{"id":72,"name":"Walla Walla Vintners","image_url":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipP-YqLN7oWEAoi8TjrzbNk-FDQVr-8sAmp64c1q=w427-h240-k-no","district":"East","hours":"Daily 11 am – 5 pm","hours_type":"open-daily","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":false,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":false,"year_established":1995,"winemaker":"Derek Vipond","website":"http://www.wallawallavintners.com/","phone":"+1 509-525-4724","address":"225 Vineyard Ln, Walla Walla, WA 99362, United States","description":"As the valley’s eighth bonded winery, Walla Walla Vintners has spent over 30 years crafting award‑winning Cabernets and blends, welcoming wine lovers into a community of stories","lat":46.088215,"lng":-118.20394,"appt_url":"https://wallawallavintners.com/reservations/","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$35 per person waived with $70 purchase per person","explorer_tags":["scenic","bold reds","dog"],"profile":"# Walla Walla Vintners — Sommelier Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story\n\nWalla Walla Vintners holds a significant place in the region's history as the eighth bonded winery in the Walla Walla Valley. Founded in 1995 by Myles Anderson and Gordy Venneri, the winery grew directly from the founders' home winemaking passion at a time when the entire valley's wine industry could be counted on one hand. Their original vision was never about spectacle — it centered on creating a gathering place where friends could share bottles and feel at home, a philosophy that proved foundational to the winery's enduring identity.\n\nIn 2017, Scott and Nici Haladay took ownership, embracing and carrying forward that same spirit of community and hospitality. Scott, who brings a background in business leadership and process improvement, became the steward of the winery with a commitment to honoring its legacy while guiding it into a new era. As of 2025, the winery is celebrating its 30th anniversary as a family-owned and operated estate producer.\n\n## Winemaker\n\nThe winemaker at Walla Walla Vintners is **Derrek Vipond**, who serves as Head Winemaker. Vipond's path to wine began early, with family dinners that cultivated an appreciation for the craft. He went on to pursue winemaking experience across notable regions, including Napa Valley and Australia, before returning to Washington State, where he refined his skills at prestigious wineries prior to joining Walla Walla Vintners. His winemaking philosophy centers on collaboration and positive team culture, holding that great wines emerge from happy, engaged teams — and that this energy is expressed directly in every bottle produced. He works in close partnership with owners Scott and Nici Haladay, with a shared focus on producing expressive, delicious wines rooted in genuine hospitality.\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nWalla Walla Vintners draws fruit from a carefully curated network of estate and partner vineyards, each contributing distinct terroir characteristics.\n\n**Seven Hills Vineyard** (Walla Walla Valley AVA) is among the winery's most important sources, supplying Cabernet Sauvignon for several of their most treasured wines. Originally planted by the McClellan family in the early 1980s and later expanded by Norm McKibben, Gary Figgins, and Marty Clubb, the vineyard sits between 900 and 1,100 feet in elevation. Its wind-blown glacial loess soils — Ellisforde silt loam in lower blocks and Walla Walla silt loam in higher elevations — are well-draining and nutrient-poor, encouraging vine stress and concentrated fruit. Annual rainfall is just six to eight inches. Seven Hills is Salmon-Safe certified and has been named among *Wine & Spirits Magazine*'s \"Ten Great Vineyards of the World.\"\n\n**Bacchus Vineyard** (White Bluffs AVA) provides Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from original 1972 plantings — some of the oldest vines in Washington State and part of the largest collection of old-vine fruit in the region. Located between 550 and 900 feet in elevation above the Columbia River and Rattlesnake Mountain, these 50-year-old vines produce wines of notable depth and complexity, benefiting from gentle slopes that allow even ripening and excellent air drainage.\n\n**Les Collines Vineyard** (Walla Walla Valley AVA) is situated in the foothills of the Blue Mountains at elevations ranging from 1,140 to 1,370 feet. Walla Walla Vintners sources Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc from this site. Soils are primarily silt loam resting on prehistoric gravel beds deposited by ancient glaciers, providing both drainage and nutrient richness. Les Collines holds LIVE certification for sustainable farming.