I wrote last week about our first afternoon of wine tasting in Walla Walla, Washington, our first Spring Release weekend in two years. It was great to be back, but after stops at two wineries where we sampled several wines at each and then had a bottle of wine with dinner, I woke up Friday morning determined to slow down and sip a little less that day. After all, there was more tasting to be done on Saturday, too!

We’d booked tastings at three wineries before our lunch stop. In the COVID era, reservations are required for tastings, which calls for a little advance planning (especially on weekends or during special events, like this Spring Release weekend, and for tasting at popular and/or small producers) but is well worth the minimal effort required. Tasting rooms have now had more than a year to adapt, pivoting from hosting a swarm of guests crowded around a bar to accommodating pairs or small groups of tasters at well-spaced tables or seating areas.

At Va Piano, our first stop, they’ve really established some very comfortable options. Pre-COVID, they offered tasting in a fairly small tasting room with a bar but also had a courtyard area with picnic tables for large events and a few cozy patio spots, one with a fire pit, for those who wanted to settle in for a longer, more relaxed experience. We arrived to find the patio has been spruced up with a fountain at its center and several tables ranged around it. Beyond were two very inviting pergola-shaded seating areas perfect for small groups. Since it was just my husband and me, we settled in at a table for two in the courtyard   and proceeded to enjoy a tasting of Va Piano’s Black Label wines, their single vineyard-designated estate wines (essentially, their Reserve bottlings), with a focus on elegant Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, and enjoyed every last drop.

We next stopped in at Isenhower Cellars, a longtime favorite of ours as a family-owned winery that produces lovely, light, complex wines at an extremely reasonable price point. We shared tastes of a range of their offerings, starting with a delightful, slightly buttery 2018 Sparkling Roussanne and the 2020 Vin Gris of Pinot Gris (such a beautiful light apricot in color and a floral nose; a wonderful summer wine). Brett Isenhower makes lovely red wines, too, and we had to bring home a bottle of the 2018 Road Less Traveled Cab Franc (such yummy fruit!) and the elegant 2017 Wallula Vineyard 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. We finished up with a decadent sip of their 20th anniversary (1999–2009) Petit Verdot Port; blackberries and cherry pie says it all. Delicious!

Our last stop before lunch was at Brook & Bull, where winemaker/owner Ashley Trout makes beautiful wines in equally beautiful bottles, boasting stunning black-and-white photos of Western images, as direct and impactful as the wines they contain. Some of these same photos adorn the walls of the tasting room, where tasting room manager C.J. poured the just-released 2020 Chardonnay, complex and uniquely barrel-stirred; really wonderful. We also tried the 2019 100 percent Malbec and the 2018 The Silent One, a red blend consisting of Cab Franc, Malbec, Cab Sauv and Petit Verdot — smooth and full of fruit and a lasting finish. C.J. also kindly shared suggestions of up-and-coming wineries to try. We’ve found this is a great way to discover new wineries as, here in Walla Walla, at least, the winemaking community is very collaborative and supportive, and tasting room staff are always eager to share their favorites with their guests (and dining tips, too).

Ready for sustenance, we headed downtown to AK’s Mercado, the new location for the former Andrae’s Kitchen, our longtime favorite for gourmet-quality food, housed in a Cenex gas station on the edge of town. The pandemic opened up a prime dining spot right on Main Street, and chef Andrae Bopp moved in, bringing the same great food to a more comfortable, inviting and roomy space. It houses a few other merchants, as well. Harry chose the 16-hour house-smoked brisket sandwich, while I temporarily lost my mind and went for the Voodoo Fries, pulled pork and fries with all kinds of hot all over them. Thankfully, I didn’t completely destroy my tastebuds, but it’s not a dish I’ll try again soon. Tasty, but too zippy for me!

We ended the afternoon at Prospice Wines, where the warm, sunny weather shifted to a dust storm, rain and hail, so our hosts settled us at a table in the barrel room for a calmer experience. Owners/winemakers Matt Reilly and Jay Krutulis spend time with everyone who comes for a tasting, sharing their stories and information about the wines in an engaging and welcoming way. We started with the light, lively 2020 Rosé (already sold out) and the Viognier and then moved on to the reds. We enjoyed comparing two different 2018 Cabernet Sauvignons, one from the Columbia Valley and the other from the Seven Hills Vineyard. The first, with 90 percent Cab and 10 percent Merlot, was smooth and balanced but bright with luscious fruit, while the Seven Hills, with 95 percent Cab and just 4 percent Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot, presented a little more tannin but still was very elegant and rich with fruit. We enjoyed a special treat with a barrel taste of the 2019 BDX, Prospice’s Bordeaux equivalent of a GSM (Grenache/Syrah/Merlot blend), primarily composed of Merlot and Cab Sauv. While young, it still showed that wonderful balance Matt and Jay achieve with their wines, and the taste of cherries came through beautifully.

In spite of ending with inclement weather, we enjoyed a really wonderful day back among friends in one of our favorite wine regions in the world.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor