EASTER WEEKEND WALLA WALLA WASHINGTON WINE TOUR

A great idea for a 3 day weekend. The Eastern Washington Wine Country is not only beautiful with a breathtaking drive through the Columbia Gorge to get there but they are producing some of the most amazing red wines(Syrahs, Merlots and Cabernets in particular) in the Pacific Northwest and also rivalling Napa and Bordeaux with the depth of these wines. We found a fantastic website to help you plan your trip. Go to www.washingtonwine.org You can put in the area you are interest in and also the varietals that you like and this site will not only show you the wineries that fit your parameters but will also print you out fulls maps and driving instructions of how to get there.

Below is a synopsis of the 3 day trip we made on Easter weekend/2008. If you like what you see feel free to copy our trip. You can book your hotels on my site at www.cruiseshipcenters.com/DebbieSchlueter.

Just 3 1/2 hours from Downtown Portland  with an awesome drive down Hwy 84 and the scenic Columbia River Gorge awaits some fantastic wineries just waiting for your  visit. Take Hwy 84 to Pendleton and then drive up Hwy 11(becomes Hwy 125) through Milton Freewater to the Washington Border and then into Walla Walla. A glorious drive. Be sure to stop in Milton Freewater at the Watermill Winery-they make a wonderful Cherry Hard Cider as well as 3 levels of sweetness apple hard cider. Also do not miss Petits Noirs Fine Chocolates& Delectables(622 S. Main Street)-mouthwatering truffles that made with imported French chocolate that is spectacular(www.petitsnoirs.com) Their Toffee Carre with black sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds  dipped in dark chocolate is my absolute favorite. They make truffles that pair with wines-yummy!!

Once you hit the stateline you are in for a treat. There are 72 wineries in the Walla Walla area alone.  Just off Hwy 125 taking a left  at 2901 Old Milton Hwy is one of the most spectacular wineries in the area. Basel Cellars as been voted best destination winery by Seattle Magazine for both 2005 and 2006 and I will be surprised if you will not find it again for 2007. The wine host Becky was a wealth of knowledge about the wonderful lush reds that Basel produces.  The lodge is truely spectacular and has 8 bedrooms in the main lodge and a separate bungalow-if you are in their wine club you can book rooms to stay at this beautiful home. Napa has nothing on this wonderful area with beautiful estates, wonderful wines and the scenic Blue Mountains as a backdrop.

Saviah, Waters, Balboa and Berensen are all located close together(Take Old Milton Hwy to Peppers Bridge Rd to JB George Rd.  It is hard to say which of their luscious reds was our favorites but needless to say our cellar expanded quite a bit from this weekend jaunt.  Continue up  JB George to Stateline and be sure to stop at Gifford  Herlinger-their reds were spectacular and "Charlie" will herd you into the tasting room.  Proceed up Braden Rd to Whitely Rd and be sure to stop at Tertulia Cellars. The wine maker Ryan was so cordial and was nice enough to give us a dinner recommendaltion(and actualy called the owner and made the reservation for us) that was nothing short of outstanding-more later on this one.  Tertulia also boasted some wonderful reds that just begged to be taken home.  Proceed up Pranger Rd to  one of our favorite stops Isenhower Winery-there was not one of their reds in the library of wines that we did not absolutely love and we bought them all.  Thus ended our first day in Washington Wine Country.

We stayed at the Walla Walla Vineyard Inn-we decided we wanted affordable lodging to save our money to purchase wine. The motel was reminiscent of days gone by with a 1950's motel feeling. The room was large, very clean, had a microwave, small fridge, coffee maker(they also provide complimentary continental breakfast with the room price) and a lovely patio where you could sit out and enjoy some of your wine purchases of the day. When I turned on the TV and I Love Lucy came on it was definitely like a step back in time-enjoyed watching Lucy Desi Fred and Ethyl and having a nostalgic  hour resting before dinner. If you want a more upscale place to stay try the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel. It is recently refurbished and very elegant.  There is also a La Qunita Inn that is also very affordable. You can book all the hotels on my website at www.ytbtravel.com/DEBSITE.

Ryan from Tertulia said if we only had one night in town we had to eat at Saffron509-525-2112(a true Mediterranean experience). He was right-the food and the ambiance were spectacular and high on the "locals" list as a place to enjoy good food and wine. Our adjoining table turned out to be the owners of Leonetti(one of the oldest and most wonderful wineries in the Walla Walla area). They were not just delightful but they also gave us a wonderful recommendation for lunch(Thanks Gary and Nancy) the next day at the Town Creek Cafe(trust me this is another place you do not want to miss-wonderful food and wine).  2 other local vintners also came in while we were having dinner at Saffron. The owners of Saffron also own Pho Sho which is a vietnamese noodle shop right next door to Saffron. We heard great things about the restaurant but did not have time to stop and try it out.Also highly recommended was 26 Brix located at 207 W Main St-509-526-4075.

The next morning we tried a few more wineries in the Walla Walla area that were not open on Friday. Rulo, Trust, and Dusted Valley Vintners were favorites and weighed down the back our our van with more wonderful reds and some exceptional Viogniers as well.

Had lunch as said before at Town Creek Cafe(be sure to save room for the lemon coconut pie-WOW) and then we were off to see some more wineries in the Yakima Valley just on the other side of Tri-Cities area. The Prosser area is a real find. While a lot of the wineries were closed for Easter Sunday we did find a wonderful area called The Loft.

Found 3 fantastic wineries that are a must stop-Masquerade,