Steve and I were blessed to be able to attend Taste Walla Walla this year.
So blessed to be included in this event 🙂
Unfortunately we couldn’t make it to all the tables. Of the wineries there to showcase Walla Walla we were only able to taste through about 56 wines in the two hours we attended. (Yes, spit cups were necessary.) Perhaps we will be able to taste through some of the ones we missed in the near future when we take a few Gig harbor folks out to Walla Walla this April.
Here are some highlights:
Wines:
Peppepr Bridge — We both enjoyed the 2014 Trine made by Jean-François Pellet. He is a proponent of sustainable vineyard practices and innovation. This shows through in his wine making.
Adamant — Devin and Debra Stinger joyously crafted a spectacular Albariño. This pair of wine enthusiasts are great ambassadors for the #WallaWallaWineAlliance and they make some pretty tasty wine.
Saviah — Rich Funk delivers elegant wines. If texture and mouth feel are important with flavor that is just as deep as it is velvety, you’ll want to check out his The Stones Speak label.
Tertulia — Their label pictures an icon of friends gathering together and the more we spend time with the winemakers of Walla Walla and their wines, the more we feel like friends. Friendship and hospitality really are talents this wine community has tons of. Check out Ryan Raber’s Blue Mountain vineyard wine, Elevation. It is a memorable Cabernet Franc that I highly recommend. 🙂 Truly the best I’ve tasted in a long time.
Solemn Cellars — Justin Basel is a young winemaker raising his family in the wine farming traditions. His enthusiasm shines through in the wine he makes. Each wine reflects his heart, his vines and the life that is poured into them.
Tranche — is another offering from the Blue Mountain area that is worthy of our attention. From the sheep grazing among the vines to the square cement fermenting tanks, this is a winery to watch. Exploring Rhône style wines with new world technology, they add their bit of character, their slice of life, to the Washington wine scene.
DaMa wines — Mary’s wines are so packed with flavor. You might find the aromatics of her wines intriguing in a name-that-flower kind of way. One stood out as a bouquet in liquid form — not obnoxiously pungent but pleasant and welcoming. What caught my attention was the balance with which she crafted those aromas and the incredibly long finish her wines possess.
Steve and I also had the pleasure of talking with several of the winemakers. Steve connects with them on a marketing level and I try to get a growing/wine making question into the conversation. This trip I learned a couple things about corrective measures for wines that don’t turn out quite as you planned. I’ll save that for another post.
Until we meet again, may the True Vine grant you a taste of joy and a sip of His glorious goodness. Amen.
Adventures of Janey Grapeseed 