The Walla Walla Valley U.S.A.
“It’s a place so nice you say it twice!”
This AVA (American Viticultural Area) straddles the border between northern Oregon and southeastern Washington. It is located at the foothills of the Blue Mountains in the Columbia basin. In terms of climate it is classified as “continental” due to the distance from the ocean and the wide range of winter versus summer temperatures. Broadly speaking it gets very cold in winter and very hot in summer. There is less than 350mm of rainfall during the year so irrigation is essential on most sites. The deep silty soils are the result of the “Missoula Floods” which swept glacial till (mainly from Canada) into the region 12-15 000 years ago. So in some ways you could say they grow grapes on Canadian soil! At present there are over 100 wineries operating in the valley (Oregon and Washington), and over 1800 acres of grapes planted. Red varieties do particularly well in this area with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah real highlights. This region is garnering its’ fair share of success recently, and the number of new wineries opening up is a testament to that fact. Find out why Napa is scared…