In ever-changing Walla Walla, there’s always something new to explore, with fresh and exciting tasting rooms opening throughout the year. If it’s been a while since your last visit, consider a stop at one of the latest places to taste, all an easy, sight-filled walk around downtown’s charming historic district.
*Indicates participating Sip and Stroll location
Armstrong Family Winery: After closing its Main Street tasting room in 2022, winemaker Tim and general manager Jen Armstrong have returned to the downtown tasting scene with a just-opened new location on 2nd Ave, a half block from the Marcus Whitman hotel. A focus on Walla Walla and Columbia Valley cabernet and syrah distinguishes the Armstrong tasting, inspired by a wonderful wine story of discovery and passion that began well before 2011, the family’s first vintage. Ask Tim or Jen about it yourself if you see them at the tasting room—it’s a story centered in love, which anyone will tell you comes in handy in the wine business.
9 N. 2nd Ave. | 509-524-8494 | Open Wednesday–Sunday (or by appointment), hours and tasting experiences vary (some by reservation only)
Bartholomew Winery: A focus on what winemaker Bart Fawbush calls his “ever-evolving wine lineup” allows the vintner to source lesser-known grape varieties, such as tannat, primitivo, sagrantino, and graciano to offer a tasting experience a little off the beaten path. Fawbush himself took an interesting path to wine: a biology and chemistry major at Gonzaga who worked in finance and real estate after college, he started his winery in 2007 and learned from the ground up, while tapping useful parallels from his business and chemistry backgrounds. While Fawbush opened his Walla Walla tasting room in 2024, he also operates another in Kennewick, where the wine is also produced.
12 N. 2nd Ave. | 206-395-8460 | Open Thursday – Sunday, 12–5pm | No reservations required, walk-ins welcome.
Capital Call*: Taste wine long enough in Walla Walla and eventually you’ll learn a lot about the geology of the state’s largest appellation, the Columbia Valley, one of the foundational reasons why great wine is possible here. Add another dash of wine’s magic—serendipitous chance—and you have Capital Call Vintners, a project of Washington State University soil scientist and geologist, Alan Busacca, aka Dr. Dirt, and Steve Bruere, an Iowa-based land broker, who met on a shared job in 2016. Capitalizing on Busacca’s knowledge of prime growing areas—and Bruere’s access to cash (the name “Capital Call” nods to this)—the winery’s three estate vineyards produce French and Italian varietals, offering something for every palate, in a comfortable, contemporary setting that occasionally hosts live music and other events.
11 N. 2nd Ave. | 509-876-2056 | Open daily, 12 – 7pm | Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome space permitting.
Dossier: It’s easy to think that celebrity sightings would be rare this side of the Cascades, but Walla Walla is home to a handful of wineries owned by the jet set, including Dossier, co-owned by former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and Super Bowl champ Sidney Rice. Teamed up with co-owner, Yakima native and real estate developer, Tim Lenihan, and winemaker Billo Naravane (also of highly-scored cult favorite, Rasa), the brand, founded in 2021, has become known for quality and attention to detail, from its elegant and modern tasting room to its luxury wines (even red wine drinkers should try the flagship viognier). Experience the ambience, taste the wines, and no doubt you’ll agree.
8 W. Main St. | 509-590-1399 | Open Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday, 11–5pm and Friday & Saturday, 11–6pm | Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome space permitting.
Foolhardy Vintners: While the tasting room is new, co-winemakers Dan Sogg and Jonathan Edelman have been producing Foolhardy wines since 2016, attracting excellent reviews and recognition along the way. A focus on Bordeaux varietals from legacy vineyards across the state, combined with Sogg and Edelman’s years of experience working harvests in France, expresses a commitment to the community of wine growers, as well as craft. The approach is intentional and serious, though with a name like Foolhardy, it’s also approachable and fun, a gateway to discuss the proprietors’ other interests, from wine to travel to food (Edelman worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and went to culinary school in Paris), to the wine publishing business (Sogg worked for years as an editor for Wine Spectator). Belly up to the bar and dive into the conversation.
134 W. Poplar St. | 917-533-6275 | Open Thursday – Sunday, 12–5pm | Reservations and walk-ins accepted, and by appointment
Mercer Wine*: Prosser-based Mercer Wine Estates expanded to Walla Walla in 2024, setting up shop in the former Martin’s Jewelers building after an impressive interior remodel (note the charming exterior sign still retains elements of its one-time life as a beacon of jewelry). Mercer wines are grown in the Horse Heaven Hills, the second largest appellation in Washington at about 500,000 acres, and given the family’s long history in the area, the growing region is commonly associated with the Mercer family, who have resided there since the 1880s. A range of wines are on offer, from rose to whites and reds, that express the diversity of varietals that grow well there, and the tasting room’s casual upscale ambiance, as well as the location in the heart of downtown, simply can’t be beat.
18 E. Main St. | 509-204-5450 | Open daily, 12–8pm | Reservations and walk-ins accepted
Turtle*: This name for this new small production winery comes from a touching story that winemaker and owner, David Hess, says his father likes to tell about “capturing the spirit of…shared adventures and the joy of those moments together.” Embracing the idea, Hess, a viticulture and enology grad from Washington State University, opened the doors to his tasting room in January 2025, offering a cabernet and a red blend from Red Mountain, as well as a chardonnay from the Columbia Valley, all which have been awarded silver, gold, and double gold medals from various regional wine competitions.
315 E. Main St.| 509-876-6328 | Open Wednesday – Sunday, 12–6pm | Reservations and walk-ins accepted