What to see, taste on a Walla Walla wine weekend

  • By Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman Special to The Herald
  • Friday, June 29, 2012 10:53am
  • LifeHops and Sips

Looking for a great way to spend a long weekend? Head to Walla Walla wine country.

Walla Walla has a long history of grape growing and winemaking, and many of the state’s most illustrious producers are here, including Leonetti Cellar, Woodward Canyon Winery, Northstar Winery and Zerba Cellars.

While most of the more than 130 wineries are on the Washington side of the valley, many of its most famous vineyards — including Seven Hills — are south of the state line.

Just 15 years ago, the valley had fewer than 25 wineries, but waves of producers have opened, and only the economy of the past few years has finally slowed the deluge of new wineries.

If you decide to head to Walla Walla for a three-day weekend, you’ll find plenty of places to stay, a nice selection of restaurants and lots of activities. Here’s our quick guide to touring the valley.

Wineries: The valley can easily be divided into four regions: west of town, downtown, the airport and south of town. Here are just a few of the wineries you’ll want to visit.

Coming from the west, you’ll find such producers as L’Ecole No. 41, Woodward Canyon, Reininger and Waterbrook. Downtown, many tasting rooms have opened over the years, including Spring Valley, Canoe Ridge, Bergevin Lane and Fort Walla Walla Cellars.

Head to the airport east of town for Dunham Cellars, Tamarack Cellars and Five Star Cellars. East of the airport is Walla Walla Vintners.

South of town, wineries include Pepper Bridge Winery, Basel Cellars, Northstar, Saviah Cellars and Watermill Winery.

Lodging: Downtown Walla Walla has plenty of budget motels from which to choose. If you prefer the lap of luxury, the Marcus Whitman is one of the finest hotels in the state. Walla Faces winery has rooms both downtown and amid the vines.

Food: Our favorite restaurants include Whitehouse-Crawford (with its view into Seven Hills Winery’s barrel room) and Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen. Chef Andrae Bopp operates a mobile kitchen (check Twitter or Facebook for his daily location. Want to pack a picnic? Stop at Cugini’s for sandwiches, cheeses and salamis.

Wines: Here are a few wines from Walla Walla wineries to try while you’re visiting the valley.

SuLei Cellars 2009 Les Collines Vineyard Petit Verdot, Walla Walla Valley, $28: Fascinating aromas of purple fruit hint at blueberry taffy and huckleberry, backed by fragrant cinnamon bark and Campari. It’s a multilayered drink of finesse and plushness, starting with black cherry and blackberry compote flavors. There’s bright acidity, decent tannins and a smoky finish of chocolate-covered almonds.

Sweet Valley Wines 2009 Viognier, Columbia Valley, $25: This opens with aromas of fresh Jonagold apple, canned Bartlett pear, orange peel and banana cream pie topped with toasted coconut. The drink spills out flavors of pineapple, orange sections and apple peel.

Pepper Bridge Winery 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $55: This carries classic Cab scents of black cherry, cocoa powder, coffee and finely ground black pepper, but there’s also blackberry and boysenberry. Inside, there’s depth to the flavors of black currant and black cherry, which carries along chocolate-covered pomegranate and licorice. Its bold structure and blend of anise with licorice make for a finish that seems to hang elegantly.

Spring Valley Vineyard 2009 Katherine Corkrum Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley, $50: Here is a beautiful wine with aromas of dark chocolate, dark plums, vanilla extract and boysenberries. On the palate, it offers luscious flavors of pomegranates, herbal tea, black licorice and black cherries.

Helix by Reininger 2006 Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $28: A pretty wine with aromas of cedar, dark plums, cherries and slate followed by flavors of oak, cherries, plums and dark chocolate. It is backed with ample acidity and tannin, and it will pair well with spaghetti and meatballs, pizza or stews.

Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman are the editors of Wine Press Northwest magazine. For the freshest reviews, go to www.winepressnw.com/freshpress.

If you go

Vistors guide: www.wallawalla.org

Lodging:

•The Marcus Whitman Hotel, 6 W. Rose St.; 509-525-2200; marcuswhitmanhotel.com

Walla Faces Vineyard, Inns@the Vineyard, 254 Wheat Ridge Lane; 877-301-1181, ext. 1

Historic downtown inn, 214 E. Main Street; 877-301-1181; www.wallafaces.com

Food:

•Whitehouse Crawford, 55 W. Cherry St.; 509-525-2222; whitehousecrawford.com

Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen, 125 W. Alder St.; 509-525-2112; saffronmediterraneankitchen.com

Cugini Import Italian Foods; 960 Wallula Ave.; 509-526-0809; www.cuginiimportfoods.com

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.