The cool thing about Walla Walla is that for those of us who live here, we really like it! While you are here, you bump shoulders with real people, people who may also be winemakers, chefs and artists. That is the premise behind a bold new campaign launched by “Experience Walla Walla,” designed to showcase great reasons to visit in our off-season, including terrific deals on hotel stays.

To add evidence to this claim, there are great wine events, notably, this weekend’s Holiday Barrel Weekend, which is returning to its traditional roots of saying thank you to our community with active participation in “Barrel Full of Money” — a fund drive for BMAC Walla Walla Food Bank.

In addition, various wineries are donating a portion of their weekend proceeds to various other causes, such as Blue Mountain Humane Society. Our benefit choice will be to clean out our closet to support Dama Winery’s YWCA drive for used, business clothing for women.

Just in time, Alaska Airlines and the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance have announced a pilot program called “Walla Walla Wine Taste & Tote” where passengers can enjoy waived tasting fees at area wineries AND bag-check one case of wine free on their flight out of Walla Walla.

Come experience Walla Walla like we do!

There are plenty of new vintage varietals ranging from great new blends (many), Syrah (Kerloo, Saviah Cellars, Spring Valley, Stephenson Cellars, Va Piano, WW Vintners), plenty of Malbec (WW Vintners, Flying Trout, Gifford Hirlinger), Petit Verdot (SuLEi Cellar, Otis Kenyon, Three Rivers, Gifford Hirlinger), a Walla Walla Pinot Noir (Stella Fino), Grenache (Trio), Cab Franc (Three Rivers), Mourvedre (Trio), Tempranillo (Gifford Hirlinger), a Super Tuscan from Zerba and a new Zinfandel from Trio.

We are excited to hit some of the harder-to-get-into tastings such as Abeja (by invitation to their list), Bunchgrass, a Maurice, Long Shadows, Foundry Vineyards, Reynvaan and Corliss (invitation).

We are also keen on the great member events such as the Blending seminar at Northstar given by winemaker David (Merf) Merfeld and club parties at Three Rivers, Sinclair Estates, Saviah Cellars and Dusted Valley. Even if you are not a club member, check out these events as they will generally allow guests for a slight upcharge for non-members.

Of course, the fun doesn’t wait for Saturday to start. Friday is often the best day to visit your favorite tasting rooms, it is far less crowded and the wineries are more inclined to hang out, show you what they have in tanks and maybe offer a special taste. If you haven’t checked out Charles Smith‘s new tasting room on Spokane Street, his Blues and BBQ every Thursday night is another good reason to get to town early.

Another good reason to get here early is to not miss the tour de force that is Marilyn, Forever Blonde playing at the new Power House Theater. The one-actress play has just had its run extended through next weekend before heading to Off-Broadway.

Walla Walla has become as much a foodie town as it is a wine center, so you won’t go hungry. L’Ecole No. 41 is having a special winemaker dinner on Friday evening in celebration of their 10 consecutive Wine & Spirits Magazine “Winery of the Year” honors. Saturday night sees wine dinners at Va Piano and Dunham Cellars. And of course you’ll want to check out the new Public House 124 and be sure to stop when you see Andrae’s Kitchen, Walla Walla gourmet food truck.

With so much going on, you had better do some planning, here’s a link to the Fall Release Guide that the WWV Wine Alliance has published and be sure to check our event calendar as some wineries are knee deep in grapes and are only now figuring out that Release weekend is right here right now!

This month, Marilyn Forever Blonde, opens for a two-week run before heading to New York. In December, Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory will take the stage.

Always heralded for our great historic downtown, some fun new restaurants and specialty stores have joined the retail mix. In April, Green Spoon Eatery started serving their healthy, tasty food for brunch (weekends) lunch and dinner at a sophisticated new spot on Main Street just a few doors from Bright’s Candies. Look for Green Spoon to offer ready-to-go meals sometime this month.

At the end of July, Public House 124 (124 E Main) opened on the block between Colville and Spokane to fans and steady crowds. Everyone’s favorite bartender at the hotel, Matthew Price-Huntington and building owner Jim Sanders put together a great team including chefs David Ponti and Chris Teal, former sous chef at Whitehouse Crawford to create what they are calling “a social dining experience.” What that means is an exciting, casual but seriously good food joint with a dizzying lineup of liquid refreshments, where reservations are unnecessary and you will definitely want to wait for a table on busy nights.

Up Hwy 12, in Waitsburg, Charles Smith opened Anchor Bar on Main Street across jimgermanbar. Look for live entertainment on weekends, including the ‘burg’s resident wine writer and musician, Paul Gregutt.

