{"id":95,"name":"Garrison Creek Cellars","image_url":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipNOISrvbKHBy8uibJw-UW9uW383XGocc4awxHUq=w408-h272-k-no","district":"South","hours":"Must call appointment only","hours_type":"appointment","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":false,"bubbles":false,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":false,"year_established":2001,"winemaker":"Lowell “Spook” Spoo","website":"http://www.garrisoncreekcellars.com/","phone":"(509) 525-7377","address":"4153 Hood Rd, Walla Walla, WA 99362","description":"At Les Collines, Garrison Creek’s gravity‑flow winery crafts handcrafted wines from their 300‑acre estate; sustainable practices and tiny production (<1,500 cases) ensure purity","lat":46.0064466,"lng":-118.2754423,"appt_url":"https://garrisoncreekcellars.com/reservations/","walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$50 per person, waived with purchase single bottle per person.","explorer_tags":["scenic","bold reds"],"profile":"# Garrison Creek Cellars — Sommelier Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story\n\nGarrison Creek Cellars was established in 2001 by the Murr family in the Walla Walla Valley of southeastern Washington. The winery holds particular personal significance for owner Michael Murr, whose connection to the land predates the vineyard itself: as a young man, he drove pea combine and swather for the previous owners of the very property on which the estate now stands. That deep-rooted relationship to the rural agricultural community of the region shaped both the vision and the aesthetic identity of the winery. Garrison Creek was founded on a commitment to handcrafted wines of uncompromising character, small lot production, and traditional artisan winemaking — values that remain central to the operation today.\n\n## Winery Character and Identity\n\nWhat sets Garrison Creek Cellars apart in the Walla Walla Valley is the combination of its strict estate-only sourcing, its exceptionally limited production, and its architectural identity. The winery building was modeled after the well-known 1916 Winn Family barn in eastern Oregon — a deliberate nod to the agricultural heritage of the region. Visitors approach through tall barn doors and encounter massive Douglas-fir beams arching cathedral-like sixty feet overhead, creating a dramatic sense of rustic grandeur. That impression, however, gives way quickly to the recognition that the interior is a fully modern, high-technology winery facility. The result is a rare marriage of agrarian character and technical precision that reflects the winery's broader philosophy: rooted in tradition, executed with innovation.\n\nGarrison Creek produces fewer than 1,500 cases per year exclusively from its own estate vineyard, making it one of the more tightly constrained production operations in the Walla Walla Valley. The winery operates as a gravity flow facility, meaning wine moves through the production process using the natural force of gravity rather than pumps — a method widely regarded as gentler on the wine and more conducive to preserving delicate flavors and textures.\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nAll fruit sourced by Garrison Creek Cellars comes exclusively from Les Collines Vineyard, a 300-acre estate vineyard owned by the Murr family. Les Collines is situated at the base of the Blue Mountains in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of southeastern Washington. The winery itself is physically located within the vineyard, reinforcing the estate's fully integrated, vine-to-bottle production model. Garrison Creek is committed to sustainable and innovative viticultural practices in the management of Les Collines, though specific farming certifications or soil and elevation details are not elaborated upon in available materials.\n\n## Winemaker\n\nThe winery's database lists Lowell \"Spook\" Spoo as the winemaker. No additional biographical detail, training background, or winemaking philosophy specific to Spoo appears in the scraped website content.\n\n---\n\n*Sections on Signature Wines, Tasting Notes, Wine Club, Tasting Room hours and visitor programming, and Accolades are not covered in the available scraped content and should be supplemented with additional sourcing before advising guests on those topics.*","somm_notes":[{"title":"Patti's notes on Garrison","content":"Tucked into the stunning Les Collines Vineyard, these small-production wines are a must-try. While the current releases are fully allocated, you can still book a tasting and enjoy barrel samples and a few gems from the library collection."}],"wines":[{"name":"Block 43 Syrah","vintage":"2023","variety":"Syrah","price":""},{"name":"Merlot","vintage":"2022","variety":"Merlot","price":""},{"name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":"2021","variety":"Cabernet Sauvignon","price":""}],"patti":null,"visitor_ratings":[{"source":"yelp","rating":4.8,"count":26},{"source":"tripadvisor","rating":4.6,"count":16}],"sample_reviews":[{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Bjorn H.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"I reached out to Garrison Creek Cellars via email about staging a proposal there, and was greeted with friendly responses from Kai, their General Manager.","date":null},{"source":"yelp","reviewer":"Steph D.","rating":null,"rating_max":5.0,"text":"Set in the center of beautiful Les Collines vineyard which provides grapes for many of the best wineries in Washington lies Garrison Creek.","date":null}],"critic_scores":[],"community_scores":[{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":2015,"score":96,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.6/5 (35 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":95,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.5/5 (355 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Syrah","vintage":null,"score":94,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.4/5 (187 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Merlot","vintage":null,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (72 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Tempranillo","vintage":null,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (54 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Malbec","vintage":null,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (49 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Zinfandel","vintage":null,"score":93,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.3/5 (40 ratings)"}],"events":[]}