Last weekend, we trekked 500 miles for a very special wine dinner in Walla Walla, Wash. Home to one of our all-time favorite wine regions and some superb red wines, the Walla Walla Valley never fails to deliver up some new, exciting finds amid some of our tried-and-true standbys. Saturday, we spent the hours preceding our dinner at “just a few” wineries, not wanting to overdo and be unable to fully enjoy the evening. First stop was at Woodward Canyon Winery, one of the pioneers in the wine industry in the area. They’ve been producing premium Cabernets in their Dedication and Artist series (which Harry has been collecting for years) since the early 1980s. On this day we eagerly tried a couple of Chardonnays (one oaked, the other not) that have recently won several accolades and awards — both very satisfying. We also sampled a very reasonably priced red blend, several bottles of which we decided needed to come home with us. Our next stop, at Bunchgrass Cellars, introduced us to a small, friendly, family-run winery (no tasting fee!) situated on land farmed by the same family for more than a century. The small tasting room formerly housed the dairy, and a large old barn shading the parking lot was piled high with bales of sweet-smelling hay. These folks know how to make wine, though, and we came away with a few bottles and a determination to stop in again. Lunch provided us the opportunity to introduce our winetasting companions to a dining gem in an unexpected location. Last May in my blog I described our first meal at Andrae’s Kitchen, located inside the convenience store of a Cenex gas station just west of downtown Walla Walla. Without any signage outside to hint at the wonderful gastronomical delights within, Andrae’s relies upon word of mouth and the reputation it’s earned through the catering it supplies at wineries through its food truck. One detects some Cajun influences in some of the menu items (blackened catfish, putine, pork belly tacos), but others seem to derive simply from the fertile imagination of Andrae and a wide variety of locally sourced goods. Our friends looked skeptical as we pulled in to the parking lot, but they left confirmed fans an hour later. Our last stop of the day brought us to another new-to-us winery, Va Piano Vineyards. The Tuscany-inspired tasting room sits amid the 20 acres of estate vineyards.  We kicked back on one of the shady outdoor patios and fell in love with several of the winery’s red varietals — especially its Black Label, vineyard-specific, reserve-quality bottles. Though not yet officially released, one of those wines made its way home with us as well. It was a perfect end to our easy-going day, as well as a great lead-in to a delightful evening. More on that next week. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor