{"id":86,"name":"Caprio Cellars","image_url":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gps-cs-s/AC9h4nrGJsbz1scEyAaeiH7p5aLAY0132fs-5HKFTiYMl9l4dFauV9HpljW5IRCFtJYZC8_DRWRgoM2i0w9FOgj0lRydR7fZMwzLfGH_MvArJfnjUOhJKVyV-1QmPTmeBJzScwRnymOn=w408-h306-k-no","district":"South","hours":"Wed - Sun at 11, 12:30, 2, 3:30","hours_type":"limited","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":false,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":false,"year_established":2019,"winemaker":"Dennis Murphy","website":"https://www.capriocellars.com/","phone":"(509) 412-3054","address":"1603 Whiteley Rd, Walla Walla, WA 99362","description":"Caprio’s hilltop tasting room overlooks the valley; their 100 % estate Bordeaux blends—crafted with moderate French oak—mirror generosity, with owner Dennis Murphy giving back year‑round","lat":46.0110286,"lng":-118.3615261,"appt_url":"https://www.capriocellars.com/?fbclid=IwAR3XSohH1HA1oRXmoRl3R0rh0MmJ-r8vU7Y7mUp0lK7OwHnBo9s0uoNb8us","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"No Tasting Fee","explorer_tags":["occasions","experi"],"profile":"# Caprio Cellars – Winery Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story & Winery Identity\n\nCaprio Cellars is a Walla Walla Valley winery and estate vineyard operation built around a family tradition of winemaking. The winery is owned and operated by Dennis Murphy, who also serves as winemaker. The estate reflects a deeply personal vision: the vineyards are named in honor of family members, and the winery's ethos extends beyond wine production to include a strong philanthropic commitment. Murphy has stated that the winery gives regularly and year-round, not only during the holiday season — a values-driven philosophy that distinguishes Caprio Cellars from many of its peers in the region.\n\n## Winemaker\n\nDennis Murphy serves as both Owner and Winemaker at Caprio Cellars. No additional biographical details, formal training history, or prior career information are available in the current source material. His winemaking approach centers on Bordeaux varietal blends finished with moderate French oak, prioritizing estate-grown fruit exclusively. His personal connection to the vineyards is evident in the naming of the flagship Eleanor's vineyard after his grandmother.\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nCaprio Cellars is notably among a small group of Walla Walla wineries that own their estate vineyards outright. All fruit used in production comes from estate sources within the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Three distinct vineyard sites make up the Caprio estate:\n\n**Eleanor's Vineyard** is a three-acre site located in the heart of the Walla Walla Valley, planted in 2006. It is named in honor of Dennis Murphy's grandmother, Eleanor. The vineyard is planted with two acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and one acre of Merlot. Its southwestern-facing slope provides extended sun exposure, which the winery credits with producing rich, complex, and supple fruit. This vineyard, along with a limited contribution from Octave Vineyard, forms the source for Caprio's flagship Eleanor's Estate wine.\n\n**Octave Vineyard** is a twenty-two-acre hillside vineyard planted in 2007, also within the Walla Walla Valley. Caprio Cellars shares ownership of Octave with several other Walla Walla winemakers. The site is planted with sixteen acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, two acres of Merlot, two acres of Cabernet Franc, and one acre of Malbec. A limited portion of Octave fruit is blended into the Eleanor's Estate wine.\n\n**Sanitella Vineyard** is the newest addition to the Caprio estate. It is located within the SeVein vineyard collection on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla AVA. Sanitella is distinguished by its fractured basalt-based soils and high-elevation growing conditions. Varieties planted at Sanitella include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc.\n\n## Signature Wines & Winemaking Style\n\nCaprio Cellars specializes in Bordeaux varietal blends, using moderate French oak as a stylistic hallmark. The winery produces approximately 4,000 cases per year, all from estate fruit. The flagship wine, **Eleanor's Estate**, is a blend sourced from both Eleanor's Vineyard and a portion of Octave Vineyard fruit. The winery's commitment to 100% estate fruit from owned vineyards across multiple sites in the Walla Walla Valley underscores a focus on terroir-driven, single-origin winemaking.\n\n## Tasting Notes\n\nThe winery describes Eleanor's Vineyard fruit as yielding **rich, complex, and supple** characteristics, attributed to the southwestern slope's long sun exposure. No additional formal tasting notes or specific varietal descriptors are available from the current source material.\n\n## Wine Club\n\nCaprio Cellars offers a wine club described as joining the \"Caprio family.\" Club membership includes access to **limited wines** not available through standard retail channels, **discounts**, and **member events**. Specific tier names, shipment frequencies, or detailed benefit structures are not available in the current source material.