A recent Tourism study clearly indicated that visitors want more reasons to stay over Sundays.  To address this, Downtown Walla Walla Foundation is actively encouraging merchants to open on Sunday and have been getting the word out to the various tourism outlets and lodging properties that Walla Walla is open seven days a week.

The downtown merchant association now counts 45 merchants and services open on Sundays, including 19 restaurants, cafe and coffee shops, 14 retailers, 11 tasting rooms, one museum and the Farmer’s Market.

Be sure to check out the Sunday happenings in downtown Walla Walla on your next visit to our Valley.

Beloved teacher, winemaker and viticulturist Stan Clarke will be inducted at the annual Legends of Washington Wine Hall of Fame at a gala July 12.  Clarke, who died suddenly last November, was the associate director of the Center of Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College.

The college recently announced the establishment of a special scholarship, the Stan Clarke Memorial Viticulture Scholarship that will provide funds for students in the wine program.

Horizon Air announced this week that it is accelerating the phase out of its 37-seat Q200s turboprops currently servicing Walla Walla and replacing them with fuel-efficient 76 passenger Bombardier Q400s. This move had been scheduled for April 2009, but rising fuel prices has spurred the implementation date forward to this October.

Walla Walla had been hoping for the reinstatement of a fourth flight to and from Seattle. However, the greater capacity will go a long way to increase both business and visitor traffic.

According to Bombardier’s website, the Q400 is the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft of its size in the world, burning 30 percent less fuel and producing 30 percent less CO2 than a comparable jet.  Passengers will appreciate the larger overhead bins designed to accommodate standard roller bags. Furthermore, the “Q” in the model number stands for “Quiet” due to the Active Noise and Vibration Suppression (ANVS) system on the technologically advanced turboprop airliners.

Visitors to Walla Walla quickly learn to appreciate the quality, value and convenience of Walla Walla’s taco wagons. So last week’s news that the Port of WW has approved a permit for Los Taquitos taco wagon is good news for both the airport’s wineries and wine visitors.

The mobile vendor, known for its Walla Walla Sweet Taco, joins airport terminal restaurant Caravaggio as the only other eatery at the park.

Los Taquitos, owned by Vicente Reyes, will relocate from Sixth Avenue and Main Street and plans on being open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

While Vintage Walla Walla was in full swing this weekend, the big story is the launch of Walla Walla native and retired NFL player, Drew Bledsoe’s exciting new winery project.

The official winery name, Doubleback, was unveiled at the very exclusive kick off party, at Bledsoe’s newly-planted McQueen Vineyard, hosted by Drew, Maura and his winemaking consultant Chris Figgins of Leonetti.

Paul Gregutt has been hinting for weeks that Bledsoe was getting ready for the official announcement. So while there are some major wine media in town checking out Vintage, they are on the list (and it has been a very hush hush list) to hang out with our local wine celebrities and Drew’s friends from Bend, Napa and elsewhere.

For a first person account of the event with photos, visit Graze Catering’s blog.

One has really made the big time when your town is profiled in The Gray Lady herself!

Wine Takes Over a Town, and Prosperity Follows

It will be interesting to see what a rush of new awareness this brings to Walla Walla.

Walla Walla Union Bulletin (05/23/2008):

Reininger Winery’s 2005 malbec, Walla Walla Valley, and Northstar Winery’s 2004 merlot, Columbia Valley, were co-winners of the Mount Rainier Award, which represents the state’s overall best examples of style and type, at the recent Northwest Wine Summit

The wines were among 1,280 from the Pacific Northwest tasted by panels of judges, including scads of award-winning Walla Walla wines, during the Northwest Wine Summit held at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood on April 27-29.

See UB story for complete list of Walla Walla winners

Today, we got an email from the Dunham family with the sad news that Port died recently.

Here is the memorial photo collage that was included in the email. Let’s raise our wineglasses and remember Port, Eric’s faithful companion and hands down, the most famous dog in our valley.

Here is an unique opportunity to wine taste with wine writer Paul Gregutt. Recently, he announced on his blog that along with Jim German of Jimgermanbar, he will offer guided, custom wine tastings for groups of eight or more in a private room at the Jimgermanbar in Waitsburg.

You pick the topic, he’ll pick the wines, and guide you through a fun, entertaining and informative presentation. Jim will co-host, and tapas-style plates of your choosing will accompany the wines.
Prices depend upon the food and wines chosen, and the number of people in your group.

In addition, Paul is available to do basic palate training, seminars on varietals and wine regions, comparison wine tastings and “engaging discussions on a wide variety of wine-related topics.”

“My presentations are informal, amusing and fast-paced. I am happy to customize to your specific interests. If you represent a visiting group and want a quick and memorable introduction to the splendid wines of Washington state, I’m your man.”

Contact Paul at wine@paulgregutt.com

Vintage Walla Walla is just three weeks away and this year, they have made substantial changes to highlight the vintage feature of this annual event. To stand apart from the numerous other winery associations tastings, they have moved the Vintage Pour (Early Bird $100/after 06/01 $125) to Friday for a more swanky tasting that features only wineries with vintages 2001 and older, vintage ‘flash-live’ auction lots and name-chef-created nibbles.

Friday’s vintage tasting is preceded by a panel discussion (Early Bird $85/after 06/01 $90) with the valley’s winemaking pioneers: Martin Clubb of L’Ecole Nº 41, Chris Figgins of Leonetti Cellar, Casey McClellan of Seven Hills Winery, and Rick Small of Woodward Canyon Winery, moderated by Paul Gregutt.

Saturday’s more casual Pavilion Grand Tasting (Early Bird $65/after 06/01 $80) features newer vintages and therefore, includes everyone else.

Whether you attend Vintage Pour or not, you still have a chance to pick up some properly-cared-for library wines to add to your cellar as several wineries are using the occasion to offer their vintage wines for sale.

Walla Walla Vintners: Saturday, June 07, 2008, One Day Sale Only ~ Library Wines from 1998 to 2003
The library wines will be organized in packages by vintage and varietal and available only at the winery. No Internet or phone orders will be accepted. (?!)

L’Ecole Nº 41 have opened their library and released the following vintages: 2000 Seven Hills Vinyard Estate Merlot $41 (92 WS)
2000 Columbia Valley Merlot $34 (90 WS); 2000 Walla Walla Valley Merlot $37 (91 WS); 2001 Walla Walla Valley Merlot $37 (91 WS). There is a 6 bottle limit on these wines and supplies are limited.

Lastly, Woodward Canyon is having a magnum sale of their back vintages with 10% off any magnum except for 2005 vintages and etched bottles. Includes: 2002 Old Vines, 2001 Estate Red, 2002 Columbia Valley Merlot and 2003 Old Vines.