Last week I was fortunate to volunteer with the Washington Wine Ambassadors at the Auction of Washington Wines Picnic with the Winemakers.  This was my first event as a volunteer wine pourer, and I found it interesting, hot, and worth my time (beyond the great cause).

Having attended the picnic before as a guest, it was fun to be on the other side of the table, pouring wines for the guests, chatting about what they liked best and what they thought of each wine.  At my table, the overwhelming favorite was the Milbrandt Pinot Gris, a perfect patio pounder. 

The biggest buzz from the auction was centered around two wineries from Walla Walla - Va Piano Vineyards and Gramercy Cellars. Both Justin Wylie and Greg Harrington are clearly making world class wines and elevating the status of Washington on the worlds wine map.  I’ve enjoyed the Bruno Blend from Va Piano, and look forward to trying the Tempranillo and Syrah’s from Gramercy in the near term.