{"id":7,"name":"Dunham Cellars","image_url":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gps-cs-s/AC9h4noI6zAxwBdPCdL7kU6UgevkRm9lfRhY1eDB42NaBlIiYlaC9dHvY6z4zS_YsJ0kCrforaQ5taCkk2Ju__GEKzR-STL4kHL9CryPYSCcpDIwGGvo08VcGC60n7HmRg8sX99HLPU6=w408-h306-k-no","district":"Airport","hours":"Daily 11am–4pm","hours_type":"open-daily","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":true,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":true,"year_established":1995,"winemaker":"Robert Campisi","website":"http://www.dunhamcellars.com/","phone":"(509) 529-4685","address":"150 E Boeing Ave, Walla Walla, WA 99362","description":"In a WWII hangar adorned with art and a bottle tree, Dunham pours estate wines grown at Kenny Hill and Lewis vineyards; relax by the stream and taste 25 years of family winemaking","lat":46.0891426,"lng":-118.278365,"appt_url":"https://www.dunhamcellars.com/Contact-Us/Visit-Us","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$20 tasting fee, waived with $50 wine purchase.","explorer_tags":["bold reds"],"profile":"# Dunham Cellars – Winery Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story & Winery Identity\n\nDunham Cellars is a family-owned and operated winery with over 30 years of history in Walla Walla Valley, widely recognized as one of the region's most trusted and celebrated producers. The winery has built its reputation on a steadfast commitment to controlling the entire winemaking process — from clonal selection, planting, and farming of their estate vines through to advanced cellar techniques. Decades of experience growing and making wine in the valley inform their core philosophy: that every bottle should best express its varietal character and terroir.\n\n## Winemaker\n\nThe winemaker listed in the winery's database is **Molly Gait**. No additional biographical details, training background, or personal winemaking philosophy were available in the scraped content.\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nDunham Cellars draws from two estate vineyards that serve as the foundation of their wine program.\n\n**Kenny Hill Estate Vineyard** is located in the Walla Walla Valley AVA, situated in the Blue Mountain foothills approximately five miles east of the winery, up the Mill Creek drainage, at an elevation of 1,450 feet. The sloped, south-facing 70-acre property was purchased in the summer of 2008 as a joint venture between Dunham Cellars and viticulturalists Bill and Andy Den Hoed. Prior to the purchase, the adjacent Yellow Bird Vineyard — planted by Dunham's sister company, Appellation Management Group — served as a proving ground for dryland farming techniques. Encouraged by Yellow Bird's success, Dunham purchased the Kenny Hill property and applied the same sustainable philosophy. The land had previously been farmed with wheat and legumes, and Dunham invested in restoring the soil's microbiology using organic compost and nutrients to improve water-retention capacity. The first vines were planted in spring 2010, and by 2023 the estate is fully planted across 60 acres with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Grenache, Petit Verdot, and Chardonnay. Notably, the site's unique combination of precipitation, elevation, slope, and naturally occurring breezes creates a rare low incidence of frost and enables non-irrigated, dryland grape growing.\n\n**Lewis Estate Vineyard** is located in the Columbia Valley AVA, nestled at the foothills of Rattlesnake Ridge at an elevation of 1,200 feet. This 80-acre vineyard is a small family-owned property managed by Betty Lewis and her son Ken Jr., in close coordination with Dunham's Vineyard Manager, Ken Hart. First planted in 1996 with a few acres of Syrah, it has grown to include Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, and Chardonnay. The vineyard's sandy loam soils are well-suited to these varieties, and drip irrigation is used strategically to stress the vines and encourage the highest quality fruit. The very first crop from Lewis Vineyard — the fruit behind Dunham's inaugural 1999 Syrah — came in at an exceptionally low yield of approximately 0.1 ton per acre, producing a wine remarkable enough to become the winery's first vineyard-designated release. Lewis Vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot continue to be bottled every vintage under the Artist Series labels.\n\n**Farming Practices:** Dunham implements sustainable vineyard growing practices across all of their vineyards, emphasizing healthy soil as a cornerstone of their long-term stewardship philosophy.\n\n## Signature Wines\n\nDunham Cellars produces a range of wines that reflect both their estate sources and their broader commitment to varietal expression. Current offerings include a **2022 Syrah** ($40), a **2024 Shirley Mays Chardonnay** ($32), the **2021 Artist Series Merlot** ($75), and the **Three Legged Red** ($20). The **Artist Series** label is the winery's flagship tier for vineyard-designated wines, with Lewis Vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot released under this label each vintage.\n\n## Tasting Room\n\nDunham Cellars' tasting room is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with walk-ins welcome. Reservations can also be booked in advance.\n\n## Wine Club\n\nDunham Cellars offers a wine club program, including both choice-based membership tiers and subscription/allocation offerings. Members can modify their selections through a member portal, and the next subscription offering is scheduled for April 1, 2026. Club inquiries are handled directly by the winery's wine club team.\n\n## Winery Character\n\nWhat distinguishes Dunham Cellars within the Walla Walla Valley wine community is its combination of multigenerational family ownership, deep estate vineyard roots, and an integrated, hands-on approach to viticulture and winemaking. Their dual-vineyard estate program — spanning two distinct AVAs and elevation profiles — allows for meaningful exploration of terroir differences. Their long-term investment in sustainable soil health and dryland farming at Kenny Hill reflects a forward-thinking stewardship ethic, while the historic Lewis Vineyard provides continuity and legacy stretching back to the late 1990s.","somm_notes":[{"title":"Patti's notes on Dunham","content":"Making wines since the early 1990s, this is the place to go for perfectly structured reds. The Merlot is my personal favorite. If you get a chance to visit during Christmas this tasting room is a must visit!"