As the Walla Walla Valley Spring Release Weekend (May 7-9) approaches, there are some wineries that will not have tasting rooms open. Most were hoping to be open but have not been able to do so. Opening a wine tasting room requires negotiating bureaucratic hurdles. There is Washington State Liquor Board licensing, and a host of city and state regulations to meet. Locations and layouts have to be approved and operations standards have to be met. For instance, machines for washing glassware have to be inspected and tested. And all wine servers have to have MAST alcoholic beverage service permits. Meeting these requirements is time consuming, resulting in delays in getting tasting rooms opened. 

One of the wineries that had to delay opening is Keith Johnson's Devium Wines. Keith has been making his wines at Sleight of Hand Cellars where he is assistant winemaker, but was wishing to have a location to offer tastings of his own wines. Yesterday, I received an email announcement that the new tasting space at the airport, 1460 F St., has been put on hold for another week or two, due to "a clerical error outside of our control" As "a nod to the bureaucratic process," the winery was announcing a sale. 

Other wineries awaiting approval for new tasting rooms are the L'Ecole No 41 Heritage by L'Ecole Wine Bar at the corner of E. Rose and 2nd Ave. (formerly occupied by Tero Estates) and Vital Wines on N. 2nd (in the former Su Lei space). 

One winery that has opened a new tasting room is Dillon Cellars, owned by Marc Dillon Leahy, which is now located on Rolling Hill Lane below Amavi and above Valdemar Estates in the facility formerly occupied by Waters.