Why You Must Visit Walla Walla on Your Next Wine Trip

Ep 39

Today, I’m sharing with you one of my favorite wine regions in the entire world, Walla Walla, Washington!

To me this region is like a secret little getaway. Like many of you I spend so much of my time feeling stressed out and worrying about everything that needs to get done. And every time I visit Walla Walla I feel so relaxed and chill and it’s like my worries just disappear when I am there.

I want to share this amazing region with you so you can ditch Napa and visit Walla Walla on your next wine trip!

One of the most special places in Walla Walla is a sub-region called The Rocks District. The wines from this region have distinct and diverse flavor profiles, think bacon fat and black pepper but also ripe fruitiness with blackberries and blueberries.

And since this is one of my all time favorite places I’m diving into its history, its unique climate for growing grapes, as well as how to travel to Walla Walla, where to stay while you are there, when is the best time of year to visit, which wineries to visit, and where to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Walla Walla is an ideal destination for wine lovers who are seeking an immersive and authentic wine-tasting adventure so if that sounds like you: press play and get ready to plan your visit to Walla Walla!

And if you would like to enjoy this amazing wine country without having to do any of the planning, come join my April 2024 Walla Walla retreat! I still have a couple spots left! Book your spot here: corkandfizz.com/2024-walla-walla-wine-retreat

Or grab my entire West Coast Wine Guide here!

https://corkandfizz.myflodesk.com/lqfp4htxut

Related episodes:

Ep 7 - So You Want to be a Winemaker with DamselCellars’ Mari Womack

https://www.corkandfizz.com/wine-blog/guide-to-wine-podcast-episode-7

Ep 20 - Creating a Luxury Wine Experience with NFL Star Sidney Rice & Entrepreneur Tim Lenihan of Dossier Wines

https://www.corkandfizz.com/wine-blog/guide-to-wine-podcast-episode-20

Ep 29 - Cork Crew Q&A with Karen MacNeil, Author of The Wine Bible  https://www.corkandfizz.com/win

Don't Forget to Download my Free Wine Tasting Guide! - https://www.corkandfizz.com/free-wine-tasting-guide

