Rulo Winery

The sign above the front door states: “Relive a memory; realize a dream.” Realizing a dream, though, often requires hard work and some serious intestinal fortitude. Such is the case for Rulo Winery owners Kurt and Vicki Schlicker, who launched their winery in 2000. By day, Kurt shares an anesthesia practice and is typically on duty at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla. Come fall, however, his and Vicki’s attention turns to crush: the 24/7 rush to harvest, crush, destem, ferment, and press their grapes. At crush, Kurt’s focus switches from gases that are inhaled to gas that’s released by fermenting grapes, CO2, along with ethyl alcohol — a different form of anesthetic.

Unlike many of its big-bucks winery neighbors, Rulo Winery embodies America’s heritage of hard-working, do-it-yourself individuals. You won’t find tasting room staff bedecked in logo-emblazoned casual wear here. Instead, you find Kurt and Vicki working the tasting room, pouring and explaining their winemaking process to loyal fans and newly converted Rulo disciples. Even though the winery is typically open on Saturdays, it’s best to call ahead before dropping in.

As you sample your way through the Schlickers’ wonderfully delicious portfolio of reds, whites, and rosés, note the vineyards Rulo Winery gets its grapes from. They are among the who’s who of Columbia Valley grape growers. These growers are scattered across a wide expanse of land. This means he must put many miles on his vehicle, checking out his blocks of grapes, talking to the growers about matters of irrigation and pest control, and determining when to pick.

The name “Rulo” harks to the Schlickers’ family farm, located close to the Rulo grain elevator on the Washington side of the state line. That grain elevator was the inspiration for Rulo’s nice logo: a simple line drawing of the elevator’s silos. There are many grain-elevator stations strewn about the valley, and each one has a name. Locals know your location by your proximity to the nearest grain elevator. Kurt and Vicki refer to this as “farmer GPS.” Like other community members, the Schlickers embody a work ethic that is so much a part of our heritage. As I exited through the door, I again looked up at the sign posted above it and thought of another quotation, an anonymous scribbler’s words of wisdom I once read, that would be every bit as apropos for Rulo Winery: “There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.”