This year, Spring Release Weekend will be early, May 1-3. It is the Walla Walla Valley's biggest event, with many wineries open all weekend. There will be some changes in winery locations and new tasting rooms. Here are some new places:

Flying Trout and Waters - Last fall, these two wineries opened a new production and storage facility on Peppers Bridge Road, just below Amavi Cellars. Some of the wines can be tasted at Tero Estates' Marcus Whitman Hotel space, but for the full FLT and Waters line up, go to the South Valley location.

Kontos Cellars has moved out of the Port of Walla Walla Incubators, and the tasting room is now located on North Second Avenue, alongside Maison Bleue and Trust.

Maison Bleue opened its tasting room last fall. See the May issue for reviews of the new 2012 "Bourgeois" Grenache and "Voyageur" Syrah.

J & J Cellars (Jeremy Petty and Jody Middleton) has taken the Incubators location vacated by Kontos Cellars. See the April issue for reviews of the recent releases.

Bontzu Cellars is opening at 1460 F Street, near the airport. Sorin Dumitru, assistant winemaker at Glencorrie, is the proprietor.

Some wineries that will be pouring new releases during the weekend are Ardor Cellars (at Studio TwoZeroTwo on Main Street), El Corazon (two new 2012 reds), somme des parties (also located at El Corazon), Balboa (Fiesta de Vino Bianco), Spring Valley Vineyard (officially releasing 2012 reds, to be reviewed in the June issue). Tero Estates (at the Marcus Whitman and at the winery near Milton Freewater), Sleight of Hand Cellars (see the May issue for reviews).

Trio Vintners is closing its tasting room on North Second, in the Marcus Whitman Hotel after Spring Release. Health issues necessitates Karen LaBonté's moving to the Oregon Coast. Go to the tasting room and pick up some of her wines before they're gone.

See the April and May issues of the Review of Washington Wines for other wines being poured during Spring Release Weekend.