Walla Walla Itinerary - Meghan Miller, party of 8, 3/13
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.
The Perfect Day
~10:00 a.m. pickup at 1655 Taumarson Road, Walla Walla, WA 99362
10:15 a.m. — SMAK
594 Piper Ave — Tasting Fee: $22 pp, waived with 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.
11:00 p.m. — Prospice
145 E Curtis Ave. — Tasting Fee: $15 pp, waived with $40 purchase
Prospice is Latin for “look to the future,” but winemakers Jay Krutulis and Matt Reilly have a deep respect for the ancient roots of winemaking as well. Don’t let this unassuming little winery fool you. One of the most exciting entrants to the Walla Walla scene in the past decade, Prospice was born after these two left their respective careers in law and architecture to enroll in the enology program here at the Community College, work in several notable wineries, and eventually team up to make wines of their own. And what wines! Made only from fruit carefully sourced from some of the most obsessively managed vineyards in the state, including several AVAs besides Walla Walla, we’ll let these ravishing specimens speak for themselves. You’ll see why these two are sometimes referred to as the Simon and Garfunkel of Walla Walla wine.
12:45 p.m. — Runway Sparkling Wine Bar
455 B Street — Fee: Flights and bites
This grab-and-go market and sparkling wine bar has helped fill two serious needs in the Walla Walla Valley: food options in the airport district and flights of local sparkling. Featuring wines produced in Washington state in multiple different styles, there’s something for everyone. This is a great stop for lunch, snacks and gifts.
2:30 p.m. — Grosgrain Vineyards
2158 Half Acre Ln, Walla Walla — Fee $20 pp., waived with a 2 bottle purchase per taster.
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. — back to your lodgings (1655 Taumarson Road, Walla Walla, WA 99362 )