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Transcript

0:12

Testing. Testing. Alright. It all sounds good. We'll turn this on. And yep. Okay. Recording episode 39 of the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine Podcast. Hold on. Okay. Today, I'm telling you about one of my favorite wine regions in the entire world, Walla Walla. I feel like this region is a secret little getaway. Oh, hold on. I should say Walla Walla, Washington. I'm gonna say that again. Today, I'm gonna be telling you about one of my favorite wine regions in the entire world, Walla Walla, Washington. Is a little bit of a mouthful, so I wanted to say that a little slowly. Walla Walla, Washington. Say that 5 times fast. I feel like this region is like little getaway that very few people know about. I mean, if you don't live in, like, Washington or maybe Idaho on the other side or Oregon, You've probably never heard of it. I mean, unless, of course, you follow me on Instagram at corkandfizz, then I don't shut up about it. So you definitely know about Walla. My hope is that by the end of this podcast, you will be trading your trip to Napa Valley for a trip to Walla Walla. Now, before we get into it, just a quick reminder, if you are not on my mailing list yet, I would love for you to join. When you do, you will get a free shopping guide that has 15 of my favorite wines under $15. Simply head to korknfizz.com, Scroll down to the bottom and there'll be a little section where you can join the mailing list. I send out a weekly newsletter filled with wine tips, recommendations, special offers, little tips and tricks along the way and so much more. And be sure to check out my virtual tasting club, The Court Crew. It is your opportunity to taste wine with me, but from the comfort of your own home. We get together twice a month, wants to try new wines? Well, we try wines both times. I shouldn't say wants to try both times we try new wine. But once is focused on, you know, a dedicated tasting of 2 unique fun wines. Sometimes they're from the same region. Sometimes they're the same grape but from different regions, and sometimes they're just totally random ones that I thought would be fun to try together. We learn about them. We learn about where they're from, the grapes that they're made out of, and then, of course, do a tasting together. And then the 2nd event of the month is 1 where we get to talk from other peep where we get to talk to other people in the wine world, like winemakers, sommeliers, authors. Everybody in the wine world has so much to share, and you get to learn so much from their experience. And these events have just been a ton of fun. So if you want to give it a try, you can do so without the commitment. Yeah, you're in luck. Right now, I'm offering a free class pass to anybody who wants to try out the court crew. With this pass, you will be able to join a court crew event of your choosing. It doesn't have to be the next one, though I mean, it should be the next one. What are you waiting for? But there's no strings attached. I don't need your credit card. I don't need you to sign up for a membership. I just need your email, and you will be my guest. So simply head to corkandphys.com/freeclasspass to get that free pass. Alright. Let's get into it. Okay. Let's start with the basics for Walla Walla. So Walla Walla is a small line region that straddles the Oregon Washington border. So I do say Walla Walla, Washington, but Technically, part of Walla Walla is in Oregon, and we'll talk about that in a little bit. It is within Shouldn't scratch my wrist right from the mic. Okay. It is within the Columbia Valley wine region, which is basically like This massive wine region in Washington where most wine regions in the state are also in Columbia Valley. It has over 3,000 acres of vineyards and more than a 120 wineries. In terms of terroir, which, Again, remember, that just means, like, sense of place. Like, what is the climate and the geography like? It is warm, Semi arid, and it's called a continental climate. Essentially, there isn't any water nearby to influence them. They produce wine varieties that love the sun but can handle a cold winter. You see, in the winter, every 10 years or so, which honestly it's starting to happen even more than that, There are these deep freezes that can happen, and they kill the vines. It gets so cold that the vines don't even just go dormant. They they die from the cold. So many vineyard managers actually bury a cane, which if you think about a typical grapevine, like, I'm guessing what comes to your head is the, like, t shape. So you have the the roots or the the trunk that comes up, and then there are either there are canes on either side that make the tea. And so vineyard managers have started to bury one of those canes Each year for insurance just in case the rest of the plant dies out, that one that's planted, the soil and having it underground actually keeps it insulated, and so it typically survives those really, really cold winters. Some vineyard managers, which if you remember talking to Brooke Delmas Robertson from Delmas Winery, are from Delmas SGR Vineyards. She actually created a new way of growing the grapes where she does these low goblets. Like, think about picture your hand And, like, with your hand facing upward and, like, making, like, a cup shape. Right? Like, you're holding something in your hand. That's why she created the she made the vines go into that shape, but very low to the ground so that she can bury the entire vine over the winter to keep it safe. It's really crazy. If you haven't heard that episode, go back to listen to it. It's I don't know the number, but just search Delmas or Delmas SGR, Brooke Delmas Robertson. You will find it. It's a great interview. Then in the summer right? So in the winter, these vines have to survive the super cold. In the summer, it can get super hot with so much sun with so much sunshine that vineyard managers need to be smart about shade. So a lot of times the canopy, which is the all the leaves that are grown on the vines will be used to kind of protect the grapes. Also, they are thinking A lot of places are trying planting vines closer together so that 1 row can shade the next. So, again, an area that gets a lot of sun and some hot weather along with some very winters. And then rainfall wise, they get an average of just 15 inches per year. In some areas of Walla Walla Get as little as 9 inches per year, which is less rainfall than the Gobi Desert gets. So not a lot of rainfall happening around here. Now in Walla Walla, there