Walla Walla Wine Cellar

Yes, we all know I LOVE Otis Kenyon wines. Not only are they made by the incredibly fabulous Dave Stephenson and Dreux Dillingham, but they are just undeniably delicious! And I much as I enjoy the drive out to the winery across the Oregon border, I was thrilled to see them open a tasting room in downtown Walla Walla. So dangerously close to my house!

Things are certainly taking shape. Still, they’ve stayed true to their label. Here’s a shot inside the tasting room the first day it was open.

Of course, just to the left of this photo there was pushing and shoving at the pouring stations, people anxious to try and buy the wine. They were pouring their 2005 Matchless Red, 2005 Merlot, 2005 Syrah, and 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. I like them all, and yet I am a huge fan specifically of the Syrah. What an amazing representation of what the Walla Walla Valley can do with Syrah!

But this display says a lot about the flavor and style of Otis Kenyon Wine. Their story is a good one, and we will be bringing you an interview this summer with more information on the family, the winery, and the wine.

Check out their new tasting room, in the old O’Con’s Flowers building, the oldest flower shop in town. It is right next to Merchants at 23 East Main Street. Look for this. You can’t miss it.

We know, the mules probably didn’t barrel race. But we donated a bottle of the Spring Valley 2005 Muleskinner Merlot to the Valley Girls Barrel Racing Association of Walla Walla for the 2008 Barrel Daze auction. It’s a sold out vintage (just a few bottles left in our inventory) and we thought it would be a nice fit for the Western event. Hooray for the wild wild west!

This merlot comes from vineyards planted in 1993 by the Corkrum family. They’d been farming wheat on that land for many generations–like five–and switched over from wheat to grapes. Their estate vineyard, now covering 40 acres, is the source of this lovely merlot. In their own words, “This Merlot is named after the job Frederick Corkrum held while working the farm. You see, Frederick was called a mule skinner, a name that represented his job on the farm; caring for and driving the mules in all aspects of the farming operation.”

Barrel racing isn’t exactly the same thing, but there’s a clear connection. Farm work. Dusty. Horses and mules, saddles, bridles, leather. And family members working together.

This weekend’s event had the fairgrounds covered with trucks and trailers with families hanging out together, kids playing in the grass and around the arena, picnics in the grass, relatives riding together warming up their horses for racing.

Sunday morning we went to watch a friend, Cindy Davis (who had talked us into donating some wine in the first place), and two of her daughters, Sarah Jones and Cloe Davis, compete in the barrel racing. Here is the young and talented Sarah Jones — who won a first place prize in at least one category. This is a nice, clean ride.

But perhaps our favorite part of the day was watching Cloe Davis in the Pee Wee Division. Check out this amazing ride! This is Cindy’s six-year-old daughter.

Now we wouldn’t give Cloe a bottle of the Muleskinner. But it was a great bottle to open up after a day of hard riding. Start the day with a nice french press of coffee from Walla Walla Roastery, and end it with a perfect glass of Muleskinner.

I wonder if any of the Corkrum family will be competing in the barrel race next year?