Wineries in Central and Western Washington dot the landscape, from Lake Chelan to Pullman to the Oregon border. The highest density of wineries and the most popular tourist destination is Walla Walla. With a winery boom in the 2000s and continued growth through this decade, you can find over 110 wineries in the Walla Walla area, making it the ideal location to base yourself for a wine-centric visit. But tasting opportunities abound outside of Walla Walla as well.
Full-Service Luxury
There are numerous options for accommodations in the town of Walla Walla. But you would be hard pressed to find one more convenient to downtown’s many offerings than the historic The Marcus Whitman. This landmark hotel is nearing 100 years old, having opened in 1928, but looks fresh and hip thanks to a recent remodel of many parts of the hotel. Most of the rooms, the lobby, restaurant and many other spaces have been refashioned.
The remodel projects a modern yet art deco feel that fits with the hotel’s history. The rooms are spacious and comfortable and offer in-room, pour-over coffee makers. The stunning lobby has been beautifully restored while retaining historical touches like the original clock, phone booths and key cubbies.
The fine dining restaurant, The Marc, displays more of a modern look but honors the area’s farming history, as wheat and wine are prominent pieces of the room’s art. A very attractive space with a team that delivers attentive and excellent service.
The creative menu pays tribute to the bounty of local harvests. The Marc also offers the unique feature of a chef’s table located in a private space within the kitchen, where guests can dine among and chat with the chefs while their meal is prepared. It’s a wonderful, immersive experience.
While the hotel itself is special, the bonus that The Marcus Whitman offers is location. With more than 30 downtown tasting rooms, many great restaurants and shopping, you can park your vehicle at the Whitman and visit Walla Walla for days without driving. Wineries within walking distance include Walla Walla stalwarts like House of Smith, L’Ecole N° 41, Bergevin Lane and Mark Ryan, as well as new tasting rooms from Avennia, Nine Hats and many more.
Downtown tasting rooms are convenient; however, some wineries are worth a small trek. Journey-worthy tasting rooms include Abeja, which has stunning grounds, elegant wines and splendid service. The “Abeja Experience” tasting includes small bites curated with estate and library wines.
Fifteen minutes away is Caprio Cellars, whose tasting room is perched on an estate with 360-degree views, serving memorable Bordeaux varietals. They also pair with amazing bites, and visitors are in for a nice surprise at the end of the tasting. Another tasting room worth a drive is Rôtie Cellars in the Rocks District, which offers complex and delicious wines that honor the timeless and rustic style of wines from France’s Rhône Valley.
The latest boom in the area’s winery growth has seen investment by both Napa and European wine houses. Napa’s Cakebread and Duckhorn wineries have vineyards here, and Spain’s Valdemar Estates has a presence with an eye-catching, modern winery and tasting room just 10 minutes from the Whitman.
Valdemar offers its Spanish take on classic Washington varietals like syrah, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and others. This winery is an ideal stop around lunch, as it offers an extensive hot and cold tapas menu with amazing treats like Jamon Iberico, the famous cured ham from Spanish Iberico pigs; Spain’s iconic potato dish, patatas bravas; and even large plates like paella and braised lamb shanks.
Be sure and plan ahead for all visits, as most tasting rooms ask for reservations to help keep the vinous fans efficiently moving.
When it’s dinner time in Walla Walla, noteworthy restaurants, in addition to The Marc, include Hattaway’s on Alder and Brasserie Four, neither more than a five-minute walk from the hotel. Hattaway’s offers well-made and homey Southeastern U.S.-style dishes with a Pacific Northwest sensibility, while Brasserie Four is an excellent French bistro with a short but authentic bistro menu. Both restaurants are comfortable, casual and priced responsibly for what is served. Brasserie Four also has a small but intriguing retail wine offering for bottles to take away.
A wonderful downtown lunch stop is Graze, a small, local chain that serves up creative and appealing sandwiches, both hot and cold. And don’t miss the shopping downtown, with upscale boutiques and antique stores sprinkled in among the tasting rooms.
