{"id":51,"name":"Proper/House of Bones","image_url":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipOfCWYF61GKUrLpgyJZvPw-OXoKvv40Ofk0dVtm=w408-h272-k-no","district":"Downtown","hours":"Fri 1pm - 6pm \nSat - Sun 12pm - 5pm \nMonday-Thursday by appointment","hours_type":"appointment","dog_friendly":false,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":false,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":false,"year_established":2006,"winemaker":"Kevin Masterson","website":"http://properwines.com/","phone":"(913) 717-9724","address":"31 E Main St Intercultural Center, Walla Walla, WA 99362","description":"Sean Boyd’s House of Bones is a playground of classic Rhône blends; old‑world techniques and Rotie Rocks fruit combine to create elegant, expressive wines with bones and soul","lat":46.0674545,"lng":-118.3384818,"appt_url":"https://www.properwines.com/Visit","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$25 per person and waived with a $50 purchase.","explorer_tags":["white/rose"],"profile":"# Proper Wines — Winery Knowledge Profile\n\n## Winery Character & Identity\n\nProper Wines positions itself as a vineyard-led project rooted in curiosity, experimentation, and refinement. The brand's name carries intentional meaning: to do something \"proper\" is to do it with care, integrity, and fidelity to its origin. This philosophy permeates every aspect of the winery's approach, with the vineyard consistently treated as the primary voice in the winemaking process. Proper describes itself as a \"playground\" for exploring vineyards across the Pacific Northwest — an exploratory, learning-oriented venture rather than a production-focused enterprise.\n\n## Vineyard Sources & Signature Wines\n\nProper Wines draws from a curated selection of notable vineyard sources, each associated with a specific wine in the portfolio. The winery sources from vineyards across the Northwest, with a clear emphasis on site-specific, limited-production expressions.\n\n**The Rocks District Estate** is a key source for their Syrah program. The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater is renowned for its distinctive cobblestone, alluvial soils — basalt and other volcanic river rocks — that impart a characteristic savory, mineral-driven quality to Syrah grown there. Proper produces Syrah from this estate, and the plural reference to \"Rocks District Estate Syrahs\" suggests more than one expression from this site.\n\n**Champoux Vineyard** is the source for their Cabernet Sauvignon. Champoux is one of the most prestigious and historically significant vineyards in the Columbia Valley, located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. It is widely regarded as a benchmark site for Cabernet Sauvignon in Washington State, known for producing wines of depth, structure, and longevity.\n\n**Evergreen Vineyard** is cited as the source for their Sauvignon Blanc. This suggests Proper's portfolio extends beyond red varieties into aromatic whites, with a site-specific approach applied consistently across all varieties.\n\n## Winemaking Philosophy\n\nProper's winemaking philosophy is explicitly vineyard-driven. The winery states that it follows \"the vineyard's lead, always,\" framing the winemaker's role as one of attentive stewardship rather than heavy intervention. The language of intention, care, and integrity suggests a restrained, terroir-expressive style. The winery's self-described mission to \"learn, experiment, and refine\" implies an ongoing, evolving approach to winemaking — one that values discovery over formula. The winemaker on record in associated databases is **Kevin Masterson**.\n\n## Wine Club\n\nProper Wines offers a structured wine club with **three tiers**, designed to accommodate a range of collectors. Club membership includes early access to new releases, member pricing, and access to special experiences. The tiered structure suggests differentiated levels of allocation, pricing benefit, and experiential access, though specific tier names and shipment quantities are not detailed in available text.\n\n## Tasting Room & Visitor Experience\n\nProper Wines operates **two tasting room locations**, unified under a single philosophy. The brand invites visitors to \"taste what it means to do things proper,\" framing the tasting experience as an extension of the winery's core identity. Reservations for tastings are available, indicating a structured, intentional guest experience rather than walk-in only service. Specific location descriptions, hours, and amenity details are not elaborated in available text.\n\n## Portfolio Overview\n\nProper produces **limited-production, vineyard-designate wines**, underscoring the small-batch, site-specific nature of the project. The known portfolio includes:\n- **Rocks District Estate Syrah(s)** — multiple expressions from The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater\n- **Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon** — sourced from the acclaimed Horse Heaven Hills site\n- **Evergreen Sauvignon Blanc** — a white wine expression maintaining the vineyard-designate ethos\n\n## Summary\n\nProper Wines is a thoughtfully constructed, vineyard-first project working with some of the most respected vineyard sites in the Pacific Northwest. With a philosophy grounded in integrity and site expression, a focused portfolio of limited-production designate wines, and a two-location tasting presence, Proper represents an exploratory yet principled voice in the Walla Walla and broader Washington wine landscape. The winery's identity is built not on scale or spectacle, but on the conviction that great wine begins — and ends — in the vineyard.","somm_notes":[{"title":"Patti's notes on Proper/House Of Bones","content":"Can't make it to Burgundy to taste incredible Pinot and Chardonnay? You're in luck! House of Bones crafts Chardonnay that rivals Meursault and outstanding Pinots to match. Tucked up off Main Street downtown, this is a must-stop for any wine lover."}],"wines":[{"name":"Proper Sauvignon Blanc","vintage":"2025","variety":"Sauvignon Blanc","price":"$32.00"},{"name":"Proper Sauvignon Blanc","vintage":"2024","variety":"Sauvignon Blanc","price":"$32.00"},{"name":"Proper Estate Reserve Syrah","vintage":"2023","variety":"Syrah","price":"$85.00"},{"name":"Proper Estate","vintage":"2023","variety":"Syrah","price":"$65.00"},{"name":"Proper Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2023","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$85.00"},{"name":"Proper Sauvignon Blanc","vintage":"2023","variety":"Sauvignon Blanc","price":"$32.00"},{"name":"Proper Estate Reserve Syrah","vintage":"2022","variety":"Syrah","price":"$85.00"},{"name":"Proper Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$85.00"},{"name":"Proper Estate Syrah","vintage":"2022","variety":"Syrah","price":"$65.00"},{"name":"Proper Estate Reserve Syrah","vintage":"2021","variety":"Syrah","price":"$85.00"},{"name":"Proper Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2021","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$85.00"},{"name":"Proper Estate Syrah","vintage":"2021","variety":"Syrah","price":"$65.00"}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"google","rating":4.9,"count":9},{"source":"yelp","rating":4.4,"count":9}],"sample_reviews":[],"critic_scores":[{"wine_name":"'Celilo Vineyard' Chardonnay","vintage":2018,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Celilo Vineyard' Chardonnay","vintage":2017,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Celilo Vineyard' Chardonnay","vintage":2019,"score":92,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null}],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (56 ratings)"}],"events":[{"title":"Walla Walla Fall Harvest Dinner","start_date":"2026-11-07","start_time":null,"url":"http://properwines.com/upcoming-events","is_members_only":false}]}