Vegans rejoice! The Garden Vegan Café opened this summer, next door to Colville Street Patisserie with healthy choices including gluten-free options.

Two new establishments for breakfast are also in the works. Maple Counter Café on Alder next to Marcy’s Bar plans to serve breakfast and lunch, while Bacon & Eggs will be another breakfast option on Main closer to the Whitman Campus. No dates yet for their respective openings.

Over on Spokane Street in the Warehouse District, Stephenson Cellars has morphed into an art gallery with new artists showing every month as well as a pop-up store within the tasting room called Casa Girasol.

If that name sounds familiar, it should. The pop-up pottery shop is a venture from the people who own Girasol Vineyard & Inn and features artisan pottery from Mexico. These rustic, earth-toned clay pots, many belt-high and taller, are crafted by traditional methods in small family compounds.

Next door to Stephenson Cellars, (in Annabelle’s former spot, they closed in June) Lotus, a new import store for clothing and jewelry from Thailand and India has opened. Further up Spokane Street, Charles Smith Wines is a mecca for everything black and white in his stunning new tasting room. If you are in town Thursday nights, don’t miss his Blues & BBQ from 7-10PM.

Several new vintage stores have opened, our fav from last year, DéBouché, next door to Brasserie Four, has great vintage furniture updated with carefully chosen vintage and new accessories.

In July, Door Number Two, a vintage clothing and furnishings store, opened next door to The Garden Vegan Café in a tiny space but some friends have told me what great finds they have uncovered including designer handbags and gently worn cowboy boots.

And in the former location of Cheese Louise, Greg Roybal and Alexa Palmer opened a higher-end recycled clothing store, Blue Mountain Trading Company. If we have their concept right, they canvas the best of the discount and consignment stores on the coast and pick only the most fashionable, highly desirable pieces to bring back to Walla Walla. Some of their finds are repurposed into an entirely different garment, such as taking a fleece hoodie and reinterpreting it into a sexy halter dress.

On the sad news, downtown saw the closing of the only full-time art gallery, Willow in September. And currently, the home decor and accessories shop, By Arrangement, is selling everything as the owner is retiring and closing the store.

You’ll notice that we haven’t even started talking about what’s news in the Walla Walla wine world. We’ll leave that for our Fall Release edition that will come out just before the big weekend in November (4-6).

However, if you are planning a visit, book your stay now. Long-time visitors know that accommodations go quickly and you will want to reserve those dinner reservations as well.

Until then, go drink some Walla Walla wine.

What pairs best with all the amazing wines you’ll taste in Walla Walla this summer? Shakespeare performed live under the stars! This summer, Shakespeare Walla Walla expands its fourth season to include three professional productions in two fantastic venues – 24 performances in all over two weeks. Come for two days and see two plays!

Walla Walla is truly fortunate to have a devoted audience for Shakespeare’s works and now, with the addition of the stunning indoor Power House Theatre, Shakespeare has a year-round home in Walla Walla.

When you visit Walla Walla you can now plan for extraordinary nights at the theatre.

In addition to the much-loved outdoor productions at the Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater, Shakespeare Walla Walla is pleased to offer a second venue for patrons in the newly opened Blackfriars-inspired Power House Theatre. This new state-of-the-art theatre is a renovated 120-year-old gas plant/powerhouse in downtown Walla Walla, just a few short blocks from Main St. For two consecutive weeks, theatregoers can experience a festival environment and take in Shakespeare in the outdoor setting of Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater or enjoy Swansong in the intimacy of the Elizabethan-era configuration, 340-seat, Power House Theatre.

The Amphitheatre at Fort Walla Walla – Shakespeare Under The Stars!

The Tragedy of Macbeth Aug. 3 – 7

The Comedy of Errors Aug. 10 – 14

The outdoor productions of Shakespeare Walla Walla are truly special. The immensely talented Seattle Shakespeare Company will return to the Ampiththeatre with two productions by William Shakespeare.

Macbeth will open the Summer Festival at the Fort playing August Wednesday, 3rd though Sunday August 7th. Expect plenty of sword fighting, blood, leather, and shields with an eclectic medieval feeling. Think HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ series! Director Tim Hyland is exploring issues of innocence versus violence as well as family lineage. “Something wicked this way comes” – don’t miss it!

Next up will be The Comedy of Errors from Wednesday, August 10th through Sunday August 14th. This is a family event laced with vaudevillian fun. Enjoy singing and some old soft shoe, mystifying magic acts, ventriloquist dummies, showgirls, and even a few keystone cops enhancing this much-loved comedy about two sets of identical twins and mistaken-identity mayhem! Director George Mount evokes Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, Buster Keaton, and more.

