Walla Walla Wine Adventure
As alluded to in our planning post, the decision was extraordinarily difficult. At the end of the day, we knew we would enjoy ourselves, but we had to find the right balance!
DIY versus Tour versus Designated Driver
Similar to other wine regions, Walla Walla offers an assortment of guided car tours, designated driver guides, or you can do it yourself! Obviously as a travel planner, I chose to do it yourself!
There are many good options for guided tours and we saw quite a few vans around town. However, these come at a steep cost especially during COVID times as we would have had to hire a private guide. A tour costs upwards of $300 per person and usually excluded tasting fees and tip. Rather than pay someone, we opted to spend the money on fantastic wine!
The Wine Districts
As mentioned in our planning post, I compiled this list using several different methods. Over two days, we visited 7 wineries. I do not recommend this strategy and would split it into 3 tastings a day, at most! To begin, I usually booked our dinner reservation and worked backwards to sort out our day.
Walla Walla has six known wine regions where the wineries are located while most of the vineyards are in the mountains or towards the river. Because we wanted a wide range, we tried almost all of them!
Airport (A): For the most boutique and for those without a car, the airport district is definitely the best! Full of small, independent wineries, the area boasts the most wineries outside of downtown!
Downtown (D): In the center of Walla Walla lie countless wine store and tasting rooms. Some of the finest wineries are located here and possibly minutes from your hotel door! We enjoyed one winery just outside downtown and it was so nice to walk to Seven Hills and then walk to dinner!
South Walla Walla (S): For the views, visit South Walla Walla. At Northstar or Pepperbridge (two of the more well known wineries), you can gaze at the beautifully arranged vineyard from your tasting!
West Walla Walla (W): Closer to Lowden than Walla Walla, several large and popular estates are located to the west. Surprisingly, a few are located on the main highway and are accompanied with uninterrupted views of farmland.
There are two others that we missed out this time, but we plan to go back to visit East Walla Walla (E) and Oregon (O)!
Why: We chose Gramercy because they are highly rated for their Syrah. The tasting menu is primarily Syrah so it is a great crash course into Washington Syrah!
Location: Less than a 5 minute drive from downtown, Gramercy is a in a converted warehouse that they have beautifully converted into a cozy wine bar with a good outdoor space. We chose to sit outside under the umbrella and admire their wine production equipment. During harvest season, people can get a front row seat!
Tasting Fee: $20pp
Reservations: Yes
2020 Olsen Vineyard Rose: very good, dry, similar to Provence, drink all day! 8
2018 Third Man Grenache: good, peppery, high alcohol. 6
2016 Walla Walla Syrah: classic, lighter than we thought. 6.5
2017 Les Collines Syrah: fruity, light, very nice balance. Aromatic. 7
2017 Lagniappe Syrah: light yet full of tannins. Fruity with pepper aftertaste. Would be great with food. 8.5
2017 Cab Sav: medium plus body, thought full tannins but nice on the mouth. Great flavors. 8
2013 Sang: perfect for our tastebuds. 8.
Thoughts:
For our first Washington wine tasting, Gramercy provided a surprise! While we might not be the biggest Syrah fans, the flavors and tastes are great. Overall, we purchased their Rose, Lagniappe, and one of their library wines.
Why: L'Ecole is one of the largest Walla Walla producers at over 50,000 bottles or cases a year. However, their wines are consistently in the top 3 so we had to visit the vineyard! They also have a downtown wine bar, but we prefer the relaxing vineyard. They do serve a good charcuterie board here!
Location: Outside Walla Walla on the main interstate, the tasting room is an old converted schoolhouse with a beautiful fountain (shared with Woodward Canyon). With a great outdoor patio, L'Ecole is set up for success.
Tasting Fee: $20pp, waived with a purchase
Reservations: Yes
2019 Semillon Columbia Valley: sweet white wine. 3
2019 Chardonnay Columbia Valley: smells of fruit heaven with a hint of oak. Not buttery. Tastes wonderful. 9
2018 Merlot Walla Walla Valley: heavy, little fruit and spice, needs food. 7.5
2018 Syrah Estate Seven Hills: full of spice, really nice. Definitely needs food esp compared to Gramercy
2017 Perigee: so Bordeaux. Light and fruity, wonderful. 9.
2018 Ferguson: Similar Bordeaux notes. More earthy. Perfect with steak. 9
Thoughts:
Because I thought we would like L'Ecole the best, I decided to have a full tasting here rather than a shared portion. We mostly enjoyed our tasting with the Chardonnay the real surprise as it is the only Chardonnay that we liked in all of our Oregon and Washington tastings! If one likes Bordeaux blends, L'Ecole is the one of the best! Because they are a large producer, we opted to buy via their website after our trip.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Woodward Canyon
Why: Similar to L'Ecole, Woodward Canyon is consistently in the top 3 for best Walla Walla wines. More importantly, they ofter flexible in your wine tasting schedule which is a nice benefit.
Location: Next to L'Ecole is one of our favorite wineries of our trip! With one of the best wine tasting spots, we overlooked Washington farmland and Woodward's fantastic garden. Because they allow picnics, Woodward is great spot to have a picnic lunch and combine it with L'Ecole!
Tasting Fee: $15pp, refundable with a bottle purchase
Reservations: No, first come, first serve
Wine List at Woodward
2019 Washington Chardonnay: not my cup but Mary Frances liked. Sweet but with oaky finish. 6
2019 Sauvignon Blanc: fruit forward, not as dry as NZ, still good. 7.
Non-Vintage "Pizza Wine": it really does go with everything. 6
2018 SGM: really good. Smooth. Perfect balance of fruit and earth. 8.
2018 Estate Merlot: full bodied. Great with food. 8.
2018 Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon: wonderful cab. 9.5
2018 Old Vines: wow. No words. 10
Thoughts:
We were blown away by Woodward Canyon! While the relaxing garden provided one of our favorite tasting "rooms," the staff were incredible kind and offered two off-list wines that we really enjoyed. It felt more like we were visiting friends in their backyard instead of a formal wine tasting in Walla Walla. In the end, we purchased 2 bottles of the 2018 SGM, 1 bottle of the Old Vines, 1 bottle of Merlot, and 2 bottles of the Artist Series.
