For the last six years the Three Rivers Land Conservancy’s Wine & Land Benefit has been pegged as the summer’s most highly anticipated auction. This year’s edition, held at the Oregon Golf Club in West Linn, didn’t disappoint. The September 7 bash attracted some 600 attendees, who bid on everything from a seven-night excursion to Cortona, Italy, to a two-night “staycation” at the Heathman Hotel. The lavish prizes helped the nonprofit raise $150,000 toward its goal of conserving a thousand acres in the North Willamette Valley and Yamhill County by 2010.

Left: Sel Gris chef and owner Daniel Mondok serves up some bacon-wrapped rabbit-and-chicken-liver pâté at the Wine & Land Benefit 2008.

Above: KGW-TV’s chief meteorologist Matt Zaffino (left) and auctioneer Steve Talbot call for plenty of bids in the forecast. Zaffino served as emcee for the nonprofit’s big day.