A few weeks ago we made our annual trek to the far southeastern corner of Washington state to enjoy Spring Release Weekend in Walla Walla, one of the country’s premier wine-producing regions, not as well-known (or crowded and expensive) as Napa Valley in California. (We enjoyed a tee-shirt in a shop window in town which read, “Walla Walla for wine, Napa for auto parts.”) Joined by several couples who appreciate good food and wine as much as we do, we enjoyed a long weekend touring wineries and tasting rooms and visiting a few of the many restaurants in town. We got out ahead of the expected weekend crowds on Friday, making it especially fun and worry-free by renting a limo and driver for the day as we headed out to visit wineries outside of the downtown core. With five couples sharing the expense, it proved to be very reasonable, there was room to stash our purchases along the way, and no one had to forego drinking to be the designated driver. Our first stop, Saviah Cellars, was pouring the full range of their offerings, with some especially nice vineyard-designated and estate wines.   I was coaxed into trying the rosé, a wine I generally don’t drink or bother tasting when I know I’ve got a full day of tasting ahead of me. I found it refreshingly dry (I don’t go for sweet) and much to my liking. We enjoyed an extensive display of wine barrel-constructed furniture and accessories; while one sees these all over in wine country, these were especially well-designed and -constructed. Our next stop, Va Piano Vineyards, was, I believe, the favorite of our whole group for the day. Meaning “go slowly,” Va Piano certainly invites guests to do so in the outdoor spaces of its tasting facility. They make wonderfully intense, deep, complex wines — primarily Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the majority of the grapes estate-grown. Their Black Label wines are vineyard-designated, but even the OX brand — and especially its Red Wine blend — are pretty spectacular. We ended up joining their wine club (although our cellar is full) just to ensure we could have a steady supply of these lush beauties. An added bonus for my husband and I: Va Piano opens a new tasting room in Bend, Ore., (a shorter drive from our home in Southern Oregon) on Memorial Day Weekend. Our stop at Northstar Winery coincided with lunchtime, and the tasting room hosts kindly seated our group around a large table backed by a freestanding stone fireplace and with views looking out over vineyards and to the Blue Mountains beyond. Our driver, “Donzo,” brought in platters of croissant sandwiches, a dip and cheeses and meats which we enjoyed with a private tasting flight. Northstar focuses on making Bordeaux-style wines, with lovely Merlots their primary “stars” but producing other red varietals as well as Stella Blanca, a predominately Semillon blend. We moved on to two of our longstanding Walla Walla favorites: Rulo Winery and Isenhower Cellars. Side-by-side neighbors, both are smaller, family-run operations that make very fine and very reasonably priced wines. In addition to pouring several of its new releases, Rulo usually opens some older vintages and pairs them all with a wonderful selection of international and domestic cheeses. Last stop of the day was Cougar Crest Winery. I’ll admit that by that point I took a pass, but I always appreciate this soaring tasting room that presents interesting artworks in its light-filled spaces. While most wineries boast their tasting room dogs, Cougar Crest (appropriately) is the home of a tasting room kitty. The winery produces all estate-grown wines, with three whites and a rosé complementing a host of red varietals. Our Walla Walla weekend was off to a great start! Next week I’ll share some of our further adventures in this wonderful region. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor