Wanderlust Traveler: Walla Walla, Washington (Wineries)

Vineyards in Walla Walla.

Grapes have been growing in Walla Walla since the 1880's when Italian immigrants planted wine grapes and began making homemade wines. The first winery (Blue Mountain Vineyard) was bonded in Walla Walla in the 1950's and operated for a few years before closing. In the late 1970's and early 1980's several more wineries were bonded, but the real growth began from the mid to late 1990's and by 2001 there were 30 wineries in the area. Over ten years later there are now over 100 wineries operating in the Walla Walla Valley wine region.

The Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance offers visitors a very helpful brochure which has a listing of the most major wineries divided into five geographical areas; Westside, Downtown, Eastside, Southside, and Oregon. This brochure ended up becoming our most handy resource during our trip as it enabled us to tackle wineries in the same area instead of wasting time driving from one side of Walla Walla to the other.

The majority of tastings in Walla Walla cost around $5, with the fee being refundable with the purchase of wine. A few of the smaller wineries had complimentary tastings while just a few had a $10 refundable fee.

Over the course of the five days we spent in Walla Walla we ended up visiting a total of 18 wineries, which are detailed below. Warning; this post is extremely photo heavy.

Southside/Oregon Wineries:
This was probably my favorite area of wineries in Walla Walla due to the rolling hills, rows of vineyards, and the beautiful Blue Mountains which provided a very scenic backdrop to an already beautiful setting.

Basel Cellars
This former mansion-turned-winery is probably hands down one of the most beautiful in all of Walla Walla. It sits atop a hill and provides an amazing overlook of the surrounding valley. We shared a tasting here but I was so preoccupied with taking photos of the gorgeous property that I didn't pay too much attention to the wines themselves. Directly outside of the main building are a dozen or so tables that visitors can use to enjoy their glass of wine along with lunch (which you'll have to grab along the way). The venue is used often for events, including weddings. In fact, the 13,000 square foot eight bedroom Basel Cellars Estate House can be rented on weekday nights for $1200 or on the weekends for $2400. Our visit happened to occur during a weekend in which the house wasn't rented out, which is unusual for the time of year. Since the house was empty a member of the staff was offering to give visitors a guided tour of the house which we obviously jumped at. The interior of the mansion was absolutely incredible. Aside from the eight bedrooms the house also included four and a half bathrooms, an in-home movie theater, a club, and a pool house. While the wine and tasting room at Basel Cellars may not blow your socks off, its incredible mansion and amazing views certainly will!

Entrance to Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Basel Cellars Estate House at Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

View from Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Tasting room at Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Shyawn enjoying his wine at Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Basel Cellars Estate House at Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Basel Cellars Estate House at Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

An aerial photo of Basel Cellars in Walla Walla that I found inside the tasting room.

Shyawn at Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Basel Cellars Estate House at Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

The view from Basel Cellars in Walla Walla.

Amavi Cellars
Like Basel Cellars, Amavi Cellars also has an amazing view of vineyards, other wineries, and the famous Blue Mountains from its location perched on a hillside. The tasting room was very modern and spacious with one of its walls being lined with windows to take advantage of the beautiful views. All of the wines here were quite good but we especially enjoyed their Semillon.

Amavi Cellars in Walla Walla.

Enjoying my wine at Amavi Cellars in Walla Walla.

Amavi Cellars in Walla Walla.

View from Amavi Cellars in Walla Walla.

Amavi Cellars in Walla Walla.

Northstar Winery
We hadn't planned on stopping in at this specific winery as they served only red wines (Shyawn likes both while I prefer just whites). However, while driving to another winery in the area (Tertulia) we passed this lovely place and heard live music playing. After doing a little more research I found out that they were quite well know for their Merlot so we decided to stop in. I am very thankful that we made this choice as the hour we spent here turned out to be one of our most enjoyable moments of the trip. The sun was out in full force, the temperature was perfect (mid 70's), and we were able to enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and Blue Mountains as we listened to a live band play some wonderful music. As with Basel Cellars, Northstar is also a great winery to visit if you'd like to have a picnic. In fact, Northstar offered several types of food trays to purchase which many people took advantage of during our visit. Evidently the winery only offers live music on specific weekends but I can guarantee you that if they did this more often they would likely bring in even more visitors!

Northstar Winery in Walla Walla.

View from Northstar Winery in Walla Walla.

Northstar Winery in Walla Walla.

Band playing at Northstar Winery in Walla Walla.

The tasting room at Northstar Winery in Walla Walla.

Northstar Winery in Walla Walla.

The tasting room at Northstar Winery in Walla Walla.

Northstar Winery in Walla Walla.

