A view of the valley from Golden Ridge Vineyards

This past Thursday, I took a day trip to Walla Walla, WA.  Walla Walla has quickly gained a reputation for churning out some excellent, world class wines, so I decided to take the 2 hour journey from Pullman, WA to try them out myself.  Now the Walla Walla AVA is located in southeastern Washington State within the large Columbia Valley AVA, and also encompasses a small part of northeast Oregon.  This area was granted AVA status in 1984 and at that time in the mid 1980’s, there was only about 60 acres of planted grapes and 6 wineries.  Well, these numbers have exploded in recent years to over 100 wineries and 1,600 acres of grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Syrah are the most planted varietals, with an abundance of others planted in smaller quantities.  There is a very distinctive, unique terroir in the wines made here, and they definitely stand out when compared to wines from other regions.  The town itself is a vibrant community, with a great downtown dotted with tasting rooms.  While I was there, I only had time to visit a handful of wineries, but I was impressed none the less. Most all of the wines were outstanding and among the wineries visited, I decided to write reviews on Seven Hills, Lodmell Cellars, Spring Valley Vineyard, and Golden Ridge Vineyards. Instead of writing one long endless post, I thought I would break it up into separate entries, so each winery gets its own review. Walla Walla is definitely a must visit when it comes to wine country, and I plan on making the journey again soon.

Stay tuned for more…