Walla Walla Itinerary - the Perfect Day
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 Cellars.
Saturday, August 27
10:45 a.m. pickup at your AirBnB, 128 Eagan Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362
Scenic Drive
Enjoy a 30-minute drive through the rolling Palouse on the way to the Monteillet Fromagerie! Lewis and Clark took this route and camped just outside the little town of Dayton, Washington.
11:15 a.m. Monteillet Fromagerie
109 Ward Rd., Dayton, WA—Fee: $20 pp (Please bring cash)
Enjoy a genuinely French-inspired afternoon and lunch sampling cheese on a 32-acre farm and fromagerie. Bubbling with hospitality and artistry is Joan Monteillet. Truly a story of love and passion. Wine pairings, featuring new and innovative winemakers will be available for $30 pp. The wine tasting will focus on Petit Verdot.
1:45 p.m. - SMAK
594 Piper Ave., Walla Walla— Tasting Fee: $20 pp, waived with $20 purchase
A delicate tribute to the apex of summer. Owner-winemaker Fiona Mak is focused on all things pink, but this is no girlish affair. Savvy sippers will love the acidity and freshness of this lineup of rosé.
She’s a recent graduate of the Walla Walla Community College Enology & Viticulture program, but not new to hospitality, with an impressive CV in some of the greats of NYC. She brings her love of food into her operation by providing pairing suggestions.
3 p.m. - Grosgrain
2158 Half Acre Ln, Walla Walla — Fee: $20 pp. (waived with purchase)
Grosgrain Vineyards is one of the new kids on the block and boy are they fresh. They offer a diverse array of wine varietals including sparkling, rose, white and red. They do a range of small-batch wines that sell out very quickly—especially their Pet-Nat! From their tastefully appointed facility look out over the rows of Nebbiolo, Aglianico, Grenache and Carignan. Can you tell one of the owners is a designer? Yes!
4:30 p.m. - Valdemar
3808 Rolling Hills Lane, Walla Walla — Fee: $15 flights
One of the best views of the Blue Mountains is on the balcony of Valdemar Estates. Relax and enjoy a flight of wines from Walla Walla or Spain. As the first internationally owned winery in Washington State, Valdemar Estates continues the family legacy of fine wine making. Bodegas Valdemar is owned by a 5th generation winemaking family from Oyón in Northern Spain. The Walla Walla winery features traditional Spanish tapas and flights by the glass. Valdemar Estates has the wow factor that one looks for in wine country.