are 2 official appellations. There's the Walla Walla AVA, of course, and that encompasses the entire Walla Walla area. Then there's a very specific AVA called the Rocks District of Milton Free Water, And it's often just shortened to the Rocks District. This area is super special. Many have likened it to Chateauneuf du Pape in France due to a similar rocky soil. And when I say rocky soil, I mean, when you're looking at the vineyard, you see these big rocks just sitting in the vineyard, and you're like, where is the soil? Like, it's it's just rocks. And these rocks, they came from so the region used to be this massive ancient riverbed. And over time, their millions of cobblestones were deposited and especially during the Missoula floods that happened during the last ice age. And these rocks that were deposited, they go up to 600 feet deep. And this in comparison now for thinking about Chateau Steufau, which again is a very well known region in the Rhone Valley of France. They have lots of rock, But it only goes down a few feet. Once you go down a few feet, you hit clay soil, which is very different versus here in the rock district. You go all you keep going all the way down and you keep getting more rocks, and it allows the roots to continue growing even deeper to look for water. So it's very, very cool. I think this area is just like it's a must see. Like, it's so unique and so different and actually seeing, like, all the rocks that these vineyards are growing in. It's it's So cool. And the wines that are made from these vineyards, they're super powerful. I keep saying super a lot, but, like, I mean it. Very powerful, especially the Syrah. I think that's, like, the standout of Washington, but also the standout of Walla Walla in the rocks district. It's savory. It's got the salinity to it, lots of umami flavors. You know? Think like bacon fat and then some spice from black pepper, but Also, this nice fruitiness with blackberries and blueberries and a smooth acidity because of the minerality, so it's not sharp and biting your tongue, but it's just So nice that you wanna go in for another sip. That is the wine that's being made in the Rocks district and why you gotta check that out. Alright. Before we go too much into the lines, I could talk forever. Let's talk a little bit about history. I'm sure you're like, Hailey, we started the podcast and you didn't do history. What is up with you? Yeah. I know. We put it in the middle this time. I thought I'd give you some basics first. So Walla Walla means many waters. It's thought that Native Americans first arrived in the region in about 17 twenties to 17 forties, having traveled there from modern day Arizona and New Mexico. So the name comes from those natives, the Native Americans that lived in the area, before anybody else moved in and started growing vineyards. Now the first vines now the first vines weren't planted until 1974. So when you think about how long, you know, areas of France and Europe have been making wine and then even how long California has been making wine. It is a very new region. So first vines planted in 1974. They were planted by Gary Figgins of Leonetti Vineyards at the time. Figgins along with a fellow drill sergeant from the army, Rick Small, who was actually the founder of Woodward Canyon, They together mapped out the initial Walla Walla AVA while driving around in Figgins' 1971 truck, And it is also said they had a nice 6 pack of beer in the console between them. So this is a very rural area, and, I mean, it honestly still is. This pair, Figgins and Small, they taught themselves how to make wine and became the pioneers of Walla Walla wine. Leonetti Cellars won Wine and Spirits Magazine's American wine championship for their 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon. So imagine, like it's funny because looking back, you can say, okay. So they The vines were planted in 1974, so it only took 4 years for them to get that recognition. But now that I'm thinking about it, like, as somebody who's created their own business and, like, I'm In you know, I've I've been in business for over 3 years now, and it's just like, man, 4 years can be, like, a long time to have to wait for the recognition. But in the wine world, that's such a short amount of time, so it was clear that Walla Walla was a great region to be producing grapes and making wine. So along with so like I said, the first ones were Leonetti and Woodward Canyon. After them, there were many wineries that followed in their footsteps. The next group was Le Colle, number 41, Waterbrook, Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills, and Cayuse. Now in 1984, Walla Walla was officially named an AVA. Remember talking about the Rocks District just for fun? That one actually wasn't named an AVA until 2015, so it's very, very new. And now there are over a 120 wineries Walla Walla. I thought it would be fun to talk a little bit about why I love Walla Walla. Like, why do I not stop talking about it? What makes it so special. And, honestly, if you do follow me on Instagram, you know that I've led, you know, my 1st big retreat, I led in Walla Walla. So I'm a little biased, but Also, the question can be said, why did you choose Walla Walla, right, for your 1st spot? And I'm actually heading back again this April, so in 2024. And as I'm recording this, there are still a couple spots open. So if you are interested, feel free to reach out. I don't know what it'll look like by the time this released, but who knows? There might be a spot open for you. So for the why, why do I love Walla Walla? It's Easy, really. It's it's the feeling I get when I'm there. I spend so much of my life, like, stressed and worried about what needs to get done. Like, It's a 1,000,000 things running through my head at one time. Like, have we ordered groceries? Did I send that email to my team? Are we saving enough money for the future? And When I say we, this is usually my husband and I. And then, like, when was the last time we gave the dog a bath? Like, have I gotten all those tasks So and then I needed to. Did I record the podcast in time so my manager can work on it? Like, did we talk about do we ask our friends if they could watch Sadie for us while we take a trip see family. It's just I swear these things run through my brain all day every day, and things will remind me all the time. My mind is just always racing, except in Walla Walla. When I'm there, there's just something about how, like, relaxed and chill it is that it's like my worries weren't even allowed in. Like, they just disappear. They're