With some unexpected time on our hands after leaving Glacier Nat'l Park, we decided to head over to eastern Washington to explore the wine region in Tri-Cities and Walla Walla. We hadn't been thru the area since before COVID, and a lot has changed in how the business interacts with the public.
Looking for the right experience for next summer led us to plant ourselves in the area for a few days and see what was going on with the tasting rooms and offering small plates. My love of food and wine pairings seemed like a good fit for some of the smaller wineries. Unfortunately I was unprepared for the after effects of COVID on this industry, and the uncertainty the new variant is having on future plans. Undeterred we visited several rooms that offered small plates in Tri-Cities and currently exploring Walla Walla on our way to Bend, Oregon where we will spend a week.
Just a shout out to Joanne Dunham at Dunham cellars in the airport district of Walla Walla. She is a remarkable host (along with Cody) and had a lot of good information for our exploration. Not to mention that Shirley had to try the Chardonnay that was her namesake "Shirley May"! We bought a bottle to enjoy on our travels. Today we visit Yellowhawk where they are using a food truck to create small plates for their tasting room guests.
We are do back in Scottsdale middle of the month for Shirley to start her Yoga gig with the city of Scottsdale. She is looking forward to also rejoining the Scott Resort out on the lawn for guests to enjoy her special brand of Yoga. We are both looking forward to seeing friends and sleeping in our own bed! See you all soon...