This week, in a lengthy email to their list, Cayuse Vineyards once again demonstrated to the industry and their patrons just how independent they are. After 13 releases on the first full weekend in November, they have cancelled this November’s release date and will move their release party to April 2011. According to the email, the Frog’s libido needs the rejuvenation that comes with spring’s warmer weather therefore, this move is permanent.

For those who are on the vaulted list, the Cayuse weekend is THE reason to travel to Walla Walla to taste the next vintage release and to pick up this year’s allocation as it is the only time that the winery opens up to its customers.

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As it is impossible to visit every Walla Walla winery this Holiday Barrel, at WWWN .com we have surveyed the offerings and compiled our ‘must-see’ list. There are many, fine wineries in our valley, so this is only a short-list. If we have missed your favorite winery or your favorite story, let us know!

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By Guest Blogger:  Catie McIntyre Walker

The Fall Release Weekend is just around the corner and whether you are sage and savvy when it comes to wine weekends or perhaps a newbie, here are a few tips and reminders to help you make the most of your weekend.  First of all and most important: we are assuming that you already have your room reserved along with a few restaurant reservations, because blue tarp camping and staring pitiful at diners with reservations, while drooling on restaurant windows is never attractive.

So how will you survive such a busy weekend? My first suggestion is to head into Walla Walla with the mind set you are here to relax, learn a lot and have a great time.  Also, before you head out the door, take the time to print off a copy of the Walla Walla Wine News Fall Release Guide. This list will assist you in what to expect from the wineries regarding their new releases, activities and their hours for public tastings.  Need a map to the wineries?  Contact the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance for their brochure or catch it online. You can also locate brochures at many of the wineries.

Now, that you have made your list of wineries to visit and checked it twice.  Here is where tourists and wineries are going to find out who’s naughty or nice.  My best advice is to relax. R-E-L-A-X and have a great time.  Be courteous and put your cell phone on voice mail, especially when you are in the wineries.  Are you really that important and if you are, perhaps your Secret Service or Royalty Protection people can answer your calls.

The mornings of wine tasting, walk away from the granola nibbles and enjoy a hearty breakfast. Oh yeah baby, it’s your excuse for biscuits and gravy!  Load up on carbs and proteins and hydrate-hydrate-hydrate! Hydrate with H2O all day! Don’t forget to take the time through the day to have a nosh here and there. Many of the wineries will be serving complimentary appetizers and offering food for purchase throughout the day.

Pace yourself from winery to winery and learn how to spit! It’s the only time momma would approve of you spitting in public.  Take notes of the wines you tasted and don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially if you are a wine newbie.  It’s important to keep an open mind to wines you have previously ignored or did not like, while remembering one winemaker’s chardonnay and vintage may not taste like another.  And while you are keeping an open mind, don’t be all locked into tasting only wines that have received 90-something points and above.  You never know when you may find an affordable treasure that will later be discovered and giving you the advantage of boasting to your wine peers, “I remember them when…”

Keep a realistic goal of how many wineries to visit in one day. The point of these events is to “taste” the wine and learn about the fruit of the area and the winemaker’s style. It’s always a good idea to have a designated driver, but having a designated driver doesn’t mean you have to deaden your taste buds. By the sixth winery visit, your taste buds will become fatigued and fuzzy. So the 25th wine you tasted in one day may taste very different the next time you taste it on a fresh palate.  And the most important reason for not tasting through every wine in the Walla Walla Valley?

We want you to have another reason to come back and visit us!

Catie McIntyre Walker is the original Walla Walla wine blogger at Walla Walla Grape Vine. After eight years of cleaning spit buckets and pouring for the masses in local tasting rooms, Catie hung up her cork screw to pursue her writing and open her online wine store, Walla Walla Wine Woman. Catie also writes a wine column for Walla Walla Union Bulletin’s magazine, “Lifestyles”, blogs for Tourism Walla Walla and is a contributor to Palate Press and Washington Tasting Room magazines.

Traditionally, the first full weekend in November has been the only time Cayuse Vineyards opens their winery doors to their allocation list.  Now, many Walla Walla wineries use this weekend to officially celebrate the end of harvest and release their newest wines.