like, this is not the right spot to be in right now. And, I mean, I know it sounds kinda cheesy, but it's just the best way that I can describe it. Or, like, you know that feeling so right now, while you're listening to this, I'm gonna tell you to Release the tension in your jaw. Release the tension in your forehead. Relax. Okay. That feeling that you're getting right now, right, while we are just relaxing and releasing the tension of either the evening when you were sleeping, or if you're listening to this in the afternoon and you're releasing all that tension that's built up all day. That that is how I feel when I'm in Walla Walla. And the thing is, like, Even more than just, like, the feeling of it, when it comes to the culinary and winemaking scene, there's still so much fun and exploration happening. So I remember being in Napa, and my husband and I, we stopped at this small little tasting room. I've talked about it a lot. I mentioned it on the Chenin Blanc, podcast a little bit ago, and we this this old tasting room is where we tasted one of the best Chenin Blancs that either of us have ever had before. And I remember asking them, like, this spot was one of the only spots we found Chenin Blanc at. Like, why don't more places grow this? This clearly could do so well here. And simply put, it's because the land is too expensive to grow a grape that won't make as expensive of a wine as a Cabernet would, so not a lot of places are going to really invest in that. Now that's because Napa has become, you know, such a famous region and famous for particular wines. In newer regions like Walla Walla and just less renowned, less well known of. There's still that opportunity for adventure and exploration. I mean, people are trying sparkling wines, dessert wines, earthy mousvettes, fresh rose of cinco, orange wines. I've had a textural peak pool. I've had a bright and acidic alberino. Like, they are doing a lot. Now you're gonna hear Walla Walla is very well known for their Syrah and their red wines, and that's not wrong. But the thing is there's still so much of this other stuff happening that it's not an outlier to have something a little different on your, like, wine tasting menu versus in Napa, I think it's a little more of an outlier to have those unique things or, like, you purposely have to, like, seek those out. And if if you don't just listening and hearing me saying this isn't enough, the great Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible, So she knows her stuff. It has actually likened Walla Walla to the Napa Valley of 40 years ago. So we might not be able to invent a time machine for you to get to experience Napa when it was first starting out, but this is the closest you're gonna get that. So you can see what it's like to see a wine region when it's in, you know, its early days. Not like super early, but still decently early where they're still kinda trying things out. And then imagine, like, 40 years from now talking about, oh, yes. Walla Walla back when it was first starting, and you got to see what it was all like. I I don't know. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. It's so fun. And the thing is, I'm not the the only one. Now, of course, we have Karen McNeil talking about it, and then, obviously, I I think it's super cool. But I also got a message from a client who had joined me on last year's Walla Walla retreat, and she said that while Napa Valley is undoubtedly renowned, right, for its wines in California, Walla Walla offers a distinctive experience. Walla Walla is known for its intimate, boutique wineries providing a more personalized and authentic atmosphere. And she likened this to some of the experiences we did like at De Clot, which I will talk about some of my favorite wineries at the end of this podcast. But she said, you know, like, De Clot, Delmas, Gramercy, Foundry, and Long Shadows. They all and even some of these are quite big wines. Long Shadows is a pretty big winery, But it still felt like a personalized and authentic experience, and she said, you know, compared to the larger scale operations that you find in Napa. And so the region of Walla Walla's unique terroir results in wines with different flavor profiles, and Walla Walla also tends to be less crowded, allowing for a more relaxed and immersive tasting experience. And, again, these are her words, not mine. Choosing Walla Walla over Napa offers a chance to explore a wine region with its own character and charm and understanding the impact of volcanoes and rocks in the grapes. Like, oh, I just I love that. I think that's so fun. Nothing against Napa. I've had a great trip to Napa, but If you were gonna go on 1 wine trip and you were gonna visit 1 wine region, this is where I'm trying to tell you, you Gotta check out Walla Walla. It's just it has that de noissequoi, you might say. That just you know, it's charming and it's a little different, and you're gonna get a whole lot more out of it. And you're probably gonna spend a little less money too. So, I mean, Win win? That's not that sounds good to me. Okay. So talking about visiting Walla Walla, let's get into some of the travel basics. So first off, How do we get there? Now like most wine regions around the world, not the easiest to get to, but 100 percent worth it. So Walla Walla is about a 4 and a half hour drive away from Seattle or a 30 minute flight. So the flight is super simple, but the problem is So there is an airport in Walla Walla, but no matter where you're flying from, you'll have to make a stop in Seattle first. It's the only airport that has a connection to Walla Walla. So for those of us in Seattle, not a big deal. And for those of us that are outside of it, the Seattle airport is wonderful. You you won't mind making a stop there. We have some great food. You can also fly into the Tri Cities Airport in Pasco, Washington and then take either a rental car or there is a bus line called the Grape Line bus down to Walla Walla. That Grape Line offers 3 round trips, to Walla Walla daily, or at least they did while I was recording this. Now once you get to Walla Walla, when it comes to getting around, There is all of, like, 1 Uber or Lyft driver in Wallowa, so I would not rely on that. You will have to drive around. And while you can walk to some of the downtown wineries, of course, if you're downtown, many wineries are out of town. They're only about, like the furthest one is, like, 30 minutes away, but still, you're gonna need a car. So you're either gonna need a designated driver in a rental car or hiring a car service. And there are