Grant Johnston, party of 2 - 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 Cellar.
The Perfect Day
Your driver and guide for the day is Cheryl. (206) 979-6489
~10:45 a.m. pickup at The Courtyard Marriott, 550 W Rose St.
11:00 a.m. — Echolands Estate Winery
3281 Mill Creek Rd, Walla Walla, WA 99362
Tasting $20pp, waived with purchase of 2 bottles
After a lot of excitement and buzz, the flagship Echolands Estate winery is finally open and serving expectant tasters from across the US. Echolands was created in 2018 by Brad Bergman and Doug Frost, two Kansas City residents who believed in the Walla Walla Valley AVA’s ability to offer a distinct style of wine, one that would benefit from aging. In 2023, Echolands was proud to announce Brian Rudin as head winemaker. The group crafts responsibly produced wines that reflect the potential for elegant and balanced wines from this singular place.
1:15 p.m. — Valdemar Estates
3808 Rolling Hills Lane — Fee: $15 flights, lunch menu available
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.
3:30 p.m. — Rotie
84328 Trumbull Ln, Milton-Freewater — Fee $30 pp. (waived with $50 purchase)
If you want 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 summers they show off their selection of crisp Rhone whites from Washington state, as well as their flagship red blends.
At the end of the tasting at Rotie, we can drop you at one of our favorite tasting rooms downtown, or deliver you back to your lodgings.