Walla Walla Itinerary - 3/26
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.
Saturday, March 26
10:00 a.m. pickup at the Inn at Abeja
Scenic Drive
Enjoy a 30-minute drive through the rolling Palouse on the way to our first stop located in the Touchet Valley! Lewis and Clark took this route and camped just outside the little town of Dayton, Washington.
We will drive down the historic Main Street of Waitsburg, WA the site of Chef Mike Easton’s (of Il Corvo and Il Nido) newest project.
10:35 a.m. - Monteillet Fromagerie
109 Ward Rd., Dayton, WA - Fee: $25 pp
Enjoy a genuinely inspired morning sampling cheese on a 32-acre farm and fromagerie. Bubbling with hospitality and artistry is Joan Monteillet. The spring kids and lambs prance about while you indulge in Curated Walla Walla’s flagship tasting.
Served alongside the cheese tasting, Jenna will provide a Walla Walla wine tasting seminar. The focus will be on single varietal wines of the Walla Walla Valley and other notable vineyards. Learn about 5 unique wineries and discuss their flagship wines. Wine tasting fee is $30 per person.
1:00 p.m. - Aluvé (4)
100 Aluve Ln. — Tasting Fee: $15 pp, waived with purchase
J.J. and Kelly Menozzi have dedicate their lives to the production of estate wines. Outside their doorstep, nestled on a ridge in the foothills of Walla Walla, is the Menozzi Estate Vineyard. Featuring Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot with true to the varietal winemaking styles. The vineyard is just on the doorstep of Chris Figgins’, of Leonetti Family Vineyards, newest project.
2:30 p.m. - Pepper Bridge Winery
1704 JB George Rd — Tasting Fee: $20pp (waived with purchase)
Elegant wines sourced from estate vineyards. Run by my dear friend, Jean Francois Pellet. He was voted 2015 Winemaker of the year and his winery received a 2021 nod, making the top 100 Wineries List for Wine & Spirits. Precise and true to the varietal, the team has produced stunning wines for more than two decades. Offering truly elevated experiences of wine in Walla Walla.
You will be seated on the patio surrounded by the estate vineyards. Take in the beautiful mountain views.
Lunch will be provided courtesy of Curated Walla Walla.
3:45 p.m. - Rotie Cellars (4)
84328 Trumbull Ln, Milton-Freewater — Fee $30 pp. (waived with $50 purchase)
If you want funky, terroir-driven, Rhone-style wines, you need look no further. Set in the Rocks District AVA estate vineyards, you can enjoy a great variety of distinctive wines all with the same earthy character. In the Spring they show off their selection of Rhone single-varietal wines from Washington state, as well as their flagship estate blends.
Return to the Inn at Abeja by ~ 5:30 p.m.