\n\n**The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater** represents the winery's newest estate planting. In 2024, four acres were planted to Cabernet Franc near the northern extent of this distinctive AVA — the only American Viticultural Area defined by a single soil series and landform, characterized by ancient basalt cobblestones smoothed by the Walla Walla River. The winery owns 18 total acres in The Rocks District and is actively managing soil health through cover crop rotation before completing the remaining plantings. The site also benefits from senior water rights tied to the historic Hudson Bay Company canal. Future plantings may include Rhône varieties and potentially Sangiovese.\n\n**Cut Bank Estate Vineyard** is the winery's LIVE Certified estate vineyard, situated at 1,467 feet in Mill Creek Valley in the shadow of the Blue Mountains.\n\n## Signature Wines & Specialties\n\nWalla Walla Vintners specializes in bold Cabernet Sauvignon and Italian-inspired red blends, with a notably deep commitment to Sangiovese — they produce four distinct Sangiovese-based wines, a breadth unusual for any Washington producer. Their portfolio also prominently features Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Named wines referenced include **Bello Rosso** (an Italian-inspired red blend sourcing from Seven Hills Vineyard), a **Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon**, a **Walla Walla Merlot**, a **2022 Sangiovese Columbia Valley**, a **Sauvignon Blanc**, and a **Vottavo** (a new release highlighted on the homepage). A **Rosé** is also part of the current lineup.\n\n## Tasting Notes & Style Language\n\nThe winery describes their Rocks District wines as expressing \"signature savory notes, subtle salinity, and profound umami qualities\" arising from the cobblestone soils. Seven Hills-sourced wines are characterized as offering \"both power and finesse.\" Les Collines fruit is described as \"vibrant\" and full of \"energy and life,\" particularly the Sauvignon Blanc. The overall house style is oriented toward \"delicious, expressive wines\" that reflect both the winemaker's vision and the distinctive character of the Walla Walla Valley.\n\n## Wine Club\n\nWalla Walla Vintners offers a wine club program called **The Artisan Society**. The club is positioned as an invitation into a 30-year community tradition, emphasizing connection between members and access to special releases and winemaker events. Benefits include intimate winemaker dinners held at the estate and club gatherings across the Pacific Northwest. Multiple club tiers are available, though specific tier names and allocation details are not elaborated in the available text.\n\n## Tasting Room\n\nThe tasting room is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM, with last seating at 3:30 PM. Reservations are available, as are private tastings. The facility features a sun-drenched patio overlooking the Walla Walla Valley with views stretching to the Blue Mountain foothills. The tasting room is part of a newly constructed modern winery nestled in the Mill Creek foothills. The visitor experience emphasizes warmth and community, reflecting the winery's core identity as a gathering place.\n\n## Accolades\n\nSeven Hills Vineyard, from which the winery sources prominently, has been recognized by *Wine & Spirits Magazine* as one of the \"Ten Great Vineyards of the World.\" The Rocks District AVA has been cited by *Wine Spectator*'s Harvey Steiman as \"the most distinctive AVA in the United States.\" The winery describes itself as an \"award-winning\" producer across more than three decades of operation.\n\n## Winery Character\n\nWhat distinguishes Walla Walla Vintners is a rare combination of historical depth and forward momentum. As the eighth bonded winery in the valley, they helped establish the foundations of what became one of Washington's most celebrated wine regions. Their uncommon dedication to Italian varieties — particularly their four Sangiovese expressions — sets them apart from the Bordeaux-dominant landscape of Walla Walla. Their investments in The Rocks District and their LIVE-certified estate vineyards reflect a serious commitment to sustainable farming and terroir-driven winemaking. Throughout 30 years of ownership transitions and growth, the winery's defining ethos has remained consistent: that the best wines are made to be shared, and that wine is ultimately a vehicle for human connection.","somm_notes":[],"wines":[{"name":"Rosé","vintage":"2025","variety":"Rosé","price":"$25"},{"name":"Silt and Stone","vintage":"2023","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$60"},{"name":"Woven Fields","vintage":"2023","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$25"},{"name":"Cabernet Franc","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Franc","price":"$40"},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2022","variety":"Merlot","price":"$35"},{"name":"Sangiovese","vintage":"2022","variety":"Sangiovese","price":"$35"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$50"},{"name":"Syrah Les Collines Vineyard","vintage":"2022","variety":"Syrah","price":"$60"},{"name":"Alera Cut Bank Estate","vintage":"2022","variety":"Merlot Blend","price":"$60"},{"name":"Bello 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