This year's Walla Walla Valley Spring Release Weekend, held May 3 - 5, was a highly successful event. Many wineries reported more traffic and brisker sales than last year. In walking around downtown, I saw people leaving tasting rooms with at least a bottle. And wine aficionados were loading up cases here and there. Here are some highlights of the weekend.

Spring Release Weekend got to an early start on Thursday the 2nd, as Abeja had the first of three days of being open for the winery's friends. There, a lovely 2012 Viognier and an elegant 2010 Cabernet were poured. These will be reviewed in the June issue of the Review of Washington Wines. There also was an impressive 2011 Cabernet Franc which, alas, is sold out. In the evening, we went to the basement bar of the irrepressible Philipe Michel (a Belgian cooperage broker) for wine and fun, and then to Olive to hear Paul Gregutt Hat No Hat duo play some nice tunes.

The next morning, we went to Tero Estates in the Oregon side of the Valley to see "Haulin' Sass," a restored trailer turned into a mobile boutique run by Catie McIntyre Walker and Shannon Smith-McKeown. At the winery, Doug Roskelley poured us some new releases which will be reviewed in June. For lunch, we stopped at Tertulia Cellars where we had grilled steak from Paul Freeman's Bank & Grill trailer kitchen with Ryan Raber's new vintages. The evening's big event was the Robison Ranch Cellars Club Party. After that, we went to Tranche Cellars bonfire at the Blue Montain vineyard which was a lot of fun. Watch for reviews of Tertulia, Robison Ranch and Tranche in the July issue.

On Saturday morning, our first stop was at Leonetti where we sampled the 2011 Merlot and 2010 Cabernet (to be reviewed in July) with Lostine Beef sliders. Then we went to àMaurice where we tasted new 2010 reds (June issue). At noon, we went to Catie McIntyre's Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman shop to taste Proper wine's 2010 and 2011 Syrahs from the "Rocks" (the 2011 to be released in fall). Afterwards, we stopped by Rotie Cellars to taste Sean Boyd's new 2012 Southern White and 2011 reds (July issue). Then we went over to Bunchgrass to sample Tom Olander and Barb Comaree's new 1010 reds (June issue). In the evening, we stopped at El Corazon for fresh oysters and wine, and then at Corliss, where the 2008 Cabernet (fall release) was previewed along with an impressive 2007 Cabernet Franc and 2007 Malbec.

Sunday morning, we wrapped up the weekend by stopping at SYZYGY for Zach Brettler's new 2009 Syrah and 2008 Cabernet and Saros Red (to be reviewed in July), at Buty for the 2010 Rediviva of the Stones (July), and then Corvus for the new releases which will be reviewed in a Focus article in the June issue. The Sunday activity was surprisingly brisk, with many people staying in town to take in more wineries, a sign of a very successful 2013 Spring Release Weekend.