Russell Creek Winery

Been a long time fan of RC. I was sad to see then old location was gone near the airport but found them again on A street. New owners but same good wine. Whew. Happy to ship some home. Need to update their site to make it easier to find.

We visited the downtown tasting room that shared space with Henry Earl Estates’ wine. After purchasing a glass of wine the previous night to wind down a long day, we enjoyed the quality so much we had to come back for a formal tasting.
Situating our group of six on an outside table to take advantage of a beautiful Washington evening, we ordered Hors d’Oeuvres and waited for the wines to flow. Very friendly and professional, we were impressed with the people serving as they provided good information and waited for questions prior to leaving our table. The cheese and sausage dish was also very complimentary to the wines we tasted.
Although we only purchased two of the wines, the total experience was still worth the time to wind down a full day of activities in the area.

To add to the Sangiovese the Tributary is an Excellent Wine also!
This is better than many of the fine Winery’s in the Walla Walla area.

I loved this place! Too bad I didn’t get to meet Larry, but the woman working there was so sweet! She explained each wine, but was so unpretentious that I felt comfortable asking her my (dumb) wine questions. I bought a great bottle of their Tributary (a blend of Cab and Merlot) and had fun hanging out with their cute dog. :)

I thought about giving Russell Creek 4 stars because they only make red wines (and I am a white wine fanatic), but on second thought, I appreciate the virtue of doing one thing and doing it well. An unplanned stop at his small tasting room in the airport area led to the discovery of the best red of our trip. We didn’t get to meet the famed Larry (whom, we were told, sold his funeral home to become a winemaker), but the woman who helped us was super-​friendly, unpretentious, and fun. They have a partnership with the Backstage Bistro in downtown Walla Walla, so we got a coupon for half off a bottle of wine, and ended up getting a fantastic dinner there that night.
The Tributary blend is wonderful. Our server at the Backstage Bistro told us is her favorite red of all time. I wish Larry would try his hand at a white, since he obviously knows what he’s doing!

Oh, I would give Russell Creek six stars if it were possible! Our time there last weekend was one of my best winery experiences anywhere, ever. For one thing, the hostess was just a sweetheart. For a second thing, the wines are EXCELLENT. I actually joined their wine club (my first wine club ever) because I was so impressed. The 2007 Tributary (50% Cab Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Syrah) may just be the best $ 20 you spend on a red wine.

If you’re looking for a totally unpretentious wine tasting experience with a winemaker who tells you straight out, «I’m Larry; I’m grumpy.», then this is your place. Walking in the door you find yourself in a cellar, surrounded by equipment and brisk air. You hesitate, thinking you’ve come in the back door. A few more steps and you see that yes, you are in a wine tasting room AND in a cellar. It’s a great setup if you’re curious about production.
Larry likes to say that he’s grumpy, but if you want to talk wine, he will patiently share his wisdom with you and show you around the place. No question is dumb, if you are sincere in your desire to learn more about wine. Try all the wines he’s pouring and you’ll find a common theme: amazing aroma, perfect mouth-​feel, and a never-​disappointing finish. No french oak here, which surprised me. Hm, maybe I need to rethink my partiality toward the oak francais.
HINT: Take home a bottle of the Sangiovese: it’s very smooth, not overly peppery or spicy, and popular with folks who normally don’t prefer sangio.