{"id":2,"name":"Arenness Cellars","image_url":null,"district":"Airport","hours":"Fri and Sat from 11am - 4pm, Sun 11am - 2:30pm","hours_type":"limited","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":false,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":true,"year_established":2017,"winemaker":"Robert Bailey","website":"https://arennesscellars.com","phone":"509-540-5175","address":"602 Piper Ave, Walla Walla, WA 99362","description":"In a hangar‑turned‑cellar, ex‑lawyer Bob Bailey teases black cherry and graphite from basalt slopes, releasing cabernets as rare as the Rocks District.","lat":46.0929323,"lng":-118.2632147,"appt_url":"https://arennesscellars.com/pages/visit-us","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":null,"explorer_tags":[],"profile":"# Arenness Cellars — Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story\n\nArenness Cellars (pronounced \"R&S\") was founded in 2017 in Lake Oswego, Oregon — a community within the Portland metropolitan area — with a mission to craft small lots of exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon in a region predominantly known for Pinot Noir. The winery was established by founding partners Robert \"Bob\" Bailey and Su Matemanosak. In 2025, Arenness relocated its production operations to Walla Walla, Washington, to be closer to its vineyard sources and to join the area's thriving winery community. The winery now operates a \"micro\" winery and tasting room in Walla Walla's Airport District, situated a few minutes northeast of downtown.\n\n## Winemaker\n\nRobert Bailey serves as both Winemaker and General Manager of Arenness Cellars. His path to winemaking was unconventional: Bailey spent a lengthy career as a lawyer and in-house commercial real estate developer before pivoting to the wine industry. His interest in viticulture and enology deepened while owning vineyards in Paso Robles, California, and in Oregon's Willamette Valley. In 2012, he left the corporate world to work harvest at Mark Ryan Winery in Woodinville, Washington — an experience he describes as life-changing and the beginning of a passionate pursuit of high-quality winemaking. Bailey subsequently worked his way through positions of increasing responsibility at notable wineries including Etude and Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley, and Alexana Winery, Owen Roe, Seven Bridges Winery, and Pamplin Family Winery in Oregon. He also completed Washington State University's 20-month Enology Certificate Program. The combination of formal education and hands-on experience across multiple premier wine regions shaped his approach to winemaking. His focus at Arenness Cellars is squarely on small-lot, high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from iconic Washington State vineyards.\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nArenness Cellars sources fruit exclusively from contracted vineyards across several of Washington State's most respected growing regions. All vineyards are contracted rather than estate-owned.\n\n- **Golden Ridge Vineyard** (Walla Walla Valley AVA): Located in the northeast portion of Walla Walla, this vineyard is more than 25 years old and is meticulously farmed by Michael and Cindy Rasch.\n\n- **DuBrul Vineyard** (Yakima Valley AVA): First planted in 1992 by Hugh and Kathy Shiels, DuBrul sits on rocky, south-facing slopes near the town of Outlook, Washington. It has grown into one of Washington's premier vineyards under the Shiels' stewardship.\n\n- **Dionysus Vineyard** (Columbia Valley AVA / White Bluffs AVA): One of Washington's oldest vine sites, with wine grapes first planted in 1973. Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship variety. The vineyard sits on slopes overlooking the Columbia River. Arenness sources from Block 18, replanted in 2000. In July 2021, the site became part of the White Bluffs AVA, a newly designated sub-region of the Columbia Valley AVA.\n\n- **Les Collines Vineyard** (Walla Walla Valley AVA): Located in the foothills of the Blue Mountains in the southeast portion of Walla Walla. The vineyard is noted for having one of the longest growing seasons in the Columbia Valley due to its elevation, allowing fruit to reach full physiological ripeness. Arenness sources from Block 45, described as older vines at higher elevation, beginning with the 2019 vintage.\n\n- **Klipsun Vineyards** (Red Mountain AVA): One of Washington's most iconic vineyards, Klipsun sits above the Yakima River on Red Mountain. First planted in 1983, the vineyard now encompasses 120 planted acres and is known for producing rich, tannic fruit. Arenness sources from Block 20, planted in 2001.