Walla Walla Itinerary - 5/26 - 5/30
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.
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
From Wheat to Wine
Taste with two different winemaker-owners who find farming to be foundational to their production. WIth deep roots and family ties to the Walla Walla Valley you can learn a lot about the history of the valley and the rise of the local wine industry.
Noon - Lunch downtown and tasting
Cameron Kontos, winemaker, Kontos Cellars
2:30 p.m. - Winery Tour and Tasting
Chuck Reininger, partner/winemaker, Reininger Winery
5:15 p.m. - Viognier Comparative Tasting at Brasserie Four
Enjoy a flight of 6 Viognier’s that showcase the varietal. Followed by dinner on classic French brasserie fare.
Thursday, May 27, 2021
Walla Walla AVA
See the Walla Walla AVA with two different vineyard-first winemakers with benchmark vineyard holdings.
9 a.m. - Ziggy Stardust Vineyard Tour and Tasting
Trey Busch partner/winemaker, Sleight of Hand Cellars
12 p.m. - Sevein Vineyard Tour and Tasting,
Jean-Francois Pellet partner/winemaker, Pepper Bridge Winery
Chef’s Lunch at Caprio Cellars
2:30 p.m. - Abeja Winery Reserve Estate Tasting on the grounds of their boutique wine country inn and vineyard.
Dinner Recommendation - Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen - CALL TO BOOK
Friday, May 28, 2021
Rock Your Friday
The Rocks District AVA is producing earthy Syrah’s and Rhone blends. Get up and personal with this AVA while seeing and tasting the cobblestones for yourself.
10 a.m. - Tasting and Winery Tour
Rich Funk, owner/winemaker, Saviah Cellars
12:30 - Rotie Cellars - Rocks District Tasting
Charcuterie lunch in the vineyard from Butcher Butcher
Poke your head into Milton-Freewater, OR for world class gourmet chocolate from Petit Noir or retrace some steps from yesterday’s vineyard tour
OR
Check out the Fort Walla Walla Museum
OR
Pop into Foundry Vineyards Art Gallery and Wine Studio (it’s right next door to your next stop)
4 p.m. - Gramercy Cellars Tasting
Saturday, May 29, 2021
Slice of the Good Life
It’s time get out a little further into the country, out into the rolling Palouse wheat fields. Walla Walla is a farming community first and foremost. We will spend part of the day retracing the Corps of Discovery’s tracks.
9 a.m. - Walla Walla Downtown Farmer’s Market
10 a.m. Tasting at Wine Incubators
Kelsey Itameri, owner/winemaker, ITA Wines
12 p.m. Cheese Tasting at the Monteillet Fromagerie paired with a Curated Walla Walla, Cult Wine Tasting. Take the bottles home with you and watch each wine evolve with 24-48 hours of aeration. Featuring Cayuse Vineyards, Leonetti Cellar, and some surprises!
Chef’s lunch at the Fromagerie catered by TMACs
3:30 p.m. Opening Day at the Spring Valley Ranch at Spring Valley Vineyards
Sunday, May 30, 2021
Benchmark Wineries
Visit 3 benchmark wineries for their classic tasting.
10 a.m. L’Ecole 41
After your tasting, head next door to Woodward Canyon Winery, offering first come, first serve seating in their garden.
Whitman Mission National Historic Site tells the story of early 19th-Century missionaries and the tribes who occupied the Walla Walla Valley.
12:30 p.m. Lunch and tasting
Enjoy the best view of the mountains from Valdemar Estates
Features tapas-style menu paired with Spanish and Walla Walla wines. The first international wine company in Walla Walla.
3 p.m. - Dunham Cellars
Classic tasting in historic hanger.
