{"id":9,"name":"Five Star Cellars","image_url":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipMcFFH3tYtb1wWzah3omkowY_gRZsIiM_gDx8I0=w408-h272-k-no","district":"Airport","hours":"Monday – Thursday — 10 am – 2 pm\nFriday – Saturday — 10 am – 4 pm\nClosed Sunday","hours_type":"limited","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":false,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":false,"year_established":2000,"winemaker":"Matt Huse","website":"http://www.fivestarcellars.com/","phone":"+1 509-527-8400","address":"840 C St, Walla Walla, WA 99362, United States","description":"Five Star chooses only top vineyards in Walla Walla to craft wines meant for sharing with friends and meals, ensuring every bottle brings people together","lat":46.0924003,"lng":-118.2710311,"appt_url":"https://fivestarcellars.com/tasting/","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"","explorer_tags":["bold reds"],"profile":"# Five Star Cellars — Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story & Winery Character\n\nFive Star Cellars is a family-owned and operated winery based in the Walla Walla Valley, Washington. The winery's origin story is rooted in personal passion rather than professional ambition — what began as a post-retirement experiment for the Huse family ultimately grew into a full-fledged commitment to winemaking. This trajectory from hobbyist curiosity to serious wine production gives Five Star Cellars a distinctly personal and family-driven character. The winery's guiding philosophy, expressed in its tagline — *\"From vine to glass, we craft bold wines from the heart of the Walla Walla Valley\"* — reflects a hands-on, estate-minded approach to production. The family's continued involvement at every level of the operation reinforces its identity as an authentically independent, passion-led producer within the Walla Walla wine community.\n\n## Winemaking Team\n\nThe winemaking program at Five Star Cellars is led by **Matt Huse**, who serves as head winemaker, supported by **Cameron Rushton**, who holds the role of assistant winemaker. Together, they form the core of the production team. Matt Huse's involvement is deeply personal, as the winery grew directly out of the Huse family's post-retirement exploration of winemaking. While specific details about his formal training or prior career history were not available in the scraped content, his role is central to the winery's identity, and the family connection underscores the authenticity and continuity of the winemaking vision. Cameron Rushton's background and training details were not provided in the available text.\n\n## Wine Portfolio\n\nFive Star Cellars focuses primarily on **bold red wines**, which represent the core of their production, while also offering **signature rosé and white wines** designed to appeal to a broad range of wine enthusiasts. The winery positions its portfolio as inclusive — crafting wines for all palates while maintaining a commitment to quality. Specific wine names, individual varietals, vintage details, and tasting notes were not detailed in the available web content.\n\n## Tasting Rooms & Visitor Experience\n\nFive Star Cellars operates **two tasting room locations**: one in **Walla Walla, Washington**, and a second in **Woodinville, Washington**. The Woodinville location extends the winery's reach to the Seattle-area wine market, a common and strategic presence for Walla Walla producers seeking broader accessibility. Details about tasting room hours, interior design, specific visitor experiences, or what makes each location architecturally or atmospherically distinctive were not available in the scraped content.\n\n## Wine Club\n\nFive Star Cellars offers a **wine club** that provides members with regular wine shipments and **discounts on all Five Star purchases**. The club is framed as a \"wine club family,\" language that reflects the winery's broader emphasis on community and personal connection. Specific club tier names, shipment frequencies, allocation wine details, or pickup event information were not detailed in the available content.\n\n## Purchasing & Distribution\n\nIn addition to sales through their two tasting rooms, Five Star Cellars ships wines to customers across **multiple states**, extending their reach beyond Washington. The winery maintains an active inventory available for direct online purchase.\n\n## Winery Identity\n\nWhat distinguishes Five Star Cellars within the Walla Walla Valley wine scene is the compelling human story at its center: a family that turned a retirement-era hobby into a genuine, enduring passion for winemaking. The winery's commitment to family ownership and operation, combined with its focus on bold red wines alongside approachable rosé and white options, positions it as a producer that balances serious craft with broad hospitality. The dual-location tasting room presence — anchored in Walla Walla but accessible in the greater Seattle area — reflects both regional pride and a practical commitment to reaching wine lovers across Washington and beyond.\n\n---\n\n*Note: The winery's \"Our Story\" page was inaccessible at the time of scraping, which limits the depth of founding narrative, vineyard sourcing, and winemaker biography details available in this profile. Additional detail on accolades, vineyard sources, and specific wines may be available upon direct site access.*","somm_notes":[{"title":"Patti's notes on Five Star","content":"Since 2000, Five Star has been crafting incredible wines. Their Merlot is beautifully balanced, but if I'm being honest, the Sangiovese is my true winner!\n\n\n\n\nFloating Balance"}],"wines":[{"name":"Kynzie","vintage":"2025","variety":"Unknown","price":"$28.00"},{"name":"Madi","vintage":"2025","variety":"Unknown","price":"$24.00"},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2021","variety":"Merlot","price":"$46.00"},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2019","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":"$54.00"},{"name":"Sangiovese","vintage":"2019","variety":"Sangiovese","price":"$42.00"},{"name":"Supernova","vintage":"2019","variety":"Unknown","price":"$50.00"},{"name":"Cassiopeia","vintage":"2018","variety":"Unknown","price":"$54.00"},{"name":"Malbec","vintage":"2018","variety":"Malbec","price":"$40.00"},{"name":"Stellar","vintage":"2018","variety":"Unknown","price":"$64.00"},{"name":"Syrah","vintage":"2018","variety":"Syrah","price":"$44.00"}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"tripadvisor","rating":4.8,"count":6},{"source":"yelp","rating":4.0,"count":21}],"sample_reviews":[{"source":"reddit","reviewer":"u/foreverfabfour","rating":null,"rating_max":null,"text":"2008 Five Star Cellars, Cab\n\nFive star cellars - Walla Walla Valley\n100% Cabernet Sauvignon \n2008 \n14.3% ABV\n\nReview: \nPowerful nose upon opening. Blueberry, chassis, vanilla, cedar, milk chocolate, and a touch of smoke. Palate took time to show up to the party. At first it was closed, but showed up overtime. Ultimately at its peak it tasted of dark chocolate, raspberries, and leather. Slightly savory as it leaves the tongue.   \n\nDefined tannins on the mid palate. More acidity than you’d expect, but not overbearing. I imagine this was quite the brute at release. Medium length of finish. \n\nIt hit its stride after about 1.5-2 hours in a decanter. Wonderful value for money. \n\nColor: Dark garnet, slightly brick-ish. \n\nScore: 90/100","date":"2025-03-15"},{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"DeAnn S.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"The Merlot & Sangiovese we our favorites even though we purchased 4 different varietals.","date":null},{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Steven J.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"We love the wines and the great attitude of the Huse family that produces Five Star.","date":null}],"critic_scores":[],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2008,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (41 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2019,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (363 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Syrah","vintage":2011,"score":90,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Blueberries, minerals, spice and earth. Well-made effort and drink now. ("},{"wine_name":"Syrah","vintage":2012,"score":89,"source":"Wine Berserkers","critic":"John_Glas","tasting_note":") Raspberries, black pepper, dust and minerals. Good effort overall. ("},{"wine_name":"Supernova Red","vintage":null,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (60 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cassiopeia Red","vintage":null,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (37 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Stellar Red","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (230 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (363 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Merlot","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (157 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Quinque Astrum Red","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (134 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Malbec","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (112 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Sangiovese","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (115 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Syrah","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (116 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Kynzie Rosé of Sangiovese","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (29 ratings)"}],"events":[]}