Psst wine fans! Walla Walla is almost as much fun off-season as it is in the prime months. Yes, we may not have the picture perfect blue sky each and every day in late fall and winter, but our wineries are open, our restaurants are humming and the rest of us go about our lives, enjoying the reasons we stayed here after college, moved back after our other world experiences or thoughtfully chose WW as the best place to be.

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!

While many wineries are releasing their new vintages, Fall Release is also an excellent time to taste wines that have received great scores. Here is a listing of some of the 90+ wines being poured next weekend.

Dumas Station

• 2007 Dumas Station Estate Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon – 90 points Wine Spectator, Double Gold from Seattle Wine Awards, “Excellent” from Wine Press NW $32

Forgeron Cellars

• 2008 Syrah Boushey Vineyard Rattlesnake Hills – 91 Wine Advocate $30
• 2008 Merlot Columbia Valley – 90+ points Wine Advocate $30
• 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley – 90 points Wine Advocate $30
• 2008 Syrah Les Collines Vineyard Walla Walla – 93 points Wine Advocate $46

L’Ecole No. 41

• 2008 Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Merlot – 93 Wine Enthusiast, 90+ Wine Advocate $36
• 2008 Estate Syrah Seven Hills Vineyard – 92 Wine Advocate, 91 Wine & Spirits, 90 Wine Enthusiast, 90 Stephen Tanzer $36
• 2008 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – 94 Wine Advocate, 93 Wine Spectator, 90 Wine & Spirits $36
• 2008 Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Perigee – 91 Wine Advocate, 90 Wine Spectator, 90 Wine & Spirits $49
• 2008 • Pepper Bridge Vineyard Apogee – 91 + Wine Advocate , 91 Wine Spectator, 91 Wine & Spirits, 91 Wine Enthusiast $49
• 2008 Columbia Valley Merlot – 92 Wine Enthusiast $24
• 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley – 90+ Wine Advocate $29
• 2008 Columbia Valley Syrah – 91 Wine Enthusiast, 90+ Wine Advocate $24

Northstar Winery

• 2006 Walla Walla Valley Merlot – 92 points Wine Advocate $50
• 2006 Columbia Valley Merlot – 91 points Wine Advocate $41
• 2007 Walla Walla Valley Merlot – 94 points Wine Spectator, 94 points Wine Enthusiast, 93 points Wine Advocate $50
• 2007 Columbia Valley Merlot – 91 points Wine Spectator, 92 points Wine Advocate, 93 points Wine Enthusiast $41
• 2008 Columbia Valley Merlot – 90 points Wine Spectator, 91 points Wine Enthusiast $41
• 2008 Walla Walla Valley Merlot – 92 points Wine Enthusiast $41
• 2008 Walla Walla Valley Merlot – 92 points Wine Enthusiast $50

Saviah Cellars

• 2010 The Jack Columbia Valley Riesling – 91 Points Wine Enthusiast and Best Buy (Dec 2011) $15
• 2008 Syrah, Walla Walla Valley – 91 Points Wine Enthusiast (Dec 2011) $32

Skylite Cellars

• 2007 Minnick Vineyard Yakima Valley Syrah – 90 Wine Enthusiast $28

SYZYGY

• 2007 Columbia Valley Red Wine – 91 Pt Wine Spectator
• 2007 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Seattle Met Magazine top 100
• 2008 Syrah – 90 Wine Advocate
• 2007 SAROS – 90 Wine Advocate

Tero Estates

• 2007 TERO Estates Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon – 91 points Wine Enthusiast $42

Tertulia Cellars

• 2007 Pepper Bridge Merlot 90 points Robert Parker
• 2007 Les Collines Syrah 91 Wine Enthusiast
• 2007 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Wine Spectator
• 2007 Columbia Valley Malbec 90 points Robert Parker
• 2008 Les Collines Tempranillo 90 points Robert Parker

Three Rivers Winery

• 2007 Malbec – 91 Tasting Panel Magazine
• 2007 Boushey Vineyards Syrah – 90 Wine Advocate
• 2008 Weinbau Vineyard Cabernet Franc – 91 Cellar Selection Wine Enthusiast (new release)
• 2007 Champoux Vineyard Merlot – 93 Wine Spectator
• 2007 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – 91 Wine Spectator
• 2007 Svelte – 90 Wine Spectator (new release)

Walla Faces Winery

• 2007 Walla Faces Syrah – 90 Wine Spectator $25

Walla Walla wineries have been making the news lately. Most prominent was the shuttering of Whitman Cellars in late January. While the bank sorts out what it wants to do with the property, winemaker Stephen Lessard is focusing his attention on his other winery project, Corvus Cellars, a venture with Randall Hopkins.

