rivers Winery, Trust Cellars, Va Piano Vineyards, Walla Walla Vintners, Waterbrook Winery, Watermill Winery, Waters Winery, Woodward Canyon and Zerba Cellars.

“Our partnership with the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance and their increasingly popular event kicks off the Classic Wines Auction’s week of wine and food celebrations which will raise over $2 million this year for local non-profit agencies. We’re thrilled that the Walla Walla region is helping to support our charities and we’re pleased that we can introduce the Portland wine community to some terrific Walla Walla wines,” said Virginia Hensen, chief executive officer of First Growth Children and Family Charities.

28 RESTAURANTS & 49 WINEMAKERS AT SPRING WINEMAKER DINNERS
Additional events held the week of the Classic Wines Gala Auction include 28 intimate winemaker dinners at Portland and SW Washington restaurants paired with winemakers from Oregon, California, Washington and France. Tickets are $150 per person and are on sale now at www.classicwinesauction.com.

About Classic Wines Auction:
Based in Portland, Oregon, First Growth Children and Family Charities., is a nonprofit organization dedicated to producing the Classic Wines Auction and related food and wine events to raise funds for local charities benefiting children and families. Named as one of the top ten charity wine auctions for the past eight years by Wine Spectator Magazine, CWA has raised almost $24 million for Portland area charities since its inception in 1982. The co-chairs for the 2011 gala auction include Michelle Fitzhenry, Kim Agnew, Bob Liner and Matt Elsen. For more information, please visit www.classicwinesauction.com or call 503-972-0194.

Source: Melissa Broussard.