Power House Theatre – A Truly Unique Setting For Main-Stage Theatre

Swansong by Patrick Page Aug. 4 -14

Spend time with William Shakespeare the man as Swansong makes its Walla Walla debut at the Power House Theatre. The play runs for two weeks starting August 4 through August 14. Nominated by the American Theatre Critics Association for Best New Play in 2006, Swansong is the often funny, often heartwarming, and always remarkable story of the friendship between William Shakespeare and peer/rival playwright, Ben Jonson.

For a wonderful local twist: Swansong was written by Whitman College Alum Patrick Page, who happens to be starring on Broadway as the Green Goblin in Spiderman. Patrick is a deeply respected Shakespearean actor of national acclaim. It takes a man of the theatre to write about a man of the theatre: a factor that makes this play an inviting companion piece to our outdoor productions. Directed by Stephanie Shine.

The year is 1623. William Shakespeare has been dead for seven years and the public has all but forgotten his plays. A devoted member of his acting troupe, John Heminges, is determined to have all of Will’s plays published together in folio, preserving them for all time. King James will not allow the publication to go forward unless Ben Jonson, now Poet Laureate of England, writes a prefatory poem for the book. As Jonson struggles to write the poem, he wrestles with feelings of guilt, envy, and fear that history will forget his own work if Will’s plays are published and is flooded with memories of their lifelong love and tumultuous friendship. Rooted in true events, Swansong is a story of love, loss, and regeneration that allows us to imagine one of the most extraordinary friendships of all time.

For anyone who knows anything about Shakespeare, you don’t want to miss this. It’s an insider’s look at his life and times. For anyone who is just being introduced to Shakespeare, let this be your primer. Swansong is a must-see. You’ll be transformed into a friend of William Shakespeare yourself!

About Shakespeare Walla Walla

Shakespeare Walla Walla provides professional Shakespearean productions and youth education to Walla Walla Valley residents and visitors. The family-friendly performances are enjoyable and accessible for all.

For online ticketing visit www.shakespearewallawalla.org or call 509-742-0739

The latter (part of the Corliss Estates group) is hosting a great event Saturday night that includes AK’s gourmet food, music and a bonfire at dusk with s’mores. They’ll charge $10 at the gate, but if you move quickly to their Facebook page and “RSVP” the event, you’ll get in free!

Other “list-only” release parties are also going, from the famed Leonetti (who started this event by choosing the first full weekend in May as the only date they are open to all their list), Corliss Estates and Abeja.

Of course, the most rockin’ venue this weekend, will be at Charles Smith Wines’ new tasting room on Spokane Street. Only Charles can pair wine tasting with burlesque! We are hearing that the event is sold out, however, if you are in the warehouse district after 9PM, you’ll be sure to hear all the groovin’ along with some bump & grind.

Get ready for a weekend of incredible food, great music and a huge party all over town! And at the core of this weekend is some awfully good new wine releases.

Now we know that it is possible to fork over some serious change on these weekends, so we combed through the new releases to see what we thought was awesome wine at a great price.

In addition, you will find opportunities to stock your cellar for much less at several wineries as they use this weekend to help push out older vintages to make room for their new releases.

After your stop at Zerba Cellars, Winepress NW’s winery of the year, drive into Milton-Freewater and be sure to check out Watermill Winery & Blue Mountain Cider’s VAULT SALE with cases of cider at $50, cases of white wine at $60 and their Chances R Red Wine at $125/12 bottles case.

RED WINES $25 and under:
2009 Three Rivers Red, $14
2009 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red, $16
2009 Trio Vintners RIOT, $18
2009 Mannina Cellars Cali, $18
2009 Three Rivers Merlot, $19
2009 SuLei Cellars Roller Girl Jammer Red, $19
2008 Dumas Station Cow Catcher Red, $19
2008 Robison Ranch Cellars Red Table Wine, $19
2007 Stephenson Cellars Red Blend, $20
2009 Trio Vintners Sangiovese, $20
2009 Mannina Seven Hills Sangiovese, $22
2009 Mannina Cellars Pepper Bridge Merlot, $24
2007 Tranche Cabernet Franc, Estate Grown, Walla Walla, $25

WHITE WINES $20 and under:
2010 L’Ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc, $14 (check out their first release with the new label)
2010 Robison Ranch Cellars Pinot Gris (off dry), $15
2009 Three Rivers Riesling, $15
2009 Three Rivers Chardonnay, $17.50
2010 SuLei Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, $18
2010 Robison Ranch Cellars Viognier, $19
2009 Rulo Winery Sundance Chardonnay, $20 (listed on April’s Top NW Wines, Paul Gregutt’s blog)

ROSE’ WINES:
2010 Rulo Winery Rose’, 15
2010 Mannina Cellars Maddily Rose’, $15
2010 SuLei Cellars Roller Girl Blocker Rose’, $15
2010 Trio Vintners Tres Rose’, $16
2010 Tranche Pink Pape Dry Rose’, $16

There are many, many more new releases this weekend. Be sure to visit your favs and also, add on a few new wineries. This valley’s wine people work hard at what they do and this is the weekend they love to introduce their wine to new fans.

