Buty Winery

Bunchgrass Winery

Canoe Ridge

Cayuse

Colvin Vineyards

Cougar Hills

Dunham and
Tre Marie

Five Star

Glen Fiona

Isenhower Cellars

K Vintners

L'Ecole #41

Leonetti Cellar

Nicholas Cole Cellars

Northstar

Patrick M Paul

Pepper Bridge

Reininger

Rulo Winery

Russell Creek

Saviah

Seven Hills

Spring Valley

Tamarack

Three Rivers

Walla Walla Vintners

Waterbrook

Whitman Cellars

Woodward Canyon

Yellow Hawk

Vineyards

Ahler

Alderbanks

Armada

Ash Hollow

Biscuit Ridge

Braden View

Cailoux

Coccinelle

Cougar Hills

Couse Creek

Dubrul

En Cerise

En Chamberlin

Fire Ridge

Forgotten Hills

Les Collines

La Tour

Loess

Mill Creek Upland

Minnick

Morrison Lane

Panoramic

Pepper Bridge

Pheasant Run

Rizzuti

Seven Hills

Spofford Station

Spring Valley

Stellar

Stonemarker

Three Rivers

Tre Marie

Va Piano

Valley Grove

Vanessa's

Walla Walla
River Farm

Waterbrook

Windrow

Woodward Canyon

Walla Walla Wow!
45 wineries and growing,
this region is the next big thing
by Jean Yates

Chris Figgins of Leonetti

June 24, 2002--Just got back from a visit to Walla Walla and what an eyeopener it was! Walla Walla is changing from an area known chiefly for its sweet onions and Whitman College to a winelover's heaven.

Still a quiet and charming small town, longtime resident Walla Walla farmers who pioneered the local wine industry are being joined by new arrivals opening wineries at a staggering rate.

Each winery has its own unique story, but some common trends are worth noting:

- Bordeaux---The dominant wine style is a Bordeaux style red blend, even when labeled "Merlot" or "Cabernet Sauvignon". Most of the wines are actually blended mixes of Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah, and/or Grenache. Whites are generally Chenin blanc, Viognier, or Chardonnay, and many wineries make only reds.

- Grapes---Most wineries (especially the newer ones) are purchasing grapes from the same Walla Walla vineyards- Seven Hills Vineyard and PepperBridge Vineyard grapes are present in many Walla Walla wines. Very few wineries are planting substantial vineyards, many are just planting a few acres around their tasting rooms. I'm wondering if the differences in winemaking practices will lead to unique styles for each winery- we shall see..... Noteable exceptions are Woodward Canyon, Spring Valley, Leonetti.

- Syrah--- is definitely the up and coming varietal, and several winemakers told me they hope it helps to create a national perception of Washington wines, sort of like Oregon is known for Pinot noir. The grape has tremendous potential and is being experimented with in almost every winery we visited.

- Toasty oak---adds appeal to many of the area's reds, but sometimes to the point of sameness, creating a uniformity of flavor that is not necesarily the best thing for the region.

Toast is a controversial topic among winemakers- it adds appealing flavors and seems to enhance the ratings received from wine publications. But it is not a component of the grape, it is another flavor added to the wine by burning the inside of the barrels in which the wine is aged. When wines are young, the toasty oak flavors can mask (and enhance) a wine that needs a little time to come into its own. After a wine has aged for several years in the bottle, the toasty oak becomes less dominant and the flavors of the fruit emerge.

So what's so bad about helping a young wine along with a flavoring that makes it immediately tasty to consumers and magazine writers alike? Nothing at all. But the nuances of the fruit are somewhat masked, and I personally find very toasty wines hard to consume with food- they seem to numb out my palate, and I don't find much complexity or sublety of flavor-- the fruit's nuances are masked. Just in my humble opinion, folks, feel free to disagree.

-Yields--- Ok, here I go getting a little controversial again- I think that the high yields of grapes per acre (as much as 10 tons an acre) that are common in the vineyards in Walla Walla decrease complexity and structure in the wines. The result is simpler wines that can taste great with heavy toast and a high alcohol content, masking pretty simple fruit flavors. Don't get me wrong, this style of wine can be tremendously appealing, but the complexity of fruit flavors found in Bordeaux or reds from vineyards with lower yields are not there in most cases. Of course, the prices are usually lower, and there is a big place in the market for immediately drinkable, user friendly red wines.

Example of a Walla Walla wine that has everything? Owen Roe Dubrul Vineyard Cabernet 2000- the 99 Cab just got a score of 94 points in Wine Spectator and the 2000 is, imho, even better. What's the secret?

Fruit cropped at less than 2 tons per acre and an emphasis on intense, over the top gorgeous fruit flavors, minimal toast, and an exquisitely fine tuned attention to the structure and balance of the wine itself. The wine is magnificent now, but more importantly, it will age well, and will continue to evolve in ways that enhance the pleasure of its consumption.

More to come next week- including reviews of wines from 26 wineries!

Photo on right is of Spring Valley Vineyards three generations- From Left, Mary, son Simon, husband Devin, and Devin's Dad Dean Derby.

Devin and Mary moved to Walla Walla to run the winery after living in Chicago and San Francisco, where Mary was wine manager at several outstanding restaurants. Devin is focusing on the winemaking, his uncle Gaynor manages the vineyard, and Mary uses her experience with fine wines to decide on the final blends. They currently have a blended red, Uriah, available, and a Syrah coming on the market in late 2002.

Walla Walla Vintners is run by two partners, and their lowkey approach to winemaking has resulted in some wonderful wines.

Myles Anderson (left) and Gordon Venneri (right) made wine together as home winemakers for many years before going commercial. Neither partner has given up his day job - this is still a hobby business. Gordon is a CPA and field agent for Knight of Columbus Insurance and Myles is a teaching psychologist at the local community college. Myles is heading up the new Walla Walla Wine Institute.

Russell Creek has a Corvallis connection- a year ago, owner Larry Krivoshein (right) came into our store with samples of his now highly rated wines, and Ann immediately ordered. We've been selling them ever since, and they've proven a popular addition to the store.

The winery was bonded in 98, 99 was the first vintage, and the 99 reserve Cab received 91 points in Wine Spectator! Quite a success from the start!

We tasted the wines of Tamarack Cellars at the Walla Walla Art Benefit and I have to say, they are very very rich. Soft and fruity, with toasty oak and a nice long warm finish.

I highly recommend the 99 Merlot- it's a crowd pleaser, and at $25.99, it's a great buy.

Saviah Cellars's winery is so new that there's still a bare floor and a table on two sawhorses to taste at. Winemaker and co-owner

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---

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