I once found myself manically putting together a map of Walla Walla wineries because my sister asked 3 days before Labor Day, “Hey, want to go to Walla Walla?”
Obviously the answer was yes. So as with any trip I take, I started manically planning all the places we should go. I scoured other “best of” lists, articles outlining awards, and asked around. I was amazed at how one of Washington’s premiere wine regions could have so little content about wineries in Walla Walla.
So I made a carefully-curated Walla Walla winery map for our family wine vacation (what, you don’t take kids on wine trips?). Read on to learn about our wine tasting itinerary and map for discovering the best wineries adults and kids alike will enjoy.
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A PNW Local’s Secret Map of Walla Walla Wineries
A Bit About the Walla Walla Wine Region
Walla Walla was discovered by our good old friends Lewis and Clark, but it wasn’t until 1984 that it became an official wine region (a.k.a. “American Viticultural Area,” or AVA). Located in the southeast area of the Washington-Oregon border, the region spans more than 2,000 acres and hosts more than 100 wineries, according to the Walla Walla Wine Alliance.
The climate makes the region look desert and farm-like at the same time. You’ll see lush green grass followed by yellow and gray brush or sandy-looking mountains.
The region is split into five districts, spanning across both Washington and Oregon:
- Westside
- Downtown/northside
- Eastside/airport district
- Northeast
- Southside/Oregon
I highlight each region in my map of Walla Walla wineries below. Note, that sometimes the northeast area is just considered part of the eastside winery district.
Planning Your Walla Walla Wine Tasting Trip
Walla Walla is about a 4.5-hour drive from Seattle, a 4-hour drive from Portland, and a 2 hour, 45-minute drive from Spokane. You can also fly into the Walla Walla Regional Airport, which would cut the 4.5-hour trip from Seattle down to about 55 minutes. If you fly Alaska Air, they’ll let you check your first wine box free (what, what!).
Walla Walla’s wine regions are spread out, so plan to rent a car if you’re flying. While it’s a bummer to have to coordinate a designated driver, you’ll be happy to know that unlike some wine regions, Walla Walla is actually affordable. There are wineries that have no tasting fee, and the ones that do are between $5-$10. What’s more, you’ll be refunded the tasting fee if you purchase wine. This is a steal, as most of the wines we tasted retailed between $18-$45.
And if you don’t want to sort out a designated driver, check out Mainstreet Drivers. They’ll send you a driver to drive your car around for the day.
Another important note is that most Walla Walla wineries allow kids. I made quite a few phone calls before we left to ensure that when we arrived with my nieces we’d actually be able to get our drink on. My favorite conversation was when I asked one winery if they allow kids and they responded with, “Yes, but we just ask that they don’t take part in the drinking.” Most of the wineries are good humored, and some even have areas for kids, which we’ll outline below.
My Walla Walla Winery Map
So, without further ado, here’s my map of Walla Walla wineries with the best wineries we visited. The gray areas on the map highlight the five distinct regions mentioned above.
Here’s our Walla Walla wine tasting itinerary that minimizes driving time and maximizes drinking time. The wineries we went to on the first day (Saturday) are highlighted red in my Walla Walla wineries map. The ones we went to on the second day (Sunday) are highlighted blue. The green pins are other wineries to try that didn’t make it into our weekend trip.
Day One: Saturday Itinerary
To give you an idea of the driving directions: We started at Gramercy Cellars when they opened, since they are only open Saturdays and the tasting room isn’t quite in the downtown area. Next we drove out to the airport district and then made it back downtown for lunch and to visit the downtown Walla Walla wineries. Our favorite wineries made the list below.
Gramercy Cellars
website | tasting fee: $10 pp | hours: Sat. 11 am – 5 pm (by appointment Tues – Fri)
Gramercy Cellars is kind of off the beaten path. There aren’t many wineries near it and it’s in a kind of unassuming warehouse-like area. However, as soon as you open the door you’re taken aback by the farmhouse interiors. Beautiful white subway tile takes up the whole back wall behind the bar and there are comfy, over-sized brown couches perfect for kids to play on while parents take sips.
The wines were really yummy, which made sense because even though Gramercy only produces about 8,000 case a year, they’ve won multiple awards for their outstanding wines. They work with grapes from a bunch of area vineyards, but they also own 3 of their own vineyards they use to create some estate wines.
