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. ...