WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SUMMER FALL 2015 HD.pdf

Walla Walla, like other out-of-the-way
wine destinations, will probably never
become a big tourist destination, although
it does get a lot of love from
weekender wine enthusiasts from the
Seattle area, about a five-hour drive
away. And there’s also a decent sized pilgrimage
of hardcore wine enthusiasts
who want to see where some of their
favorite wines were born.
It’s very pretty here, in a stark, no nonsense
way, with countless dusty rows of
vines surrounded by a sage brush valley
stretching to the mountains. Finding
tasting rooms here really requires a GPS
with tasting rooms tucked away down
dirt roads or winding down narrow asphalt
driveways into someone’s yard.
Even with a GPS, selecting the best wine
tasting is difficult here, because there
are so many bests to find in Walla Walla.
One of the favorite wine stops was
at L’Ecole (www.lecole.com) housed in a
wonderfully restored 1915 Schoolhouse.
Thier 2011 Estate Ferguson Bordeaux
blend was selected as the best in the
world in its price category. It’ is a must
for wine lovers seeking the very best
from Washington State.
Tiny Bunch Grass Winery is big on tasting;
the winery and tasting room are
housed in a quaint cinder block building
that once served as a family dairy, (www.
bunchgrasswinery.com) and if you visit,
it’s likely that you’ll find winemaker
Tom Olander pouring his favorites.
The larger Saviah Cellars winery and
tasting room offers winemaker Rich
Funks, award-winning wine that is truly
reflective of the rocky soils in the area.
In a short time his efforts have gained
world-wide acclaim, in 2009 the winery
was named one of the ‘Top 100 Winer-
Clockwise from top left: Bunchgrass
Winemaker Tom Olander,
Barb Commare, and doggy greeters;
Guests dig into a gourmet
breakfast cooked by inn keeper
Edward Soochi at Girasol Bed and
Breakfast; Mary James in the
common patio area at Girasol; Coinn
keeper Michele Soochi enjoys
the sun with everyone’s favorite
vineyard dog.
Wine Dine & Travel Summer/Fall 2015 25