I had taken a break from winery posts, simply because I didn’t want to overwhelm with them, or make it seem like I live at wineries (trust me, I have a toddler, I don’t). The truth is, many of the wineries I blog about are from visits in years/wine trips of the past. Once I purchased my DSLR camera, I made myself a promise to bring it with us everywhere, especially on vacations!
About a year ago we took a trip to one of our favorite places in Washington: Walla Walla Wine Country. My husband and I are huge Walla Walla fans as we feel like it is an un-tapped version of Napa – AMAZINGLY sophisticated wines, unique tasting rooms, delicious food, but at a fraction of the price. You won’t find many ‘tasting by appointment only’ or $40-$100 tasting fees. You will however find wines worthy of a spot on your special wine rack. I have a whole album of wineries we tasted at while there, and I plan to spread them out over the next few months. If you don’t know a lot about Walla Walla or Washington wines, I think you will start to notice some of these winery names on shelves locally and I hope it inspires you to give them a try!
The first spot we are stopping at is Woodward Canyon winery on the West side of Walla Walla. Woodward Canyon is next-door to another one of our favorites, L’Ecole No. 41. The two are walking distance from each other and have plenty of lawn space to sit out, so I would encourage you to spend an afternoon between the two of them, packing a picnic and spending some time on the grass soaking up the sun and sipping is encouraged!
Woodward Canyon has a small historic looking house they use as their tasting room, which I find charming. I love them for their focus on staying local, sustainable, and green. They are huge recycle/upcycler-rs, have contracts to use local wind power, and source their grapes from three local vineyards (Horse Heaven Hills, Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Valley).
In regards to wines, I have to say my favorites are on the spendier side, but they are worth it. These are the kind you get a case of, and drink a bottle once a year on an anniversary or special occasion. My favorites are the “Old Vines” Cabernet Sauvignon, and their Washington State Chardonnay. Just because these are my favorites, don’t feel obligated to spend a ton of money there! They have wonderful bottles starting at $21 that are just as noteworthy.
You can visit them online HERE or at their tasting room in Walla Walla:
“Tasting Room” open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Our last tasting is at 4:30 PM.
11920 W. Hwy 12, Lowden, WA 99360, (509) 525-4129
sounds like a neat place!
This place looks so pretty!! xx
It is beautiful! Very quaint and relaxing too
LOVE Walla Walla! Looking forward to reading more about your winery visits. 🙂