In Walla Walla, there is no dearth of things to go wine-wise or otherwise. Here are some of the things we did during the past few weeks, not in any partcular order.

Had Lunch at Woodward Canyon and a Tasting at Long Shadows - The last two weekends, we had lunch at Woodward Canyon's Reserve House where meals are prepared with fresh ingredients from the winery's Lazy S Arrow Produce. We also tasted the winery's new releases which are reviewed in the September issue of the Review of Washington Wines. Last Sunday, after lunch, we had a tasting at Long Shadows' Chihuly Room where we tasted the '13 Poet's Leap, '12 Saggi, '11 Chester Kidder, and Sequel, which will be in the October issue.

Played Pétanque - This is a sport, akin to bocce, played with steel balls (boules) in teams which score porints by getting their boules closest to a marker thrown on the gravel court or by knocking a competitor's ball out. This is a fun sport, and the Walla Walla Pétanque Club meets weekly.

Drank Rosé Wines - On some of our winery visits, we picked up some very nice rosé wines that will make for enjoyable late summer drinking. Here are three new ones.

2013 Bunchgrass Winery Grenache Rosé, Walla Walla Valley ($22) - Sourced from the Nostra Terra Vineyard, this rosé offers a light copper color and intriguing aromas of peach, apricot, cantaloupe, mandarin orange peel, marigolds and spiced incense. The exoticism continues on the palate with sensations of yellow fruits intermixed with grape skin, peach stone and gravelly minerals. The back picks up touches of melon rind, toasted hazelnuts, orange custard, and light spices on the lingering dry finish. 18.5/20 points.

2013 G. Cuneo Cellars "Rosato" Dry Rosé Wine, Columbia Valley ($18) - Mostly Sangiovese, with a bit of Barbera and Nebbiolo, this rosé shows a brilliant orangish pink color and inviting aromas of raspberry, cherry, cranberry, red roses abd sweet pea blossoms. The flavors are fresh and lively, well extracted, yet restrained, picking up notes of squeezed cherries and cranberries, and melon rind on the lingering, dry finish. 18/20 points.

2013 DaMa Cellars Rosé of Pinot Noir, Columbia Gorge ($30) - This one displays a brilliant orangish-pink color and attractive aromas of strawberry, Rainier cherry, and red currants, with scents of dried orange peel, and wildflowers. The flavors are bright and lively, with juicy summer fruits intermingled with grape skin and volcanic minerals, followed by a lingering, faintly honeyed dry finish. Reminscent of a Bourgogne Rosé de Marsannay. Only a couple of cases remain of this wine. 18.5/20 points.

Attended the Waters / Flying Trout Industry Party - On Monday, August 25th, Doug Roskelley, Ashley Trout, and Michael Mettler (the events marketing maestro) hosted a party for wine industry friends at the new production facility just below Amavi Cellars on Peppers Bridge Road. This new facility will enable the winery to bypass roadblocks that hinder cross-state operations such as those of Tero Estates and Flying Trout.

Planned a Trip to France - In October, Lynn and I will be flying to France to reconnect with friends near Paris and in Burgundy, whom we have not seen since the year 2000. So we've booked our flight, our rental car and made hotel reservations for what promises to be a memorable trip. I will be reporting on highlights of this trip upon our return.

Tasted Viognier Wines with PAWS - On Friday, August 23rd, we joined the others in the Perfectly Aged Wine Sippers group at the home of Pam and Ray Good, for a tasting of Viognier wines. A thunderstorm dampened the occasion which was moved indoors. Otherwise, it was a fun event, accompanied by delectable appetizers brought by participants. The top three wines, with my scores, were:

2012 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Viognier, Walla Walla Valley - Brilliant gold colored, this had a seductive nose of pear, peach, apricot and white incense (although I detected a bit of burnt grape skin) with lots of minerally "Rocks" flavor and a long, full finish. 19/20 points.

2013 àMaurice Cellars "Sparrow" Viognier, Walla Walla Valley - This showed wonderful varietal purity. Seductive white fruit aromas and scents of honeysuckke, white incense and wet stone, and elegant, precise flavors from beginning to end. Interestingly, the Sparrow appeared twice in this tasting. I scored one bottle 19.5/20 points, the other 19/20 points.

2011 Domaine Niero "Chéry" Condrieu Blanc - Condrieu in the North Rhone Valley is where Viognier originates. This one showed classic, pure Viognier aromas and flavors. Pear, peach, apricot, white lilac and white incense, with intense, minerally flavors that persist on the long, long finish. 19.5/20 points.

Had Lunches with Friends at the Capstone Kitchen - Capstone is the training restaurant at the Walla Walla Community College's Wine Country Culinary Institute, headed by Dan Thiessen. It gives students real live training in the preparation and serving of food to guests who are asked to rate the food and service on a scale of 1 to 5 points. Our scores were high, averaging 4.8 points. Unfortunately, College Cellars" wine was not served, as the restaurant is still waiting for the Liquor Control Board to issue a license.

Prepared for a Trip to the Wallowas - This afternoon (August 27th) we will drive to Enterprise, Oregon for two nights at the Prospector Motel. We will make some excursions around the Blue Mountains, and do some hiking and sightseeing in some of the most beautiful places in northeastern Oregon.

There are plenty of other things to do around Walla Walla, galleries, shows and concerts at the Gesa Power House Theater and Whitman's Cordiner Hall, and more. All this shows that Walla Wallans really know how to live the good life.