Walla Walla Wine Cellar

For those of you who braved the icy roads, I hope you enjoyed Holiday Barrel Tasting.

What once began as a community event, a time for locals to visit the wineries and find out what our valley’s winemakers were up to, has now turned into a rockin’ tourist-filled wine fest. Restaurants are booked a year in advance. Accommodations are booked at least that far out. And the wineries and tasting rooms are packed with shoulder-to-shoulder wine enthusiasts.

This year the crowds were slightly smaller due to the dangerous road conditions. But the town was still hopping. Winemaker’s dinners, live music events, and a downtown Parade of Lights were all events to enjoy in addition to wine tasting.

I hope some of you were lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle (or case) of the now-most-likely-sold-out Walla Walla Vintners 2005 Malbec. What a treat. Only available at the winery itself.

There were many more great finds, and the barrel samples gave a taste of wonderful wines to come. I’m particularly excited about a few secret stashes we’re working on here at Walla Walla Wine Cellar. (Not making, just procuring.) More on that later.

In the meantime, we would love to hear about your tasting adventures. Any barrel samples that got your palates’ revved?