Walla Walla Rave Wave Continues; Tamarack and Isenhower Paired with Barking Frog for March Program

By Kathy Ward

Tasting Card • Program Chair at Willows Lodge • Member Discount Offer

It began long ago, in a place not so far away. Geologic cataclysm 15 million years back created the Walla Walla Plateau, and glaciers a mere 15,000 years past laid fine-grained sediment. This soil, plus a warm and arid climate, makes the area a coveted grape-growing region today.

Located in southeast Washington, spilling into Oregon, the 530-square-mile Walla Walla American Viticultural Area was so designated in 1984. There are presently about 1,200 acres of wine grapes, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

As Wine Press Northwest editor Andy Perdue puts it, “To understand Walla Walla, one must look at the evolution of the valley’s wine industry, which can be separated into three phases: The early wineries, the second wave and the tidal wave.”

Creating the groundswell was Gary Figgins, who rocked the wine world when his Leonetti Cellar ‘78 Cabernet Sauvignon was deemed best in the nation by an international publication, the ’79 won a Wine Spectator 92-point nod, and subsequent vintages became scarce as arrowheads. Other notables launched in this initial phase include L’Ecole, featured at our September 2000 program.

With Walla Walla pinpointed on the global wine map, other entrepreneurs soon followed. Rusty Figgins, Gary’s younger brother, was among those who surfed the wave, concentrating entirely on Glen Fiona Syrah and taking a Grand Prize at our Northwest Wine Festival for his first release. Two years later, Seven Hills got the Grand for their Syrah, and last year Reininger’s ’99 Merlot won it.

Wine – notably red – now flows from three dozen Walla Walla wineries. For the March program we’ve chosen Tamarack Cellars and Isenhower Cellars as typical of how individuals began with the ripple of a dream and surged to success in one of the best little wine appellations in the world.

Tamarack Stands Tall
In the most recent swell of Walla Walla enthusiasm, and continuing a tradition of accolades for the region, are Ron and Jamie Coleman who started Tamarack Cellars in 1998. Their first release of 300 cases of Merlot garnered recognition and 88 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Ron’s wine industry background began in wholesale and retail sales in Seattle during the 1970s and ‘80s. He was an early member of the Enological Society. Sommelier experience at a fashionable Milwaukee, Wisconsin, hotel dining room further honed his palate. Moving back to Washington, and closer to his goal, he acquired experience with cellar work at Waterbrook and Canoe Ridge wineries.

Setting up in a restored World War II vintage fire station at the Walla Walla airport, the Colemans named their winery after a tree that grows in the Blue Mountains above Walla Walla. As guest speaker, Ron will talk about vineyard sources and his plans to remain a small-lot winemaker, hand crafting wines. With current production at 6,000 cases, he says this is full capacity for now.

Ron refers to 1999 as the “miracle vintage” in Washington. “It’s the best vintage I’ve seen, exceptional for hang time on the vines and balance in the wines,” he says, explaining that the grapes were exceptionally ripe and high in natural acidity.

Nature’s work in ‘99 was a cool summer followed by splendid Indian Summer warmth September through November. Late-season ripening when nighttime temperatures drop produces this great balance of high sugar and acidity levels. “It was truly a winemaker’s dream,” Ron will tell you. He notes that the overall impression of his ’99 Merlot is one of balance and power.

Wine Enthusiast says the Tamarack ’99 “… is a solidly crafted Merlot, with a seductive nose.” Wine Spectator says it’s “Firm in texture, broad in structure.” Enthusiast’s review of the ’99 Cabernet states, “There’s a lovely mingling of forward, exotic scents and flavors … very well made, and food-ready.”

Isenhower Blends In
Sharing the podium will be Brett Isenhower who, with wife Denise, “caught the wine bug” while living in Colorado and knew they would eventually start their own winery. Denise’s roots grow from Indiana ancestors who farmed the Midwest for generations.

Brett, a pharmacist by profession who worked within the corporate structure of a large hospital, set criteria for the couple’s entrepreneurial quest. They would relocate wherever necessary, as long as it was within the nucleus of a great red wine growing region and had potential for business success. Oh, and the prospective place also had to have “good chi.”

Exploring the western United States eventually landed them in Eastern Washington in 1998. They drove into Walla Walla on a sunny day and the quaint town, framed by the Blue Mountains, captivated them. Good chi! Already acquainted with the area’s accolades for producing fine wines, the bonding was complete. A decision and move were made within three months.

Denise is the Isenhower Cellars winemaker. She and Brett, working with a California consulting company, follow a “blend early for a long life” philosophy. That is, blends are selected at first racking rather than just before bottling. Their Red Paintbrush (70 percent Merlot, 15 percent each Syrah and Cabernet) is named for a mountain wildflower and also is a metaphor for wine as a canvas and winemaker as the artist.

The ’99 Merlot is from three Walla Walla vineyards, blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from Columbia Valley vineyards. Half of the Syrah blend is from three Walla Walla vineyards, and half grown in the Kiona Vineyard of Red Mountain.

The neighborliness among Walla Walla wine people has allowed the Isenhowers to lease space for operations and a tasting room during their first years. As this issue goes to print, they begin “moving dirt” to start construction on their own winery. It’s planned as a traditional, energy-efficient, proper chi facility. Current production is 2,500 cases, and Brett says expansion plans are limited only to “making as much wine as is fun to sell.”

The Barking Frog Story
When I interviewed Tom Black, he was on his way to Larry’s Market to select cheeses for that evening’s wine tasting in the Willows Lodge Fireside Lobby. Food and wine are essential experiences at this Woodinville retreat. Tom is executive chef of the Lodge’s Barking Frog restaurant and will be doing food pairings for our Walla Walla wines. His jaunt to the market was indicative of a promise to go the distance for culinary excellence.

Tom trained at the New England Culinary Institute, and returned as an instructor for a couple of terms. The eclectic Seattle restaurant scene drew him here in 1995, working as lead line cook for the Sheraton. He became Monique Barbeau’s sous chef at Fullers, where he moved up to chef in 1998 and garnered a Zagat Best Northwest Cuisine award the past two years.

Named Barking Frog executive chef and general manager last September, Tom says the most exciting aspect has been the enthusiasm of local patrons. He circulates among tables to get comments from diners for future menu planning.

With a style “regionally influenced, globally inspired,” Tom explains that he draws from classic French, Asian, and Northwest foods and may combine all in one meal. He uses local ingredients and will go directly to Pea Patch growers and local farmers for the freshest produce.

Simplicity is best, Tom adds. “Nice food done simply can match well with great wines. Care and ingredients are of utmost importance.”

Another type of caring Tom does in the community is teaching nutrition to youngsters in a Front Line program, and is active in the Fare Start and Share our Strength organizations that train and hire the homeless. He also participates in Fred Hutchinson Chef’s Gala cancer fundraisers.

Among the top 10 Best Eastside Restaurants in Best of Citysearch, Barking Frog also won a KING 5 TV “Evening Magazine” award as Western Washington’s Best New Restaurant.

But what’s that name all about? The Lodge theme centers on Native American culture and their belief that a tadpole’s growth into a frog puts it in a harmonious and peaceful state. With “bark” as the only word in their dialect for a frog in this serene milieu, “Barking Frog” was chosen to evoke peace and harmony, as in what you can expect in your dining experience there.

Back to the wines, there’s one more noteworthy product for enophiles made in Walla Walla. It’s a stain remover called Wine Away. But who would ever spill even a drop from a good vintage?

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