When summer finally arrives in Washington State, there is great opportunity to get out on the open road and take in the endless wave of rolling hills of the Columbia Valley. Thus, when it was time for Diva Chavi & I to take a mini work break, we decided to hook up with our pals, Isaak & Rassamee, for a Leo Birthday wine tasting weekend in Walla Walla. With our old dogs and giant wine cooler sharing the back seat, we packed up and headed out.

Walla Walla is a quaint town tucked away in the southeast corner of the state. The Walla Walla Region is part of the larger Columbia Valley AVA (American Viticulture Area), which is known for having some of the best conditions for growing world class grapes; hot, dry sunny days and cool clear nights. The combination of stellar fruit and artful vintners, such as Long Shadows, Woodward Canyon, Cayuse and K Vintners, has made Walla Walla a household name amongst Sommeliers and wine geeks everywhere.

What I love best about Walla Walla is that you can plant yourself at a hotel in town and meander your way from tasting room to tasting room, stopping here and there to browse in an antique store or have a lovely lunch. We stumbled (no pun intended) upon Olive Marketplace & Café during our downtown tour. Their apricot chicken salad, paired with a glass of Dusted Valley Rose, was divine. We also had a fantastic dinner at Creektown Café in honor of our Leo Gals’ (Chavi & Rassamee) Birthdays. They source most of their produce and meat locally, which always get you brownie points with the Divas, plus, the service is impeccable. Fried smelts, a killer burger, grilled nectarine & goat cheese salad and to-die-for deserts all added up to an amazing meal.

Buty Tasting Room - A wine shack in the midst of wheat fields

Okay – enough about food. Let’s talk about the real reason we drove 5 hours in the 103 degree heat, to only barely escape a $144 speeding ticket – WINE! Overall, we had great experiences everywhere we went but the real winner of the “best winery that was not even on the Kim V. Colaprete radar screen” is Five Star Cellars. It is not fancy on the outside, but, once the vino starts pouring, you will be blown away. We tasted 9 wines and each one was better than the next. Loved the 2007 Sangiovese and their quirky Petit Verdot/Cab Franc blend was unique and refined. While you are out in there in waving wheat land (by the airport) be sure to check out Buty Winery as well. Their whites are elegant and floral and their Rediviva, a Syrah/Cab blend, is mouth full of wonderful.

As with all small towns, Walla Walla is a microcosm of quirkiness, with all its peeps, no matter how different, living together in wine-soaked bliss. Our last night there we wandered into Vintage Cellars, a tiny wine bar downtown. We encountered the strangest mix of folks, all chilling together – tattooed lesbian college kids, tourist from Utah, khaki-wearing wine makers and an ancient guitar wielding Cuban gentleman, who serenaded the entire crowd with old Cuban love songs. A most perfect end to a fabulous adventure in Walla Walla Wine Country.