{"id":80,"name":"Zerba Wines","image_url":null,"district":"Oregon","hours":"Daily 10 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":2001,"winemaker":"Brent Roberts","website":"https://zerbacellars.com","phone":"(541) 938-9463","address":"85530 Hwy 11, Milton-Freewater, OR 97862","description":"Family‑owned Zerba Cellars tends three estate vineyards across Walla Walla’s most exciting terroirs, pouring an abundant range of reds and whites that speak with generosity and place","lat":45.99456936298,"lng":-118.387423108692,"appt_url":null,"walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$15 per person waived with bottle purchase","explorer_tags":["surprise"],"profile":"# Zerba Cellars – Winery Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story\n\nZerba Cellars was established in 2002 and is located in the heart of the Walla Walla Valley, based in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. The winery operates as an Oregon winery with a clear focus on estate-grown and estate-produced wines, a commitment the winery has maintained across more than two decades of operation. The founding vision centers on producing approachable, food-friendly wines that showcase fruit character without compromising structure and overall balance — a philosophy that continues to define the winery's identity today.\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nZerba Cellars farms three estate vineyards, each strategically planted to take advantage of distinct mesoclimates, soil types, and elevations found within the Walla Walla Valley AVA.\n\n**Jon Cockburn Ranch Vineyard** is situated in the southeast corner of the valley, in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Its high-altitude position produces red wines of remarkable intensity and structure while preserving finesse, and its elevation also contributes to white wines of exquisite ripeness and elegance. The wide diurnal shift — the difference between warm daytime highs and cool nighttime lows — allows fruit to ripen fully while retaining natural acidity and balance.\n\n**Dad's Vineyard** is located in the \"Touchet Beds\" near the Oregon-Washington state line. As the coolest of the three sites, Dad's Vineyard is oriented toward elegance, producing wines with bright, nervy acidity.\n\n**Winesap Road Vineyard** is situated in the rocky floodplain of the Walla Walla River within The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater — one of the most distinctive and celebrated sub-appellations in the Pacific Northwest. Reds from this site are characterized as earth-driven and savory, reflecting the volcanic basalt rock soils that define The Rocks District.\n\nAcross all three vineyards, Zerba cultivates 15 different red grape varieties and 5 white varietals, demonstrating a notably broad portfolio for an estate-focused producer.\n\n## Signature Wines\n\nZerba Cellars produces a full portfolio of red wines, white wines, and dessert wines. Their red wine program spans the range from hardy and bold expressions to elegant and structured styles, depending on the vineyard source. White wines are described as easy-drinking yet age-worthy and offered at strong value, leveraging the Cockburn Vineyard's elevation and diurnal temperature variation to achieve balance between ripeness and acidity.\n\nThe dessert wine program is intentionally vintage-driven and fluid. In warm vintages, the winery produces a port-style wine using their own house-made brandy to arrest fermentation, preserving natural sweetness. In long, dry harvest conditions, late-harvest white wines may appear in the spring lineup. Zerba has also produced icewine when conditions allow. This approach reflects a philosophy of letting each vintage's character guide the style of dessert wine crafted.\n\n## Tasting Notes & Style Language\n\nZerba describes their red wines across a spectrum of styles tied to specific vineyard sites. Cockburn Vineyard reds offer **remarkable intensity and structure with finesse**. Winesap Road Vineyard reds are **earth-driven and savory**. Dad's Vineyard reds emphasize **elegance and bright, nervy acidity**. White wines from the Cockburn Vineyard exhibit **juicy stone fruit and subtle tropical flavors** from warm days, balanced by acidity maintained through cool nights.\n\n## Wine Club\n\nZerba Cellars offers a wine club membership with the following benefits: a **20% discount on all wine purchases**, access to **limited release and library wines**, new release and last-call notices, invitations to **winemaker dinners and winery events**, and winemaker's tasting notes included with each shipment. The program appears to be a single-tier membership structure based on available information.\n\n## Tasting Rooms\n\nZerba Cellars operates **three tasting rooms** across the Pacific Northwest, making their wines accessible to a wide audience.