{"id":10,"name":"Golden Ridge Cellars","image_url":"","district":"Airport","hours":"Must Call: (509) 301-1192 11-3:00 Fri - Sun","hours_type":"limited","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":false,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":false,"year_established":1998,"winemaker":"Jessi Brogan","website":"http://goldenridgecellars.net/","phone":"+1 509-301-1192","address":"720 C Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362, United States","description":"Planted in 1998 on Walla Walla’s east side, Golden Ridge produces careful Chardonnay and Merlot; winemaker Michael learned his craft at the local wine college","lat":46.064583,"lng":-118.343018,"appt_url":"https://www.goldenridgecellars.com/contact-us","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$15 per person waived with a single bottle purchase","explorer_tags":[],"profile":"# Golden Ridge Cellars — Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story & Winery Character\n\nGolden Ridge Cellars is a small, family-oriented winery based in Walla Walla, Washington, built around a philosophy of handcrafted, high-quality winemaking. The winery describes itself as \"a labor of love,\" a phrase that speaks to the personal investment and passion behind its operation. The estate vineyard was planted in 1998 on the eastern side of the Walla Walla AVA, in the newer sub-designation of Mill Creek, grounding the winery in a specific and distinctive terroir. Golden Ridge positions itself as an intimate, approachable producer that values personal connection with its visitors, encouraging tastings by appointment and welcoming guests to experience the wines firsthand.\n\n## Winemaker\n\nThe winemaker behind Golden Ridge Cellars is identified on the winery's website as Michael, who pursued winemaking as a second career. He completed the Enology and Viticulture program at Walla Walla Community College, a well-regarded training pathway within the local wine community. This background reflects a deliberate, education-grounded transition into winemaking, suggesting a hands-on, craft-focused approach to production. **Note for sommelier use:** The winery's database entry lists Jessi Brogan as winemaker; however, the winery's own website identifies the winemaker only as \"Michael.\" This discrepancy should be flagged for verification before citing either name with confidence.\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nGolden Ridge Cellars sources from its own estate vineyard, which was planted in 1998. The vineyard is located on the eastern side of the Walla Walla AVA, within the Mill Creek sub-appellation, described as a newer designation within the broader valley. The winery notes that the vineyard offers unsurpassed views, suggesting a notable elevation or hillside positioning. No specific details about soil types, farming certifications (organic, sustainable, or biodynamic), or acreage are provided in the available text. The estate-grown focus implies a close relationship between the winemaker and the source fruit.\n\n## Signature Wines\n\nGolden Ridge Cellars produces red wines as a primary focus. Among their highlighted current releases are the **2020 Divoc Red Wine** and the **2018 Estate Red**, both cited as favorites by the winery. The Estate Red designation reinforces the connection to their own vineyard fruit. No specific varietal breakdowns (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, or Merlot percentages) are provided in the available text.\n\n## Tasting Notes\n\nNo specific tasting notes, flavor descriptors, or aroma profiles are provided in the scraped website content.\n\n## Wine Club\n\nGolden Ridge Cellars offers a wine club membership program. Members receive access to **library wines**, **limited releases**, and **first releases**, indicating that club membership provides meaningful priority access and exclusivity. No specific club tiers, pricing, shipment frequency, or pickup event details are described in the available text.\n\n## Tasting Room\n\nThe Golden Ridge Cellars tasting room is located in the **Airport District** of Walla Walla, Washington. The winery is open **weekends or by appointment**, with reservations appreciated, though same-day appointments may be available by phone. The winery describes its tasting experience as an opportunity to \"share wines\" with guests, emphasizing a welcoming and personal atmosphere. The tasting room's Airport District location places it within one of Walla Walla's established winery corridors. The winery notes it is transitioning out of an incubator program into a permanent Airport District location, suggesting a relatively recent or ongoing establishment phase at that address.\n\n## Accolades\n\nGolden Ridge Cellars has received recognition from multiple regional competitions and publications, including the **Northwest Wine Summit**, **Great Northwest Wine**, and the **Seattle Wine Awards**. These accolades support the winery's positioning as an award-winning producer within the Pacific Northwest wine community. No specific scores, medal levels, or vintage-specific awards are detailed in the available text.\n\n---\n\n*Profile based solely on content scraped from goldenridgecellars.net. Winemaker identity discrepancy noted above should be resolved before publication or customer-facing use.*","somm_notes":[{"title":"Patti's notes on Golden Ridge","content":"Located at the incubators in the Airport District, Golden Ridge offers a great lineup of Bordeaux-style wines. The Hunter Blend is a must-try! They're also known for pouring older vintages, which makes every visit a little extra special."}],"wines":[{"name":"Divoc Red Blend","vintage":"2020","variety":"Red Blend","price":""},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2018","variety":"Merlot","price":""},{"name":"Hunters Blend","vintage":"2017","variety":"Red Blend","price":""}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"yelp","rating":4.7,"count":3}],"sample_reviews":[],"critic_scores":[],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"Estate Red Blend","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (31 ratings)"}],"events":[]}