Food news from around Puget Sound

Wine auction raises record $2.25 million

The 21st annual Auction of Washington Wines, a collection of wine-themed events held throughout the region, raised a record $2.25 million for uncompensated care at Seattle's Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center and the organization's Washington Wine Education Foundation.

This year's event included a picnic with winemakers and barrel auction, winemaker dinners held in private homes, two fun runs and a gala auction Saturday evening with nearly 600 guests.

The top-selling auction lot was a collection of etched and hand-painted bottles from DeLille Cellars that sold for $70,000, the most ever paid for a wine lot at the auction.

Other top auction items included a visit to the set of "Desperate Housewives" with dinner at the home of actor Kyle MacLachlan ($30,000); a beach-party pig roast with former Mariner Edgar Martinez, Alex and Jeannette Golitzin of Quilceda Creek Vintners and chef Wayne Johnson of Andaluca ($21,000); and a bowling party with Trey Busch of Sleight of Hand, Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan Winery and chef/owner Ethan Stowell of Tavolata ($9,500).

Time for a harvest party

Taste the Northwest's agricultural bounty and learn new gardening and cooking techniques at a Sept. 6 harvest fair thrown by Seattle Tilth, a local sustainable-gardening advocacy group.

Local experts will share natural pest-control tips plus advice on finding wild, edible plants and composting, raising goats, chickens and bees. The event runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Meridian Park behind the Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Seattle, 206-633-5045, seattletilth.org).

Wine, beer tasting at supermarkets

Soon you'll be able to shop for wine and taste it, too. Come Oct. 1, the state Liquor Control Board will allow 30 grocery stores around the state to offer wine and beer tastings as part of a pilot program.

Each market will hold at least six tastings during the yearlong program and must limit customers to no more than 4 ounces total per visit (samples must be 2 ounces or less). The pilot will include 15 independently owned stores (a tentative list is available online) as well as seven Safeway stores, five Fred Meyer and QFC stores, two Haggen and TOP Food & Drug stores and one Albertsons. Visit liq.wa.gov for more details.

Other morsels

Now open: A new Paseo Caribbean Restaurant location in Ballard. Look for the screaming pink shack just past Ray's Boathouse along Seaview Avenue North en route to Golden Gardens ...

Berry heaven: Bremerton holds its 19th annual Blackberry Festival Labor Day Weekend with a fun run, chalk-art contest, airplane show and a variety of blackberry vittles; www.blackberryfestival.org. ...

Straight up: Union Square Grill has whipped up a "Shrek"-themed cocktail in honor of the musical's opening in Seattle. What's in a Jolly Ogre? Midori, of course, plus cherry vodka, apple pucker, sweet and sour and pineapple juice, garnished with a gummi worm. ...

Cooking inspiration: Pike Place Market has nine chefs to go on its summer Chef Demo schedule, including Aaron Wright from Canlis at noon Sunday and Bobby Moore of Barking Frog Sept. 21. Visit pikeplacemarket.org for details.