some good options out there. My recommendation is Walla Walla Taxi. If you're looking to hire somebody for a car service I've worked with them on my last retreat. Goodness. How was that car so loud? I worked with them on my last retreat, and I'm working with them again this year. It's a super nice guy. He's trying grow this new business, and he's had a lot of success. Alright. So in terms of going around, do not rely on the Uber and Lyft drivers. They will not be there. Get yourself a rental car or hire somebody ahead of time. Now where to stay? There are lots of great places. I'm gonna tell you my top 2. These are places that I personally have stayed in in Walla Walla and absolutely loved. So the first one is the Finch. This is a hotel. It's perfectly located on the corner of downtown, and it's, like, Basically, between downtown and, I think, Whitman College is the name of the college. So it's between those 2. And so you can actually walk to the college, which is really pretty walks. 1 on my last retreat did that 1 in the mornings, and I was like, oh, so relaxing. It's a remodeled motel style, though they do have 1 building that's more traditional hotel. And when I say, like, motel style, it's, like, the idea that, like, you your door faces, like, the outside. Like, you you walk outside and then directly into your room. There's something nice about it to me. I don't know. It but it is you know, it's nice and enclosed. I wouldn't worry about it too much, and it's very, very nice. Like, not what you think of when you hear a motel. Don't worry. It's totally remodeled, very fun, funky, cozy. And they have a courtyard with an outdoor fire pit and lots of fun, like, outdoor games to play. Another spot, if you're looking for something a little different, is the Westley. This is this is where I stayed when I went with my husband, so it's just the 2 of us on, like, a little romantic trip. This was perfect for that. It's a little boutique gorgeous. Just inside and out. They had a lot of fun with the design. Also has one of the biggest hot tubs I think I've ever seen in in the backyard and just general amazing outdoor space. If you're going during a time when you can be outside a lot, I would look into this. I think this could also be great on a girls' weekend. They have just regular bedrooms, but also a couple suites as well to rent. Okay. And then last in terms of just kind of basics here, when to visit? I feel like this is a question I get a lot. I would say my 2 favorite times, like, when I would recommend would be early spring, so April or May, aka why the wine retreats are in April. You're starting to get to warmer temps, but it's not gonna be too busy, And bud break has just started or is going to start, so the winemakers aren't too busy, but they're probably around. And then the other time is early September, and this is when I went with my husband. And this was kind of a cool time too because you got to see the grapes on the vine. Hopefully, by September, you avoid the summer heat. Actually, I'm remembering now. We went the end of August, and it was still a little hot, like, in the nineties. And so I think if you can wait until September, it'll cool down just a little bit. It'll be right around harvest, so things might be a little busier. But visiting a wine region during harvest is actually a really, really cool thing to do, and get to see people doing. But you might not be able to interact with the winemakers as much because They're very busy. Now the reason why I say these times so summer, it can be super hot in Walla Walla. This is a desert like climate. So they get very warm. It's also the busiest time for visitors. But it get you know, it's gonna be absolutely gorgeous and such a fun time. So, like, Don't not go during the summer because it's the only time you can go. It's it's gonna be beautiful. And and then in terms of winter, it it could be cold enough snow, so just be prepared for that. And many winemakers are either insanely busy in the early winter with their winemaking or they're traveling in late winter because it's their off season. But it won't be nearly as busy in terms of just, like, the people visiting, so it could be super cozy. And I feel like you could probably snag, like, a great deal on a hotel during the winter, so that could be a fun time to go, too. Okay. We have made it to probably my favorite part of this episode, which is sharing all of my favorite spots. So we're gonna start with wineries. Now Walla Walla itself so I said there's only 1 other, like, separate AVA, and that's the Rock District, but they tend to separate out the wineries and districts. I admittedly have not visited all of the different districts, so I'm gonna focus on the ones that I have visited, in a lot of the wineries that, like, I either have connections with or I was there because I want to make sure that I'm recommending things that I would definitely want to do myself. So we're going to start on the west side, and we're going to start with Gramercy Cellars. This, This winery is all about Rhone and Bordeaux style wines, but they're always trying new things. I love it. I've I've talked to the the winemaker there, and he just said every year they like to do something new just to kinda, like, try it out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This was founded the winery is founded by a master sommelier, which I also think is very cool by his name is Greg Harrington. This was in 2005. I am a sucker for their Syrah, but they also make a really awesome Mouvedre. I've been obsessed with that varietal lately. It's the m in GSM, Mouvedre, GSM, from Rhone Valley, if you've ever heard of the GSM blend. And they also have a fun pit pool, which is like the a very bright white wine also from the Rhone Valley, And, also, I think you can find it in Southern France too. And the Ewenier that I also like from them basically, I love fucking Grand Mercy Cellars wines. They have a small but very cozy tasting room. And on each of my winery sheets so my past one and on my next one, we will be doing a tour through the cellar in the winemaking facility. So Who knows? Maybe if you send them an email, but you're not with me, you might get that offer. But your best bet, come with me, and we'll get to do, like, a full, tour through everything, and they actually gave us some tastes from the barrel and from the tank, and we got to try 1 in a lot of different phases. So Gramercy Sellers. Then you have Foundry Cellars. Foundry Cellars, they make incredible low intervention wines. They're really big into organic and biodynamics. If