{"id":50,"name":"Plumb Cellars","image_url":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gps-cs-s/AC9h4npMGtSnj9GxU9Nz5DKKrjbrd5-kqJ7R3W0FtPC6VkZ_A1aHv5I0UOu_UsgdfhBWyhXcc4A1aSb12DG9LWUxXicFF6BuR1aq4DuNqJJZM_j1ZAVGVfySuukKStGofa6p0f_Kk1Q=w408-h725-k-no","district":"Downtown","hours":"Sun -Tues 12PM-5PM \nWed-Thurs -12PM-7PM \nFri-Sat - 12PM-9PM","hours_type":"limited","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":false,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":false,"year_established":2006,"winemaker":"Gary Kagels","website":"http://www.plumbcellars.com/","phone":"(509) 529-9463","address":"39 E Main St, Walla Walla, WA 99362","description":"In downtown Walla Walla, Plumb Cellars pours valley‑finest wines—like their “Damn Straight” Cabernet‑Merlot blend—crafted with humor and heart by a small crew who love a good pun","lat":46.0676758,"lng":-118.3381156,"appt_url":"https://plumbcellars.com/","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":null,"explorer_tags":[],"profile":"# Plumb Cellars — Winery Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story\n\nPlumb Cellars traces its origins to 2003, when three couples — Edie and Dale Johnson, Gary and Margo Kagels, and Crandall and Alysa Kyle — enrolled in what they believed was a wine tasting class at a local community college, taught by the late Stan Clark. The course turned out to be a winemaking class, and the three couples found themselves thoroughly captivated. Impressed by the quality of wine they were capable of producing, they began making wine out of their garage, with a prime focus on crafting the best possible Bordeaux-style blend.\n\nAs their hobby grew, gifting bottles to friends became financially unsustainable, and by 2006 the group had made the leap to commercial production, investing in both an estate vineyard and a downtown tasting room. The winery's name emerged organically during the construction of their vineyard: Gary Kagels, also a custom home builder by trade, reportedly used the word \"plumb\" — in reference to the plumb bob tool — approximately twenty times a day on the job site. The three couples adopted the name Plumb Cellars, and with it came an informal brand ethos: if you call yourself Plumb Cellars, you better make a \"damn straight\" wine. That phrase became the name of their flagship Bordeaux-style blend. The winery currently produces between 1,200 and 1,500 cases per year, with all partners actively involved in wine production, operating by committee.\n\n## Winemaker / Production Team\n\nPlumb Cellars does not operate under a single designated winemaker. Instead, all three founding couples — Edie and Dale Johnson, Gary and Margo Kagels, and Crandall and Alysa Kyle — share ownership and are collectively active in wine production. Gary Kagels is identified both as an owner and as a custom home builder, a background that contributed directly to the physical development of the winery's estate vineyard and associated properties. Winemaking decisions are made collaboratively, described as being \"produced by committee.\"\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nPlumb Cellars sources from its own estate vineyard, known as J.K. Vineyard (also referenced as JK II Vineyard in the founding narrative). The vineyard was established in 2006 on a long-term lease on land surrounding the Girasol Bed and Breakfast on the south side of Walla Walla, situated between Northstar and Pepper Bridge wineries. The estate encompasses six acres and is planted to Viognier, Sangiovese, and Syrah. The winery describes the vineyard's elevation plateau as equivalent to that of Bordeaux, France, noting that the region's conditions directly influence the flavor profile of each varietal. The soil is characterized as providing a perfect balance of sugars and acidity well-suited to growing estate wines.\n\n## Signature Wines\n\nPlumb Cellars produces a focused portfolio of estate and blended wines:\n\n- **Damn Straight** — The winery's flagship wine and namesake expression, described as an award-winning Bordeaux-style blend.\n- **Afternoon Delight** — A 100% estate Viognier sourced entirely from the J.K. Vineyard.\n- **Estate Sangiovese** — A 100% estate Sangiovese.\n- **Estate Syrah** — An estate Syrah that is co-fermented with Viognier, a technique that adds aromatic complexity.\n- **Cabernet Sauvignon** — A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.\n- **Plumb Crazy** — Described as a light, dry, and \"frisky\" blend.\n- **GSM** — A Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre blend, referenced in competition results.\n\n## Tasting Notes\n\nThe scraped content provides limited formal tasting note language. The Plumb Crazy blend is described by the winery as \"light, dry and frisky.\" The overall brand character is framed around the idea of \"damn straight\" wine — implying straightforward, honest quality. No detailed aroma or flavor descriptors are provided in the available text.