}],"wines":[{"name":"Shirley Mays Chardonnay","vintage":"2024","variety":"Chardonnay","price":"$32"},{"name":"Syrah","vintage":"2022","variety":"Syrah","price":"$40"},{"name":"Syrah","vintage":"2021","variety":"Syrah","price":"$40"},{"name":"Artist Series Merlot","vintage":"2021","variety":"Merlot","price":"$75"},{"name":"Three Legged Red","vintage":"","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$20"}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"google","rating":4.7,"count":105},{"source":"tripadvisor","rating":4.6,"count":92},{"source":"yelp","rating":4.5,"count":47}],"sample_reviews":[{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"S T.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"We were only interested in a couple of the wines on the tasting list, so they offered to open other bottles for us to try.","date":null},{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Tammy G.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"A fave winery of mine is Dunham Cellars as one of my dear friends introduced me to their Trutina and I fell in love.","date":null}],"critic_scores":[{"wine_name":"'Artist Series' Syrah","vintage":2021,"score":95,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Columbia Valley' Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2021,"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":"'Columbia Valley' Syrah","vintage":2021,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Columbia Valley' Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2020,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2020,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2007,"score":94,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Shirley Mays Vineyard' Chardonnay","vintage":2024,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Trutina' Red Wine","vintage":2022,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Columbia Valley' Syrah","vintage":2022,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Lewis Vineyard' Chardonnay","vintage":2022,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"'Trutina' Red Wine","vintage":2021,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2008,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2006,"score":93,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Sauvignon Blanc","vintage":2024,"score":92,"source":"Owen Bargreen","critic":"Owen Bargreen","tasting_note":null}],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"Lewis Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2011,"score":95,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.5/5 (27 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Trutina","vintage":2015,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (279 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Syrah","vintage":2015,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (88 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2012,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (219 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Lewis Vineyard Syrah","vintage":2011,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (147 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Lewis Estate Vineyard Merlot","vintage":2010,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (159 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Trutina","vintage":2021,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (3,496 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Riesling Lewis Vineyard","vintage":2010,"score":92,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Surprise wine of the night. German like. Slate, peach, pear, sour apple and great minerality on the finish. Good acidity. Wow! ("},{"wine_name":"Syrah","vintage":2021,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (856 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Syrah","vintage":2019,"score":90,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Chocolate, plum, black pepper, floral and spices. Solid effort. ("},{"wine_name":"Riesling (Lewis Estate Vineyard)","vintage":2017,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (42 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Shirley Mays Chardonnay (Lewis Estate Vineyard)","vintage":2014,"score":89,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.9/5 (45 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Three Legged Red","vintage":2013,"score":89,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.9/5 (224 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Three Legged Red","vintage":2022,"score":88,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.8/5 (2,255 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Three Legged Red","vintage":2021,"score":88,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.8/5 (2,255 ratings)"}],"events":[{"title":"Fall Release Weekend","start_date":"2026-11-06","start_time":"11:00","url":"https://dunhamcellars.com/event/fall-release-weekend-2/","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Harvest Dinner with Chef Gary Kucy","start_date":"2026-11-06","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.dunhamcellars.com/","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Five Miles East Release","start_date":"2026-11-06","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.dunhamcellars.com/","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Enumclaw Wine Walk","start_date":"2026-11-14","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.dunhamcellars.com/","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Holiday Barrel Tasting","start_date":"2026-12-04","start_time":"11:00","url":"https://dunhamcellars.com/event/holiday-barrel-tasting/","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Featured Winery at The Marc","start_date":"2027-07-01","start_time":"00:00","url":"https://dunhamcellars.com/event/featured-winery-at-the-marc/","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Featured Winery at The Marc","start_date":"2027-07-01","start_time":null,"url":"http://www.dunhamcellars.com/","is_members_only":false}]}