you want to learn about that, Go check out Foundry Cellars. They also have deep roots in contemporary art and design. So their tasting room always hosts a contemporary art gallery And there's a gorgeous outdoor sculpture garden. They also have what they call the Pet Project and these are different Pet Nat sparkling wines. So if you're into sparkling lines, Foundry Cellars is definitely a must, visit. Alright. Last one on the west side is Long shadows. Long Shadows was founded by Alan Shupe, former president and CEO of Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery. This winery I think this is such a great concept, and and I really I feel like I'm kinda surprised I don't see it in other places. Oh, sorry, Liz. This winery is just it's I always say this. Okay. Long Shadows is this unique partnership that brings 7 of the world's most celebrated winemakers 2 Washington State's Columbia Valley. So, basically, Shupe had this idea that, you know, Walla Walla or not Walla Walla. Sorry. Shupe had this idea that Washington could create a lot of wine super similar to wines around the world, and so he wanted to show off what the valley could do. And so he brought in and so he brought in winemakers from these famous regions. So I think he brought in a German riesling producer. He brought in a Spanish Tempranillo producer. He brought in a Bordeaux Cabernet producer, And each partner crafts a single stand alone wine using the grape varieties for which he they are best known to showcase the best of Columbia Valley. I I just think that is so neat. And they're tasting room in Walla Walla. Oh my god. We went on our last on the last street in 2023. It is beautiful. It is covered in chihuly glass. If you're not familiar, go look up chihuly glass. It's beautiful. They have amazing views and a big patio. They're also a good spot to go to if you want some charcuterie while you're tasting. I always like to know which ones have, like, a really good charcuterie board. Long Shadows has a good one. And when we did the tasting there, we did this really fun comparative tasting with Riesling, but in different glassware. So The thing about that is I really love when our tasting room also has some education involved when you're doing the tasting and so you can get that at Long Shadows. Okay. Now moving it to downtown. Now technically I've not visited either of these wineries, but I have tasted wine from both of them so I know that they're worth a visit. So the first one is wine collective, and this is a new tasting room in Walla Walla. I believe it just opened either in 20 I think it opened in at the end of 2023. It's the dossier was founded by ex NFL player Sydney Rice and real estate entrepreneur Tim Linehan. I had them on the podcast a little while back. Go find that interview. That was so fun talking to them. They just really wanna show off the region's great potential. Again, all these people are like, I think when you're in Washington, you know that Washington makes great wine, but not a lot of people outside of Washington know that. So we're just trying to Tell more people about how amazing our wine is. Sorry, Liz. Dossy is definitely a little elegant, a little up scale but not in a snobby way. So it's a great opportunity to kind of maybe put on that little fancy dress that you have or dress it up a little bit. The other winery in downtown that I think you should check out is called Pursued by Bear. This was founded by Kyle MacLachlan, which That name might sound familiar. He is an actor in desperate housewives, sex and the city, and most famously, twin peaks. I I don't have a podcast with him, but he did join the court crew for a fun tasting. So if you join the court crew membership, you can go back and watch that recording. He's actually a native of Yakima. So, again, he wanted to show off what the state of Washington can do, so he created pursued by bear. He took a lot of time creating his tasting room. He wanted to be fun and charming, and they have really, really good wine. Like, the Cabernet Sauvignon from there, like, I'm remembering that. I had a taste of it, and it's I used the Corbin, so it's still sitting in my cellar. And I'm, like, waiting for the right moment to pull that out again. Really, really good wine. Okay. The next, let's see here. The next Okay. Alright. So the next district is the south side, and, apparently, this is where I visit most of the wineries because I'm familiar with a lot of them in this area. So the first one is Brook and Bowl Cellars. This is, from winemaker Ashley Trout, and this is her goal to kinda return to the roots So the varietal make really balanced wines. If you've heard of Ashley Traut before, you may know her as the founder of Vital Wines. This is a winery where their goal is to improve equity and access to health care for vineyard workers and their families. So the winemaking and grapes for vital wines are often donated, So all the proceeds can go to the foundation and helping vineyard workers. So while I am shouting out Broken Bowl because you should definitely check out their wine, Vital Wines is also a great one, and they're actually downtown, also a good visit. On the next wine retreat, to Walla Walla that I'm doing in April of 2024, We will be enjoying a Malbec side by side tasting of Brooklyn Ball, which I think will just be so wonderful, and we'll get to do it with Ashley herself. So, like, anytime you get to talk to the winemaker, I love it. Okay. Next up on the south side is North Star. This winery is all about highlighting Merlot. And, honestly, I think it's a grape that needs a little more attention, so I'm glad that they're doing it. And it's one of the one of the early ones. It was founded back in 1994. What makes North Star special and why I have it on this list as an absolute must visit, They have an amazing blending class. You actually get to go in. They have 4 to 7 barrels of wine. I'm waiting for the garage door. I don't know if you can hear it, but I can. They have oh, it's gonna go again. We'll track it. They have 4 to 7 barrels of wine, and usually 4 of them are 4 different from different vineyards, and then there's a couple other blending grapes, and you get to make your very own wine. So you're gonna blend it in a glass first, then you're gonna put it in a bottle. You get to put a cork in it and literally take that bottle home. It's it's such a cool experience, and you best bet we are gonna be doing it on this next retreat as well. And North Star has gorgeous views. If you could I mean, they have these little cute cabanas. So if you're ever