\n\nThe **Milton-Freewater tasting room** — their flagship estate location — is open daily from 10am to 5pm with no reservations required and a last tasting at 4:15pm. The **Dundee, Oregon tasting room** is open daily from 11am to 5pm, also with no reservations required and a last tasting at 4:15pm. The **","somm_notes":[],"wines":[{"name":"Chardonnay","vintage":"2023","variety":"Chardonnay","price":"$28.00"},{"name":"Riesling","vintage":"2023","variety":"Riesling","price":"$28.00"},{"name":"Roussanne","vintage":"2023","variety":"Roussanne","price":"$28.00"},{"name":"Barbera","vintage":"2022","variety":"Barbera","price":"$50"},{"name":"Cabernet Franc","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Franc","price":"$40"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon Rocks","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$60"},{"name":"Dolcetto","vintage":"2022","variety":"Dolcetto","price":"$40"},{"name":"Grenache","vintage":"2022","variety":"Grenache","price":"$50"},{"name":"Marilyns Blend","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$55"},{"name":"Merlot Rocks","vintage":"2022","variety":"Merlot","price":"$60"},{"name":"Mourvedre","vintage":"2022","variety":"Mourvedre","price":"$50"},{"name":"Sangiovese","vintage":"2022","variety":"Sangiovese","price":"$40"},{"name":"Wild Z","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$30"},{"name":"BH Red Blend","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$25"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2021","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$40"},{"name":"Malbec","vintage":"2021","variety":"Malbec","price":"$50"},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2021","variety":"Merlot","price":"$40"},{"name":"Nebbiolo","vintage":"2021","variety":"Nebbiolo","price":"$50"},{"name":"Petite Sirah","vintage":"2021","variety":"Petite Sirah","price":"$50"},{"name":"Syrah","vintage":"2021","variety":"Syrah","price":"$40"},{"name":"Tempranillo","vintage":"2021","variety":"Tempranillo","price":"$50"},{"name":"Zinfandel","vintage":"2021","variety":"Zinfandel","price":"$50"},{"name":"BH Syrah","vintage":"2021","variety":"Syrah","price":"$30"},{"name":"Petit Verdot","vintage":"2020","variety":"Petit Verdot","price":"$50"},{"name":"Anniversary Wine","vintage":"2019","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$70"}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"google","rating":4.7,"count":74},{"source":"tripadvisor","rating":4.6,"count":31},{"source":"yelp","rating":4.2,"count":26}],"sample_reviews":[{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Marybeth B.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"Zerba Cellars in Walla Walla is a favorite of mine and a definite stop every time I am in town or bring friends and family to town!!!!","date":null}],"critic_scores":[{"wine_name":"Syrah","vintage":2006,"score":91,"source":"Wine Enthusiast","critic":"Wine Enthusiast","tasting_note":null}],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"Wild Z Red","vintage":2016,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (30 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Syrah Estate The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater","vintage":2018,"score":91,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Much better than the Walla Walla Syrah from Zebra. Funk, pepper, spices, blueberries and tar. Medium plus finish. ("},{"wine_name":"Syrah Estate Walla Walla Valley","vintage":2018,"score":87,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Wood, and fruit. Very one dimensional effort. ("},{"wine_name":"Carmenere","vintage":null,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (33 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cockburn Vineyard Petit Verdot","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (64 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cockburn Vineyard Reserve Equilibrio","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (33 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Bowlus Hills Syrah","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (62 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cockburn Vineyard GSM Blend","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (50 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cockburn Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (42 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Winesap Vineyard The Rocks Estate Syrah","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (37 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cockburn Vineyard Tempranillo","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (29 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Wild Z Red","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (299 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (95 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cockburn Vineyard Dolcetto","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (62 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cockburn Vineyard Mourvedre","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (43 ratings)"}],"events":[]}