A couple of weeks ago, on a trip to Eastern Washington, I stopped by the tasting room for a new winery near Pullman. While the tasting room is located only a mile to the west of the Idaho border, they have an estate vineyard in the Wawawai Canyon and source the rest of their grapes from the Wahluke slopes. With a current production of 400 - 600 cases, they are small--too small to distribute. The majority of sales are through the tasting room, although you can get a few of their wines in smaller local restaurants.After tasting a few whites, my friend Rick (of the Beer Blog fame) and I moved on to a Pinot Noir. I was quite skeptical about a Washington Pinot, especially from the high-heat Wahluke slopes. I was right--it was different from any Pinot I have ever had, and I must say that I'm not a fan. Now, once we moved on to the Cab and Syrah, those were a different story. Exhibiting the traditional characteristics that the Columbia Valley is known for, I walked away with a bottle of Syrah that I'm looking forward to cracking open.
Next time you are in the Palouse, stop by Wawawai Canyon on the Moscow-Pullman Highway. You'll find the staff friendly, the tasting room pleasant, and the bigger reds delicious.
On a whim I stopped by this winery today. I found the pinot to be very unique... quite the departure from the pinot I usually find around the willamette valley. It's bold flavor was a welcome surprise to me. So much so that I did not hesitate to buy a bottle. I hope they continue to produce the pinot noir because I will continue to buy it when I come to this area.
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