Leading wine buyers visit Walla Walla
More than 40 of the nation’s leading wine buyers trekked through Walla Walla on Monday as part of the fourth annual Road Trip Washington Wine program.
The visit was part of a five-day tour of the state for a group of wholesalers, retailers and restaurateurs meeting with grape growers and winemakers at the height of the growing season, according to an announcement from the Washington State Wine Commission.
The travelers started their tour Sunday and will make their way through the Yakima Valley and into Woodinville between today and Thursday as they experience Washington Wine Country.
The tour was first introduced by the state wine commission four years ago to help educate domestic buyers on Washington’s wine industry. Since then 177 high-level buyers and decision-makers representing more than $2 billion in purchasing power have come through.
“Road Trip has quickly become one of the premier educational opportunities for the domestic wine trade”, said Robin Pollard, executive director for the Washington State Wine Commission, in a statement.
The group arrived in Walla Walla from Seattle at about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday. They began a vineyard exercise at 10 at an array of vineyards. The itinerary included lunch at Brasserie Four, a seminar about white wines at the Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center, winery exercises at a cluster of wineries including Abeja, Buty, Dusted Valley Vintners, Gramercy Cellars, K Vintners, L’Ecole No 41, Northstar, Pepper Bridge Winery and Waterbrook Winery. A regional tasting and dinner also took place at K Vintners, among other events.
