{"id":103,"name":"Pepper Bridge Winery","image_url":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gps-cs-s/AC9h4np393AjwjeLVYEPobWjoQeQKrDJW75vwZtYay5mOi4DQssxYRZHtdVrRKIAmI6qKudX9wz8I0tjQNihJsoexFZ8Wuxwgiv36iKLLJxbCQ2Z0fvuzvQg6o2l0SyJ3eWZjUnFK_VU=w408-h306-k-no","district":"South","hours":"Sun – Thurs, 10am – 4pm\nFri – Sa, 10am – 5pm","hours_type":"limited","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":false,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":false,"year_established":1998,"winemaker":"Jean-Francois Pellet","website":"http://www.pepperbridge.com/","phone":"+1 509-525-6502","address":"1704 J B George Rd, Walla Walla, WA 99362, United States","description":"On slopes carved by ancient floods, Pepper Bridge’s sustainably farmed estate yields elegant, balanced Bordeaux blends; winemaker Jean‑François Pellet marries Walla Walla’s richness to old‑world grace","lat":46.01272,"lng":-118.370401,"appt_url":"https://www.pepperbridge.com/visit/walla-walla","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$25 per person waived with bottle purchase","explorer_tags":["bold reds","experi","knowledge"],"profile":"# Pepper Bridge Winery — Sommelier Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story\n\nPepper Bridge Winery is a family-owned, estate winery located in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington State. Founded in 1998 by Norm McKibben, the winery has operated for more than 25 years with a pioneering spirit and a deep commitment to sustainable vineyard stewardship. McKibben, recognized by Wine Business Month as one of the Top 50 Wine Industry Leaders in 2016, established the winery with a clear vision: to craft premium Bordeaux-style wines exclusively from estate-grown grapes while defining the Walla Walla Valley as a world-class wine destination. The winery is a family partnership, with Norm McKibben, his son Eric McKibben, and Dennis Murphy serving as partners alongside winemaker Jean-François Pellet, who also holds a partnership stake in the operation.\n\n## Winemaker\n\nJean-François Pellet serves as Director of Winemaking and Partner at Pepper Bridge Winery. He has been the winemaker since the winery's first vintage in 1998 and was honored as Winemaker of the Year by the Washington Wine Awards in 2015. Beyond crafting the wines, Pellet plays an active role in vineyard management, reflecting a holistic, terroir-driven philosophy. His guiding principle is stated directly: *\"The ultimate goal is to make quality wine and leave the soil healthier for future generations.\"* Pellet's technical innovation extends beyond the cellar — he served as the consulting developer of a new optical sorter, demonstrating a commitment to improving wine quality through technology. His winemaking style is Bordeaux-focused, emphasizing elegance, balance, and the intricate expression of Walla Walla Valley estate fruit. For the Trine blend, Pellet exercises a degree of creative latitude, working with all five traditional Bordeaux red varieties in a composition that shifts each vintage. For the Sauvignon Blanc, he honors old-world tradition by fermenting in both oak and concrete egg. Pellet is supported in the cellar by Production Winemaker Horacio Enriquez and Cellar Master Brian Dennis.\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nPepper Bridge Winery farms three primary estate vineyards — **Pepper Bridge Vineyard**, **Seven Hills Vineyard**, and **Octave Vineyard** — all of which are wholly estate-owned and described as producing some of the most sought-after grapes in Washington State. All wines are crafted from 100% estate-grown fruit.\n\n**Pepper Bridge Vineyard** is located within the Walla Walla Valley Appellation. The original ten acres were planted in 1991, and the vineyard has since expanded to nearly 200 acres. It has earned an outstanding reputation among winemakers throughout Washington State and the Walla Walla Valley specifically.\n\n**Seven Hills Vineyard** sits approximately ten miles south of the winery, on the edge of the Walla Walla Valley Appellation. Its original plantings date to 1981, and it now encompasses several hundred acres of premium wine grapes. Wine & Spirits Magazine profiled Seven Hills in its Fall 2004 issue as one of the ten great vineyards in the world.\n\n**Octave Vineyard** is identified as one of the three primary estate vineyards, though additional detail was not provided in the available text.\n\nAll three vineyards are leaders in sustainable agriculture. Regenerative farming practices include: adding compost to restore soil humus; using drip irrigation with buried soil-moisture monitors to eliminate water waste; leaving select ground cover unmowed to preserve habitat for beneficial insects; planting wild roses and preserving blackberries to support parasitic wasps that control leafhoppers; and using organic products in place of harsh chemicals to manage powdery mildew. The winery monitors vineyard hydration through rain gauges, soil probes, and sap flow monitoring.\n\n## Signature Wines\n\nPepper Bridge produces a focused lineup of Bordeaux-style wines, all estate-grown.\n\n**Cabernet Sauvignon** has been crafted every year since the winery's founding in 1998 and is considered the flagship wine. Each vintage is a blend of Bordeaux varietals, styled to highlight the beauty and intricacy of Walla Walla Valley Cabernet fruit.\n\n**Merlot** has been produced since 1999 and is described as showcasing the delicate intricacies the estate vineyards consistently deliver from this Bordeaux varietal.