visiting just on your own, you can rent a cabana cabana, cabana. It like potato, potato? You rent one of those and just look out at all the vineyards, and it is so, so pretty. And speaking of beautiful views, Caprio sellers. I mean, there's so many more things that are great about Caprio as well, but it's up kind of high, And so you get this really beautiful view of the valley. So Caprio was founded by Dennis Murphy, and the winery is all about family and tradition. So it's kind of The idea of creating the winery came from his, you know, his memory of his great grandmother, Sanitella. And she knew each family in her small little Italian neighborhood by their homemade wine, and so he really wanna kinda bring that there. His great grandmother also believed, Hold on. Let's go out His great grandmother also believed that when anybody entered her home, she should give them some wine and also Feed them. So, at Caprio, your tasting always comes with a delicious perfectly paired and often seasonally driven bite To eat with your wine. And, one of the only places that you can find these days that has a free tasting fee. Yeah. You can just go and enjoy the wine. They're like, you're our guest. We want you to enjoy. And lo and behold, amazingly, so many people come out into that winery with boxes of wine because they just they love it, and they they make it to pair with the food, and it's delicious. Highly recommend. Okay. Next up on the south side, we have Pepper Bridge Winery. So this is owned and operated by 3 families. You have the McKibbons, the Murphy's, and the Pelletts. And the winery is a leader in Quality winemaking, they care a lot about hospitality, which again is that whole thing about, like, making sure that you have a great experience while you're there, and innovative technology, which is always great when you see that coming into wineries. This Pepper Bridge was one of the original wineries in Walla Walla, and they focus on again, I talked about that hospitality. They have lots fun experiences. So on our retreat in 2024, we'll be doing a custom food and wine pairing with a little winery tour. But these are actually experiences that are somewhat available for you to book. Now it's not gonna be a custom one for a a group, but they do these kind of classes every once in a while, again, to kinda I love that. I already said that once. And you can't go wrong when you're learning about wine while visiting a new tasting room. Okay. Last 2 in the Southside District again. For some reason, I visited a lot of these. Next one is Sleight of Hand Cellars. This was started in 2007. The winemaking team of Trey Busch, Jerry Solomon, and Keith Johnson. They craft remarkable, highly rated red and white wines. They are also the winery. I don't know if you've ever seen their labels, but they have Neil Patrick Harris on one of their labels, which is Kinda wild. I don't know how that happened. I should have looked up the story for that. But now that's a fun thing for you to go do. Go look at White Flight of Hand Cellars has Neil Patrick Harris on one of their wine labels. It's a super fun, relaxed tasting room. They have over 3,000 vinyl albums. You can choose a song that you'd like to hear, and they'll play it. They just have, you know, a little queue going, and you just add yours in. They often have food trucks in the summer. If you're just looking for, like, a nonchalant, just, like, chill, grab a glass, enjoy, talk with friends. Slido Pan is a great place to go, plus they have amazing wine. And lastly, on the south side, you have Valdemar Estates. This winery was started in Spain and has now been brought over to Washington, so you get an opportunity to try both Spanish and Washington wine. The tasting room, this is one of those where you go just to experience the tasting room because it's so pretty. They put a lot of work into the architecture of it, and you get these beautiful views of the vineyard. And if you can sit out on the patio when the sun is setting, Perfect. Cody and I did that when we visited, and it just I mean, it was I couldn't capture it on video well enough because it was just it was in the moment. So wonderful. And the food here, oh my god. So I studied abroad in Spain when I was in college, and I fell in love with Spanish food. It was literally like Potatoes, eggs, and ham, which is, like, what I'm all about as a Midwestern girl. So oh, and seafood, which I never got much of in the Midwest, but I absolutely love. So the food here, they do that Spanish style food. They do these tapas, and they also do paella dinners. Both of them are worth trying I mean, if you're gonna go here, you have to try the tapas. Like, it is the wine is great and all, but you just can't leave without trying the tapas. Like, There's tortilla Espanola, which is like a basically like an egg omelette with potato and onion. There's octopus if you're willing to try it. It's I think it's delicious. I'm trying to think of what other they're, I think. I believe they still have those. Those are amazing. And, again, the paella, it's a rice dish that's Full of flavor and Yeah. You've you've gotta eat something when you're at Valdemar. Okay. Our last district is actually they just call it Oregon. These are the wineries that are technically in Oregon, so these are even further south than the south side. The 2 here are 2 of my absolute favorites in in Walla Walla. 1st, you have Delmas. And Delmas, they don't have a winery yet, but they do have a vineyard. And so this is family owned and operated. Is kind of the realization of the whole family's dreams, which I think is so It's just very sweet. They care so much for each other, and it's, you know, to honor a distinctive place and a distinctive taste. And this family actually had, You know, a lot of they were a big part of making the rocks district the AVA that it is. So Brooke Delmas Robertson, who is the head or the vineyard manager and head winemaker. I think I said that right. I had her on the podcast a while back. She is just if you're gonna you're gonna learn so much just from listening to her for an hour. So go back and listen to that podcast if you haven't already. And then when you're in Walla Walla, you absolutely have to book a vineyard tour with Delma so that you can learn from her. And, actually, this is where you're gonna get to walk through a vineyard in the rocks district and see all those rocks. It is just it's so it's so cool. I love it. Every time I've done it, I've done it I've twice now, and I'm we're doing it again a 3rd time on this next retreat, and I know I'm gonna learn