Page 25 - washington state wine

Walla Walla, like other out-of-the-way
wine destinations, will probably never
become a big tourist destination, al-
though 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 pil-
grimage 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 non-
sense 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 as-
phalt 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 Wal-
la. 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 tast-
ing; 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 vis-
it, 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: Bunch-
grass Winemaker Tom Olander,
Barb Commare, and doggy greet-
ers; 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; Co-
inn keeper Michele Soochi enjoys
the sun with everyone’s favorite
vineyard dog.

Wine Dine & Travel Summer/Fall 2015 25