Wild about Walla Walla: Day Two

Waking up refreshed, we headed to our continental breakfast buffet in our hotel, The Marcus Whitman. Eh. It was okay. The fresh OJ was delish, but the coffee was dreadful. We promptly headed to Starbucks before heading out for a morning of wine tasting.

On the advice of our Saffron waiter, we headed south to Pepper Bridge Winery. Their vineyards are 100% Estate sustainably farmed. It’s sort of tucked away but once you take the winding road to the tasting room, you are rewarded with an amazing view: hills of vines with snow-capped mountains in the distance. Not a sight we’re used to from our Napa days! Wine tasting on a Monday rocks – no crowds or traffic.


We were cheerfully met by Richard, an English expat who spent time all over before landing in Walla Walla. We never did get the scoop on how he ended up here. Unlike L’Ecole, he eagerly chatted and told us all about the wines. We had a wonderful 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was 80% Cab Sav, 10% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc, 4% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot. He told us the “odd” years (2005, 2007) had a hotter season so the wines tended to be bolder and lusher, versus the even years having a bit more balance and smoothness. This was a classic Cab: the tasting notes described it as “fully developed, dense flavors of dark fruit. Ripe blackberry, black cherry and black beauty plums layered with cassis.” “Polished tannins and a subtle, lingering finish.” All I know is it was delish.

We also sampled (and bought) a great 2008 Merlot. Merlot’s are hit or miss with me, but I always like to try them. I find I like the Washington ones better than many of the Californias I’ve had in the past. This one was 85% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc and 5% Malbec.

Richard recommended a few other spots so, after dancing between the Oregon and Washington border taking in the scenery, we headed over to Va Piano, a lovely Tuscan-inspired winery. Entering the gorgeous Italian villa, we were greeted by Derri, to whom Richard asked us to say hello. We also popped over to Amavi Cellars where we sampled a gorgeous Cabernet Franc Rose (no, really! It was a nice peach color) and made a last-minute decision to try Basel Cellars. There, we learned about the “lost grape” Carmenere, which disappeared from Bordeaux in the 19th’ century only to re-emerge in Chile 100 years later.


Heading back to town for lunch, I was itching for a meal of antipasto and cheese along with a fresh glass of red wine, so we hit Olive Marketplace and Cafe again. I ordered exactly that, accompanied by a bright Sangiovese. Perfection.


Naps followed (and a cheating work check-in on my part) and we decided a casual dinner was in order. We headed to Backstage Bistro. They boasted steak, seafood, pasta, barbeque, and a large selection of premium wines. I ordered Spaghetti Bolognese, which I should know by now to never do unless I’m in an Italian restaurant: it was fair. The sauce was a bit too sweet, like something out of a jar. Paul ordered the ribs and said they were a bit average as well. Our opening salads were good, as was our wine, but this meal had a disadvantage from the get-go after following Saffron the night before.

Not wanting to wrap up the evening, we headed to Red Monkey for some last drinks. A review somewhere online excitedly claimed this was an “upscale dancing lounge.” Um, where the hell was that reviewer from? While a fun bar, it has a bit of a college feel to it. Margaritas, shooters, various posters and kitchy crap all over the walls everywhere you look. Paul gleefully noted the mix of patrons when we arrived: three blue-collar guys talking about exes at the bar and were on a first name basis with the staff; us (the yuppie urban tourist couple); and two old ladies catching up over drinks. Surprisingly, this odd all-inclusive vibe totally worked and it was a very comfortable place. The bartenders were super friendly: one of them was in training on the night we arrived so it was fun to watch and learn how to make the drinks. And I had a yummy chocolate martini.

Word to the wise, though: vodka tonic + red wine + Bailey’s on ice + whiskey + tequila shot = a bad night. Just sayin’.

We headed out of town the next day. Of course, the sun was finally shining brilliantly, but we didn’t mind too much. We were treated to an amazing drive back through the Cascades towards home. Overall, a lovely little getaway!

