2015 Waters Winery Interlude

Waters Winery was founded in 2005 in Walla Walla by Jason Huntley, whose family had been in the area for five generations. He hired Jamie Brown as winemaker, and the estate became known for limited production Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2013 the estate was sold to Doug Roskelley and Mike Tembreull, who also own Tero Estates and Flying Trout Wines, both of Walla Walla. Jamie Brown remains the winemaker at Waters, which makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Roussanne/Viognier blends, and red blends.

Walla Walla Valley AVA likes to call itself the Napa Valley of Washington, and given the concentration of well-reviewed wineries in the appellation, the comparison is understandable. The Walla Walla appellation is comprised of 340,000 acres, of which 1,200 acres are vineyards. Walla Walla is located in the southeastern corner of Washington and it extends slightly into northeastern Oregon. It is named after the Walla Walla River Valley, and the city of Walla Walla is the commercial center of Washington’s wine industry. The city was founded in the 1840s by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post, but as early as the 1850s farmers were planting grapes for winemaking. Prohibition shuttered winemaking in the early 20th century, but a winemaking renaissance started in the 1970s when Leonetti Cellars, still one of the state’s most acclaimed wineries, started producing acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon. Walla Walla’s AVA status was awarded in 1984 and today there are more than 100 wineries. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most frequently planted grape, followed by Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese Chardonnay and Viognier.