The staff was also friendly. The woman pouring our tastes was a wealth of information when we asked her where we should stop on our wine tour. We’re happy we took her advice, as one of her suggestions ended up being our favorite stop (but more on this later).
If you’re interested in trying their wine, wine.com sells a bunch of Gramercy Cellars wines worth trying.
Buty Winery
website | tasting fee: $10 pp | hours: Tues. – Sat. 11 am – 4 pm (Mon. by appointment, closed Sun.)
The first stop we made in the Airport District was Buty. This is a smaller winery, taking up an old army base building that sort of looked like a barrack. They livened up the space with funky art, all predominantly red (like wine – get it?).
Buty is special because they make small productions of beautifully blended wines while using little-or-no new oak and natural winemaking practices. They also pick their grapes earlier because they believe it helps retain purity, aromatics, and acidity in the final product. We were a big fan of their reds, so they might be onto something!
The tasting fee here was $10 per person, but one of the nice things is that the sommelier waived all three of our tastings when Travis bought a bottle!
If you’re interested in trying their wine, wine.com sells some Buty wines worth trying.
Adamant Cellars
website | tasting fee: $5 pp | hours: daily 11 am – 5 pm (Fri. – Sun. only, 11 am – 4:30 pm Dec. – Feb.)
Adamant was one of the Walla Walla wineries recommended by the Gramercy Cellars employee, and boy were we happy we listened. This ended up being my sister and brother-in-law’s favorite winery, my second favorite. They had lovely reds, one of which we just drank with dinner this past Sunday (a cabernet sauvignon). The interiors were painted a soothing blue and it was outfitted with whimsical wood creatures and flora. It also was one of the cheaper wine tasting on our trip. Heck yes.
If you’re interested in trying their wine, wine.com sells some Adamant Cellars wines worth trying.
Maison Bleue Winery
website | tasting fee: $10 pp | hours: Wed. – Mon. 11 am – 6 pm (Closed Jan. & Feb.)
We stopped for lunch at The Maple Counter Cafe, a diner with the decor you’d imagine finding in a country home. Everything we got was extremely good: from my corned beef hash to my boyfriend’s mushroom Benedict, this place could rival any brunch spot in Seattle.
After lunch, we decided to visit the downtown Walla Walla wineries and finish out our first day of tastings. One reason was because we were with kids and they wanted to check out the book store that was there, but also because we saw they were waning and knew we could hit more with less driving.
Maison Bleue was one of the downtown Walla Walla wineries we read about. As soon as you walk in you are taken aback by the regal decor: gorgeous navy walls, white tin ceilings, large, iron wheel chandeliers, and a faux deer head on the back wall. You’re also taken aback by how vibrant the vibe is here: people are talking up a storm, which makes it noisy enough for cranky kids to fade into.
If you’re interested in trying their wine, wine.com sells some Maison Bleue wines worth trying.
Trust Cellars
website | tasting fee: $10 pp | hours: Thurs. – Mon. 11 am – 5 pm (open until 6 pm Fri. & Sat.)
Trust Cellars was another recommendation by the lovely lady at Gramercy Cellars. It’s a long, narrow tasting room right next door to Maison Bleue, with white walls, light floors, and a blue back accent wall with their bird logo on it. The layout made for a nice running ground for children, and since there was no one in the way, others didn’t mind that they let off some steam.
Note, if you’re from Seattle, they also have a tasting room in Woodinville. If you’re from the Seattle area and trying to decide which wineries to cut, this one might be worth waiting until you’re back home.
If you’re interested in trying their wine, wine.com sells some Trust Cellars wines worth trying.
Day Two: Sunday Itinerary
L’ecole No 41
website | tasting fee: $10 pp (more for a tour) | hours: Daily 10 am – 5 pm
L’ecole kicked off our second-day as we visit the rest of the places on my map of Walla Walla wineries. It’s one of the bigger wineries in Walla Walla known for their fully estate-grown wines.
As soon as you drive up, you’re greeted by a large schoolhouse and a long path. The inside is absolutely gorgeous: it’s pretty much anyone who loves craftsman-style homes dream. But besides the beautiful interiors, great wines, and cheaper tasting fee, the big win here was how great it was for kids.
