Category: Walla Walla Valley (Washington)

Established in 1994, the Walla Walla Valley American Viticultural Area stretches across parts of southeast Washington and northeast Oregon. It boasts more than 1,200 acres of planted vineyards and enjoys a 200-day-long growing season that’s pronounced by sudden temperature shifts created when cold air rushes into the valley from the Blue Mountains.

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Washington Wine Month and a Little Cab Talk Too!

Hello Wine Lovers,

Welcome to The Good Drop Wine Shoppe’s blog. My name is Katherine and I recently joined the wonderful team of ladies here at The Good Drop. I consider myself an obsessive-amateur when it comes to wine. I love the wine industry because it challenges me in a way that no other industry has before. I have found that right when I think I know a lot about wine, the person next to me could very well know an abundance more. It’s a universal language belonging to no one type of person and I’m always pleasantly surprised to find someone new who can teach me more. I am involved in this industry because I embrace the challenge of learning more about wine, in the many ways a person can do so. Everything I learn can shape me to be the friendly face at The Good Drop who can inspire your love of wine to grow. This blog is where I am going to be posting weekly tastings notes, highlights in the wine industry, and just your average wine camaraderie tales.

So, lets take a trip to the Walla Walla Valley in Washington, the heart of Cabernet Sauvignon territory. I know I take pride in this area because there are a great number of Cabernet Sauvignons that are produced here, making the Pacific Northwest a premier destination for the world’s most popular red grape. Lots of wine educators can tell you what to taste in a Cab Sauv, but I am here to help you feel the wine. The richness in this varietal sometimes gives me an out-of-body experience where I start to imagine the conditions in which this hearty, sometimes smoky, sometimes fruity, grape found its growth. A mentor of mine once told me that in order to be good at tasting wine, you have to be curious about other foods and drinks because that contributes to your sensory experience while tasting wine. Cabernet Sauvignons tend to be complex, dry, medium-full bodied, and the perfect partner for savory and robust dishes.

I want to highlight the Walla Walla Valley because we are currently in the month of April, and as it so happens, this is the Walla Walla Valley Wine Appreciation Month. The floor that dominates the Walla Walla Valley consists of river gravel, loess (fine, wind-blown silt), deep silt, and thin silt with a rocky base. The rocky component of this region mirrors the gravel undertones of the Bordeaux region where Cabernet Sauvignon originates, as a hybrid of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. The complicated topography is what contributes to the uniqueness of this certain varietal. A few fantastic producers of Walla Walla Valley Cab are Leonetti Cellars, Woodward Canyon, and Cougar Crest. If you’d like to take a trip to Walla Walla, call us and we will deliver an assortment of Cabernet Sauvignons to your door here in Bend, OR.

Thanks for reading,

XOXO The Good Drop Girls

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Va Piano Vineyards goes slowly, safely and far

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Justin Wylie got the name of his winery from an old Italian proverb, “Chi Va Piano Va Sano e Va Lontano,” which means he who goes slowly goes safely and goes far. He uses that same phrase to describe his philosophy when it comes to making wine.

Located in Walla Walla, Wylie’s Va Piano Vineyards produces five flights of wine that range from every day drinkers like Bruno’s Cabernet Sauvignon and the Ox Red Blend to an estate designated series only members of its wine club can buy.

Wylie drew the inspiration to make these wines from spending his childhood in Walla Walla and watching his hometown blossom into the wine lover’s paradise it is now. He followed this inspiration by learning whatever he could from the region’s wine makers, wine growers and wine connoisseurs. He developed his palate, made wine out of his garage and with help from friends and family members started Va Piano’s first commercial crush in 2003. Continue reading Va Piano Vineyards goes slowly, safely and far