\n\n- **Phinny Hill Vineyards** (Horse Heaven Hills AVA): A highly regarded property in the western portion of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA on a plateau north of the Columbia River. Owned and farmed by the Beightol family. Arenness sources from Block 12, planted in 1998, described as one of the oldest blocks in the vineyard.\n\n## Signature Wines\n\nArenness Cellars specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon, with single-vineyard bottlings as the core of its portfolio. Named wines include:\n\n- **2020 Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon** — The winery's most decorated wine to date, winner of a Double Platinum Medal and a 97-point rating at the 2025 Platinum Awards Competition.\n- **2019 Les Collines Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon** — Sourced from the high-elevation Block 45, paired by the winery with classic braised beef dishes.\n- **2019 Dionysus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon** — Sourced from Block 18 of one of Washington's oldest vine sites on the Columbia River.\n- **Pinot Noir** — The winery also produces Pinot Noir, with vintages including a 2022 and a 2020 referenced in food pairing content, suggesting this is a secondary variety in the portfolio.\n\n## Accolades\n\nArenness Cellars' 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon from Klipsun Vineyard received a **Double Platinum Medal** and a **97-point rating** at the **2025 Platinum Awards Competition**, a significant recognition for the small-production winery.\n\n## Tasting Room\n\nArenness Cellars operates a tasting room in Walla Walla's Airport District, located a few minutes northeast of downtown Walla Walla. The winery describes itself as a \"micro\" winery, signaling an intimate, small-production visitor experience. Specific hours were not listed in the available content; visitors are directed to the winery's \"Visit Us\" page for tasting information.\n\n## Winery Character\n\nArenness Cellars occupies a distinctive niche in the Washington wine landscape: a small-lot, quality-obsessed producer built around single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, drawing from some of the state's most storied and geographically diverse growing sites — from Red Mountain to Horse Heaven Hills to the Blue Mountains foothills. The winery's identity is rooted in the founder's unconventional journey from law and real estate to winemaking, a hands-on apprenticeship across premier Napa and Pacific Northwest cellars, and a deliberate commitment to keeping production small and vineyard-focused. The winery's label art, created by the late painter Helene Bradley, adds a layer of personal meaning and artistic identity to the brand. The 2025 relocation to Walla Walla marks a new chapter, embedding the winery more fully in one of the Pacific Northwest's most vibrant wine communities.","somm_notes":[{"title":"Patti's notes on Arenness","content":"One of the newest wineries putting down roots in Walla Walla. Their Cabs are fantastic-but if you get the chance, try the Pinot Noir. It's absolutely delicious!"}],"wines":[{"name":"Viognier","vintage":"2024","variety":"Viognier","price":"$30.00"},{"name":"Viognier (Walla Walla Valley AVA)","vintage":"2023","variety":"Viognier","price":"$29.00"},{"name":"Willamette Valley Pinot Noir","vintage":"2023","variety":"Pinot Noir","price":"$39.00"},{"name":"\"su_m\" Cabernet Sauvignon, Les Collines Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon, DuBrul Vineyard","vintage":"2022","variety":"Wine","price":"$72"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon Blend (Columbia Valley AVA)","vintage":"2021","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$35.00"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon, Klipsun Vineyard","vintage":"2020","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$46.00"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon, Dionysus Vineyard","vintage":"2019","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$44.00"}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"google","rating":5.0,"count":3}],"sample_reviews":[],"critic_scores":[],"community_scores":[],"events":[{"title":"Walla Walla Wine on Tour - Boise","start_date":"2027-04-12","start_time":null,"url":"https://arennesscellars.com/pages/events","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Walla Walla Wine on Tour - Boise","start_date":"2027-04-13","start_time":null,"url":"https://arennesscellars.com/pages/events","is_members_only":false}]}