Are the cool, rainy autumn days making you pine for an adventure complete with great food and wine? Look no further than the up-and-coming town of Walla Walla, a small town in eastern WA historically known for its sweet onions but quickly earning global distinction for its fruit-driven varietals and bold Bordeaux-style blends.

Upon our arrival at the Fat Duck Inn, a lovely bed and breakfast within walking distance of downtown, owners Rich and Cynthia Koby poured us some wine and showed us to the spacious Merganser king suite. After extolling the cuisine of the cozy French bistro Brasserie Four, they were off to put the finishing touches on one of Chef Rich’s five-course gourmet dinners that showcase the seasonal fare and world-class wines of the region.

We made a mental note to get on his future guest list and struck out hand-in-hand for Main St. Francophile that I am, my expectations for the food were high, and B4 delivered. The herby Chinook tartare was a quintessential mix of the PNW and France’s predilection for raw, delicately seasoned food, and the steak frites and Croque Madame were welcome comfort food options on an unseasonably cool evening.

We were lucky to grab the last two seats at the bar and enjoyed our bird’s eye view of the kitchen and chatting with the bartender, who shared the story of the young plucky female owner who spent time in France in college and came back to Walla Walla after earning a culinary degree to bring a little je ne sais quoi to the other wine country to the tune of critical accolades. Inspiring success stories are rampant in this town.

The next morning, we conferred with our hosts over fresh fruit, asparagus and onion frittata, and coffee, adopting Rich’s approach to target the lesser known of the 130-odd wineries, whose offerings are harder to secure on the west side of the Cascades. Intriguingly, even in the valley, a fair number of wineries rarely open their doors to the public, maintaining small productions and selling their entire inventory to their mailing list.

Undaunted, we set off to soak in as much information as we could about the remarkable terroir yielding these valley’s grapes and moved from tasting rooms on the west side of town to those on the south side of town and then made our way back into the heart of town, where there are 15 or more tasting rooms worth stopping at within a few square blocks. The pourers’ love for their craft shines through as they describe the locale of the grapes, history of the land, defining features of recent vintages, their processing method of choice, and importantly, what foods to pair with their bottles. No question is too simple.

From Alaskan native Lori at Sleight of Hand Cellars, who will jam out to any of hundreds of vintage vinyl rock albums while extolling the virtues of the Magician’s Assistant Cabernet Franc rosé, to the rock nerd-owned Glencorrie, where Stephanie makes you feel like an old friend while turning you on to the importance of not over-oaking your wine so as to let the fruit shine through, to Spencer, the co-winemaker/owner of El Corazon, a playful character who keeps the free varietal pours coming (try the Supernova 2011 Malbec!) and is clearly having the time of his life (you may find yourself daydreaming about being more free- spirited yourself), these are artists with a casual cool vibe of whom you will be instantly enamored.

We capped off the evening with some gastropub fare at Public House 124, a hangout spot for many of the movers and shakers in town. Grab a seat at the bar, order a kruga plate or two, and try an elusive glass of Abeja wine. When sipping 40-50 wines in a day, the subtleties of the aromas, flavors, and underlying tones can begin to blend together, but that is part of the beauty of Walla Walla, a melting pot of exceptionally talented vintners with the creativity and gravitas to experiment with the bounty of the land and find ways to distinguish themselves in a crowd of worthy competitors.

And yet, the friendly vibe this town is known for is evident in the collaborations, social mixing, and new label spinoffs freely taking place. There is still enough room in the market here that both family legacies and newcomers are encouraged to make their mark.

In western WA, many of Walla Walla’s wineries distribute primarily to small wine shops, a reminder that it’s a good idea to cultivate a relationship with your local supplier if you wish to discover more WA wines. Better yet, make the 5-hour drive from the Olympia area and meet these artisans yourself. Santé!

Travel resources: www.wwbbia.com, http://laquintawallawalla.com/,
www.wallawalla.org, www.wallawalla.mobilewinetour.com

XOXO,

Cara Bertozzi Larsen

Spouse Connexion Contributor

Want to hear more from Cara? Read her 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Before our PCS to Hawaii. Have a story to share? Contact us!