The Walla Walla Valley AVA is an
American Viticultural Area located within
Washington state
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
and extending partly into the northeastern corner of
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
. The wine region is entirely included within the larger
Columbia Valley AVA. In addition to
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...
s, the area produces
sweet onions,
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
and
strawberries.
After the
Yakima Valley AVA, the Walla Walla AVA has the second highest concentration of vineyards and wineries in Washington State.
Walla Walla hosts about 140 wineries.
Name
The area is named after the
Walla Walla river valley.
Geography and climate
The soils of the Walla Walla Valley consist largely of wind-deposited
loess, which provides good drainage for vines. The area receives minimal rainfall and thus relies on
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...
. The 200-day-long growing season is characterized by hot days and cool nights.
The valley is prone to sudden shifts in temperature as cold air comes down from the
Blue Mountains and is trapped in the Snake and Columbia river valleys. While generally cooler than the surrounding Columbia Valley AVA, temperatures in the winter time can drop to .
Most of the region is in
hardiness zone 7a.
The southern part of Walla Walla Valley extends into the state of Oregon and is one of the warmer wine growing regions in that state, after the
Rogue Valley
The Rogue Valley is a valley region in southwestern Oregon in the United States. Located along the middle Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River and its tributaries in Josephine County, Oregon, Josephine and Jackson County, Oregon, Jackson counties, t ...
.
Syrah is a major planting in this area.
History
![Wallula-gap-4-A](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Wallula-gap-4-A.JPG)
The Walla Walla Valley became an early leader in the beginnings of the
Washington wine
Washington wine is a wine produced from grape varieties grown in the U.S. state of Washington. Washington ranks second in the United States (behind California) in the production of wine. By 2017, the state had over of vineyards, a harvest of ...
industry when the town of
Walla Walla Walla Walla can refer to:
* Walla Walla people, a Native American tribe after which the county and city of Walla Walla, Washington, are named
* Place of many rocks in the Australian Aboriginal Wiradjuri language, the origin of the name of the town ...
was founded by the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...
as a
trading post
A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded.
Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...
in the 1840s. French
fur trapper
Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket ...
s settled in a small town outside the city known as ''Frenchtown'' near
Lowden and began planting grapes.
In the late 1850s, a settler named A.B. Roberts established the first
nursery in Walla Walla, importing grape vines from
Champoeg, Oregon
Champoeg ( , historically Horner, John B. (1919). ''Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature''. The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. p. 398.) is a former town in the U.S. state of Oregon. Now a ghost town, it was an important settlement in the ...
.
In 1859, the city of Walla Walla was incorporated and the
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...
of 1860 helped make the area a bustling trade center. When the gold rush ended, the economic focus of the state switched to
Western Washington
Western Washington is a region of the United States defined as the area of Washington state west of the Cascade Mountains. This region is home to the state's largest city, Seattle, the state capital, Olympia, and most of the state's residents. T ...
and the city of
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, lessening the influence of Walla Walla.
In 1883,
Northern Pacific Railway bypassed the Walla Walla Valley for a route from
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
to Seattle. This essentially cut off Walla Walla from the growing market of the west. That same year a severe frost devastated the area's grapevines and caused a lot of the earlier grape growers to abandon their crops.
The dawning of
Prohibition in the United States in the early 20th century finished off the remaining aspect of the area as a wine region.
The rebirth of the Walla Walla wine industry occurred in the 1970s when
Leonetti Cellars Leonetti is a surname of Italian origin. People with that name include:
*Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson (1918-2005), American fashion consultant, businesswoman and philanthropist
*Francesco Leonetti ( - 2017), Italian poet, novelist teacher and politic ...
was founded on of Cabernet Sauvignon and
Riesling
Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...
. The winery gradually expanded and achieved worldwide recognition as it became one of Washington's most sought-after
cult wines. The founding of
Woodward Canyon Winery in 1981 and
L'Ecole No. 41 in 1983 added to the area's visibility in the wine world and the
appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...
was granted AVA status in 1984.
Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most well known and widely planted grape in the area, followed by
Merlot,
Syrah,
Sangiovese
Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape ...
, and
Cabernet Franc.
''As of 2007:''
*Cabernet Sauvignon - 41% of planted area
*Merlot - 26% of planted area
*Syrah - 16% of planted area
*Cabernet Franc - 4% of planted area
*Sangiovese - 2% of planted area
*
Chardonnay - 2% of planted area
*
Viognier - 1% of planted area
*Other red varietals (
Barbera
Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high level ...
,
Carmenere,
Cinsaut,
Counoise,
Dolcetto
Dolcetto ( , , ) is a black Italian wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word ''dolcetto'' means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to t ...
,
Grenache,
Malbec
Malbec () is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are n ...
,
Mourvedre,
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo (, ; pms, nebieul ) is an Italian red wine grape variety predominantly associated with its native Piedmont region, where it makes the '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero ...
,
Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen it adds tannin, ...
,
Pinot noir,
Tempranillo
Tempranillo (also known as Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, Tinto Fino and Tinta del Pais in Spain, Aragonez or Tinta Roriz in Portugal, and several other synonyms elsewhere) is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its ...
) - 7% of planted area
*Other white varietals (
Gewurztraminer,
Pinot gris
Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...
,
Riesling
Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...
,
Roussane,
Sauvignon blanc,
Semillon) - 1% of planted area
References
{{Coord , 46.00120, -118.37836 , type:adm2nd_region:US-OR_dim:27000 , display=title
American Viticultural Areas
Oregon wine
Geography of Umatilla County, Oregon
Geography of Walla Walla County, Washington
Washington (state) wine
1984 establishments in Oregon