\n\n## Tasting Room & Visitor Experience\n\nThe Caprio Cellars tasting room is situated directly on the estate vineyard and offers a **360-degree panoramic view of the Walla Walla Valley**, making it a visually distinctive destination. Visitors are invited to walk the estate grounds, described as \"charmed,\" and experience the family tradition of winemaking firsthand. The tasting room is positioned as an immersive, estate-integrated experience rather than a standalone facility.\n\n## Winery Character\n\nWhat most distinguishes Caprio Cellars in the Walla Walla landscape is the combination of true estate ownership across multiple vineyard sites, a singular focus on Bordeaux blends from 100% estate fruit, a family heritage narrative woven into the land itself, and an active philanthropic identity. The winery presents itself as a values-led producer for whom community giving is a year-round practice and a core part of its brand identity.","somm_notes":[{"title":"Patti's notes on Caprio","content":"The tasting room is beautiful and the wines are wonderful-but the paired tasting with their in-house chef is the real reason Caprio should be on your list."}],"wines":[{"name":"Estate Rosé Wine","vintage":"2025","variety":"Rosé","price":"$85"},{"name":"Estate White Wine","vintage":"2024","variety":"White Blend","price":"$39.00"},{"name":"Eleanor Estate Red Blend","vintage":"2023","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$75.00"},{"name":"Eleanor Estate Red Wine","vintage":"2023","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$550"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2022","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$55.00"},{"name":"Eleanor Estate Red Blend","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$75.00"},{"name":"Eleanor Estate Red Wine","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$550"},{"name":"Sanitella Estate Red","vintage":"2022","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$200.00"},{"name":"Eleanor Estate Red Wine","vintage":"2021","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$550"},{"name":"Eleanor Estate Red Wine","vintage":"2020","variety":"Red Blend","price":"$550.00"}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"tripadvisor","rating":5.0,"count":133},{"source":"yelp","rating":4.9,"count":82}],"sample_reviews":[{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Jean-Paul D.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"Brett, thank you again for making this such a wonderful experience, and kudos to chefs Ian and Kyle for the food.","date":null},{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Cathryn G.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"The Eleanor was my favorite because I thought it drank really well on its own and paired nicely with the food.","date":null}],"critic_scores":[{"wine_name":"Sanitella Estate Red Wine","vintage":2020,"score":100,"source":"Wine Enthusiast","critic":"Wine Enthusiast","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Red Label Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2020,"score":100,"source":"Wine Advocate","critic":"Wine Advocate","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Sanitella Estate Red Wine","vintage":2020,"score":95,"source":"Wine Enthusiast","critic":"Wine Enthusiast","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Red Label Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2020,"score":94,"source":"Wine Advocate","critic":"Wine Advocate","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Red Label Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2021,"score":92,"source":"Wine Advocate","critic":"Wine Advocate","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Sanitella Estate Red Wine","vintage":2020,"score":92,"source":"Wine Enthusiast","critic":"Wine Enthusiast","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Sanitella Estate Red Wine","vintage":2018,"score":92,"source":"Wine Advocate","critic":"Wine Advocate","tasting_note":null},{"wine_name":"Eleanor Estate Red Wine","vintage":2018,"score":90,"source":"Wine Advocate","critic":"Wine Advocate","tasting_note":null}],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"Eleanor Estate Red","vintage":2016,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (36 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2011,"score":91,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Red pepper, spice, dill, cherry and earth. The dill added to the wine in a good way. Medium finish. Drink now o 2026. ("},{"wine_name":"Eleanor Estate Red","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (302 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Padraig's Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (39 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Red Label Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (69 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Sanitella Estate Red","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (51 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Estate Rosé","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (41 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Estate White","vintage":null,"score":88,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 3.8/5 (26 ratings)"}],"events":[{"title":"Fall Release Weekend","start_date":"2026-11-06","start_time":null,"url":"https://www.capriocellars.com/events/","is_members_only":false},{"title":"Holiday Barrel Weekend","start_date":"2026-12-04","start_time":null,"url":"https://www.capriocellars.com/events/","is_members_only":false}]}