Guests bid during the 2023 Reveal Walla Walla wine auction on Monday, April 17, 2023.

WALLA WALLA — With the final strike of the gavel, Walla Walla Valley Wine raised a total of $109,750 for the organization’s funding, with a portion of the proceeds going to Walla Walla Community College’s Institute for Enology & Viticulture.

Reveal Walla Walla Valley, a wine futures auction for the wine trade and private collectors, featured 20 unique, small-lot wines from the Walla Walla Valley Viticulture Area. The wines will be available to the public only through resale by the winning bidder.

“Reveal is designed to create connections between Walla Walla Valley wineries and buyers,” Liz Knapke, executive director of Walla Walla Valley Wine, said in a news release about the total funds received. “We want bidders to become a part of this close-knit community and form relationships during their time here, in addition to taking home one-of-a-kind wines representative of the Walla Walla Valley AVA.”

During the two-day Reveal Walla Walla Valley event, attendees had the opportunity to meet the winemakers who were responsible for creating the auction lots. As part of the festivities, guests were treated to a library wine tasting and family-style dinner at Valdemar Estates. On the day of the auction, Monday, April 17, bidders were able to sample all 20 lot wines at the Corliss Estate tasting room before making their way to the production facility for the actual auction.

Fred Northup Jr., auctioneer, presided over the auction room. Northup helps raise more than $20 million a year for nonprofit organizations across the country. Dave Mitchell, the emcee, provided the audience with insightful information about the wineries and their respective wine lots available for bidding, aiming to entice potential buyers to place the highest bid.

The auction began with a starting bid of $2,500 per lot, but as the prices started to climb, bidding wars ensued. One of the lots, Lot No. 10, consisting of 60 bottles of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, was eventually sold to Capers Cafe in Portland for $7,750. Another lot containing 60 bottles of 100% Syrah from Sleight of Hand Cellars was purchased by Rubert’s at Hotel McCall for slightly more than $5,000.

In comparison to the 2022 auction, the lot prices increased by 13% this year.

The proceeds generated by Reveal Walla Walla Valley are directed toward supporting Walla Walla Valley Wine, a nonprofit membership organization that collaborates on marketing efforts to promote the wineries in the region. Some of the funds will also be allocated to Walla Walla Community College’s Institute for Enology & Viticulture, which offers scholarships to aspiring students of the program and helps cultivate the next generation of winegrowers.

Reveal Walla Walla Valley’s 2024 auction has been scheduled for April 21-22. Only licensed wine buyers and private collectors who have received invitations will be permitted to attend. To learn more about the event, please visit RevealWallaWalla.com.