With area vintners making comments like, “We’re seeing more private planes diverting from Napa to Walla Walla,” many are using the cliché that Walla Walla is becoming Washington’s Napa Valley. If that’s the case, it’s with a decidedly more affordable and approachable vibe.
Self-Service Luxury
In the United States, wine-growing regions are referenced as American Viticulture Areas or “AVAs.” Columbia Valley has 12, including the Walla Walla Valley AVA. And while this AVA has the most wineries, amazing wines are made in many others.
You’ll find many places to explore and stay among these other AVAs, including the relatively tiny but famous Red Mountain AVA outside of Richland. With only 2,700 plantable acres, Red Mountain is one of Washington’s smallest appellations but its reputation for producing stunning grapes is renowned.
To visit Red Mountain is to be in the country, with few convenient upscale accommodations or restaurants. This is the area where visitors gather friends and food to plan a three- or four-night stay under one roof. And there is no more luxurious roof in the area to stay under than The Summit on Red Mountain.
Perched near the top of Red Mountain with a commanding view of the AVA, this sparkling-new, 3,000-square-foot vacation-rental home is the very definition of understated and contemporary luxury. An architectural work of art, the home is brilliantly designed to show off the view with a wall of 22 floor-to-ceiling windows that feature one-touch remote blinds. With four spacious bedrooms, it’s the perfect retreat for a wine tasting getaway with adult friends or family.
Amenities include a fully equipped gourmet kitchen, 3.5 bathrooms with heated floors and bidets, Bluetooth sound system throughout the home, outdoor kitchen with barbecue, a hot tub and a firepit that exploits the view and a 220-volt EV charger. In the main suite, the shower and soaking tub feature floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the view while relaxing in the tub.
To stock up or replenish your stay, Richland is 25 minutes away, with several grocery stores and, should your stay include a Friday, an excellent farmers market in The Parkway with freshly harvested produce from local farmers.
Adjacent to the market and open every day except Sunday is an impressive foodie store called ROMA House, where shoppers can stock up on artisan cheese, crackers, charcuterie, wine and other gourmet goodies. The store also sells beautifully prepared and curated “all-occasion boards” with cheeses, meats, dips, fruit, olives and crackers.
After settling in at The Summit on Red Mountain, it’s time to enjoy one of its most appealing assets, proximity to excellent tasting rooms — with several revered wineries within 2 miles.
John Williams and Jim Holmes planted the first grapes on Red Mountain in 1975 and produced their first wine under the “Kiona” label in 1980. They started in 1976 with 15 acres under vine. Today, three generations later, Kiona farms 272 acres and in addition to making its own bold brand of wine, it sells grapes to 60 other Washington wineries. A visit to the area is not complete without tasting the remarkable wines on this landmark property.
A mere four minutes away is another Red Mountain steward, Col Solare winery. It’s one of the early U.S.-European joint wine ventures — Italian wine giant Antinori teamed with Washington’s oldest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, in 1995 with a goal of producing world-class cabernets. In 2007, they planted estate vineyards on Red Mountain and opened their winery. They’ve become renowned for producing collectable, complex and compelling Red Mountain cabernets. Wines to savor and enjoy at release or 15-plus years later.
Representing yet another style of wine and neighboring the The Summit is Avennia’s tasting room. Aiming for more of a French style, Avennia builds both Left Bank and Right Bank Bordeaux styles, along with the classic Southern Rhône blend. The wines are excellent representatives of the styles the winery strives to achieve. Avennia also operates a tasting room in Walla Walla and Woodinville.
While Woodinville’s 110-plus wineries and tasting rooms are day-trip close to West Sound, most of the vineyards you see there are merely decorative. There really is nothing like the tactile pleasure of tasting wines on the estates where the grapes are farmed and harvested. Walla Walla and Red Mountain are both worthy of a long weekend trip.
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