Walla Walla is a town of invention and reinvention, and you need look no further than dynamic downtown to see just how.
This economic hub and heart of the city is always bustling with new businesses, wine, and beverage brands that reflect area entrepreneurs’ dedication to innovation and craft.
Here are three new downtown tasting rooms to add to the itinerary on your next visit.
*Indicates participating Sip and Stroll location
Delmas on the Plaza: Hailing from the Oregon side of the Walla Walla cross border American Viticultural Area (AVA), Delmas produces wines exclusively from its SJR vineyard in the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, a small sub-appelation of the Walla Walla Valley known for wines with a distinct and mineral-driven profile. Its new tasting room offers a site-specific tasting experience that’s completely unique in downtown.
“There are no other wineries that are solely Rocks District [in the downtown area],” says Brooke Delmas Robertson, winemaker and director of winegrowing. “That is our only focus.”
As with many vineyards in the Rocks District, Delmas grows Rhône grape varieties, and three wines of the five produced by the brand are highlighted on the tasting: an aromatic viognier, a concentrated syrah, and the B | D | R, a red blend of all varieties planted at the estate vineyard.
The winery produces a small amount of wines every year, between 800–1,000 cases depending on the vintage. These limited production, boutique wines have been hard to find anywhere else other than as a member of the wine club or through the winery’s website—until now.
Roberston invites guests to try the wines as a tasting, glass, or bottle, and relax in the Cote d’Azur–themed tasting room where it’s easy to enjoy a beloved French pastime: people watching (in this case, locals going about their day and tourists strolling on Walawála Plaza).
Delmas wines may be limited, but they are a luxury intended for everyday, Robertston says.
“Life is short. Open that fancy bottle of wine.”
3 South 1st Ave. | 509-540-1925 | Open Thurs–Sat, 12–7 pm (or by appointment)
The Distillery Collective*: Walla Walla’s famously cooperative spirit is now something you can taste at the new Distillery Collective at the Marcus Whitman hotel. Local distillers DW Distilling and Hetterley’s Distilling Co have joined forces under one roof to take advantage of downtown foot traffic while offering the spirits-minded a greater range of tasting options.
“You can do a tasting of one [brand], or the other, or a combined tasting of both,” says Craig Wollam, who co-owns DW Distilling with his business partner, Keith Dahlgren. Brandies are DW’s specialty, with a local twist—they are all produced from Washington state wine, and distilled only once, to preserve the unique signature of the base wine. The current DW tasting flight features four brandies, an eau de vie, and bottled cocktails.
Hetterley’s offers vodka, whiskey, apple or cherry pie “moonshine,” and limoncello—a product that’s also served at local pizzeria, Fiasco on Main. Like DW, most of its spirits, crafted by owner Kevin Hetterly, are made with locally sourced ingredients, such as Washington apple and cherry juice.
The space benefits from its location inside the Marcus Whitman Hotel, where guests can stop in for a tasting before or after an afternoon strolling downtown, or take bottled cocktails to enjoy in the sumptuous hotel lobby. Cozy bench seating and wall of south-facing windows bathes the space in light, and beckons other sidewalk shoppers and passers-by to stop in.
As a cooperative Wollam says was inspired “to raise our profiles, participate in downtown events, increase foot traffic, and connect with Marc guests, plus share costs,” it’s a win-win that warms you from the inside out.
6 W Rose St Suite 104 | 509-676-6336 | Thurs 4–7 pm, Fri 3–6 pm, Sat 12–6 pm
Hoquetus: Recently relocated from former digs in the Airport District, the new home for Hoquetus is a little off the beaten path, but this tracks for winemaker and owner Robert Gomez.
In his spare time, Gomez moonlights as a sommelier, entrepreneur (he co-owns downtown wine bar, Tavern Ancestrale, with his business partner and fellow somm, Kaleigh Brook), and indie musician. Hoquetus, in fact, is a Latin word that refers to an aspect of musical composition dating from medieval times.
Gomez describes his wine project and new tasting line up as “hi-fi wines made in lo-fi ways with an embrace of traditional and even ancient winemaking, with clay amphora-made wines always a part of the flight.” Most Hoquetus wines skew on the lighter side, using native yeast fermentation and fresh, low-intervention winemaking techniques, earning Gomez a cult following for the likes of his Beaujolais-style syrah, released every November. Six wines are available on the current tasting flight, and Gomez, the sole employee, will be the one serving them.
But you must locate the tasting room first.
“The space is very much like a speakeasy, [with an] entrance through the alley and [it’s] very unassuming until you get inside. Then, it’s a wonderful historic space with lots of character and beautiful natural light,” Gomez says.
As with most things in wine, a sense of adventure and the thrill of discovery is all part of the journey. When in Walla Walla, remember to ask a friendly local if you ever get lost—you’ll always find your way.
210 ½ E Alder St | 509-312-9148 | Reservations recommended. Fri, Sat 11 am to 4 pm. Sun, Mon by reservation.
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