\n\n**Trine** is the winery's creative red blend, named for the word meaning \"a close group of three\" — a tribute to the three founding families: the McKibbens, the Murphys, and the Pellets. Each vintage contains a unique combination of Bordeaux's traditional five red grape varieties, giving the winemaker greater freedom of expression than the varietal wines allow.\n\n**Sauvignon Blanc** was introduced after more than 15 years of producing exclusively red Bordeaux varieties. It is fermented in both oak and concrete egg, bridging old-world tradition with new-world style.\n\n**Pepper Bridge Vineyard Blend** and **Seven Hills Vineyard Blend** are produced exclusively for Wine Club members. The Seven Hills Vineyard Blend is always 100% Seven Hills fruit, though the specific varietal composition changes each vintage.\n\n## Tasting Notes\n\nThe winery describes its wines broadly as elegant and balanced, with the gravity-flow winemaking facility credited for producing wines with elegant textures and exquisite flavor profiles. The gentle, pump-free handling of grapes prevents seed shearing and the introduction of bitter tannins. The Cabernet Sauvignon is styled to highlight the \"beauty and intricacy\" of Walla Walla fruit, while the Merlot is noted for its \"delicate intricacies.\" Overwatered vines are specifically avoided because they can produce \"green, vegetal flavors\" — an indirect indicator that the estate prioritizes concentrated, flavorful, and structured wines.\n\n## Wine Club\n\nPepper Bridge offers a Wine Club that provides access to exclusive, allocation-only wines not available for general purchase. Club-exclusive offerings include the **Pepper Bridge Vineyard Blend** and the **Seven Hills Vineyard Blend**. The winery hosts events at its tasting room locations including happy hours, paint nights, and music bingo evenings, which appear to serve as club and community engagement activations. The Wine Club is managed by Katie Vipond. Specific club tiers and shipment cadence were not detailed in the available text.\n\n## Tasting Room\n\nPepper Bridge Winery operates three tasting room locations. The flagship Walla Walla tasting room is situated at the winery itself, set against the dramatic backdrop of Pepper Bridge Vineyard, and offers tastings, winery tours, lunch, food and wine pairings, and seasonal events. The facility is built into a hillside and features subterranean caves. Additional tasting rooms are located in **Woodinville, Washington** (near Seattle) and **Vancouver, Washington** (near Portland), making the wines accessible to wine lovers throughout the Pacific Northwest. Events at these locations include a May \"2 Sips & A Glass\" happy hour format (Monday–Thursday), paint nights with local artists, and monthly Music Bingo evenings. Reservations are recommended for the Walla Walla location.\n\n## Accolades\n\n- **Washington Wine Awards:** Jean-François Pellet named Winemaker of the Year, 2015\n- **Wine & Spirits Magazine:** Named Top Family Winery, 2015; recognized Seven Hills Vineyard as one of the ten great vineyards in the world (Fall 2004)\n- **Wine & Spirits Top 100 Winery Worldwide:** 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2021, and 2023\n- **Wine Business Month:** Founder Norm McKibben named one of the Top 50 Wine Industry Leaders, 2016\n- The winery regularly achieves 90+ point scores across its portfolio\n\n## Winery Character\n\nPepper Bridge Winery stands apart in the Walla Walla Valley through the combination of complete estate ownership, pioneering sustainable viticulture, and technical innovation in winemaking. It built Washington State's first gravity-flow winery with subterranean caves, eliminating the need for pumps and producing wines of notably refined texture. The property generates 70% of its energy needs through a 378-panel solar array. The winery's identity is deeply rooted in family — the name Trine itself honors the three families who built the operation — and in a long-term stewardship philosophy that","somm_notes":[],"wines":[{"name":"Sauvignon Blanc","vintage":"2024","variety":"Sauvignon Blanc","price":"$38.00"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2023","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$75.00"},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2023","variety":"Merlot","price":"$65.00"},{"name":"Trine","vintage":"2023","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$75.00"},{"name":"Pepper Bridge Vineyard","vintage":"2023","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$75.00"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$75.00"},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2022","variety":"Merlot","price":"$65.00"},{"name":"Trine","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$75.00"},{"name":"Pepper Bridge Vineyard","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$75.00"},{"name":"Seven Hills Vineyard","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$75.00"},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2019","variety":"Merlot","price":"$80.00"},{"name":"Trine","vintage":"2019","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$85.00"}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"yelp","rating":4.5,"count":70},{"source":"tripadvisor","rating":4.3,"count":88}],"sample_reviews":[{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Bradley N.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"I think this vision is best experienced up close and personal, not at a Woodinville tasting room or a Michelin-starred steakhouse.","date":null},{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Calvin C.