First Stop in Walla Walla

So as I came into town driving a motorhome, I realized that once I park in the RV park near downtown, I would only be able to visit some of my favorite tasting rooms outside of town on US 12 either on the way in or on my way out, and given that tasting before getting on the road for 550 miles is probably not advisable, I decided to stop on the way into town.  So my first stop was to L'Ecole No. 41, which has been a favorite for more than a decade, ever since my first trip to Walla Walla in 2002.

This was a rather special time as I've since learned that they schoolhouse just celebrated it's 100th anniversary.  It's always fun to see Jaime and Ben and enjoy a nice tasting of some of their wonderful wines.  Their tasting room is such a fun treat as well, keeping with the schoolhouse theme.

And of course there were the wines, we had a chance to taste some wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and of course some Perigee, which has been a long-time favorite.  I was also able to pick up some library wines for some future Cellar Saturday posts, as well as to complete my collection of Perigee, as I think I only have them going back to the 2005 vintage and was missing the 2002-03.

Next I walked next door to visit Woodward Canyon, which is a treat.  Their tasting room hasn't changed a bit since I first visited, it's quite cozy and perfect for getting a nice sense of the wines and the focus on quality.  I had a chance to taste the Dolcetto all the way to the 2012 Artist Series Cabernet, which has long been one of my favorites.  And of course they also display the painting that is featured on the label of the current Artist Series Cabernet.

So that was my first stop as I got into town, more to come!