Tertulia Cellars
Tertulia is a Spanish word which means a social gathering of friends. This lovely winery offers a small but beautiful tasting room with their round circle emblem being used creatively throughout their design scheme in a variety of ways. The wine server we spoke with was extremely friendly and the wines were reasonably priced. The winery offers a picnic table outside that visitors can use to enjoy their wines or to have a nice picnic lunch on.

Tertulia Cellars in Walla Walla.

The tasting room at Tertulia Cellars in Walla Walla.

Tertulia Cellars in Walla Walla.

Watermill Winery/Blue Mountain Cider Company
This winery is actually located in Oregon, just south of Walla Walla in the town of Milton-Freewater. The winery is well-known for their Gewurztraminer, which I absolutely loved and ended up buying a bottle of. The family who owns Watermill Winery also manages another company called Blue Mountain Cider Company which offers tastings of a variety of hard ciders including peach and cherry, both of which we enjoyed very much.

Watermill Winery/Blue Mountain Cider Company

Tasting room at Watermill Winery/Blue Mountain Cider Company.

Gift shop at Watermill Winery/Blue Mountain Cider Company.

Watermill Winery/Blue Mountain Cider Company.

Eastside Wineries:
The set-up of wineries in this area is quite unique compared to others in the Walla Walla Valley. Many of the wineries here are located very close to the airport, most of which are all within walking distance to one another. Some of these wineries are actually housed within former airline hangers as the area was once a military base during World War II.

Dunham Cellars
This fun winery was one of our personal favorites on the trip. The winery is housed inside a rustic remolded World War II airplane hangar and offers probably the best gift shop of any winery I have ever been to. The mascot of the winery is a friendly dog whom appears to be an integral part of the wineries day to day operations. The winery also features a beautiful outdoor area with ample seating and tables for visitors to enjoy their wine and company in a very peaceful and tranquil setting. The wines here were all quite good and we ended up purchasing a bottle of their delicious Late Harvest Reisling.

Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla.

Gift shop at Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla.

Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla.

Shyawn and the mascot of Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla.

Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla.

Russell Creek Winery
This small and unassuming family run winery has a cozy tasting room within its cellar. We were fortunate enough to be there on a day that the owner Larry was in. He was very friendly and informative and, of course, very proud of his wines. As mentioned previously, I am not normally a fan of reds but I actually enjoyed many of the varieties we tried here. We bought a bottle of his Tributary which not only tasted excellant but was also much easier on the wallet than reds at a lot of the other wineries. Don't judge a book by its cover; the outside of his winery doesn't appear to be exciting or even too interesting but his wines are very good and worth the trip!

Russell Creek Winery in Walla Walla.

Adamant Cellars
This lovely winery was being staffed on the day we visited by the owner Devin. He was extremely friendly and we talked with him about how he began making wine when he lived in Portland and his eventual journey over to Walla Walla. I loved the decor of the tasting room here; it was very simple and clean and reminded me of the beach. We enjoyed several of their wines and ultimately purchased a bottle of his Rose.

Adamant Cellars in Walla Walla.

Shyawn at Adamant Cellars in Walla Walla.

Adamant Cellars in Walla Walla.

Elegante Cellars
We hadn't planned on stopping in at Elegante Cellars, but when we were in the airport area on Monday it was one of the few wineries that happened to be open so we decided to stop by. As with Adamant Cellars and Russell Creek Winery, the owner of the winery, Doug Simmons was working in the tasting room. Elegante specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot along with a Gewurztraminer and a semi-dry strawberry wine. Doug was a very gentle and kind soul who was very proud of his products and company which was refreshing to see.

Elegante Cellars in Walla Walla.

The friendly dog at Elegante Cellars in Walla Walla.

Elegante Cellars in Walla Walla.

The friendly dog at Elegante Cellars in Walla Walla.

Elegante Cellars in Walla Walla.

A Maurice Cellars

I really enjoyed the simplistic beauty of the tasting room at A Maurice Cellars. This newer winery has received quite a bit of accolades especially for its Viognier and Malbec, the former which I enjoyed very much. The location of the building is situated next to a beautiful and picturesque vineyard with the Blue Mountains not too far off in the distance. Be aware that their tasting room is only open on Fridays and Saturdays so plan your visit accordingly!

A Maurice Cellars in Walla Walla.

Shyawn at A Maurice Cellars in Walla Walla.

A Maurice Cellars in Walla Walla.

Walla Walla Vintners
This winery was not on our to-visit list, but after pulling into the parking lot at A Maurice Cellars, we immediately noticed the large barn next door and decided to visit since it was so close. This winery is dedicated to making red wines and is one of the oldest wineries in the Walla Walla Valley, having been bonded in 1995. The tasting room was very crowded and busy during our visit with new visitors constantly arriving. The staff were extremely generous with the pours here and we definitely had more than our fair share of wine! We ended up buying a bottle of their Columbia Valley Sangiovese since Shyawn liked it so much. The winery has a beautiful outdoor area with plenty of tables to enjoy a picnic.

