Walla Walla Wineries

A sister winery to Pepper Bridge, Amavi, a mashup of the Italian words for love (amor) and life (vita), produces premium wines, most notably cab sauv and syrah, that are approachable—in drinkability and price point. The stylish, modern Walla Walla tasting room offers views across vineyards on the south end of town.

Bledsoe Family Winery is the second label founded by former NLF quarterback (and Walla Walla High School alum) Drew Bledsoe. The varietals include a chardonnay, rosé, syrah and cabernet sauvignon. The downtown tasting room is open by appointment only (Wed.-Sun.).

Established in 2012 by the group behind Napa Valley's Duckhorn Vineyards, Canvasback has expanded its focus beyond the Red Mountain cabernet sauvignons that attracted its owners to Washington. Selections include a riesling sourced from a cooler Columbia Valley site and a Walla Walla Valley syrah. In June 2019, the winery opened its tasting room on the south side of Walla Walla. Set among the area's vineyards, the facility welcomes drop-ins and offers indoor and outdoor seating, picnic tables, a fire pit and more. The winery's name refers to a species of duck found in Eastern Washington, and elsewhere.

The Castillo family focuses primarily on Spanish-inspired varietals and blends, including a remarkable albariño and intense tempranillos. The grounds (pictured above) include two spacious patios where you can sample wines while nibbling on light bites and admiring views across vineyards and wheat fields out to the Blue Mountains. Concerts, events and activities such as salsa dancing and "Havana" nights keep things fun and lively from spring through fall.

Charles Smith's downtown Walla Walla tasting room offers an airy, industrial-chic setting for sampling his team's diverse portfolio of wines, including those produced under the K Vintners and Substance labels. Concrete floors and exposed brick retain the historic charm of the renovated space, a former auto repair garage dating back to 1917.

Founded by former NFL quarterback (and Walla Walla High School alum) Drew Bledsoe, Doubleback produces small lots of three premium Walla Walla Valley wines: a chardonnay, a cab sauv and an estate reserve cab sauv. Tours and seated tastings at the swanky winery, on the south end of town, are available by appointment only.

Founded by a fun-loving group of Wisconsin transplants in the mid-2000s, Dusted Valley produces about 5,000 cases a year of intense cab sauvs, syrahs and petite sirahs under its main label, as well as another 20,000 cases of its value-priced Boomtown wines. The tasting room at its Walla Walla winery is set among farms and vineyards, providing dramatic views of the Blue Mountains.

Winemaker/owner Brad Binko produces single-vineyard Rhöne varietals, crafted in small lots, at his boutique winery, in the Incubator district near Walla Walla Regional Airport. The selections include 100-percent syrahs as well as syrahs co-fermented with roussanne or marsanne, plus other selections. He also offers multi-vineyard varietals and blends under his Drink Washington State label.

WInemaker Matt Huse, son of founder David Huse, produces rich red varietals and blends that reflect the luscious nature of Walla Walla Valley fruit.

Founded in 1983, the third oldest winery in Walla Walla has emerged as one of its most respected. Its portfolio of wines include Columbia Valley varietals and acclaimed terroir-driven selections from its Walla Walla Valley vineyards. The winery takes its name from the historic, 1915 brick schoolhouse that houses its production facilities and tasting room.

This innovative venture founded by Allen Shoup, former president and CEO of Chateau Ste. Michelle, brings winemakers from other parts of the world to Washington to craft wine from some of the state’s premier vineyard blocks. The Walla Walla winery offers tours of the production facility and seated tastings in a lounge adorned with Dale Chihuly's glass art.

Established in 2007, Maison Bleue produces small lots of highly rated Rhône-style varietals and blends. Its sister label Pambrun produces Bordeaux-style varietals and blends. Tastings for both labels are available in their shared tasting room. Fun fact: Pierre-Chrysologue Pambrun, an ancestor of winery owner Jim Bernau, was an administrator at the Hudson Bay Company's Walla Walla–area fort in the 19th century and is credited for brokering peace between Native Americans and settlers.

Founder Mark Ryan McNeilly crafts intense Bordeaux- and Rhône–style blends and varietals with grapes sourced from some of the state's most prestigious vineyards, including Ciel du Cheval and Klipsun on Red Mountain, as well as Red Willow and Olsen in Yakima Valley. The Walla Walla tasting room sits in the heart of downtown.

This small, family-owned winery produces full-throttle syrah and cabernet sauvignon, in addition to a few other red and white varietals that also reflect the robust characteristics that Walla Walla Valley wines can achieve.

Founded in 1998 by Norm McKibben, one of Washington's modern wine pioneers, Pepper Bridge primarily produces powerful, savory red wines, though a sauvignon blanc is also available. Each release reflects a commitment to craftsmanship that begins in sustainably managed estate vineyards and continues through production.

The winery's name reflects winemaker Sean Boyd's love for Rhône-style varietals and blends—reds and whites. In addition to southern- and northern-Rhône-inspired blends, his portfolio includes a growing number of single-varietal gems. The winery and tasting room at the Rôtie Rocks Estate provides views across the Rocks district's vineyards. Can't make it to Milton-Freewater (it's right across the state line from Walla Walla)? Head over to Rôtie's tasting room in Seattle's bustling SODO Urban Works wine and food park.

Established in 2007, Sleight of Hand Cellars combines delicious wine with a rock 'n' roll vibe, thanks to vinyl tracks setting the tone in the tasting room. The team's Bordeaux-style blends and syrahs—as well as a chardonnay and rosé—are gaining increasing favor from critics and fans. The reds tend to show a balance between boldness and suppleness, with well-integrated flavors of fruit and barrel spice. The winery also operates a tasting room in Seattle's SODO Urban Works.

Tranche earns raves for its Rhône-inspired blends. Its luscious Pape Blanc, a southern Rhône–style blend, will make even the staunchest of "red-only" drinkers rethink their preferences. The winery's cab sauvs and chardonnays never disappoint. Wood, glass, steel and thoughtful art give the tasting room and patio a stylish modern feel; warm weather brings live music to the winery on Friday evenings, April through October.

Founded by fourth-generation Walla Wallan Justin Wylie, Va Piano does a lot of things really well. Tannins in the cabernet sauvignons and syrahs provide the structure they need to avoid becoming overly unctuous. Rosé fans will love the Yakima Valley cab franc rosé, when available; the bright, acidic wine provides tightly wound notes of melon that loosen up with food.

This state-of-the-art winery on the south side of Walla Walla is the first venture outside of Spain for the Bujanda family, who have been making wines in La Rioja for five generations. Their spacious tasting room and patio offer views out to the Blue Mountains, providing a scenic setting to nosh on tapas from the on-site restaurant while sampling Valdemar's Spanish wines alongside its Washington releases.

Winemaker Jamie Brown is a Walla Walla native who trained under some of the area's winemaking pioneers before teaming with investors to establish Waters in 2005. Brown takes steps in the vineyards and winery to balance boldness with structure, crafting wines that retain their acidity and offer other food-friendly characteristics. In addition to the Walla Walla facility, the Waters team also operates a tasting room in Seattle's SODO Urban Works.

Rick Small established Walla Walla Valley’s second modern winery in 1981, after planting vineyards on his family’s wheatland. Today, Woodward Canyon produced elegant wines—primarily cabernet sauvignons, Bordeaux-style blends, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, with fruit from its 41-acre estate vineyard and four other esteemed sites, including Champoux Vineyard, in which it has an ownership stake. The tasting room, open daily, is located in a restored farmhouse along the highway, about 13 miles west of town. Tasting options include classic flights ($10) and reserve flights ($15), with patio seating available out back.