{"id":68,"name":"K Vintners","image_url":null,"district":"East","hours":"Fri, Sat, 11am – 4pm\nMon – Thurs by appointment only","hours_type":"appointment","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":true,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":false,"year_established":1999,"winemaker":"Charles Smith","website":"https://houseofsmith.com/brands/kvintners-wines/","phone":"(509) 526-5230","address":"820 Mill Creek Rd, Walla Walla, WA 99362","description":"Charles Smith’s K Vintners hand‑picks and foot‑stomps grapes for small‑lot single‑vineyard Syrahs and field blends, using natural yeasts and basket presses for authentic expression","lat":46.08544,"lng":-118.25046,"appt_url":"https://houseofsmith.com/brands/kvintners-wines/","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$30 per person, waived with a bottle purchase.","explorer_tags":["bold reds","relaxed","dog"],"profile":"# K Vintners — Winery Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story\n\nK Vintners holds the distinction of being Charles Smith's first winery, opening its doors in December 2001. The winery's roots, however, reach back to 1999, when Smith produced his debut vintage — a mere 330 cases of K Syrah — which he sold directly out of the back of his 1987 Chevy Astro van. That first wine immediately signaled something exceptional: a winemaker capable of producing wines people would not only enjoy but remember. Smith describes K Vintners in deeply personal, almost mythological terms, calling it \"ground zero\" of his wine world and his emotional world in wine. In his own words: \"K is the beginning... K was the opportunity. K was the moment.\" The winery is explicitly rooted in Walla Walla, Washington, which Smith regards as the spiritual and creative origin point of his entire career.\n\n## Winemaker\n\nCharles Smith is the founding winemaker of K Vintners and the creative force behind every wine in the portfolio. Smith built K Vintners around a clear and passionate vision: small-lot, single-vineyard wines made with minimal intervention and maximum intention. His winemaking philosophy emphasizes hand production at every stage — grapes are hand-picked, fermented using naturally occurring (wild/native) yeasts, and basket pressed. Smith describes the work as \"100% Hand-Made,\" reflecting a commitment to artisanal, hands-on winemaking that resists industrial shortcuts. His stylistic identity is distinctly Rhône-centric, with Syrah serving as the emotional and commercial cornerstone of the brand from its very first vintage.\n\n## Signature Wines\n\nK Vintners specializes in small lots of single-vineyard wines with a focus on Rhône and Mediterranean varieties. The core portfolio includes Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese, as well as field blends of those grapes. Several specific wines are named in the portfolio:\n\n- **K Royal City Syrah** — A single-vineyard Syrah, positioned as a flagship expression.\n- **K Ovide Jack's Vineyard** — A vineyard-designate wine from Jack's Vineyard.\n- **K King Coal Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah** — A field blend or co-fermentation of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.\n- **K Powerline Viognier** — A Viognier from the Powerline vineyard, representing a white wine offering within the portfolio.\n- **K Powerline Syrah** — A Syrah expression from the same Powerline vineyard source.\n- **K The Creator Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah** — Another Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend, distinct from King Coal.\n\nThe naming conventions — Royal City, Powerline, Jack's Vineyard — suggest strong vineyard-of-origin identity, consistent with Smith's single-vineyard philosophy.\n\n## Winery Character\n\nWhat sets K Vintners apart in the Washington wine landscape is a combination of founding mythology, visual identity, and uncompromising craft philosophy. The brand's iconic label — a bold, oversized black \"K\" on white — was present from the very first vintage and remains unchanged today. Smith describes this visual signature as something \"big enough for anyone to spot across the room,\" underscoring a belief that great wine deserves equally memorable, confident presentation. The winery was deliberately built around a Rhône-centric identity at a time when Washington wine was still establishing its varietal voice, making K Vintners a pioneering force for Syrah and other Southern French varieties in the state. Every bottle in the lineup is Washington wine exclusively, and the production philosophy — small lots, hand-harvested fruit, wild yeast fermentation, basket pressing — ensures that the artisan character of that first 330-case vintage remains the standard against which all K Vintners wines are measured.\n\n---\n\n*Sections on tasting notes, vineyard soil/farming details, tasting room, wine club, and accolades were not present in the scraped content and have been omitted.