A Tour of Bordeaux with Acclaimed Winemaker Chris Upchurch and James Beard Award-Winning Chef Jason Wilson donated by DeLille Cellars sells for $160,000 at the Auction of Washington Wines Gala Supporting Seattle Children’s Hospital and WSU
WOODINVILLE, WA, August 22, 2018 – A tour of Bordeaux auction lot from DeLille Cellars received the highest bid ever recorded at the 31st annual Auction of Washington Wines Gala on Saturday, August 18, 2018. $160,000 marks the highest single selling auction lot (without a matching bid) in the Auction’s history. The Auction raised over 4 million dollars for Seattle Children’s and the Washington State University Viticulture and Enology Program.
Representatives from DeLille Cellars at the Auction Gala: (L-R) Executive Winemaker/Co-Founder Chris Upchurch, CEO Tom Dugan, Co-Founder Jay Soloff and Co-Founder Greg Lill
“The Auction means so much to DeLille Cellars and the Washington state wine community, and we are honored to be able to make a significant impact for the Seattle Children’s Uncompensated Care Fund,” said Tom Dugan, CEO of DeLille Cellars. “We couldn’t have done this without the generosity of our Chateau and Cooperage partners in France, as well as our owners, including Sam Bronfman. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the winners.”
Three couples will partake in this incredible adventure, which includes access to some of France’s Grand Cru wineries, including a tour, tasting, and lunch at Chateaux Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion and a visit to Chateau Lafite Rothschild. The trip also includes stops to Chateaux Trotanoy, La Fleur-Petrus, and Belair-Monange, ending with a tasting at Grand Brulot in Cognac and tour of Tonnellerie Taransaud to witness the craftsmanship of this historic cooperage. In the evenings, the winning bidders will enjoy a stay in a 17th-century chateau in the vineyards of Saint-Émilion with Chris and Thea Upchurch and Jason and Nicole Wilson, where Chef Wilson will cook for the group each evening using ingredients sourced from local markets.
“The tour we have developed is beyond anything I imagined when we first came up with the idea for a trip to Bordeaux,” said Chris Upchurch. “We have worked closely with our French connections to create a world-class ‘insiders’ experience. I’m looking forward to hosting our generous guests next summer, and the best part about it will be knowing we raised an amazing amount of money for the Auction of Washington Wines.”
The winning bidders took home an engraved 6 Liter of 2012 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate, as well as a boxed 1.5 Liter of 2004 Lafite Rothschild that was shipped directly from the Chateau in support of this auction lot.
DeLille Cellars’ auction lots, including the silent and barrel auctions, raised over $185,000 in total. DeLille Cellars is also supporting the Auction of Washington Wines through a custom glassybaby they launched in August. The “D2” glassybaby is hand-forged in Seattle and custom color-matched to mirror DeLille’s iconic D2 red Bordeaux-style blend, and is only available through the winery’s locations and online at www.delillecellars.com/d2glassybaby.
About DeLille Cellars
Founded in 1992 by Charles and Greg Lill, Jay Soloff and celebrated winemaker Chris Upchurch, DeLille Cellars is an artisan winery located in Woodinville, Washington. Known for pioneering Bordeaux-style blends from Washington State, the winery has maintained a tradition of quality and excellence with over 500 individual 90+ ratings from leading publications. DeLille Cellars focuses on the Red Mountain AVA and sources grapes from Washington’s most acclaimed vineyards, including Ciel du Cheval, Grand Ciel, Upchurch, Red Willow, Sagemoor, Klipsun, Boushey and Harrison Hill. The winery is recognized by notable wine critics and influencers, including Robert Parker, as one of the top producers in the state. To learn more about DeLille Cellars, visit www.delillecellars.com.
About the Auction of Washington Wines
Since its inception in 1988, AWW has raised more than $45 million, benefitting Seattle Children’s Hospital and Washington State University Wine Science Research. Events hosted by AWW give wine lovers the chance to support the Washington wine industry and families in our communities around the region. The 2019 Auction of Washington Wines will take place August 15-17, 2019. Major sponsors include Wells Fargo, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Ferrari of Seattle, The John L. Scott Foundation, The Seattle Times, King 5 TV and Wine Spectator Magazine. For more information, go to http://www.AuctionofWaWines.org