A little dusting of snow over the Thanksgiving weekend is helping ensure that Walla Walla gets in the festive mood for the annual Holiday Barrel Tasting Weekend. Wineries are busy putting up lights, wreaths and Christmas trees in their tasting rooms  and in the cellar, winemakers are deliberating over which barrel to pull out for tasting that is sure to delight their visitors.

With more than 85 wineries with tasting rooms in the valley, it is impossible to visit every winery this festive weekend.

Here at WWWN .com, we have done the heavy lifting for you. We have surveyed the offerings and compiled our ‘Must-See’ list to add to your favorite winery stops. This year, our criteria include up & coming wineries, great parties, special events and our ongoing quest to taste the lesser known varietals. Of course, some of our picks fall into more than one category, which gives a visitor an even more compelling reason to put these wineries on your ‘Must-See” list.

If we have missed your favorite winery or your favorite story, let us know!

INTERESTING VARIETALS:
Forgeron Cellars is offering samples from their Zinfandel and Primitivo barrels, while these varietals are genetically identical, here’s your chance to taste them side by side. If you are a member of their wine club, you won’t want to miss their Raclette Party on Friday evening.

Lodmell Cellars at the Airport are releasing their 2008 Lodmell Cellars Port. We are only aware of two other Walla Walla port producers, Whitman Cellars and the now-closed Yellow Hawk Cellar.

Wait, all is not lost! Yellow Hawk Cellar recently re-opened their former location on 2nd and will stay open until mid-December as they sell through their last bit of inventory. Currently, they still have 2008 Sangiovese $12, 2008 Uncle Luigi Sangiovese in the 1 litre flip-top at $8 & 2009 Orange Muscat at $6 (375ml) & $8 (500ml) as well as offering case discounts.

Before there were grapes, there have always been apples in the Walla Walla Valley. Take some time to taste award-winning hard apple cider at Blue Mountain Cider Company, next door to Watermill Winery (same ownership). While you are on your way to Milton-Freewater to visit the wineries or to Petits Noirs to taste both their exquisite chocolates and Stella Fino Italian-varietals, stop in at Zerba Cellars for their just released  2008 100% Walla Walla Reserve Petite Sirah.

GREAT EVENTS:
If you carve great wines coupled with a bonfire, barrel burning and s’mores, there is only one place to be — Tero Estates & Flying Trout at the historic Windrow Vineyard. We mentioned in our Fall Release Report that they will be opening a tasting room at the corner of Rose & 2nd as the Marcus Whitman Hotel converts that space into a multiple winery tasting room.  We haven’t heard the opening date, but when they do, their friends at Don Carlo Vineyards (founder was the Tim of Tim’s Cascade style chips) will be joining them in that prime location.

Wine and art have always been a superb pairing! This Holiday Barrel is no exception with artists and photographers appearing at many wineries. Most notable, Monica Stobie, who in previous HBT’s has shown her work at the now-closed Canoe Ridge Vineyards (winery is still in operation, just the tasting room is closed), will be at Northstar Winery. Faces of Washington Winemakers by Kristin Winn will continue showing at Nicolas Cole Cellars while you can enjoy Squire Broel’s paintings and prints on display at Foundry Vineyards.

However, if you want to mix your wine with an out-of-the-box art show, you will want to check out Le Chateau Winery at the airport for their multi-artist Holiday Wine & Art Show. More than ten artists and crafts people from both Walla Walla and Seattle will display their art in the revamped warehouse space adjoining the tasting room. As if that wasn’t enough of an enticement, Le Chateau Winery will unveil Chocolate Extravaganza, an edible display of chocolate that they are billing as the valley’s largest display of chocolate decadence to pair with their wines and special barrel sample, 2009 Le Chateau Petit Verdot.

Wine books always make a great gift for the Holidays and signed copies make it even more special! Wine writer Paul Gregutt will be signing his new book, Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide, Second Edition at Cadaretta/Artifex on Friday 3 to 5pm, then at Dunham Cellars that evening, 5 to 7pm. Saturday, you’ll see Paul at Walla Walla Vintners 10 to noon and then at Woodward Canyon from 12:30 to 3pm. Author Steve Roberts has just released Wine Trails of Walla Walla, and will be at Northstar on Saturday and at Le Chateau Winery on Sunday from 11-2pm.