We have compiled our list of winery hours, new releases and special events in a take-along PDF. Use this as your guide to this year’s Fall Release Weekend. Many wineries have special events including winemaker dinners, art exhibits, food offerings, etc.

As a preview to Fall Release, we will be posting a new blog everyday this week and will be featuring guest bloggers including a ‘Walla Walla Fall Release Survival Guide’ from the famed Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman, Catie McIntyre Walker.

Don’t miss guest blogger and winemaker Denise Slattery of Trio Vintners as she details airport winery happenings and her picks on what not to miss.

Be sure to check back every day as we add events  and new blogs.

Reminder:  If you are coming to Fall Release in Walla Walla, you will have already made your lodging arrangements, but don’t wait to plan where you will be eating. Our restaurants will be very busy this coming weekend, so call early to make sure you have dinner reservations.

We look forward to seeing you here in Walla Walla. Even if you can’t make it to Fall Release, be sure to follow us on Twitter (@wwwinenews) as we tweet all through the weekend.

Two weeks from now, Walla Walla wineries take a break from the mad-dash crush of Harvest 2009.  From the late start of the growing season, to the compressed harvest, it was an unusual year all around. One of my favorite winemakers told me that it was the shortest crush season he can remember.  After such a hectic time, it must be time to party.

Traditionally, the first full weekend in November has  been Cayuse weekend, the only two days that the famed maker of Bionic Frog opens their doors to their adoring fans. This year as every year, wine visitors  will flood our valley.

What Cayuse started, others have joined. As more Walla Walla wineries choose to release their wines this weekend;  the party keeps growing. Look for private events at Corliss Estates, Abeja & Reynvaan Family Winery (their viticulture and wine consultant  is Christophe Baron, owner of Cayuse.)  At these events,  you are either on the list or you will be cooling your heels at the door.

Never fear, later this week, we will roll out our report on who is releasing what new wines and what festive activities are happening that are open to everyone.

If you are coming, lodging accommodations are already in short supply and restaurants will be in over-capacity mode. In this economy, no new restaurants have opened to handle the busy wine & college weekends. However, several enterprising wineries are offering special dinners: Waters Winery (Friday & Saturday) $90 pp, Northstar $85pp/Members$65  and Dunham Cellars $125 pp.

We will be adding events all week, so check back often.

In preparation for its major Grand Opening Celebration on June 5th, the new Waterbrook Winery will host a “Sneak Preview” of its facility for this weekend’s Spring Release Weekend, May 1 – 3. During the preview, guests will have the opportunity to taste Waterbrook’s award-winning portfolio of wines with winemaker John Freeman and tour the new 53,000 sq. ft. winery located at 10518 West Hwy 12, just west of Walla Walla.  Guests will also be served in a festive “construction” themed atmosphere as a play on the winery nearing its final stages of completion.

Waterbrook Spring Release “Sneak Preview” Hours: Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday: 10a.m. – 4 p.m. Winery tours will be offered at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. daily. The $5 tasting fee includes a souvenir wine glass and guests will receive 10-30% off wine purchases during the weekend.

The official Grand Opening of Waterbrook’s new Winery and public Tasting Room will take place on June 5-6.

Walla Walla Wine Works Grand Opening, May 1 – 3 (formerly Waterbrook at 1st & Main)
The new winery opening also brings news of a retail transition for the Waterbrook tasting room on 1st & Main in downtown Walla Walla. The tasting room formerly known as Waterbrook will now reopen its doors this weekend as Walla Walla Wine Works. With “new vino” and a “new vibe,” the Walla Walla Wine Works Tasting Room will offer a vast portfolio of premium Washington wines including: Apex Cellars, The Magnificent Wine Co., Pendulum, Waterbrook 1st & Main exclusives and more!

Walla Walla Wine Works Spring Release Grand Opening Hours: Friday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. A complimentary tasting of select Washington wines is available with a $5 tasting fee for Reserve wines. Guests who sign up to receive future promotional offers will receive 20% off weekend purchases.