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"To get to the tasting room, you have to wind through their estate vineyards, which was like dangling a carrot in front of me.","date":null},{"source":"reddit","reviewer":"u/odedi1","rating":null,"rating_max":null,"text":"Pepper Bridge Winery Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Washington State","date":"2023-11-25"}],"critic_scores":[{"wine_name":"'Pepper Bridge Vineyard' Red Wine","vintage":2022,"score":95,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Trine' Red Wine","vintage":2022,"score":95,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Pepper Bridge Vineyard' Red Wine","vintage":2021,"score":95,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Seven Hills Vineyard' Red Wine","vintage":2021,"score":95,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Trine' Red Wine","vintage":2021,"score":95,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Sauvignon Blanc","vintage":2024,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Walla Walla' Merlot","vintage":2022,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2022,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2021,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Pepper Bridge Vineyard' Red Wine","vintage":2020,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Sauvignon Blanc","vintage":2022,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2020,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Seven Hills Vineyard' Red Wine","vintage":2020,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Sauvignon Blanc","vintage":2023,"score":92,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Trine' Red Wine","vintage":2020,"score":92,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null}],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"Seven Hills Vineyard","vintage":2017,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (27 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Merlot","vintage":2018,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (49 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2013,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (153 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Trine","vintage":2013,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (92 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Pepper Bridge Vineyard","vintage":2010,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (31 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley","vintage":2014,"score":92,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Bright fruits, perfume, black licorice and oak. This has a bite too it and is very concentrated. This wine should be heavily decanted prior to enjoying. Excellent wine. ("},{"wine_name":"Merlot","vintage":2010,"score":92,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Cherry, floral, spice, plum and mild peppery finish. Good length and balanced wine. ("},{"wine_name":"Merlot","vintage":2015,"score":91,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Graphite, oak, chocolate, plums and red fruits. Smooth, medium finish. This should drink well for another five plus years. Enjoyable. ("},{"wine_name":"Reserve","vintage":null,"score":95,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.5/5 (48 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Seven Hills Vineyard","vintage":null,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (210 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (1,562 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Trine","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (779 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Pepper Bridge Vineyard","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (346 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Merlot","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (741 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Sauvignon Blanc","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (198 ratings)"}],"events":[{"title":"Winemaker Dinner with 1889 Prime","start_date":"2026-11-05","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.pepperbridge.com/visit/events","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Fall Release Weekend","start_date":"2026-11-06","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.pepperbridge.com/visit/events","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Club Member Fall Release Party","start_date":"2026-11-06","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.pepperbridge.com/visit/events","is_members_only":true},{"title":"Meet the Winemaker","start_date":"2026-11-13","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.pepperbridge.com/visit/events","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Walla Walla x Willamette","start_date":"2026-11-15","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.pepperbridge.com/visit/events","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Winemaker Dinner with WW Steak Co","start_date":"2026-11-18","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.pepperbridge.com/visit/events","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Live Music with Ricardo Valenzuela","start_date":"2026-11-19","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.pepperbridge.com/visit/events","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Live Music with Nick Walker","start_date":"2026-11-20","start_time":null,"url":"https://www.pepperbridge.com/live-music-with-nick-walker","is_members_only":false}]}