Here is the latest travel section of the FAQ, on Walla Walla (See my
comments in the Oregon thread about why I didn't include more regions).
I'd appreciate any comments, additions, corrections, etc., especially
from those of you (AyTee, Vino, Dick) who have some firsthand knowledge
of the region.

--------------------- Begin C&P ------------------

The best known wine region of Washington is near Walla Walla in the
Columbia Valley. This is a much warmer growing area than the
(relatively) nearby Willamette Valley of Oregon, so the principal wines
of this region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. It is one of
the more recently developed viticultural areas in the Western US, so
visits there are still fairly low key. Listed below are some of the
Walla Walla wineries that have received positive reviews in alt.food.wine.

Wineries:

L'Ecole 41 – Ageworthy Cabernet and Merlot, top-notch Syrah
Woodward Canyon – Quality Cabernet Sauvignon
Cayuse – Rich, stylish Syrahs
K Vintners
Buty
Yellowhawk – Italian varietals
Rulo - Good Syrah and white wines, including Viognier
Tamarack- Suave, consistently good Cabernet and Merlot
Reininger – Beautiful Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah
Pepper Bridge
Dunham Cellars – Smooth Cabernet and jammy, expressive Syrah
Seven Hills – Very good Merlot, Tempranillo
Forgeron - Zinfandel!

Dining:

Town Creek Café – Good spot for lunch
Grapefields – Wine bar/bistro with good food
26 Brix – Outstanding food from local products

Lodging:

Websites:

http://www.washingtonwine.org/
http://www.winesnw.com/wahome.html

----------------- End C&P ----------------------

Mark Lipton
Feeder of the FAQ

Mark Lipton wrote:
> Here is the latest travel section of the FAQ, [...]

This is a good summary, Mark. I have added a few notes, below.

> --------------------- Begin C&P ------------------
>
> The best known wine region of Washington is near Walla Walla in the
> Columbia Valley. This is a much warmer growing area than the
> (relatively) nearby Willamette Valley of Oregon, so the principal wines
> of this region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. It is one of
> the more recently developed viticultural areas in the Western US, so
> visits there are still fairly low key. Listed below are some of the
> Walla Walla wineries that have received positive reviews in alt.food.wine.
>
> Wineries:
>
> L'Ecole 41 - Ageworthy Cabernet and Merlot, top-notch Syrah
> Woodward Canyon - Quality Cabernet Sauvignon
> Cayuse - Rich, stylish Syrahs
> K Vintners
> Buty
> Yellowhawk - Italian varietals
> Rulo - Good Syrah and white wines, including Viognier
> Tamarack- Suave, consistently good Cabernet and Merlot
> Reininger - Beautiful Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah
> Pepper Bridge
> Dunham Cellars - Smooth Cabernet and jammy, expressive Syrah
> Seven Hills - Very good Merlot, Tempranillo
> Forgeron - Zinfandel!

Great list. I might add Colvin Vineyards and Walla Walla Vintners, but
you have to draw the line somewhere, I hear there are about 90 wineries
now! Nearly all of them excellent.

> Dining:
>
> Town Creek Café - Good spot for lunch

That's Creek Town Café.

> Grapefields - Wine bar/bistro with good food
> 26 Brix - Outstanding food from local products

Also, Whitehouse Crawford
The Marc, at Marcus Whitman. Haven't dined here in quite a while, but
I'm told they have become quite good.

> Lodging:

Marcus Whitman Hotel, a great, restored, turn of (20th) century hotel
Various reasonably-priced chain hotels
Various B&Bs

> Websites:
>
> http://www.washingtonwine.org/
> http://www.winesnw.com/wahome.html
>
> ----------------- End C&P ----------------------
>
> Mark Lipton
> Feeder of the FAQ

On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:25:43 -0500, Mark Lipton >
wrote:

>Here is the latest travel section of the FAQ, on Walla Walla (See my
>comments in the Oregon thread about why I didn't include more regions).
> I'd appreciate any comments, additions, corrections, etc., especially
>from those of you (AyTee, Vino, Dick) who have some firsthand knowledge
>of the region.
>
>--------------------- Begin C&P ------------------
>
> The best known wine region of Washington is near Walla Walla in the
>Columbia Valley. This is a much warmer growing area than the
>(relatively) nearby Willamette Valley of Oregon, so the principal wines
>of this region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. It is one of
>the more recently developed viticultural areas in the Western US, so
>visits there are still fairly low key. Listed below are some of the
>Walla Walla wineries that have received positive reviews in alt.food.wine.
>
>Wineries:
>
>L'Ecole 41 – Ageworthy Cabernet and Merlot, top-notch Syrah
>Woodward Canyon – Quality Cabernet Sauvignon
>Cayuse – Rich, stylish Syrahs
>K Vintners
>Buty
>Yellowhawk – Italian varietals
>Rulo - Good Syrah and white wines, including Viognier
>Tamarack- Suave, consistently good Cabernet and Merlot
>Reininger – Beautiful Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah
>Pepper Bridge
>Dunham Cellars – Smooth Cabernet and jammy, expressive Syrah
>Seven Hills – Very good Merlot, Tempranillo
>Forgeron - Zinfandel!
>
>Dining:
>
>Town Creek Café – Good spot for lunch
>Grapefields – Wine bar/bistro with good food
>26 Brix – Outstanding food from local products
>
>Lodging:
>
>Websites:
>
>http://www.washingtonwine.org/
>http://www.winesnw.com/wahome.html
>
>----------------- End C&P ----------------------
>
>Mark Lipton
>Feeder of the FAQ

Good job, Mark. I was going to recommend the Marcus Whitman hotel and
the Whitehouse-Crawford restaurant but AyTee beat me to it. I was
delayed in my reply to your posting by the birth to my daughter
earlier today of her first child, a son, and my third grandchild.

