On Saturday, October 19th, Lynn and I made an excursion out to Lowden, about 12 miles west of Walla Walla. This can be considered the birthplace of Walla Walla winemaking, in that Woodward Canyon, L'Ecole No. 41 and Waterbrook all got their start in Lowden in the 1980's, even though they were preceeded by Leonetti.

Our first stop was at L'Ecole No. 41, in the historic Lowden Schoolhouse No. 41. There, we tasted the new 2011 Stone Tree Grenache and 2012 Semillon, both to be reviewed in the November issue of the Review of Washington Wines. For previous releases, especially the 2010 vintages of the Apogee and Perigee red blends, see the September issue.

After L'Ecole, we went over next door to Woodward Canyon for lunch at the Reserve House, which has been turned into a casual restaurant serving lunch Friday through Sunday. We had some delicious meatballs with potatoes and rice, along with the 2010 Woodward Canyon Merlot. Owner-Winemaker Rick Small stopped by our table and told that they were just finishing harvest and were very pleased with the outcome. Rick also talked about his and Darcey's upcoming trip to the south of France, a respite that they were very much looking forward to. Then we stopped by the tasting room to pick up a bottle of the 2012 estate Dolcetto which will be in the December issue.

Then, we drove back east and turned left off Highway 12 at Frenchtown Road and went up to Long Shadows, which is now open daily from 11 to 5, by appointment only (go to longshadows.com to make reservations). There, Rachel Riddle poured us tastes of the 2012 Poet's Leap Riesling, 2009 Saggi (see the January issue for a review), 2009 Chester Kidder Red Blend, and the 2009 Sequel Syrah (the last two to be reviewed in the December issue).

Our day was leisurely, a contrast to the hectic pace of event weekends (such as the upcoming Fall Release). Optimally, one should allow 30 to 45 minutes per visit. All this befits the casual lifestyle of the Walla Walla Valley.

 

Coming Up: Next week's blog, which goes on line on October 29th along with the November issue of the Review of Washington Wines, will have tips on wineries to visit during Fall Release Weekend, November 1 through 3. It will not be an inclusive list, but one highlighting wineries with interesting new releases.