Walla Walla Vinters in Walla Walla.

Westside Wineries:
Some of the oldest wineries in the Walla Walla Valley, including Woodard Canyon and L'Ecole No 41, are located to the west of Walla Walla. It makes sense logistically to visit these wineries on your way into or out of Walla Walla since most are located along the highway.

Woodward Canyon
Woodard happened to be the first winery we visited while in Walla Walla. The winery is one of the oldest in the Walla Walla Valley, having been started in 1981. The tasting room is actually located in a restored 1870's farmhouse in the the town of Lowden, which is 13 miles west of Walla Walla. We tried a variety of whites and reds, but most enjoyed their 2011 Chardonnay.

Woodward Canyon in Walla Walla.

L'Ecole No 41
Located directly next to Woodward Canyon, L'Ecole is almost as old as Woodward, having begun in 1983. The winery is one of the best known in all of the Walla Walla valley, distributing their wine both domestically and internationally. True to its name, the tasting room is located within a historic and charming schoolhouse that has been lovingly restored. We shared a tasting here and all of the wines were quite impressive. We both loved the Grenache Rose and Semillon but ultimately ended up purchasing the Grenache Rose since we found out that the Semillon was available to purchase in the Seattle area.

L'Ecole No 41 in Walla Walla.

Waterbrook Winery
Aside from L'Ecole, Waterbrook was the only winery's label I recognized prior to our trip to Walla Walla. Founded in 1984, the tasting room of the winery is located in a beautiful modern building that has soaring ceilings and a great relaxing outdoor area. The servers here were very friendly and engaging, which made the tasting even more fun! We ended up buying a bottle of their 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, which came in a very non-traditional but fun bottle.

Waterbrook Winery in Walla Walla.

Cougar Crest Estate Winery
This winery was originally opened up at the Walla Walla airport in 2001 but recently moved to its new location west of Walla Walla. The owners of Cougar Crest originally met in Pullman at Washington State University, thus where the name Cougar (WSU's mascot) came from. The new tasting room was beautiful and filled with several cougar statues and faces, which I thought was quite fun and unique in comparison to the other wineries. We bought a bottle of their Viognier which was one of my favorites one of the trip.

Cougar Crest Estate Winery in Walla Walla.

Three Rivers Winery
This lovely winery is well known in the Walla Walla Valley for its gift shop, the amazing view from its massive deck, and a free three-hole golf course. Three Rivers was named after the three most prominent rivers in the appellations from which they source their grapes (Columbia, Snake, and Walla Walla Rivers). We arrived about 30 minutes until their closing time, so much to the disappointment of Shyawn we were unable to participate in their free three-hole golf course. However, because we checked in on Foursquare we both got a free tasting; Shyawn selected the $10 reserve flight while I went with the $5 flight.

Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla.

The golf course at Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla.

Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla.

Enjoying my wine at Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla.

Reininger Winery
This happened to be the last winery we visited on our way out of Walla Walla back to Seattle. The tasting room is located within former potato sheds that were renovated into a beautiful and lofty 15,000 square foot winery. All of the wines we tasted were quite good, but because we had already spent so much money on our wine purchases that weekend, we opted out of buying another bottle. However, the winery is definitely worth visiting and its location immediately off of Highway 12 which makes it an easy stop for those going into or leaving Walla Walla.

Reininger Winery in Walla Walla.

Downtown Walla Walla Wineries:
For those individuals whom would prefer to not spend their day driving around the Walla Walla Valley wine tasting and risk receiving a DUI, a safer option is to visit the numerous wineries located within downtown Walla Walla. During our visit there were at least 15 different wineries open to the public. We were not focused on visiting any of the wineries downtown and just happened to stop by one, which is described below.

Charles Smith Wines
This fun winery is located within an atmospheric old building in downtown Walla Walla that has been beautifully refurbished. The very sleek and urban-feeling tasting room is filled with exposed brick, lots of industrial metal, and concrete floors. We liked most of the wines we tasted and purchased a bottle of the Pinot Grigio. Charles Smith offers very affordable bottle of wines in comparison to most of the other wineries we visited which was very refreshing. Apparently there is live music offered during certain nights of the week so definitely take advantage of that if you are in town.

Charles Smith Wines in Walla Walla.

All in all, we had an amazing trip during our time in Walla Walla. We are hoping to get back to Walla Walla at some point over the next two years so that we can visit several of the wineries we didn't get an opportunity to see on this trip and then revisit some of our favorites.

We ended up coming home with so much more wine than we thought we would have! Since we drove over from the Seattle area we didn't have to worry about being limited to only buying a few bottles as one normally would when flying.

Our incredible wine purchases from Walla Walla lined up together in our kitchen.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Walla Walla, Washington (Wineries)

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