Yakima Valley and Walla Walla

Twin Cities Wine Education presents a fantastic night of the best of Washington State.

The Yakima Valley and Walla Walla: Washington's powerhouse AVA's.

Washington State doesn't get nearly enough credit for what it's doing. The Yakima Valley, established in 1983, is a prime example. It's the state's oldest AVA and still its most planted — a high desert region east of the Cascades where over 300 days of sunshine and bone-dry conditions mean growers control irrigation down to the drop. That precision, combined with the region's basalt-and-sand soils and dramatic day-to-night temperature swings, produces fruit with amazing concentration and structure. This is where you'll find some of the state's best Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, alongside a growing reputation for Syrah and Rhône varieties that thrive in the heat and hang onto their acidity after dark.

Then there's Walla Walla, which straddles the Washington-Oregon border and has become the state's most talked-about wine region for good reason. The AVA has more varied soils — wind-blown loess over basalt, cobblestone terraces left behind by ancient floods — and that variation shows up in the glass as real site-driven character. Walla Walla built its name on bold, structured Cabernet and Syrah, but what's happening here now goes well beyond that: a serious wave of small, quality-obsessed producers pushing into new varieties and vineyard sites, with the kind of energy that reminds people of what Napa looked like decades ago.

Together, these two AVAs tell the story of where Washington wine has been and where it's headed. We'll taste through both regions, get into the soil and climate differences that actually matter, and talk about the producers worth watching right now. If you think you already know what Washington wine is about, this class is going to change your mind.

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Do you have a Twin Cities Wine Education Gift Card?
Email Jason Kallsen at jason@twincitieswine.com with details (which event you wish to attend and your gift card number), and we'll set up a custom code for you. OR, feel free to buy tickets and contact Jason for reimbursement. Either works great.

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