Walla Walla is nestled in a valley in southeast Washington State, a largely arid but fertile up-and-down landscape bordered by the Blue Mountains and miles and miles of scrubland. Its sandy soil allows for deep drainage and the mild rainfall lets vinegrowers and farmers control the level of water for their crops via irrigation. So it is that many, many vineyards have popped up here over the years, which have in turn given rise to vineyard-hopping, though I don’t suppose the more uppity wine enthusiasts call it that.
Susanne’s very good friend and his girlfriend came to visit us this weekend, and we tooled around the area looking for some tasting adventures. Why not, when the alternative is to continue another long day of unpacking and finding new homes for all of the things we saw fit to send across the continent?
Road into the grapes
We were told, at one of the vineyards, that the locals never make these tours, that it’s only a visitor’s thing. But if that’s the case, it seems strange to me that so many of the restaurants and coffee shops in town are closed today, on a holiday weekend. It’s not, it’s been pointed out to me, like it’s Arbor Day (a genuinely important day in its own right, I’m sure). Perhaps there’s no overlap between people excited by wine and people excited by New York Style pizza, except for me, our friend Jody, and about 12,834 people I’ve met over the years.
At the vineyard
Perhaps Walla Walla is in transition, figuring itself out, moving from some identity it used to have and taking on a new one that meets its needs and new environment better.
Oh, wait. That’s me. Silly boy.
Grapes on the vine
Trans/plant/portation 
JEALOUS!!!!
JEALOUS!!!!
JEALOUS!!!!
HA HA HA, oh Jody! How about you come out for a visit and enjoy them yourself? 🙂
You are ON! Just need to figure out how to fit that in…
Hmmm…..
Funny you should mention local wineries that the locals never go to… This place:
http://www.jmakiwinery.com/
is less than 3 miles from our house. We’ve lived here for nearly 5 years. Never been there.
Now I have a mission!