Walla Walla Itinerary - 11/15
Walla Walla was once the Washington Territory's capital stretching from the Olympic Peninsula and Puget sound, over the Cascade Mountains to the dry Columbia Plateau and rolling Palouse Hills. Walla Walla has been home to tribes, missionaries, fur traders, the Hudson's Bay Company, Idaho gold rushers, U.S. cavalry, and briefly by Lewis & Clark and the Corps of Discovery.
Walla Walla (named by local tribes as the land of many waters) is nestled into a valley in the Blue Mountain's foothills. It features rich fertile soils from years of glacial flooding, which suits many fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Italian immigrants planted vineyards four generations ago, and one of those descendants started the first winery. The first Walla Walla wine was released in 1977 by Leonetti Cellar.
Sunday, November 15
10 a.m. Pick-up
Scenic Drive
Enjoy a 30-minute drive through the rolling Palouse on the way to the Touchet Valley! Lewis and Clark took this route and camped just outside the little town of Dayton, Washington.
10:35 a.m. Monteillet Fromagerie
109 Ward Rd., Dayton, WA Fee: $20 pp (Please bring cash)
Enjoy a genuinely French-inspired cheese tasting on a 32-acre farm and fromagerie. Bubbling with hospitality and artistry is Joan Monteillet. Her goat and sheep milk cheese can be paired with wines.
12:45 Dunham Cellars (2)
150 E. Boeing Ave. Fee: $10 pp (60 mins; pre-paid)
Situated in an old airport hanger, Dunham Cellars produces everything from fresh Sauvignon Blanc to bold Cabernets.
2 p.m. - Garrison Creek Cellars (2)
122 Hood Road, — Fee: $35pp (waived with purchase)
A family-owned winery located in the heart of the 220-acres Les Collines Vineyard. An historic barn was renovated into a gravity-flow winery, complete with cellar. From the site in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, estate wines are bottle-aged for an extra year beyond the typical annual releases of the Walla Walla wineries. Nothing typical about Garrison Creek Cellars, you will be transported by the amazing views, smooth reds and friendly hospitality.
4 p.m. Reininger (2)
5858 Old Highway 12 — Fee: (waived because I’m a club member)
Winemaker Chuck Reininger has built two wineries—Helix and Reininger. A family affair with four generations of farming in the Palouse. From wheat to wine, Reininger Winery is a celebration of Walla Walla Valley fruit sourced from the oldest blocks of the Seven Hills Vineyard. They are particularly known for their old-vine Walla Walla Carmenere. Helix is a second label which represents a fun collection of Columbia Valley wines. Affordable and approachable and 100% quality.
