If you visit the Walla Walla Vintners web site, you will be treated to a great story detailing how Myles Anderson and Gordon Venneri got their start in winemaking and eventually founded the 8th winery in Walla Walla. You will also read about their generous support of other winemakers, having lent space, equipment, and know how to a variety of folks who are now part of the Walla Walla Valley winemaking fold. This generosity extends to Myles and Gordon's involvement with the Institute for Enology & Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College.

However, if you visit their winery, you will find an emphasis on accolades, while the who, what and where of its wines are left to discover online. This approach suggests Walla Walla Vintners is more interested in promoting favorable reviews and scores rather than trying to connect folks to the people and places behind its wines.

On the Saturday I visited, Gordon and two other gentlemen were working. Gordon was busy engaging some of the other visitors in the tasting room, while the other two were pouring wine. The tasting flight comprised of six different red wines, an '06 Walla Walla Valley Sangiovese, '06 Columbia Valley Cab Franc, '06 Walla Walla Valley Merlot, '05 Walla Walla Valley Cab, '05 'Vintners Select' Walla Walla Valley Cab, and '05 Sagemoor Vineyards Cab.

As I tasted through the flight of samples, it became apparent that the folks serving me knew little about the wines they were pouring. And to make matters worse, at no time did either of them offer a sheet of tasting notes or anything else to help me understand more about each wine. At that point, it just became an exercise in getting through the tasting flight, with no effort made on the part of the staff to connect me to each wine.

I looked around the tasting room only to see cases of wine for sale with a bunch of print outs promoting recent Seattle Magazine wine awards and Wine Enthusiast point scores. Clearly, this was a tasting room and retail operation geared to those who chase after high scoring wines. For those interested in going beyond the bottle, you would be out of luck in this place.

For example, the folks at Walla Walla Vintners are very proud of their Sagemoor Vineyard cab, but offered little in the way of helping me understand why this wine was special other than the recent accolades it received. The person serving attempted to answer where the vineyard was located, but I am not sure he really knew. A map of Washington vineyards available at the tasting counter would have been helpful, as would a sheet of tasting notes on this wine.

And it wasn't just the wine that was left unsupported by any context, for in one corner of the room sat an autographed Washington Redskins helmet encased in glass. Obviously, this piece of memorabilia meant something to someone, but there was nothing to describe why this item was on display in the tasting room. It left me wondering why one would put this out on its own, but then it made sense considering the lack of context offered with their wine.

There are no tasting fees at Walla Walla Vintners, which is a point in their favor. But I was bit dismayed at the tiny pours being offered, until I got about halfway through the flight. To be honest, Walla Walla Vintner wines are not my style, for they are far too extracted, overly tannic, and high alcohol for my taste. By the time I completed the flight, I was relieved to have been given such a small pour from each bottle, for these were strong wines.

Looking back, I would like to think my experience would have been different had I been served by one of the founders/winemakers. But in their absence, visitors would be well served by having access to tasting notes and vineyard maps. Furthermore, they could do a better job training their staff to share more details on the who, what and where behind their wines and less about all of the accolades they have received.

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