WOODINVILLE, Wash. — The Auction of Washington Wines, one of the top five charitable wine auctions in the U.S., has named Marty Clubb, owner/managing winemaker of L’Ecole N° 41 in the Walla Walla Valley, as the recipient of its 2023 Award of Distinction.
This year marks the 36th annual Auction of Washington Wines, and the presentation to Clubb will be featured as part of the second annual TOAST! Honoree Celebration on Thursday, Aug. 10 at Château Ste. Michelle.
The festive Winemaker Picnic & Barrel Auction is Friday, Aug. 11 on the winery’s campus, followed by the auction’s signature Gala on Saturday, Aug. 12. The Gala Online Auction begins Tuesday, Aug. 8 and runs through Aug. 12. Money raised helps support Seattle Children’s, the Washington State University viticulture and enology program and grant partner Vital Wines in the Walla Walla Valley.
Each of this year’s TOAST! recipients will be announced this week on GreatNorthwestWine.com.
Previously announced honorees for the 2023 Auction of Washington Wines include longtime Costco executive Annette Alvarez-Peters (Honorary Chair), Ben Smith and Gaye McNutt of Cadence Winery (Honorary Vintners) and Miguel Rodriguez of Weinbau Vineyard (Honorary Grower). Co-chairs are Cam & Linda Myhrvold and Ian & Laura MacNeil.
The Auction of Washington Wines has raised more than $59 million since its launch in 1988, the year before Clubb took over management of L’Ecole N° 41 from his in-laws — the late Baker and Jean Ferguson.
“The mission of the auction is to uplift the Washington wine industry through celebrated events that give back to the industry and community,” says Jamie Peha, executive director of the Auction of Washington Wines since 2019. “With the Washington wine industry as our North Star, the auction can add value to the industry by recognizing past and present icons, emerging leaders and all aspects of the industry including vineyard workers and champions of the industry.”
This year marks the 40th anniversary for L’Ecole N° 41, the third winery established in the Walla Walla Valley. Under Clubb’s tireless leadership L’Ecole has been recognized 16 times by the international Wine & Spirits Magazine as a Top 100 Winery of the Year. Along the way, his family’s historic schoolhouse has earned three of the most prestigious awards in the history of the Pacific Northwest wine industry with best-of-class showings at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London and the Global Fine Wine Challenge in Australia. In 2004, L’Ecole was named Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest Magazine.
Clubb’s willingness to serve both the industry and his community keeps him engaged regionally, nationally and globally. Earlier this year, he was presented with the Rich Smith Award of Excellence for Distinguished Service from WineAmerica, the National Grape Research Alliance and the Winegrape Growers of America. He’s the first in the Pacific Northwest to receive the honor.
The chemical engineering graduate from Texas A&M with a masters in business from MIT has served as chair of WineAmerica and chair of the Washington Wine Institute, the industry’s state advocacy organization. Clubb has been on the board of the Washington State Wine Commission. He helped found the marketing group known as the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance and worked with other area leaders to develop The Institute of Enology and Viticulture for Walla Walla Community College, where he remains on the program’s advisory board.
Clubb and his wife, Megan, co-chaired the 2015 Auction of Washington Wines. This year, they are partnering with the Seattle Seahawks on the “Where World Champions Are Made” auction lot — a tip of the cap to the L’Ecole wins in overseas wine competitions and the 2014 Super Bowl title.
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is the sponsor for the TOAST! Honoree Celebration dinner and new industry after-party. Tickets and information are available here.
Auction to announce Toast! recipients this week
Last year, the Auction of Washington Wines created the TOAST! program, which helps cast a spotlight on a number of those who have been key to elevating and innovating the state’s wine industry, according to Laura Kleinhofs, business manager for the Auction of Washington Wines.
The Award of Distinction was created to spotlight a winery, grower representative or industry professional whose achievements have advanced the caliber of the Washington wine industry. Their efforts would include research, investment, education and development/advancement of an American Viticultural Area. The first recipient of the TOAST! Award of Distinction was Dick Boushey.
“Nominations are canvassed from the entire industry through our mailing lists, the lists of the wine commission, the winegrower’s association and personal outreach,” Kleinhofs explains. “A committee of industry folks – winery owners, growers, AWW board members, professionals in the industry – make the final determination on who receives the award.”
This year also marks the launch of the Allen Shoup Memorial Fellowship, which will award one journalist each year with a two-week research project in Washington wine country. Shoup, who founded world-renowned Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, was the CEO of Stimson Lane and backed the establishment of the Auction of Washington Wines.
Honor roll of 2023 TOAST! recipients
Monday, July 10
9 a.m. — Lifetime Achievement Award: Ted Baseler, retired President/CEO, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
Noon — Award of Distinction: Marty Clubb, owner/managing winemaker, L’Ecole N° 41, Lowden
2:30 p.m. — Healthy Land, Healthy Communities: Hedges Family Estate, Red Mountain
Tuesday, July 11
8:30 a.m. — Emerging Leader: Becca De Kleine, GM/director of winemaking, Four Feathers Wine Services, Prosser
11:30 a.m. — Emerging Leader: Devyani Isabel Gupta, winemaker/viticulturist, Valdemar Estates, Walla Walla
1:30 p.m. — Emerging Leader: Michelle Moyer, professor, Washington State University, Prosser
3 p.m. — Emerging Leader: Ashley Trout, winemaker, Vital Wines/Brook & Bull Cellars, Walla Walla
Wednesday, July 12 – final day
9 a.m. — Vine to Wine: Eduardo Zaragoza, vineyard manager of Shaw Vineyards, Red Mountain
Noon — Wine Industry Champion: Andy Perdue, journalist, Richland
2:30 p.m. — Auction of Washington Wines Star: Gary McLean, President of GMMD Consulting, Seattle
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