{"id":3411,"date":"2018-02-01T12:22:40","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T19:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danthewineguy.com\/?p=3411"},"modified":"2018-02-01T17:44:10","modified_gmt":"2018-02-02T00:44:10","slug":"walla-walla-valley-connections-allow-you-to-enjoy-wines-from-here-anywhere-in-washington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/?p=3411","title":{"rendered":"Walla Walla Valley Wines, Grapes, and Wineries are Flourishing With Connections Throughout Washington"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared in the February, 2018 issue of Bellingham Alive Magazine<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The explosion of wineries in the Walla Walla Valley mirrors the impressive growth of wineries in Washington State. How impressive? Consider this: according to the Washington Wine Commission there were 163 wineries statewide in the year 2000. Today the state boasts over 900 total wineries\u2026and nearly 125 of those are located in the Walla Walla Valley.<\/p>\n

The Walla Walla Valley has a rich agricultural history, but today\u2019s wine grape industry didn\u2019t really begin taking shape there until the mid-1980\u2019s.<\/p>\n

THE WALLA WALLA VALLEY APPELLATION<\/p>\n

Designated by the Federal government, an appellation is a specific geographic area with defined soil and climatic conditions. For the Walla Walla Valley, appellation status (also referred to as an \"null\"American Viticultural Area or AVA) was established in 1984 and covers acreage that extends from southwest Washington and into Northeast Oregon. <\/p>\n

(Photo at left credit: Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Today, the Valley is home to about 3,000 vineyard acres, a disproportionately small percentage of the state\u2019s 50,000+ acre total. That\u2019s created a minor kerfuffle in terms of wine grape availability and led to sometimes higher wine prices within the region. It also hasn\u2019t helped that many Walla Walla wineries are making excellent wines; increasing the demand from both within and outside the state.<\/p>\n

Fortunately for Washington wine lovers, there are still plenty of affordable options available. And even better news for those west of the Cascades; many Walla Walla wineries distribute their wines here or have satellite tasting rooms in the Woodinville\/Seattle area. That means with a little creative purchasing, you can easily get a piece of the Walla Walla Valley in your wine glass without paying a small fortune\u2026or traveling across the state to get it.<\/p>\n

CONNECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE<\/p>\n

There are essentially three ways to enjoy Walla Walla Valley-connected wines. First, from a winery both based in and using grapes grown in the Walla Walla Valley AVA; second, from a Walla Walla-based winery using grapes grown outside the AVA; and third, from wineries located outside the AVA (such as Bellingham\u2019s Dynasty Cellars) that source their grapes from the Walla Walla Valley and produce their wines locally.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a bit of a regional purist, look for the words \u201cWalla Walla Valley\u201d on the label. That\u2019s your level of assurance that at least 95% of the grapes inside the bottle \u2013 a requirement set by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board \u2013 were grown within the Walla Walla Valley AVA.<\/p>\n

\"\"QUALITY AND AFFORDABILITY<\/p>\n

Even though there\u2019s a relatively small quantity of vineyard acres within this region, there are still great wines, at great prices, for those looking for selections where both the grapes and the winery are Walla Walla Valley-based.<\/p>\n

Start with the Bergevin Lane Vineyards 2016 Linen Ros\u00e9<\/strong> (about $15). This blend of 50% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot is nothing short of amazing. There\u2019s a gentle, savory, cherry tomato quality to start, with juicy red cherry and strawberry fruits on the mid-palate and a vibrant splash of white peach on the finish. It\u2019s a delicious choice that\u2019s sourced from the winery\u2019s estate vineyard in Walla Walla and enjoyable any time of the year.<\/p>\n

Also notable is the Gifford Hirlinger 2014 Stateline Red<\/strong> (about $20) from winemaker Mike Berghan, whose winery and vineyards are located just a stone\u2019s throw from the Oregon border. This unconventional blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Tempranillo, and Petit Verdot is an incredible value for a Walla Walla red wine at this price point. Black currant and plum flavors with nuances of espresso are packaged in a beautiful balance of fruit, tannins, and acidity.<\/p>\n

Scan the aisles of your grocer\u2019s wine section and you\u2019ll find the majority of wines produced by Walla Walla wineries are still sourced from grapes grown outside the region in the Columbia Valley AVA. Despite this \u201coutsourcing sticking point\u201d for some wineophiles, Walla Walla wineries are enjoying great success producing and selling these wines.<\/p>\n

The Boomtown 2016 Pinot Gris <\/strong>(about $19) is a perfect example. This tasty white wine from Walla Walla-based Dusted Valley Vintners is packed with mouth-watering pear and Fuji apple flavors along with a touch of citrus and bracing acidity on the finish. Try it with fettuccini Alfredo or a green salad with toasted almonds and creamy poppy-seed vinaigrette.<\/p>\n

Another Columbia Valley-sourced standout is the Eternal Wine \u2018Perspective\u2019 2016 Grenache Blanc <\/strong>(about $30) from Walla Walla winemaker Brad Binko. He\u2019s taken this newer-to-Washington Rhone white grape varietal and crafted it with subtle complexities and a near-elegant quality. It opens with apple, citrus, and white flower aromatics, followed by understated apricot, melon, and orange zest flavors and a slightly creamy finish.<\/p>\n

For wineries located outside of Walla Walla, acquiring grapes from the Valley\u2019s AVA can be a challenge. For those fortunate to have secured vineyard sources, the time and work involved has resulted in some truly spectacular wines.<\/p>\n

Tim and Kelly Hightower have been using Merlot grapes from Walla Walla\u2019s Pepper Bridge Vineyards at their Benton City winery since 1998. Their latest release, the Hightower Cellars 2013 Pepper Bridge Merlot <\/strong>(about $30) is another simply amazing effort. Lovely black cherry aromas and flavors fill the glass, with a dusting of cocoa powder on a lengthy, velvety finish. Outstanding!<\/p>\n

Finally, be sure to try the Dynasty Cellars 2014 Syrah<\/strong> (about $28). Bellingham winemaker Peter Osvaldik uses grapes from the Walla Walla Valley\u2019s Les Collines Vineyard, which he refers to as his \u201cone-stop shopping\u201d location for varietals such as Viognier, Semillon, Merlot, and Malbec. This gorgeous Syrah is a sensory delight from beginning to end, with a fruity, floral nose, a base of red cherry, and hints of licorice, hazelnut, caramel, and toasted oak on the finish.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared in the February, 2018 issue of Bellingham Alive Magazine The explosion of wineries in the Walla Walla Valley mirrors the impressive growth of wineries in Washington State. How impressive? Consider this: according to the Washington Wine Commission there were 163 wineries statewide in the year 2000. Today the state boasts over […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-the-bellingham-herald"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3411"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3420,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3411\/revisions\/3420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}