More recently, Precept Brands announced the purchase of Canoe Ridge Vineyard Winery and Sagelands wineries from Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines. Given Precept Brands’ attention to Waterbrook‘s brand, we are confident that these venerable labels will regain their status in the industry.

In December, Mike Neuffer announced that he was closing his Nicholas Cole Cellars winery and tasting room due to family issues and Steve Brooks of Trust Cellars found himself without a winery when his landlord gave him notice. This month, winemaker Matt opened his Fjellene Cellars & Vineyard on the Merlot Drive property.

In January, Trio Vintners changed hands when founders Denise Slattery and her husband, Steve Michener, sold their winery to Karen LaBonte. Karen plans to re-open the 2nd Street tasting room later this month. As for Denise & Steve, we are fairly certain that some involvement with wine is in their future.

In February, three tasting rooms opened in the Marcus Whitman Hotel, with 2nd Avenue store front locations for Tero Estates and Flying Trout and Locati Cellars. For beer fans, Locati’s depot tasting room will feature brews and cigars. Around the corner on Rose, Don Carlo Vineyard opened their hotel tasting room.

Looks like Plumb Cellars (9 S. 1st Ave.) will be getting a tasting room partner, when Mansion Creek Cellars joins them in that space. Look for a marquee change to Wine@Nine!

Finally, work is zipping along at Charles Smith Wines on Spokane Street. Seattle firm Olson Kundig offers a rendering of the front of the building that has been nicknamed “The Velvet Devil.” The winery says they are planning a grand opening on Saturday, April 9, which is also Cayuse Release Weekend and Feast Walla Walla.

Exciting times here in the valley. We’ll post more as it comes our way!

by Guest Blogger, Catie McIntyre Walker

The 13th Annual Walla Walla Holiday Barrel Tasting is once again wrapped up like a present and put away to be opened again next year. As I visited with the wineries about wine lovers coming out to sample, sip and swirl, the numbers may have been down, but spirits were up.

There were concerns about the weather, of course. Hey, it’s winter, right? It was also a big weekend for WSU Cougar and UW Husky rivals to once again face each other at the long-standing Apple Cup. There were also concerns that Seattle-ites may have forsaken the frosty wine country of Walla Walla to stay home and visit the Woodinville “strip-mall” wineries instead. This may have been a convenient choice for many since a few of the Walla Walla wineries also have tasting rooms in Woodinville. (more…)

We have known for years that Walla Walla Valley wineries are producing some of the finest wines in our state. We also know firsthand that our wineries are keen to pour their very best every chance they get. So when we asked what 90+ wines they are pouring this weekend, we were staggered by the response by just a handful of wineries. We know that there are plenty of others that will be pouring their best wines. If you are looking to taste the very best this valley has to offer, you might want to print out this list of wines that have scored 90 points or higher and will be available for tasting and purchasing this weekend.

Don’t miss our 2010 ‘Must-See” Report for winery events.
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August is a glorious month to be in wine country. It is the last of the lazy days of summer for valley winemakers and grape growers as they enjoy this last bit of downtime by checking on their vineyards and arranging for their help, supplies and equipment.

It is the wheat farmers, who are busy right now;  the combines are in the fields and the Grain Trains are on the move. It will be a great harvest year with droughts in the world’s other growing areas giving a boost to American wheat prices!

Word from the grape growers is the veraison (when the grapes begin to change color) will be a bit late this year, pushing harvest into October throughout the valley.

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One never knows when this information might come in handy.

How to open a bottle of wine with a shoe.  Check out the dude in the white sweater. I grabbed my Wine Away just in case.

How to remove a cork from an empty wine bottle.

Walla Walla’s wineries have shifted into high gear for this year’s Spring Release Weekend ~ Thursday, April 29-Sunday, May 2.  Wineries are planting flowerpots, mowing the vineyards and generally sprucing up their facilities, in preparation of more than 3000 valley visitors to this annual ritual of spring.

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.

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Here is a wine visitor’s update on the good food stories happening in Walla Walla:

What a year it has been in Walla Walla! From our first blog piece mid-January, announcing the closure of five restaurants, most significantly the demise of 26brix, to the year-end news that Merchant’s Deli has been sold to T. Maccarone’s team of Tommy and Jake, it has been a year of regrouping and retooling.  Another change is that now you will have to pay to read U-B content.

Overall, it was a year where everyone worked a bit harder to sell wine, cheese and hotel rooms; more bottles than cases as some wineries shared with us.

And while wineries and consumers did not spend as freely as they may have in the past, the visitors still came to Walla Walla giving a weekend boom for lodging properties and putting the pressure on the remaining restaurants.

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