Visitors to Walla Walla know first-hand what a gem Walla Walla Clothing Company is for a small city like ours! Great jeans, shoes, boots, sexy tops, fancier stuff for both men and women. If you are here on Thursday, December 2, don’t miss Ladies Night from 5-9PM. Catering by Olive, desserts by  Colville St. Patisserie, wine and 15% discount to boot.

Need to dance? We hear that Friday night’s Bergevin Lane party is always the place to kick up your Jimmy Choo’s while enjoying the catchy music of Snap, Crackle, and Pop with appetizers and BVL wines.

MUSIC:
Rock it out at Sapolil Cellars Friday night with The Randy Oxford Band. Tacoma based Randy Oxford and his energizing blues trombone are back with his award winning headliner 6-piece band belting out rock, soul,  funk,  R&B, and jazz all wrapped around a blues core. 8-11PM. $15, limited tickets.

At Three Rivers Winery, Bellevue native Geoff Tate of Queensryche will be promoting his Insania wines and offering futures for 2009 Insania Red Wine. Geoff, Scott Rockenfield and other band members will play acoustic holiday songs each afternoon to complete the festive atmosphere. Can’t get enough of Geoff Tate? Take part in a special winemaker dinner with the rock star on Saturday, December 4 at the winery.

FOOD:
AK’s mobile kitchen is serving up some of the tastiest gourmet eats in the valley. Look for Andrae’s fully-equipped rig at Dusted Valley Vintners Saturday & Sunday, while West of the Blues BBQ will be parked at Le Chateau Winery both weekend days.

No reservations? Sapolil Cellars have teamed up with Carissa Bossini, formerly of Caravaggio’s,  to offer her Italian fare on Wednesday through Saturday nights until 8pm.

I’VE HEARD OF THEM, NOW WHERE CAN I FIND THEM?
Robison Ranch Cellars will be open out the Lower Waitsburg Road. Rasa Vineyards will be in their new digs on Powerline Road while TL Cellars will set up shop at Walla Walla’s newest wine shop, Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman on 2nd just south of the hotel.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the Holidays without experiencing how we celebrate it here in Walla Walla. On Saturday, Macy’s Parade of Lights starts at 6PM downtown. Best viewing location is right on Main Street. If it is cold, head for the heaters on the Walla Walla Wine Works patio or duck into the splendor of the Sinclair Estates Vineyard tasting room while listening to Nashville singer/songwriter Mike Wagoner.  Dress warmly and enjoy this time-honored expression of small town living!

Enjoy Holiday Barrel safely!

Be sure to check with Walla Walla Wine News for a listing of all the winery events all weekend. Join in the fun by posting status updates, great happenings by using #WWFallWines as the weekend twitter handle.

Currently, we have more than 50+ events listed on our event calendar that weekend, here is our growing short list of some of the best!

“MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHTS”

• Don’t miss visiting Kurt and Vicki Schlicker at Rulo Winery. This gem of a winery (one of those great finds when you get off the official map) had their $15 Syrca recognized on Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Best Buy List 2010. Sunset Magazine‘s November issue named the 2007 Rulo Syrah $20 in their Top 8 Western Wine Awards.
• Sunset Magazine also gave shout outs to Waterbrook’s 2007 Merlot-Cab $11 ($15 and under), Rotie Cellars’ 2008 Southern Blend $35 and Northstar 2006 Walla Walla Merlot $50 ($30-$50). Congratulations to these wineries!

• Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman, Catie McIntrye Walker, opens her wine shop on 2nd Ave, just a few doors south of the Marcus Whitman Hotel.