Some comments on your description of Walla Walla. Walla Walla is the
name of both a city and an AVA (actually a sub-AVA to the Columbia
Valley AVA). The AVA extends a little ways down into Oregon. I don't
know that I would describe it as the "best-known wine region in
Washington". It is, however, the place that I would recommend without
hesitation to anyone who could only visit one place in Washington.
This would be due to the quality and quantity of the wineries there as
well as their proximity to each other. Fine dining opportunities,
while not abundant, are certainly adequate, and beyond what one would
expect in a place its size.

The comparison to Oregon's Willamette Valley, while technically
accurate, seems not particularly relevant or useful. A comparison to
other areas in the Columbia Valley would be more useful, but now might
not be the time for it and I know you have other things to do.

The list of wineries is a good one. (I think I recognize some of my
own recommendations on it.) I still have some concerns expressed in an
earlier thread, but I'm not going to plow that ground again. One that
may be worthwhile mentioning is Leonetti Cellar, but I don't know that
it is useful to list a winery that is not open for tasting (except for
special occasions) and whose wines are almost impossible for ordinary
people to find, regardless of how good they are (or at least perceived
to be. Cayuse comes close to falling in the same class. They have a
tasting room in downtown Walla Walla but it has never been open when
I've been there.

Just some thoughts. Keep up the good work.

Vino

Congrats on the grandson!

Vino wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:25:43 -0500, Mark Lipton >
> wrote:
>
> >Here is the latest travel section of the FAQ, on Walla Walla (See my
> >comments in the Oregon thread about why I didn't include more regions).
> > I'd appreciate any comments, additions, corrections, etc., especially
> >from those of you (AyTee, Vino, Dick) who have some firsthand knowledge
> >of the region.
> >
> >--------------------- Begin C&P ------------------
> >
> > The best known wine region of Washington is near Walla Walla in the
> >Columbia Valley. This is a much warmer growing area than the
> >(relatively) nearby Willamette Valley of Oregon, so the principal wines
> >of this region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. It is one of
> >the more recently developed viticultural areas in the Western US, so
> >visits there are still fairly low key. Listed below are some of the
> >Walla Walla wineries that have received positive reviews in alt.food.wine.
> >
> >Wineries:
> >
> >L'Ecole 41 - Ageworthy Cabernet and Merlot, top-notch Syrah
> >Woodward Canyon - Quality Cabernet Sauvignon
> >Cayuse - Rich, stylish Syrahs
> >K Vintners
> >Buty
> >Yellowhawk - Italian varietals
> >Rulo - Good Syrah and white wines, including Viognier
> >Tamarack- Suave, consistently good Cabernet and Merlot
> >Reininger - Beautiful Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah
> >Pepper Bridge
> >Dunham Cellars - Smooth Cabernet and jammy, expressive Syrah
> >Seven Hills - Very good Merlot, Tempranillo
> >Forgeron - Zinfandel!
> >
> >Dining:
> >
> >Town Creek Café - Good spot for lunch
> >Grapefields - Wine bar/bistro with good food
> >26 Brix - Outstanding food from local products
> >
> >Lodging:
> >
> >Websites:
> >
> >http://www.washingtonwine.org/
> >http://www.winesnw.com/wahome.html
> >
> >----------------- End C&P ----------------------
> >
> >Mark Lipton
> >Feeder of the FAQ
>
> Good job, Mark. I was going to recommend the Marcus Whitman hotel and
> the Whitehouse-Crawford restaurant but AyTee beat me to it. I was
> delayed in my reply to your posting by the birth to my daughter
> earlier today of her first child, a son, and my third grandchild.
>
> Some comments on your description of Walla Walla. Walla Walla is the
> name of both a city and an AVA (actually a sub-AVA to the Columbia
> Valley AVA). The AVA extends a little ways down into Oregon. I don't
> know that I would describe it as the "best-known wine region in
> Washington". It is, however, the place that I would recommend without
> hesitation to anyone who could only visit one place in Washington.
> This would be due to the quality and quantity of the wineries there as
> well as their proximity to each other. Fine dining opportunities,
> while not abundant, are certainly adequate, and beyond what one would
> expect in a place its size.
>
> The comparison to Oregon's Willamette Valley, while technically
> accurate, seems not particularly relevant or useful. A comparison to
> other areas in the Columbia Valley would be more useful, but now might
> not be the time for it and I know you have other things to do.
>
> The list of wineries is a good one. (I think I recognize some of my
> own recommendations on it.) I still have some concerns expressed in an
> earlier thread, but I'm not going to plow that ground again. One that
> may be worthwhile mentioning is Leonetti Cellar, but I don't know that
> it is useful to list a winery that is not open for tasting (except for
> special occasions) and whose wines are almost impossible for ordinary
> people to find, regardless of how good they are (or at least perceived
> to be. Cayuse comes close to falling in the same class. They have a
> tasting room in downtown Walla Walla but it has never been open when
> I've been there.
>
> Just some thoughts. Keep up the good work.
>
> Vino