There was a playground in the backyard with swings, teeter totters, and monkey bars. The winery is also next door to a small farm with cows and horses. Heck, after the tastings we even had some fun on the swings and teeter totter. Maybe a bit of too much fun, considering Travis cherry bombed my boyfriend and made the teeter totter fall off it’s axle…but that’s a story for another time.
If you’re interested in trying their wine, wine.com sells some L’ecole 41 wines worth trying.
Woodward Canyon
website | tasting fee: $10 pp | hours: Daily 10 am – 5 pm
Woodward canyon is right next door to L’ecole. They’re a must-visit because they’re the second vineyard to be created in Walla Walla.
Its tasting room is a converted farmhouse with a tall, cathedral ceiling and lovely gardens. They had a regular and signature tasting option, the latter of which was not refundable but that offered more wine. The wines here were great, but the pours small, so the signature wine ended up being the better deal.
There is also a restaurant on the grounds with a small menu, so we could have stayed here for lunch. However, we decided to hit up Graze sandwich shop downtown for a quicker and cheaper option instead.
If you’re interested in trying their wine, wine.com sells some Woodward Canyon wines worth trying.
Amavi Cellars
website | tasting fee: $10 pp | hours: Daily 10 am – 5 pm
Amavi Cellars is on a few acres of beautiful farmland and vineyards. The whole back of the tasting room is made up of windows, which lead out onto a deck that overlooks the fields and provides an unobstructed view of the mountains in the distance. Next to the tasting room is rows and rows of grape trees. And, okay, we tasted a grape. Shhhh.
But besides the picturesque settings, Amavi has great wines. This was my favorite Walla Walla winery because all the wines were good, affordable, and the staff was super friendly. They were also the only ones to really engage with the kids, which, as “those people” bringing kids, was very much appreciated.
If you need to make choices of which wineries to visit, Amavi Cellars also has a tasting room in Woodinville near Seattle, so if you’re from the area maybe wait until you get back home to try their wines (though their vineyards were some of the prettiest we visited in Walla Walla!).
If you’re interested in trying their wine, wine.com sells some Amavi Cellars wines worth trying.
Gifford-Hirlinger
website | tasting fee: free! | hours: Fri. – Sun. 11 am – 5 pm (or by appointment)
Gifford-Hirlinger was our last stop. It’s a small tasting room with no seats and cement floors, so not the most ideal for kids. Yet, it’s a family-owned winery with a makeshift swing on a tree out front. And the owner’s kids were at the winery, running around the steel wine barrels. So despite the unassuming decor, don’t be afraid to bring in kids.
The other great thing about this winery is how affordable it is. And we’re not just talking about the wines: there was no tasting fee here when we went! While the ambiance wasn’t my favorite, this winery had some of my favorite wines.
If you’re interested in trying their wine, wine.com sells some Gifford Hirlinger wines worth trying.
Need pit stops on the way to Walla Walla?
Since Walla Walla is a 4.5 hour drive, you may need to stop and stretch your legs (especially if you’re with kids). Here are some ideas.
- Make a stop at Suncadia Resort, which has hundreds of acres of biking trails, hikes, and resort amenities like pools and playgrounds.
- Take a pit stop to eat at the best restaurants in Leavenworth, a Bavarian-themed down about 1.5 hours from Seattle on the way to the Walla Walla wineries.
- Visit Yakima Valley, another wine region in Washington state that’s about 2 hours away from Walla Walla.
- Hike Hell’s Canyon, the largest river gorge in North America that runs along the Snake River on the Washington-Oregon-Idaho border. There are plenty of kid-friendly hikes available at the Lewis Clark Valley Gateway to Hell’s Canyon park.
- Go apple and berry picking at Bill’s Berry Farm in Yakima. There’s farm animals you can pet, a playground made of old tractor tires, a small train ride for kids, a really well-curated gift shop, and fresh homemade apple cider doughnuts in the fall. We went apple picking on the way home from Walla Walla and ended up bringing home 90 POUNDS OF APPLES. I didn’t hate it though, because it made for a ton of homemade unsweetened applesauce.
- Extend your trip to visit Spokane, one of the eastern-most cities in Washington state that’s about 2 hours and 45 minutes north of Walla Walla.
Want to explore more Pacific Northwest wineries?
Check out these other Washington wine regions for more wine tasting ideas!