• We admit it, we are crazy about Andrae’s Kitchen Food Truck ever since we profiled them in our September What’s Up issue. The great news is that they will be stationed at various wineries throughout the valley during Fall Release Weekend. Look for their delicious gourmet grub at Corlis Winery on 2nd Ave., Thursday, 11-3. On Friday, November 5, AK’s will be parked at Saviah Cellars on the southside for lunch, then back to Corliss Winery for dinner 5-7:30 PM. Saturday is booked for a private winery gig at Dusted Valley (all you lucky Stained Tooth Society members!), but if you miss them at any of the above, you can catch them at Woodward Canyon on Sunday from 11-3PM.
• Tero Estates & Flying Trout Wines invite you to a rooftop party, appetizers, a bonfire & s’mores at their Milton-Freewater vineyard on Saturday 11/6 from 1-4pm. For those who have made the trek out to historic Windrow Vineyards, you already know the great wines, the great people and the awe-inspiring view.Soon, though, you will be able to taste their wines right downtown, at the corner of Rose and 2nd. Where you say? The former bank location at the Marcus Whitman Hotel is being renovated to hold two to three wineries. Oh, room service!
• Le Chateau Winery launches their Nicola’s Redmark tier of wines; Red Blend, White Blend, Pinot Grigio and Riesling, each priced at $9.99/btl/$99.99 a case. Also, don’t miss the buy of the weekend, Kelso Case Sale $44. Your choice of white or red wine.
• Be sure to check out the new digs for Trio Vintners. This summer they moved out of their airport location and into downtown. They are celebrating their move downtown with a Grand Opening celebration all weekend. You can find them on 2nd between Alder and Popular.
• For the best food & wine experience, reserve a space at winemaker dinners being held at Waters Winery, Northstar Winery, Patit Creek Cellars and  Dunham Cellars.
• Wine writer Paul Gregutt will be all over town this weekend, signing copies of his new book. You’ll find him at Abeja on Friday, noon to 3; Isenhower from 3 to 6. On Saturday, he’ll be at Nicholas Cole from noon to 2; L’Ecole from 2:30 to 4:30; then at Northstar’s Winemaker dinner that evening.

• CreekTown Cafe has reopened under new ownership and with a new name: South Fork Grill. The great news is that you will see familiar faces as owners, Jodi Worden and her husband have rehired many of the CreekTown employees. Even better news is that Chef Namil has retained CreekTown favorite dishes, but has also added Indian-influenced dishes to the menu along with Sunday night curry specials.  Sample menu from a recent Facebook posting: Clams with a green curry sauce & arugula cherry tomato salad and/or Braised Indian spiced chicken with curried chickpeas and spinach, fresh baked naan sprinkled with kalonji seeds. Phone number remains the same 509 522-4777.
• Someone’s in the Kitchen (SITK) has added Thursday through Saturday evenings from 5-9PM. We love Chef Gene’s preparation of healthy, creative, yummy food at affordable prices. Check out their dinner menu.
  
• For an insider’s Walla Walla experience, sign up for the cheese and wine class with Monteillet Fromagerie & Lullaby Winery. While you are in Dayton, be sure to stop by Dumas Station Winery. Their Cow Catcher Red is one of the great values in the valley.
• Not quite ready for prime time, Plumb Cellars will be opening their doors literally on this weekend at 9 S 1st (next to Aloha Sushi). Their tasting room will still have  renovation dust in the air, but you’ll have a chance to meet the enthusiastic gang and taste their wines.

We will be adding to this list right up until Thursday, November 4. So be sure to check back or add your picks in our comment section.

Have a great and safe Fall Release Weekend!

We are pleased to introduce a new feature for our What’s Up blog ~ a look ahead at upcoming events and news of interest to the wine visitor.

If you follow us on Facebook page or on Twitter, you will have gotten first word of these happenings.

Wineries on the Move:

Trio Vintners are the first of the incubator wineries to leave their airport location. Next month, look for their new tasting room on 2nd between Alder & Poplar Streets. They will use Forgeron Cellars as their wine production facility.

Also moving by late summer, Glen Fiona Winery, which is owned by Washington Wine & Beverage Company of Woodinville, will be relocating their tasting room to downtown. Update: Glen Fiona has not reopened a tasting room in Walla Walla. We’ve heard that they are selling the brand from their Silver Lake property in Woodinville.

Lynne Chamberlain of JLC Winery, recently opened her Spofford Station Foothills Vineyard tasting room, just across Stateline into Oregon – easiest way to get there is via Braden Road (look for the sign at Gifford Hirlinger), then 2 miles down Elliot Road, following the road until you reach the first driveway on your left. Open most Fridays and Saturdays with vineyard tours by reservation.

Doubleback, Drew & Maura Bledsoe’s winery, release their inaugural vintage – 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon – this month with by-invitation-only tasting on Saturday, June 5.

The Marcus Whitman Hotel has plans for a tasting room on their corner of 2nd & Rose. For more information, visit our real estate listings page.

Sapolil Cellars have a second tasting room planned for Ellensburg.

Yellow Hawk Cellar are ceasing operations and are closing their 2nd Ave tasting room on July 3rd. Until then, they are discounting their wine inventory to move it out.

Wine Events: June

Friday & Saturday, June 18 & 19: Vintage Walla Walla. The Wine Alliance’s stellar vintage tasting event with scores of other activities for attendees.

Saturday, June 19: The Vintner’s Table presents JLC’s winemaker Lynne Chamberlain at her Spofford Station Foothills Vineyards for a vineyard tasting, followed by a wine dinner and campfire.

