By Andy Campbell

Notes and Photos By Tom Allan

These are some fantastic notes from a trip in May 2008. Tom Allan, wife Anne Allan, my patient, fantastic wife Megan and myself embarked to Walla Walla for their annual Spring Release weekend, which occurs every year the first full weekend in May. As you can see, we passed through the Yakima Valley and hit some great wineries there as well. A couple of quick notes: this very popular winery weekend is booked months in advance, so plan early. Also, for a donation to the Whitman chapter of the Delta Gamma Anchor Drive philanthropy, the fabulous ladies of Delta Gamma were the designated drivers for us for the day.
Please contact them for this great service at  addressanchordrive@gmail.com.

Friday

Two Mountains (Zillah)
Talked to Matt, friend of Andy. Tasted NV Red, Merlot, Cab & Syrah. Liked the Merlot and Cab. A couple old dogs run the joint.
 
Sheridan Winery (Zillah)
Scott & Karen. Tasted Kamiakin Red, Merlot '06, Syrah '05 and Sheridan Cab Franc '05, Lorage '05, Syrah '05. Very unique syrah, almost a port-like nose. Excellent

Olsen Estates (Prosser)
Tasty Riesling. Decor very classy with outdoor patio and water feature. Retail goods and piano onsite. Also tasted chardonnay, merlot and syrah.
 
 
Airfield Estates (Prosser)
Great old-time aviation theme throughout the winery. Retail offerings are worth stopping for, including cheeses, pickles, olives, wine accessories, other gourmet items and art. Big hangar doors set the mood of the place. Another outdoor patio and water feature, which seem to be a theme in Prosser.

Nice folks here running the tasting room. The land was once an air force training field in the 30s and 40s, owned by the Miller family. The family still farms out of two of the original airplane hangars.

Tasted Unoaked Chard '07, Chard '06, Pinot Gris '07, Footstomped Rose '07, Syrah '06, Merlot '06, NV Cab, Reserve Syrah '06, Thunderbolt White '07, Riesling '07. Bought Rose, Chard, pickled asparagus, coaster, stem markers.

Tagaris (Richland)
Stopped in for dinner. Busy place with good food and service. Had the 2006 Dry Riesling and 2005 Petit Verdot with dinner.
 

Bookwalter (Richland)
Right next door to Tagaris. Great music, gargantuan glassware. Andy got his head stuck in the glass trying to get that last drop. Had Cab '05 (which was great), Cab '04 (not so great), NV Red (VG), and the Merlot '05 which tasted off. Mr. Bookwalter was hanging out on the couch.

Saturday (Walla Walla)

1st Driver: Becky

10:15 AM Long Shadows
Best Chihuly glass display in Walla Walla. Tough to make this the first stop because you don't want to spit out the wine. Quote from Andy at 10:25 AM: Wow, this is our 1st stop. If they're all like this our teeth are going to be black and we are going to be wasted! Tasted Riesling with Judah, Chester Kidder, Sassi (super Tuscan) '05, Piruoette blend '05, Pedestal Merlot '05, Feather Cab '05, Sequel Syrah '05. Absolutely criminal to spit Pirouette and Feather. Maybe this should be the last stop.

11:00 Cougar Crest
New tasting room was only 3 weeks old. Debbie has plans for Bocce lawn and horseshoe pit. Open and airy feeling in the tasting room, with a big patio at the entrance. Tasted Chard '06, Vivace '05, Viognier '06, Dedication NV Red, Estate Merlot '05.
 

11:30 Canoe Ridge
Great snacks spread out on barrel tops. Stacks of new American oak decorated the tasting room. Artwork on display for sale. Tasted delicious Riesling, Gewurtz, Chard, Cab/Merlot, Syrah '05, Syrah '04. Bought a few bottles of '04 Syrah.
 

12:00 Amavi
Great winery dog in here (Haggrid). Cool vintage red chevy truck in front. Tasted some good wines including the Semillon '07 and Cabernet (good value at $25). 12:30 Switched drivers. Tilly now behind the wheel.

12:40 Dusted Valley
Lots of personality and the only tasting held in a suburban driveway. Outdoor tent with $5 tasting fee refundable with any purchase. Pushing memberships to the Stained Tooth Society. 4 Syrahs to taste, several with mourvedre and viognier blended in. Very unique Super Tuscan. Bought some wine. Don't remember what (photo at right).

1:00 Isenhower
Good wines, packed house. Bought some NV red.  

1:25 Rulo
The crazy hair winery (wigs were rampant). Known for Viognier, which was excellent. 'Syrca' Syrah/Cab blend was also good. Also tasted Combine (SB/Viognier blend), Rose '07, Sundance chard '06 (unoaked), an oaked chard, Syrah '05. The bagpiper (Bill Dickson, left) summoned us over from Isenhower. Big spread of cheeses in the tasting room.

2:15 Northstar
$8 included nice logo glass stem. Did we get these or did we not pay..don't recall? Started with Stella Blanco Semillon. Nice retail goods (leather, apparel, accessories). Live music on the outdoor patio. Merlot was great, of course.  The facility & grounds are ideal for photography (photos at right, below left, and bottom of page).

Drivers excused in Walla Walla at 3:00.

3:10 Spring Valley
Tasted through the entire line. Fantastic pairing of 61% chocolate and the Syrah. Nice pictorial history covers the walls of the (small) tasting room. 3 generations of Derby's on the Derby Cabernet label.
 

3:35 Ash Hollow
Started with 2007 Sauv Blanc. They use the same vineyards as Airfield Estates for this. Picked early, no malolactic, all stainless. Justin spent lots of time with us. All reds estate grown, 11 acres across from Leonetti. 'Workhorse' wine is 9 Mile Red, which is 68% cab, 32% merlot. 100% Walla Walla.
 

3:55 Waterbrook
Crowded, but nice outdoor patio in the center of Walla Walla. They are open late. Lots of snacks scattered in the tasting room. Good selection of infused grapeseed oils.

4:15 Flying Trout
Very low production levels. 100 cases of Red and 50 cases of Cab Franc. Red is a good value at $25. Called Flying Trout because owner Ashley Trout swaps time between Argentina and Walla Walla and her name is Trout. Bought a coffee cup and some red.
 

4:50 Cole Cellars
Cost was $8 and only had three wines to taste. New room just opened today, and overwhelmingly smelled of fresh latex paint. Maybe I'm just getting grumpy.

5:15 Da Ma Wines
Part owner Mary Tuuri Derby is widow of Devin Derby (of Spring Valley fame). Wines were quite good with some real values. Cowgirl Cab a great deal for $21. Pretty much everybody is in the bag at this point including the owners and servers (Dawn Kammer & Mary Tuuri Derby, right).

5:45 Back at Waterbrook
Live music on the sidewalk. Tasted Rose for the first time. Melange was good as usual. Bought some garlic grapeseed oil and basil oil. Reserves were all gone.

6:30 26 Brix
This is a bar not a winery. Nice original cocktails. Ordered Kumquat martinis and Cucumber cocktail.

8:00 Dinner at Luscious with Waterbrook winemaker John Freeman (photo at left) and friends (Thanks for the great dinner John). Things start to dim...
 
Sometime later than 8:00, Green Lantern Tavern.  Drinks in the back yard...literally. Most of my Martini ends up in the grass, by way of my shirt and right pant leg. Probably for the best

Tom Allan is a Contributing Advisor for WineSquire.com