Walla Walla’s remarkable reds

In the past 20 years, the Walla Walla Valley has enjoyed remarkable growth, building from fewer than a dozen producers to more than 130.

Perhaps most remarkable is how consistently superb the wines from the region are, as a precedence of excellence was set early on by such producers as Leonetti Cellar, Woodward Canyon Winery, L’Ecole No. 41, Seven Hills Winery and Waterbrook Winery.

For many years, a lot of the grapes used by Walla Walla Valley winemakers came from outside the region, typically from the Columbia and Yakima valleys to the west. While a large amount of fruit still comes from the Columbia Valley, more and more vineyards are being planted in the Walla Walla Valley, particularly south of the stateline in Oregon.

Here are several examples of wines made from Walla Walla Valley grapes that we have tasted recently.