Thursday, June 24 ~ Sunday, June 27: Washington and Walla Walla’s wine industry welcome the Wine Bloggers Conference, when bloggers from all over North America experience our brand of wine culture.

Saturday June 26: Chef Andrae Bopp presents La Porte Brune’s 4th Underground Dinner. The true movable feast takes place once again at a new location for this 4th Walla Walla dinner. Enjoy an exquisite five courses paired with wines of the world. The menu with the wine pairings will be posted a few weeks prior to the dinner. Exact location will be emailed just days before. To get on the invite list, visit the website and submit a comment with your name and number of people.

Restaurant & Bar News:

Crossroads Steakhouse are leaving Veterans Memorial Golf Course and opening in the former 26brix location on west Main Street.

Something is happening regarding a new dining venture in downtown Walla Walla by the owners of Whoop’em up Hollow Cafe of Waitsburg. When we know more, we’ll post it here, on Facebook and on Twitter @wwwinenews

Look for Waitsburg’s brew pub, Laht Neppur, to add a second location  at the corner of Spokane & Alder.

The Pita Pit, on the corner of Colville & Alder, in the former Luscious location, are adding a full bar to their services.

~~~

New Wineries:

Here is a listing of new wineries celebrating their first SRW (Spring Release Wknd). Make a point of checking them out and welcoming them to the party.

• Riverhaven Cellars will be pouring their 2007 RiverRock Walla Walla wines (Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon) at Skylite Gallery, 7 N. 2nd Ave, Walla Walla.
• Plumb Cellars will be pouring their first vintages at Jacobi’s Restaurant.
• All that glitters  is not always gold ~ sometimes it’s wine! Kathy and Tim Sinclair of SEV (Sinclair Estates Vineyard) open not only their tasting room on Main Street but also their Victorian-restored B&B, Vine & Roses, on Division Street this weekend.
• Robison Ranch join the SRW party with their Lower Waitsburg Road winery open this weekend.
• Tim Kennedy and his wife Lori open their Don Carlo Vineyard for their first SRW. Tim is the founder of Tim’s Cascade Style Potato Chips and recently changed careers to become a vineyard owner and winemaker. Here are driving directions to reach their vineyard and winery:

Head South on Oregon Highway 11 towards Milton Freewater.  Take a right on Sunnyside/Umapine Road,  follow to Winesap Road,  left on Winesap Road, follow to County Road, right on County Road.  Approx. 1 mile on your right is Don Carlo Way.

• While you are in this part of Milton-Freewater, you are just a short drive away from Windrow Vineyard, the oldest commercial vineyard in the county and the new home for Flying Trout and Tero Estates. They have planned a different activity each day of this weekend. For the details, visit WWWN event calendar.

Off the beaten path but worth the visit:

• Spring Valley Vineyards is open at the ranch on Friday and Saturday. We love the drive out the Middle Waitsburg Road for its rolling expanse of wheat fields. The Corkrum homestead has been farmed by the family for more than 100 years. Before you get to the ranch, stop at Couvillon for a taste of winemaker Jill Noble’s Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Bunchgrass Winery has reopened with new energy from Tom, Barb and William. However, the heart of this winery is still Roger.
• After visiting Bunchgrass, be sure to stop in at Glencorrie. The Coldiron brothers have been visiting Walla Walla from California for almost a decade with the vision of basing their winery here. Last year, they opened and with the wine making help of esteemed winemaker Charlie Hoppes (Fidelitas) have released their first wines.
• Stella Fino Winery is pouring their wines at Petit Noirs on Main Street in Milton-Freewater.

Always noteworthy:

• Amavi Cellars open their new tasting room on Pepper’s Bridge Road. We can’t wait to see what they have built and to enjoy the view from their wrap around patio.

• Cadaretta and Rasa Vineyards pour their stellar wines Saturday, May 1  from 10-5PM at Artifex Custom Crush Facility at 1102 Dell Street, off 13th north of Hwy 12.   A $5 tasting fee allows you to taste wines from both wineries.
• Rulo Winery and Isenhower Cellars may not be on your official map, but both small family wineries are producing terrific wines at affordable prices.
• Gramercy Cellars will have their tent up on JB George Road. Eventually, their plan is to build on that location, in the meantime, here’s your opportunity to taste their high-scoring, highly-sought-after wines.
• The Incubator-5 (CAVU, Lodmell Cellars, Trio Vintners, Kontos Cellars and Adamant Cellars) have a terrific weekend of events planned at the airport. Barrel-making demos, fencing (with swords and not posts), BBQ wagon and a rock concert of Friday night.
