Ever since my husband and I moved to North Central Washington over 20 years ago, we have enjoyed wine tasting trips to Walla Walla, located in the far southeastern corner of the state. Set in the rolling hills of the Palouse and just beneath the Blue and Wallowa mountains, this quaint town of around 35,000 residents began as a Christian mission, grew as an important agricultural hub in this wheat-growing region, and for the last 40 years or more has developed into a world-class wine region boasting over 120 wineries and renowned for its luscious red varietals. Its downtown core features turn-of-the-20th-century brick buildings housing galleries, shops, restaurants and, of course, tasting rooms. We’ve always found it to be a friendly, welcoming place with none of the pretentiousness we have sometimes encountered in, shall we say, wine regions we have visited south of where we live.

Although we moved to Southern Oregon some 15 years ago, we have visited Walla Walla at least once a year, with the exception of a pause during COVID. And then, the past two years, family obligations and other travel interrupted our usual treks for the annual fall and spring release weekends, when wineries pull out all the stops to release their latest vintages to their wine club members and the general public.

So we were very excited as we drove up the Columbia Gorge on our way to one of our favorite places a few weeks ago. The drive, one that always delights me as it follows the Columbia River surrounded by basalt cliffs draped in evergreen forests and cascading waterfalls, was lovely on this sunny spring day with the blue water and sky, neon-green new growth on the tips of every fir branch, and pristine white snowfields on the surrounding mountains.

Friday was our first tasting day, and it dawned sunny and warm with temperatures promising to reach into the upper 80s. We started at Rulo, greeting owners and winemaker Vicki and Kurt Schlicker, whom we have known for many years. The winery is located south of town amid vineyards and wheat and alfalfa fields. Kurt makes excellent whites and reds, and they last long in the bottle and are offered at a very reasonable price point, especially when compared to some of their neighboring competitors. They have been talking retirement for the past few years, so we are always happy to find them still greeting visitors at their winery.

From there we visited another small winery which has become a must-visit, SuLei Cellars, also south of town and offering pleasant outdoor seating with views to the mountains beyond. Co-founders Tanya Woodley (winemaker) and Elaine Jomwe (operations manager) always take time to have a chat as they share their delightful wines even as they bustle about attending to the many details that require their attention.

Our final visit of the afternoon, at Leonetti Cellar, was the most anticipated one of the day. Leonetti, established in 1977, is one of the oldest wineries in Washington state and has earned a reputation for producing premium red wines. Folks spend years on a wait list to join the wine club, and we have been privileged to be in that club for a long time. That affords us the opportunity to visit the winery on release weekends, which is otherwise closed to the public, and these are always wonderful events with live music, amazing food and unlimited pours of the latest releases. Throughout the afternoon we had access to Leonetti’s Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Reserve (a Bordeaux red blend). We also sampled Aglianico, a more unique varietal, and had the opportunity for a sneak taste of the to-be fall-released 2015 Leonetti Reserve (wow!) and a barrel taste of a very young but very promising 2024 Syrah.

Thankfully, a generous selection of delectable appetizers kept us from getting overwhelmed with the wine. A caterer with a mobile kitchen   kept service tables filled with everything from bao buns with pulled pork and kimchi,  arancini (fried risotto balls) with marinara sauce, and crudité to crostini with salmon dip, personal charcuterie cups and appetizer cones filled with Buffalo chicken. As the afternoon warmed, we gladly found a spot in the shade on the beautifully landscaped grounds of the winery.

Later, we ventured indoors and down to the vast, cool cellars underground. This working space also offers a scattering of artwork here and there, from a stained glass window above the stairwell    to a statue of a grape picker on a side table. In the cellars themselves, we noted a variety of vessels in which the wine aged, from large terra-cotta amphora   to casks and barrels of several sizes.   It boggled the mind a bit to consider just how much wine aged in those vast ranks of barrels.

We also looked into the bottle cellar,    a library of Leonetti wines and a collection of some special, large-format bottles . . . all carefully stored behind a locked gate, of course!

At last, more than sated from all the wonderful food and wine, we made our way down the shady lane away from the winery, already thinking ahead to the oenological delights that awaited us the next day.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor