The Scenic Route Caprio Cellars

Walla Walla sits in the South East of Washington. You have to mean to go there to get there. Luckily the easiest route is through the spectacular Columbia River Gorge. We ended our last episode with a bit of this Zen beauty…seems appropriate to kick off this episode with a little also. I mean, we could all use a little more Nature and Zen in our lives.
Leaving the Portland area, you drive through the Green portion of the Gorge, and gradually, the landscape changes to high dessert, as you head further east and cross the Columbia River Gorge into Washington.

This part of Washington was once mostly wheat, rolling hills of waving grain that seemed to extend forever. Now it is dotted with the green of vineyards.

Walla Walla translates to “Water water” or “many waters”. The valley is filled with tributaries, although this is a dry climate. This is a place where Bordeaux varieties thrive and can compete on a world stage.
Caprio Cellars

Our stop on this “Scenic Route” journey took us to Caprio Cellars.

Caprio Cellars sits just south of the City of Walla Walla, but is indeed on the Washington side of the state line. Caprio Cellars’ tasting room and hospitality feature pairing local foods with their wine to create a Wine Experience.

The property that is now Caprio Cellars was once covered in wheat. In 2003 Dennis Murphy bought this former wheat field and began his dream of starting a vineyard. This vineyard is named for his grandmother Eleanor and the winery is named Caprio, her last name and the name of generations of his Italian family.

His grandmother grew grapes for wine in her yard. She was the first of their family to immigrate to the United States. Her nickname was Grandmother Grapes.