This is one of those feel-good stories, a story about an agricultural town that saw its fortunes slip, only to reinvent itself as the prodigious producer some of the savviest, most sought-after wines on the planet.
There are some 660 wineries in Washington State just now, and a significant slice – some of the very, very best – are in Walla Walla.
Seventeen of the city’s best wineries are right downtown, within easy walking distance of one another. Many draw from the entrepreneurial expertise that’s set up shop in this part of the state, prompting some to label the Walla Walla Valley as “the Next Napa Valley.” The lion’s share of the region’s wineries are family affairs, and you’ve got to call ahead for an appointment to peruse many of them. But it’s worth the effort.
Here are a couple of great downtown wineries of note, and a tasting room:
- First, the tasting room. It belongs to Preston Premium Wines, a classic family-owned business since the early 1970s, before viticulture really took off in the Walla Walla region. The vineyards now take in 157 acres and produce some bodacious sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, gamay noir and cabernet franc varietals.
- Peruse the Sleight of Hand Cellars web site and it’s immediately apparent these guys are good. Many of their vintages bear the notation SOLD OUT!!! Among those that aren’t (yet) are the 2010 Enchantress Chardonnay and the 1010 Funkadelic Syrah. Seattle Magazine says Sleight of Hand is among the “Next Cult Wineries of Washington State.”
- The folks who run Cayuse Vineyards verily know their viticulture. Consider this kudo from Jay Miller in The Wine Advocate: “Cayuse is no longer a secret and it may be America’s toughest mailing list to crack…but do whatever it takes to get your hands on a few of these gems.”
Oh yeah, they fly to Walla Wall too. Alaska Airlines offers nonstop service from Seattle.
(Image: alexbrn)