Seven Hills Winery
Why: Although there were a few wineries in downtown that we could have tried, Seven Hills had a great mix of French varietals. Because it was located downtown and within 5 minutes of dinner, I considered it our pre-dinner drinks!
Location: In the heart of downtown, Seven Hills has a cute tasting room that reminds us of France which is imprortant since they have old world style. Perfect for a late afternoon visit, the winery finished a fantastic day!
Tasting Fee: $25pp, refundable with a $40 purchase
Reservations: Yes
2020 Dry Rose: very nice Provence style wine. 8.
2019 Sav Blanc: heavy pear flavor. Nice on the tongue. Very interesting as not quite a Chard but also not a normal Sav Blanc. 7.5
2018 Cabernet franc: light than you think, nice after taste. Very nice
2017 Cab Sav: made from OG wines. Could use 1 more year or more oxygen. Tasty though. 7.
2017 McClellan: a tad better than the other one
2017 Ciel Du Cheval: Classic Bordeaux blend
Thoughts:
Compared to the other stellar wines we tried, Seven Hills did not blow us away nor did it disappoint. Each wine was good in its own unique way. While some of the Cabernets could use either more breathing or another year to grow, we enjoyed each one. Our guide told us that their cabs are still good 2-3 days after opening. We particularly enjoyed the McClellan! In the end, we purchased 1 Cabernet France, 2 McClellan, 1 Cliel du Cheval, 1 Rose, and 1 Sav Blanc.
Elegente Cellars
Why: In the morning, the other people in our B&B recommend Elegente for their excellent wine plus their friendly owner, winemaker, and guide. We immediately switched our plans from another first come, first serve winery to Elegente and headed to the airport!
Location: In the famous Airport zone, Elegente Cellars is a small, independent shop with a very small tasting room.
Tasting Fee: $10pp, refundable with a purchase
Reservations: No
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Gewurztraminer
2014 Malbec
2013 Sangiovese
2017 Merlot
2016 Tempranillo
2017 Syrah
Strawberry wine
Thoughts:
Perhaps our overall wine because there was not a wine we did not like! The tasting portions are very small so it is a perfect beginning to the day as it we did not even think we were tasting wine. Each wine is superb and is most likely helped by the aged wines. The owner and winemaker has a simple philosophy: make wine that he likes. The best part is we liked all of his wine - even the strawberry wine. We bought 1 of each of the reds.
Pro Tip: More importantly, the owner brought our attention to Alaska Airlines Wine Flies Free promotion which helped saved us over $100 in shipping costs!
Northstar Winery
Why: While it isn't one of the largest vineyards, Northstar is famous for Bordeaux blends and old world wine varietals. We also had one of the finest views during our entire trip!
Location: Even if you came for the views alone, Northstar is well worth the visit! In South Walla Walla, the rolling vineyard hills remind you of Tuscany.
Tasting Fee: $20pp
Reservations: Yes
2019 Stella Blanca: solid white. Better than most. 6
2020 Rose: not dry but not sweet with a interesting flavor. 5
2016 Red blend: very nice. Hints of vanilla. Really smooth. Can drink now. 8
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon: good
2017 Merlot: still good
2016 Premier Merlot: For the price, not sure if it was worth it
Thoughts:
While we loved the views, we thought the wine was decent. Our favorites were the red blend and merlot, but the rest of the wine did not shine as much as we had hoped.
Dunham Cellars
Why: Sadly, the wine was secondary for our visit! While the wine is still highly rated, I wanted to sit in an old aircraft hangar! The winery is well known for bold Cabs.
Location: In the heart of the airport district, Dunham Cellars has one of the coolest tasting rooms in an old aircraft hangar.
Tasting Fee: $10pp
Reservations: Yes
2020 Sauvignon Blanc. 6
2018 Shirley Mays Chardonnay. 3
2018 Lewis Vineyard Riesling. 3
2018 Trutina. 7
2016 Cabernet Sauvignon XXII. 9. a little more bold so Mary Frances likes
2017 Cabernet Sauvignon XXIII. 9. A little bit more fruity and a bit lighter so I like.
Thoughts:
Perhaps because it was our last winery of our whirlwind tour, we were very tired of wine. As one can see from our rankings, the white wine was not our cup of tea and we did not prefer it. When we reached the cabs, we were given the two pours at the same time to compare and contrast. We were extremely surprised at the tasting notes and how we both liked a different bottle. While one was bold and earthy, the other was a bit lighter. We ended on a great note!
The UnChartered Summary
While I knew we would enjoy the wine, Walla Walla provided a whole new experience in trying new varietals. Each winery had fantastic vintages and we purchased more than our fair share! When we go back, here are some helpful tips...
Try and find the off-the-beaten track wineries like Elegente Cellars. The smaller the shop, more interaction with passionate winemakers!
As I mentioned in the beginning, settle for three wineries a day. All wineries are accommodating to a single tasting if you also want to share! They will refund you any prepaid fees.
Stick to 1 district a day. I think our favorite was South Walla Walla because the views are incredible. The airport district is also very unique and home to a lot of the smaller independent wineries.
Finally, to rank our favorite ones and hopefully they are a source of inspiriation!
Woodward Canyon
Elegente Cellars
L'Ecole
Gramercy
Seven Hills
Northstar
Dunham