• Not a new winery, but a new twist on an existing one. JLC’s Lynne Chamberlain opens her Spofford Station Vineyards this weekend with a tasting room, vineyard tours at 2:30 on Friday and on Saturday, 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. Free, however, please register by phoning 509-301-5148. Winemaker JL Chamberlain will be available to talk about the vineyard and current viticulture practices on her farm, including her Cabernet Cow operation.

Where are you going this weekend? Let us know your Must-See wineries.

This year, more than 50 winery events have been posted on our events calendar. We can’t remember as many special events in previous years. This year’s offerings include wine dinners, barrel-making demos, music and more music and of course, great food to accompany the newest releases from the valley’s wineries.

Here are our best picks of special events for this great weekend! In addition, there are plenty of wine club events that can be found on our event listings.

Then, stay tuned next week when we release our list of the “Must-See Wineries” for 2010 Spring Release Weekend, including ones celebrating their first release and our short list of “always favorite” stops.

Featured Winery: Tero Estates and Flying Trout

Typically, Spring Release Weekend doesn’t start until Friday, however, for those who can get here Thursday, you won’t want to miss the bonfire and s’mores at one of the valley’s newest wineries, Tero Estates.

Winery and vineyard owners, Doug and Jan Roskelley have teamed up with Ashley Trout of Flying Trout to give her brand a winery home. In exchange, Ashley will  collaborate with Doug on his estate wines.

To kick off their joint venture, they have planned a whopping four days of Spring Release events with imaginative and different activities each day.

Getting to them is a bit of an adventure, but a happy one that takes you to the historic site of Windrow Vineyard, part of the original Seven Hills Vineyard, planted in 1980. Once you get there, you are literally surrounded by both established and newly planted vineyards of some of the most illustrious names in Washington winemaking that includes Seven Hills, Marty Clubb and Figgins Family.

This is where it started for Walla Walla’s wine industry and with the recent vineyard arrivals that include JM Cellars, Octave, Cadaretta and Drew Bledsoe, we predict that this is where wine legends will be created.

Make the trip on any one of the four days, but for those lucky enough to be there on Thursday from 3-7:30 PM, you will enjoy their wines paired with s’mores around the bonfire and great hospitality from Ashley, Jan & Doug!

Highlights Friday, April 30:

• Spring Valley Vineyards Ranch will be open. Off Middle Waitsburg Road. 1-4PM
• Tero Estates & Flying Trout: Fiesta and Bluegrass 9-7:30 PM
• Wine Dinner at Waters Winery with Chef Mike Davis of Purple Bellevue. Reservations required.
• Wine Dinner at Basel Cellars featuring Chef JT of NW Wine Bar & Restaurant. Reservations required.
• Paella Dinner Party at Castillo De Feliciana Winery. Reservations required. (almost sold out)
• Northstar Winery features an Artist Reception featuring watercolors by Jill Ingram. Appetizers, wine tasting and meet the artist. 4:30 -7:00 pm
• Sapolil Cellars: The Randy Oxford Blues Series with The Fat Tones. 8-11 PM
• Kontos Cellars Mixer starts at 7PM. The Black Mercies start playing at 8 PM.

• Spring Valley Vineyards Ranch will be open. Off Middle Waitsburg Road. 11-3PM
• Celebrate with more than just wine at Three Rivers Winery’s  VIETRI Primavera Event from the producers of authentic Italian home decor. 10am-5pm
• Lodmell Cellars, 598 Piper Ave, Walla Walla Airport hosts Tonnellerie Radoux “LIVE” barrel making demonstration. 11-12:30PM.
• Incubator Wineries: West of the Blues BBQ Brunch and Lunch served up at the both days from 10-3 PM.
• Wine Dinner at Basel Cellars featuring Seattle’s favorite Italian chef, Chef Mauro Golmarvi of Assaggio Ristorante. Reservations required.
• Wine Dinner at Waters Winery with Chef Mike Davis of Purple Bellevue. Reservations required.
• Sapolil Cellars presents The Cut where local musicians compete for $100 or more in this local showcase. Each drink purchase allows guests a vote for the best of this night.

Highlights Sunday, May 2

• Pastries and Massage in the Vineyard at Tero Estates and Flying Trout. 9-2 PM.
• Incubator Wineries: West of the Blues BBQ Brunch and Lunch served up at the both days from 10-3 PM
• Lodmell Cellars, 598 Piper Ave, Walla Walla Airport hosts Tonnellerie Radoux “LIVE” barrel making demonstration. 11:30-2 PM.
• Watermill Winery hosts Sequin Moreau Master Cooper Douglas Rennie for a barrel-making demonstration on the patio. 11-3PM.
• Check out this video  on barrel making: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBHB1ek8Qjo

Have fun, taste safe!