\n\n## Accolades\n\nPlumb Cellars has earned consistent recognition in regional competition. At the 2023 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition, the winery earned four Double Gold medals:\n\n- **2018 Reserve Estate Syrah** — 96 Points\n- **2018 Estate Syrah** — 95 Points\n- **2018 GSM** — 94 Points\n- **2018 Estate Sangiovese** — 94 Points\n\nThe winery notes that its Damn Straight Bordeaux-style blend is award-winning, and describes Plumb Cellars as \"consistently winning awards\" across its full portfolio.\n\n## Tasting Room\n\nPlumb Cellars' tasting room is located in the heart of downtown Walla Walla, where it shares space with Darrah's, a framing business that has occupied the location for over forty years. The tasting room is furnished with wine barrel furniture crafted by local artist Doug Gisi, and the walls rotate monthly featured artists working in various mediums. A notable architectural feature is a patio opened along Mill Creek — created by breaking through a brick wall — which seats approximately thirty guests and is lined with black-and-white umbrellas and flower pots in the warmer months. The sound of Mill Creek running alongside the patio is cited as a particular evening draw.\n\nSpring and summer hours are Sunday through Tuesday from noon to 5:00 PM, Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 7:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday from noon to 9:00 PM. Live music is featured on Friday and Saturday evenings. The tasting room offers wine by the glass, bottle purchases, beer, and seasonal wine slushies in flavors including Sangria, Margarita, Peach, Mango, Frosé, Piña Colada, and Mojito, with an additional \"Secret Slushie Menu\" promoted via social media. Walk-ins are welcome, and reservations can be made in advance. Staff are noted for educating visitors about the broader Walla Walla wine region, suggesting additional wineries to visit, and sharing local restaurant menus.\n\n## Wine Club\n\nThe wine club is described as \"generous and member focused,\" though specific tiers, shipment frequencies, or allocation details are not provided in the available content.\n\n## Winery Character\n\nPlumb Cellars occupies a distinctive niche in the Walla Walla wine scene as a community-rooted, partner-driven winery built entirely from the ground up by three couples with no formal winemaking background. Their origin story — stumbling into a winemaking class and building from a garage hobby to a commercial estate — reflects a spirit of genuine enthusiasm and accessibility. The winery leans into a playful, unpretentious identity (evidenced by wine names like \"Damn Straight\" and \"Plumb Crazy\") while simultaneously pursuing serious quality, as their competition scores demonstrate. Their downtown tasting room functions as a lively community gathering space, with live music, rotating local art, seasonal specialty drinks, and a Mill Creek patio that distinguishes the Plumb Cellars experience as much social as it is vinous.","somm_notes":[{"title":"Patti's notes on Plumb","content":"If you're in the mood for a fun and different wine experience, head to Plumb Cellars for great live music and their famous 'Wine Slushes.'"}],"wines":[{"name":"Cabernet Franc","vintage":"2019","variety":"Cabernet Franc","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2019","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"Damn Straight","vintage":"2019","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"Malbec","vintage":"2019","variety":"Malbec","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"Cabernet Franc","vintage":"2018","variety":"Cabernet Franc","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"Estate Sangiovese","vintage":"2018","variety":"Sangiovese","price":"$30.00"},{"name":"Estate Syrah","vintage":"2018","variety":"Syrah","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"GSM","vintage":"2018","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"Malbec","vintage":"2018","variety":"Malbec","price":"$48.00"},{"name":"Reserve Estate Syrah","vintage":"2018","variety":"Syrah","price":"$55.00"}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"google","rating":4.6,"count":101},{"source":"yelp","rating":4.2,"count":33},{"source":"tripadvisor","rating":4.2,"count":16}],"sample_reviews":[{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Sen E.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"It tasted more like a lemonade while the Sangria slushy was on the sweeter side and had a fruity berry flavor.","date":null},{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Donna M.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"Windows in the front allow for ample people-watching, and the outdoor seating by the creek is a nice addition.","date":null}],"critic_scores":[],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"Damn Straight","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (51 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Plumb Crazy","vintage":null,"score":86,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.6/5 (50 ratings)"}],"events":[]}