Wild about Walla Walla: Day One

“I’m taking a week off and we’re going somewhere cool.”

My husband’s proclamation last month sparked weeks of research on where we could escape for a few days that would be fairly easy to travel to and might give us some warmer weather. Seattle’s had a brutal spring and we are so over it.

The weather ultimately nixed the Washington Coast and the San Juan Islands, so we decided to do some wine tasting in Walla Walla: an activity one can do rain or shine.

We’ve been wanting to “do” Walla Walla ever since moving to Seattle and hearing about the amazing wine country down there. Tucked into the southeast corner of Washington, we’re in spitting distance of the Oregon border. Most of the grapes used in Washington’s burgeoning wine industry are grown in the AVA’s around there. Keeping it loose, we planned absolutely nothing and said we'd figure it out when we got there. We always like taking crazy adventures!

But we did book lodging in advance. Our hotel choice was the posh and old-school luxury at downtown’s Marcus Whitman Hotel. Full of floral coaches, dark woods and ornate accessories, it’s conveniently located within walking distance to downtown’s restaurants, tasting rooms and art galleries. After a glitch at check-in, we got to enjoy our Spa room, complete with huge whirlpool tub right next to the bed. The check-in snafu aside, the staff is friendly and eager to help.

Our first afternoon, heading into town, we stopped at L’Ecole, a winery who you may know from their cute crayon-drawing of a school on their wine labels. We normally love their reds, so we pulled up to the sweeping brick schoolhouse and sidled up to the crowded bar. I have to say the wine tasting experience was crowded, impersonal and formulaic. They only had 2 guys busting their butts to serve people when they should have had 3. The pourers tried to be hospitable but they would literally just pour you a glass (when they got back around to you) and would recite a rehearsed litany of the wine’s grapes – info we could read for ourselves in the tasting notes. No fun stories, or perspective or chit chat. They had to be all business to handle the crowd. One of them didn’t even make eye contact as he recited the list for maybe the hundredth time that day. We left a bit disappointed.

But we were soon soothed by a latte and creamy delicious strawberry cheesecake at Olive Marketplace and Cafe. Olive is a combination rustic coffee shop, bakery and wine-tasting deli. Coffee and sweets intermix with delightful cheeses, olives, cheese plates and antipasto. You can even enjoy a glass of wine in this two-story loft café. More to come on Olive….

That night, we enjoyed a magical dinner in downtown Walla Walla at Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen. Full of Mediterranean flavors, the food was tasty, interesting and balanced. The staff was so helpful, even though the joint was jumping. We enjoyed a prosciutto salad with arugula, watercress, fresh peas, pickled radish, spring onion, aged local sheep chees and chardonnay vinaigrette ($12) and patatas bravas: fingerling potatoes, garlic aioli, spicy tomato sauce and chili peppers ($8) for our appetizers, along with a recommended wine: Benchgrass Winery’s 2008 Triolet, a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Smooth and jammy with a nice mineral finish, it paired perfectly with our amazing meals: Mangalitsa Pork, a rare pork from a pig that lives longer than most, roasted and served with local asparagus, crispy garlic, Italian parsley lovage and tonnato freddo (a type of chees with a ricotta-like consistency: $27)) and Spiced Leg of Lamb “Shawarma”: all natural leg of lamb, fresh herbs, sweet onions, cucumber, sumac served open-faced over grilled flatbread and laced with smoked yogurt. My pork was tender, buttery and herbalicious. Paul’s lamb was flavorful, with the spices and flavors blending effortlessly. He’s always been a sucker for Greek and Turkish flavors.

I love asking locals for their fave spots, so our waiter suggested we go south for wine tasting, to a group of places near the Oregon border (only 10 minutes from downtown!). We geared up for a great Day Two as we went to bed, stuffed from our fabulous dinner. ...