even more. Now the next winery is just, God, it's less than a mile away, I think, maybe around a mile, but it's the close sellers. And so this is winemaker spouse Toby Turley and Chris Duclos, and their tasting room is right next to their home in this refinished garage space. So It just feels like they've invited you into their home to try their wines that they've been making, and there's something special about that. I you probably can't see me, but I'm smiling real big because I'm imagining when we were back there in April of last year and just it just felt like these people were like, hey. Come on in. Kick back. Relax. Here's a glass of wine. Their goal is to create, you know, these memorable state wine experiences at the foot of the Blue Mountains. And when you're out here in Oregon, You can see those blue mountains, and they're just in the background, and it's it's so pretty. I have to say too, they are very funny and very entertaining. One of the wines that they shared with us was the wine was called I'm Already Sorry. And so Chris, who is the husband in this scenario, told us the story behind this, and I guess it happened to it had something to do with the fact that he may have bought the grapes, without double checking with Toby because he wanted to try something, and he has this great idea in mind. And so he kind of bought the grapes and asked for forgiveness afterwards, and that was his way of asking him like, oops. I'm already sorry, but I did it. So now we're making this wine, and it was a great wine. But it turned out great. Worked out for him. But, yeah, that's. Definitely book a tasting there, and you can also do, like, a with the winemaker in a vineyard tour, which is great to do. Okay. Those are some of my top wineries and places to visit. Now what about food and restaurants? Right? While you're there, you gotta have some good food. Now there's a lot of great options in Walla Walla. For being, like, a fairly small town and decently rural, you would think they wouldn't have a good food scene, but that is Totally wrong. For breakfast, my top recommendations are Walla Walla Bread Co. They have a ridiculous amount of trees, but even more than that, their menu is so good. I always got there was this tart or this, toast that had I And they called it something fancy, some other kind of word for toast, but it was, like, an herbaceous toast with these, not hard boiled eggs, but, like, soft boiled eggs. I don't know. I'm not describing it well, but it's the best thing I've ever eaten, I think, and I got it every single morning when I was in Walla Walla. Like I said, lots of pastries, a great matcha if you're not a coffee person. Go check them out. They also do wood fired pizza, so it's a great spot for lunch as well. Another spot for breakfast is the maple. This is kind of like your typical, like, diner breakfast, which you know, when I say typical, I mean, like, that Big, huge like, I think my husband got, like, an omelet, and then it came with either hash browns or pancakes. And he got the pancakes, and the pancakes were, like god. They were, like, I don't know. Nearly 12 inches of like, it was a big pancake. I'm probably exaggerating. You know? It's like the thing with the fish, but big pancake with the omelette. We went home with so much left So those are my favorite spots for breakfast. And then in terms of lunch, there's this cute little spot called Grey's, and they just do really good sandwich like, Soup, sandwich, salad, simple but delicious. Great to do when you're kind of in between tastings. In terms of dinner, my top 2 recommendations, I would say the Kinglet, and, unfortunately, they closed, at the beginning of this year. They were wonderful. But a good one to do in place of them is called the Passatempo Taverna, and they make really delicious Italian food. And then another one is public house 124. Kinda you're, like, A little bit upscale bar, but not really. Like, it's just very homey. We went to this after, on the last retreat. We had, like, a welcome party on the 1st night, and then a small group of us went to go get dinner, and this was just such a perfect spot for it. A huge menu, lots of different options, and just kinda felt like, You know, you were hanging out with hanging out with friends, so public house 124. And, honestly, you can't go wrong with nearly any of the restaurants that are in Walla Walla. We've had, when I went on the last retreat, everybody kind of tried out some different spots on different nights, and everybody came back with raving reviews, so good food scene out there. Well, I'm hoping now after you've heard me just gush about Walla Walla for half an hour. You are ready to visit. If you are, I'm just gonna plug one more time. If there any spots open on my retreat in April of 2024, I'd love for you to join me. If it is past that and you're listening to this later, you should go take a trip to Walla Walla, Washington, you will not regret it. It is a wonderful, wonderful place. Now if you enjoyed this episode Now if you enjoyed this episode of the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine Podcast, please let me know, and let me know what other areas would you like me to talk about. I Would prefer to, you know, hit up regions that I've visited before when I'm telling you about traveling. So I visited Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, and Willamette Valley. So if you'd like to hear about any of those, let me know. Send me a message on Instagram at corkandfizz or email me hailey@korkandfizz.com. If you love this episode as much as I did, I'd love it if you could take a quick second, rate it, leave a review. You know how this works. Take a picture. Take a screenshot. Hit the share button. Send it to a friend. Share it on your social media. Let people know that they need to learn about wine from me. And, of course, don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. I have a new episode coming out every Wednesday. And speaking of a new episode, next week, I'll be interviewing the wife and wife team behind Cummins to Dreams out of Santa Barbara, California. If Walla Walla is my favorite region in the world, I think Santa Barbara is a close second, and these 2 winemakers are such a great represent you know, just such great and these 2 winemakers are such great representatives of the region. I can't wait for you to hear from them. Thanks again for listening. And as a thank you, I'd like to share my free shopping guide, 15 wines under$15. Simply head to my website, korknfizz.com, scroll down to the bottom, and join my mailing list.