The Walla Walla Valley has recently received two newcomers, both from Woodinville: The Barons Winery and the Armstrong Family Winery. Here are bits of information about them.

In early June, I visited the Armstrong Family Winery tasting room in Woodinville. There, Jennifer Armstrong told me about the family's plans to move to Walla Walla. A couple of weeks later, on June 15, I received this email from her: "As I think we mentioned, we are in the midst of big changes, Our family last month purchased a 22-acre farm with vineyard in Walla Walla. The beautiful property is due north of town, amid wheat fields, not far from the new E'ritage project. It has a lovely old farm house where our family will live, a vineyard, historic barn, winding stream, and space to build a winery production building and plant additional vines. We will keep our tasting room in Woodinville, but are excited for this big change and to be able to make wine in the heart of wine country! We will be moving there full time in 2 weeks - after our daughters finish the school year here in Kirkland."

The other newcomer to Walla Walla is the Barons Winery. Started in 2001, it was located in the Warehouse District in Woodinville. In May of this year, the winery moved its entire operation to Walla Walla with a downtown tasting room on 11 North Second. The wines are being made at Artifex, the state of the art winemaking facility in the north part of the city. The Barons Managing Partner is Jim Keller, a former Weyerhaeuser executive. 

There will be reviews of wines from both wineries in the August issue of the Review of Washington Wines. It will be going on line July 24.

Happy Independence Day!

Be sure to drink plenty of Washington wine on this holiday!