Walla Walla Valley AVA - its name meaning many waters - is a Pacific Northwest wine appellation that straddles the border between the states of Washington and Oregon. Not surprisingly given their similar latitudes, the conditions here favour the production of wines from typical Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Covering a topographically diverse area of more than one-hundred-and-thirty thousand hectares, Walla Walla Valley’s fertile land allows an abundance of fruits and vegetables to thrive; from apples to onions, strawberries to grapes, the area has been at the beating heart of the region’s agricultural industry for more than one-hundred years, and its increasingly renowned viticultural profile is continuing this proud tradition. The appellation has four distinct soil types ranging from wind deposited silt to cobblestone gravel, and vineyard elevations between one-hundred to more than six-hundred metres about sea level. Its climate is largely considered warm and dry - precipitation is low, such that some vineyards require irrigation during the growing season, and diurnal temperature variation is significant and conducive to yielding well balanced fruit. The area planted to vine - close to one-thousand-five-hundred hectares - is dominated by the Bordeaux red varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, along with an increasingly significant amount of the Rhône Valley grape, Syrah. Produced in much smaller quantities than the reds, Walla Walla’s principal white grapes are Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. With a focus on quality and more than one-hundred wineries - many of which are boutique operations, Walla Walla Valley AVA already has a strong reputation for producing rich, powerful Cabernet varietals and aromatic, earthy wines from the Syrah grape, amongst a wide range of other mono-varietals and blends. Increased media attention in recent years and a growing number of so called ‘wine tourists’ can serve only to further enhance the appellation’s profile.