Vino wrote:

> [...] It is, however, the place that I would recommend without
> hesitation to anyone who could only visit one place in Washington.
> This would be due to the quality and quantity of the wineries there as
> well as their proximity to each other. Fine dining opportunities,
> while not abundant, are certainly adequate, and beyond what one would
> expect in a place its size.

Certainly agree with that.
[...]
>
> The list of wineries is a good one. [ ...] One that
> may be worthwhile mentioning is Leonetti Cellar, but I don't know that
> it is useful to list a winery that is not open for tasting (except for
> special occasions) and whose wines are almost impossible for ordinary
> people to find, regardless of how good they are (or at least perceived
> to be. Cayuse comes close to falling in the same class. They have a
> tasting room in downtown Walla Walla but it has never been open when
> I've been there.
>

Also agree about Leonetti and Cayuse, except it is possible to find
their wines in some of the shops in town...sometimes.

Andy

AyTee wrote:
> Vino wrote:
>
>
>>[...] It is, however, the place that I would recommend without
>>hesitation to anyone who could only visit one place in Washington.
>>This would be due to the quality and quantity of the wineries there as
>>well as their proximity to each other. Fine dining opportunities,
>>while not abundant, are certainly adequate, and beyond what one would
>>expect in a place its size.
>
>
> Certainly agree with that.
> [...]
>
>>The list of wineries is a good one. [ ...] One that
>>may be worthwhile mentioning is Leonetti Cellar, but I don't know that
>>it is useful to list a winery that is not open for tasting (except for
>>special occasions) and whose wines are almost impossible for ordinary
>>people to find, regardless of how good they are (or at least perceived
>>to be. Cayuse comes close to falling in the same class. They have a
>>tasting room in downtown Walla Walla but it has never been open when
>>I've been there.
>>
>
>
> Also agree about Leonetti and Cayuse, except it is possible to find
> their wines in some of the shops in town...sometimes.

Andy and Vino,
Thanks very much for your input (especially since I know your views
on this whole enterprise, Vino). I too thought long and hard about
Leonetti, but decided in the end to forego any mention of it because of
the lack of visitation opportunities. I hadn't realized that Cayuse was
that restrictive, either. Do you think that it's worth putting in?

Mark Lipton

Mark Lipton wrote:

> Andy and Vino,
> Thanks very much for your input (especially since I know your views
> on this whole enterprise, Vino). I too thought long and hard about
> Leonetti, but decided in the end to forego any mention of it because of
> the lack of visitation opportunities. I hadn't realized that Cayuse was
> that restrictive, either. Do you think that it's worth putting in?
>
I think it is fine to omit Leonetti, for the reason you mentioned. The
only reason to include them would be as a sort of nod to their pioneer
status. But of course, for the purpose of this FAQ, that may not be a
concern. BTW, I don't think Cayuse is restrictive in the same way
Leonetti is. They simply sell out before their wines are released, and
so don't need to maintain a constant public presence -- an enviable
position from a business point of view.

Andy

On 13 Nov 2006 21:09:31 -0800, "AyTee" > wrote:

>
>Mark Lipton wrote:
>
>> Andy and Vino,
>> Thanks very much for your input (especially since I know your views
>> on this whole enterprise, Vino). I too thought long and hard about
>> Leonetti, but decided in the end to forego any mention of it because of
>> the lack of visitation opportunities. I hadn't realized that Cayuse was
>> that restrictive, either. Do you think that it's worth putting in?
>>
>I think it is fine to omit Leonetti, for the reason you mentioned. The
>only reason to include them would be as a sort of nod to their pioneer
>status. But of course, for the purpose of this FAQ, that may not be a
>concern. BTW, I don't think Cayuse is restrictive in the same way
>Leonetti is. They simply sell out before their wines are released, and
>so don't need to maintain a constant public presence -- an enviable
>position from a business point of view.
>
>Andy

My sense is that Andy is right about Cayuse. They do have a tasting
room in downtown Walla Walla and the times I have been there and it
has been closed, there is a sign in the window saying, in effect, that
they have nothing to sell. Leonetti's wines are more difficult to
obtain but I have found them from time to time in some unlikely places
including once, believe it or not, at my local Trader Joe's. They
would appear on just about anyone's short list of the best wineries in
the state. But, as you say, they lack visitation opportunities. Your
call, Mark.

On another topic, Andy covered the lodging situation in Walla Walla
pretty well. One thing I would like to add is that reservations are
always in order, regardless of the day of the week or time of the
year. I found that out the hard way once.

Vino