*","somm_notes":[],"wines":[{"name":"The Boy","vintage":"2023","variety":"Grenache","price":""},{"name":"Guido","vintage":"2023","variety":"Sangiovese","price":""},{"name":"El Jefe","vintage":"2023","variety":"Tempranillo","price":""},{"name":"Broncho","vintage":"2023","variety":"Malbec","price":""},{"name":"The Deal","vintage":"2022","variety":"Syrah","price":""},{"name":"The Klein","vintage":"2021","variety":"","price":""},{"name":"Royal City Syrah","vintage":"","variety":"Syrah","price":""},{"name":"Ovide Jack's Vineyard","vintage":"","variety":"","price":""},{"name":"King Coal","vintage":"","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah","price":""},{"name":"Powerline Viognier","vintage":"","variety":"Viognier","price":""},{"name":"Powerline Syrah","vintage":"","variety":"Syrah","price":""},{"name":"The Creator","vintage":"","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah","price":""},{"name":"King Coal Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah","vintage":"","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah","price":""},{"name":"The Creator Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah","vintage":"","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah","price":""}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[],"sample_reviews":[],"critic_scores":[{"wine_name":"Phil Lane Syrah","vintage":2022,"score":100,"source":"Jeb Dunnuck","critic":"Jeb Dunnuck","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Motor City Kitty (Mck) Syrah","vintage":2021,"score":99,"source":"James Suckling","critic":"James Suckling","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"The Boy Grenache","vintage":2021,"score":99,"source":"James Suckling","critic":"James Suckling","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Motor City Kitty (Mck) Syrah","vintage":2022,"score":98,"source":"James Suckling","critic":"James Suckling","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Motor City Kitty (Mck) Syrah","vintage":2022,"score":98,"source":"Jeb Dunnuck","critic":"Jeb Dunnuck","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Royal City Syrah","vintage":2022,"score":98,"source":"Jeb Dunnuck","critic":"Jeb Dunnuck","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"The Boy Grenache","vintage":2022,"score":98,"source":"James Suckling","critic":"James Suckling","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"The Hidden Syrah","vintage":2021,"score":98,"source":"Jeb Dunnuck","critic":"Jeb Dunnuck","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"The Beautiful Syrah","vintage":2022,"score":97,"source":"James Suckling","critic":"James Suckling","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"The Hidden Syrah","vintage":2022,"score":97,"source":"James Suckling","critic":"James Suckling","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Cattle King Syrah","vintage":2021,"score":97,"source":"Jeb Dunnuck","critic":"Jeb Dunnuck","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"King Coal","vintage":2021,"score":97,"source":"James Suckling","critic":"James Suckling","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"King Coal","vintage":2021,"score":97,"source":"Jeb Dunnuck","critic":"Jeb Dunnuck","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Phil Lane Syrah","vintage":2021,"score":97,"source":"James Suckling","critic":"James Suckling","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Phil Lane Syrah","vintage":2021,"score":97,"source":"Jeb Dunnuck","critic":"Jeb Dunnuck","tasting_note":null}],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"The Cattle King Syrah","vintage":2012,"score":96,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.6/5 (46 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Charlotte","vintage":2019,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (52 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Ovide Cabernet - Syrah (En Cerise - Jack's Vineyard)","vintage":2018,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (27 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Syrah Rock Garden","vintage":2016,"score":94,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Wow! Classic rocks vineyard quality. Funk, spice, raspberries, blueberries, smoke and white pepper. K is making some of the best Syrah wines in the world for the money. This is no exception. ("},{"wine_name":"The Beautiful Syrah","vintage":2014,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (149 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"The Hidden Syrah","vintage":2014,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (170 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"The Hustler Syrah","vintage":2014,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (124 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"M.C.K. (Motor City Kitty) Syrah","vintage":2012,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (56 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"El Jefe (Stoneridge Vineyard)","vintage":2012,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (29 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"The Creator","vintage":2009,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (88 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"The Hustler Syrah","vintage":2009,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (40 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"The Hidden Syrah","vintage":2020,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (1,238 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"The Boy","vintage":2019,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (72 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Rock Garden Syrah","vintage":2019,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (39 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Broncho Malbec (Stoneridge Vineyard)","vintage":2018,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (26 ratings)"}],"events":[{"title":"House of Laughs Comedy Show","start_date":"2026-11-13","start_time":null,"url":"https://houseofsmith.com/wine-events-seattle-walla-walla/","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Thursday Blues - Live Music (Diego Romero Band)","start_date":"2026-11-21","start_time":null,"url":"https://houseofsmith.com/wine-events-seattle-walla-walla/","is_members_only":false}]}