The Rocks

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Now you can see why the hottest vineyard area around Walla Walla is called "The Rocks."

Besides Cayuse (whose Christophe Baron discovered it for grapes), several other area wineries source fruit from there now: Zerba, Saviah, and others.

Yes, there is some dirt down in the crevices, but not so very much. The vines have to struggle. Also, notice how flat the area is; I think it's a glacial alluvial plain. This runs counter to the many reasons why most good vineyards are sited on hillsides.

Another interesting fact: As to grapes planted on hillsides in W.Walla, most of them are on the NORTH sides of the hills, which is directly counter to just about every other good vineyard site in the Northern Hemisphere. In W.Walla it gets so hot and bright that by planting on the North hillsides, the growers can reduce the amount of sun exposure, and avoid the overbaked, raisiny flavors which I find so often (and dislike) in Aussie wines.

If you grow grapes in the desert, it's all about learning how to manage the desert. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the better Walla Walla wines (including those from The Rocks) are just stupendously good.