This is one of my favorite wine regions. The Cab Francs that come out of there are to die for. If you ever get a chance to head that way, make sure you make this a stop on your journey!
For wineries, there are about 200 to choose from, but my faves are Cayuse
(whom you can't even get in to see - I've been on their waiting list to join their Wine Club for 4 years now. I have gotten very lucky to have stumbled across a few of their bottles in random liquor stores though, and yes, I coughed up the $60-80 for each precious drop!), Walla Walla Vintners
, Seven Hills Winery
, and Dunham Cellars
. Leonetti Cellar
is another I've heard great things about.
Since the late 1970s, when a small group of self-taught winemakers converted their hobby into commercial production, the winemaking industry in the Walla Walla Valley has grown over 900 percent, largely due to the efforts of the industry's founders to ensure premium-quality grapes and wine are produced from the valley's unique climate and soil.
The Walla Walla Valley has become the Napa of Washington state based on quality and the reputation of growers and vintners, Anderson said.
Word is getting out, not only among the reviewers but the wine-drinking public. The spring and fall wine release weekends draw over 2,000 visitors each and nearly as many for the December barrel tastings. Outside of major wineries like St. Michelle and Columbia (recently purchased by Gallo), most Washington brands don't have the volume or market penetration to attract distributors. Consequently, small and midsize wineries in Walla Walla Valley sell locally or through wine clubs.
"There is a uniqueness to this town and an energy here that you don't experience in other towns because there is such a support for each other," said Tom Maccarone, owner of T. Maccarone, one of Walla Walla's top-rated restaurants. "It's a good thing. I don't want any of the other restaurants to go away. I want more restaurants to come to town."
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