We love this time of year and despite the current hiccups in our economy, there is no reason not to celebrate the festive season in Walla Walla. Next weekend is Holiday Barrel Weekend, which was first conceived as a thank you to the tolerant denizens of Walla Walla.  Over the past few years, it has become the perfect finale to the year and more recently, the event has moved back to its original premise with its focus on community.

This has happened, in part due to the rise in the Fall Release Weekend (otherwise known as the Cayuse Weekend) and the fact that folks from over on the wet side of the state are solidly into their holiday countdown. This allows Holiday Barrel to focus on what it does best, a joyous celebration of the season filled with wine, music and the arts.

This year, more than 65 wineries will take part, the majority charging a refundable $5 to taste while 27 will not charge a tasting fee at all.

Of course, most wineries are offering special wine club events, art displays, food and music. Here are some of our best picks:

Thursday, December 4

The Wine Alliance holds its third annual Winemaker Fete at the Marcus Whitman Hotel. A gala celebration featuring more than 30 wineries taking part from reception through to dining with a winemaker. Price $150 (tickets still available).

Winemaker Dinner with Bravo TV’s Top Chef:

How Saviah Cellars and Watermill Winery were able to get season three’s Top Chef Stephanie Izard to come to Walla Walla for Holiday Barrel is quite a feat, but what a treat! Tickets $125. Only two tickets left! Call 541 938-5575.

Friday, December 5

This is the best day to be touring wineries; less crowds, great food and many special events, including wine club and art gallery receptions. Here are the events open to the public:

Northstar Open House: Music, nibbles and art. Nothstar is featuring the outdoor sculpture of Bernard Hosey with an impressive exhibit of Aaron Burgess oils.

Trio Vintners: New releases including barrel samples of 2007 Carmenere. Art exhibit by Patrick Slattery.

Sapolil Cellars: Special Engagement co-sponsored by the Walla Walla Blues Society.  Lloyd Jones & Mark DuFresne, Unplugged! Sapolil will host these two blues legends, who will be playing together for the first time. 8 – 11PM   $10 Cover.

Willow of Walla Walla Art Gallery;’Constructions in Glass’ Reception and Art Talk.
Reception and Art Talk for opening exhibit. Regional artists include Frank Janzen, Tom Dimond, Kevin Boylan and Arrianne Jane Bright.

Saturday, December 6

Willow of Walla Walla Art Gallery; ‘Glass Ornament & Pendant Workshop,’ Arrianne Jane Bright offers a glass workshop from 10-2PM. Make up to four ornaments. $85

Three Rivers Barrel Tasting INSANIA with Geoff Tate of Queensryche Geoff Tate, of Queensryche will be at the winery with a barrel tasting of his 2007 INSANIA wine. 12:00pm-2:00pm. Tasting fee: $15 refundable with purchase of Insania Futures.

Foundry Vineyards: American sculptor Deborah Butterfield, best know for her metal sculptures of horses,  will be signing bottles of the newly-released Foundry Vineyards red wine with her artwork on the label. 3:30 -5:30 PM

Macy’s Parade of Lights- Alder and Main, Palouse to 5th, 6-7pm.

Music at Sapolil Cellars: Dr. Mark Brown & Gary Romjue: This duo of musicians is simply engaging and extraordinary. The evening will showcase their talents on a baby grand, trumpet, blues harp, guitar, and fiddle. It is an evening not to be missed. 7-10PM $5 cover.

Enjoy Holiday Barrel Weekend and be safe.

You still have time to submit your own beautiful Walla Walla picture that could be worth a weekend getaway for two!  Tourism Walla Walla is looking for iconic photos that capture Walla Walla’ s spirit, culture and natural beauty to be used on their website and published in their 2010 Tourism Walla Walla travel guide.

The grand prize winner will receive a weekend getaway in Walla Walla on Dec. 5-6, including lodging for two nights during the Holiday Barrel Tasting, where more than 50 of the Walla Walla Valley’s winemakers will introduce their newest vintages.  The prize includes lodging for two nights and dinner for two on Saturday evening at 26brix – a package worth more than $500!

The contest runs through Friday, October 3, and complete contest details are available at http://photos.wallawalla.org/.

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.