The Newest Must-See Winery & Hospitality Center in Walla Walla Is Ready For Guests
Courtesy of Echolands | Photo by Andréa Johnson
Echolands Winery of Walla Walla, Washington is proud to welcome guests to its new state-of-the-art facility, Echolands Estate, with doors open to the public TODAY. The stunning 341-acre site, located in the Mill Creek area of the Walla Walla Valley AVA in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, features the highest-elevation winery in Walla Walla and some of the highest elevations in Washington State. At the cutting edge of sustainable building design, Echolands Estate houses a dedicated production and barrel facility together with a breathtaking tasting room and visitors' center. Shaped by the shared vision of co-owners Doug Frost, Master of Wine and Master Sommelier, and Conservationist Brad Bergman, Echolands Estate will showcase the full potential of terroir-driven Walla Walla wines across many sub-appellations and styles, with a special focus on hospitality and making wine accessible for all. Lending years of experience to the team mission, Winemaker & General Manager Brian Rudin and Hospitality Director Jenna Bicknell are leading all operations for the new estate, including viticulture, winemaking and guest experience.
"We knew Mill Creek was special from day one, and we can't wait to open our doors to the world," says Brad Bergman, Chairman and Co-owner of Echolands Winery. "Our goal is to create a welcoming space that echoes the natural beauty of the Blue Mountains, as well as our commitment to environmental stewardship in every endeavor. We aim to explore the differences in terroir between Mill Creek, the SeVein and other local sites to develop a unique range of wines that honor this spectacular place."
Courtesy of Echolands | Photo by Andréa Johnson
"The opening of Echolands Estate represents the culmination of a five-year vision to welcome guests to experience this special corner of our valley," shares Doug Frost, Echolands CEO & Co-owner. "As a sommelier and winery owner, my mission is to work with the team to deliver a hospitality experience that's as memorable as our wines. We're honored to be surrounded by inspiring neighbors like Leonetti's Mill Creek-Uplands Vineyard, Aluvé, Walla Walla Vintners, Abeja, Armstrong Family, Bledsoe-McDaniels, Figgins Family and others who have paved the way to make Walla Walla an incredible wine destination."
The singular character of the Mill Creek area was a driving factor behind the Echolands site selection in 2019. The estate extends over 341 acres from 1,400 to 1,800 feet. The soils are principally silt-loam over basaltic bedrock with depths from only a few inches up to 20 feet. Echolands plans to develop the first 25 acres of vineyard along ideal hillside exposures with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Grenache, Grenache Blanc and Cinsaut. Echolands also sources grapes from their own 50-acre Taggart Vineyard in the SeVein Water Project, supplemented by purchased grapes from Les Collines Vineyard and other premier growers.
Courtesy of Echolands
The development of Echolands Estate is led by Soderstrom Architects and Mountain States Construction Company. Production facilities will debut with a 27,000-square-foot winemaking facility and barrel room equipped with open-top stainless steel and concrete tanks of varying sizes, along with larger-format casks for fermentation and ageing. Equipped for small-production and highly detailed winemaking, initial production will target 6,000 cases, with most bottlings at 300 cases or fewer. The principal development area also features a spectacular hospitality center centered around a public tasting room, cantilevered over the winery grounds and outfitted with glass walls that offer a breathtaking view of the Blue Mountains.
