Trio Vintners

“We’ll be moving to the ‘financial district’ of Walla Walla. At least that’s what Denise [Slattery] calls it,” quipped 6-foot-something Steve Michener, in reference to their new downtown location near the main offices of Walla Walla–based Baker Boyer Bank and Banner Bank. Moving from the “incubator” to the heart of the commercial district defines a success story of sorts for the husband-and-wife winemaking team of Trio Vintners.

The fact that Denise and Steve still have a couple of more years left on their non-renewing lease at the airport winery incubator location speaks volumes about their hard work and ingenuity. Sure, the rent is low (at least it was in the beginning years), but everything else — from the equipment and the grapes to the marketing prowess — is in the hands of the winemaker. And in the crowded field of top-notch winemakers who populate this valley, the bar is set even higher. But how this transplanted couple from the Bay Area came to Walla Walla in 2004 without a lick of winemaking training to achieve Wine Business Monthly’s top 10 ranking for “Hot Small Brands of 2008” is a story that other fledging wineries can only hope to emulate.

A sip of their dense but oh so delectable 2007 zinfandel tells it all. First, it reflects the fact that both Denise and Steve were very good students at Walla Walla Community College’s Institute for Enology and Viticulture. The degrees earned demonstrate a command of the region’s terroir in terms of its unique soil, perfect climate, and variety of grapes. The trio of earth, climate, and fruit is the source of the winery’s name but more importantly, this triad guides their winemaking style. Because of the diversity of climate and soil, the couple is free to choose the grape varieties to use as well as the style of wine to make. With Trio Vintners wines, your taste buds experience the varieties of the hotter European zones, such as zinfandel, Mourvèdre, syrah, tempranillo, and sangiovese.

The Wallula Gap image on Trio’s wine labels highlight this sense of place. The Micheners deeply appreciate the geological fact that the Wallula Gap, between present-day Oregon and Washington, corked the flooding headwaters of the Missoula Floods (occurring about 12,000 years ago), resulting in the alluvial soils of the Columbia Valley. Without the Wallula Gap, perhaps we’d all be drinking cabernet and chardonnay from California, and be left wondering what we were missing. In short, Trio Vintners offers the perfect cure for palate fatigue.

• 

  Order the book!

  Trio Vintners was featured in WineTrails of Walla Walla as part of the Walla Walla Downtown WineTrail on page 456!

• 

  Order the book!

  Trio Vintners was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Walla Walla Downtown WineTrail on page 456!