Walla Walla Wine Works

The sign outside reads, “7 wineries, 36 wines, 13 wines to taste.” That got my attention, and I knew I was in for a unique tasting experience at the handsome red brick building at First and Main. Formerly the exclusive site of the Waterbrook Winery, the rebranded tasting room now offers a collection of wines made at the new Walla Walla Wine Works’ 53,000-square-foot production facility just west of Walla Walla, off Highway 12.

If the purpose of your visit to the First and Main tasting room is to enjoy the luscious flavors of Waterbrook wines, fear not — you can sip those and a whole lot more. In addition to sampling winemaker John Freeman’s Waterbrook creations, you also can sip your way through wines from Apex Cellars, The Magnificent Wine Company, Pendulum, Primarius, and SHIMMER. In so doing, you will be sampling from a who’s who of noted Northwest winemakers, including the aforementioned John Freeman, as well as Peter Devison, Charles Smith, and Hal Landvoigt. There’s a reason why, in 2008, Wine & Spirits gave The Magnificent Wine Company’s The Original 2006 Syrah the “Year’s Best Syrah” rating, and why Seattle Metropolitan magazine wrote that the Primarius 2006 Pinot Noir offered “Penny-wise Pinots – boasting intense flavors … worth every penny.” These tributes are proof positive that fine wines can come from a high-production facility.

The truth is, Walla Walla Wine Works is more of a wine bar than a tasting room. Here you are encouraged to relax and spend quality time with a New York Times crossword puzzle or a good friend. But if you are one of the lucky ones to arrive on a Wednesday or a weekend evening, get ready for live (or DJ-mixed) music to accompany your glass of … whatever. For me, it’s a glass of SHIMMER, a tasty blend of syrah and merlot.

Though you may come away thinking you have mastered the wines of Walla Walla Wine Works, be aware that it’s just one component of Andrew Browne’s Precept Wine Brands. Bursting on the winery scene in 2003, Seattle-based Precept Wine Brands is one of the nation’s largest producers of wine, with such “value-driven” labels as Pavin & Riley, Washington Hills, Bloom, Avery Lane, Barrelstone, Big Sky, Grizz, Sweet Pea, Sol Duc, Sockeye, and Pine & Post. However, look for these labels in your local grocery store wine section, not at Walla Walla Wine Works. Only wines produced at the Highway 12 facility are uncorked here.