Woodward Canyon wines are Washington state classics. The second-oldest winery in Walla Walla consistently produces premium, age-worthy wines. In 1981, Rick and Darcey Small founded this pioneering winery on land that Rick’s family farmed for multiple generations and is now the estate vineyard. We’ve been writing about Woodward Canyon wines since this website launched in 2007. Consequently, I was delighted to recently talk to Jordan Small, their daughter and current general manager and co-owner (with her brother Sager), and taste a number of their standout wines. Earlier, we tasted and wrote about Old VInes Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 and 2023. Here are the remaining wines we sampled.
Category Archives: Malbec
Woodward Canyon
A few months ago, we were delighted to hear that excellent winemaker Marcus Rafanelli is now crafting wine at Woodward Canyon Winery, a longtime favorite of ours. Marcus moved to the second oldest winery in Walla Walla, after six years leading the winemaking team at L’Ecole 41. Shortly after the news came out, Marcus told me he is really excited about working for Woodward Canyon. And last week, Jordan Small, general manager and co-owner of the esteemed winery, told me the feeling is mutual. Over the years, we raved about Woodward Canyon wines, and we know Marcus will add his skillful flare to future vintages. Continue reading
Top 40 Wines 2025
As always, we found it difficult to narrow down a list of our Top 40 wines in 2025, but ultimately we chose those wines that made a lasting impression. Not surprisingly, we tasted hundreds of wines last year. Some, we bought at wineries and retail outlets. Others, we tasted at wine events such as Taste Washington and Swirl Around B.C. Likewise, some fine folks shared their bottles with us, while others kindly sent us samples.
Overall, our 2025 list features 11 sparklers, 13 rosés and whites, and 16 reds, from Washington, British Columbia, Oregon, California, England, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, South Africa, and New Zealand. Some are on the list because of their exceptional quality (with a matching high price point). On the other hand, others are simply excellent value wines. Moreover, we waited until the beginning of the new year, so we could also include wines we adored over the holidays.
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L’Ecole Perennial Favorites
L’Ecole 41 released a number of remarkable new white and red wines in the last few months, including two of our perennial favorites, 2022 Apogee and Perigee. Other impressive 2022 reds released recently: two Cabernet Sauvignons and Ferguson Estate. In addition, two whites enhanced the warm days, as well as the crab season here: Luminesce 2024 and Chardonnay 2024 Stillwater Creek. Meanwhile, L’Ecole will release Chardonnay 2024 Columbia Valley in January. Each of these eight wines, crafted by talented winemaker Marcus Rafanelli, is outstanding. And they continue the trend of captivating wines from the historic schoolhouse in Walla Walla. Continue reading