pepper bridge winery

great reds! Don't need to travel to Napa anymore! very pleasant atmosphere, reasonable wine tasting fee, full, vibrant, wonderful Reds! worth the ride out here..a must go to winery!

Norm McKibben is the forward-thinking visionary behind Pepper Bridge. I met Norm and his lovely wife Virginia during Fall Release weekend 2014. Norm graciously give us a tour of their state-of-the-art winery. A gentle gravity-flow process ensures the wines develop elegant textures and exquisite flavors. The wine is always consistent year after year with complex profiles and layers of flavor. My very favorite winery in the Walla Walla area.Known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, they continue to add more varietals and just recently added a white wine to their offering, although I don't think the Savignon Blanc is being sold yet. To some, their prices may be high, but they are worth every penny. $50+ a bottle with some large format and reserves offered.Way before it was "the thing to do", Pepper Bridge was committed to environmental stewardship. Their irrigation systems, soil moisture and temperature monitoring equipment, and sustainable farming techniques continue to be the best in the industry. I’m amazed at the continued dedication to using the best technology and processes to ensure delivering the very best product.Starting off with a mere 40 vineyard acres they have grown to an acclaimed appellation, with more than 1,200 acres of premium grapes today. All three of his vineyards are certified sustainable by VINEA, the Walla Walla Valley’s Sustainable Trust, and LIVE, an Oregon-based sustainable viticulture organization. They are also certified Salmon Safe and are monitored by the IOBC, the international body responsible for setting sustainability standards.Most of their wines are drinkable NOW, which is a nice benefit for those of us who have a hard time laying up such a yummy liquid!This vineyard is a MUST VISIT and you'll walk away with some of the best wines you've ever tasted.

We stopped at 25 wineries in the area over 4 days. Pepper Bridge has a beautiful tasting room with an experienced and well-trained staff. If you are looking for some big reds that are drinkable both now and in 10 years, there will be plenty to choose from here. Wines are price in the $30-$60 range but were well worth it. Even if this might be slightly above your price range, add this winery to the stop list. You will not be disappointed.

we tried many wineries in our visit to Walla Walla, this one was just ahead of them all for fine wines (difficult to really name one winery above the others)..happily spent some real money here taking home a bunch of the wines offered. Wonderful wines! inexpensive tasting fee (as is in most of the wineries

We were somewhat surprised to discover, on the World Wide Web, that Jean-Francois Pellet, winemaker and partner, at both Amavi Cellars and Pepper Bridge Winery, Washington State, was a compatriot of ours. Cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet franc, semillon, tempranillo are not vinifera grapes that can be associated with wine growing and wine making in Switzerland. Jean-Francois has travelled a lot and learned most of his trade outside his native country. This winemaker has undeniable talents and all the prerequisite skills to craft excellent wines with Swiss precision and no shorcuts..We were amazed by the high quality of all the wines that we tasted at both Amavi Cellars and Pepper Bridge Winery, The main characteristics of his merlot are elegance and complexity. Although this may be entirely fortuitous, Jean-Francois's merlot shows some resemblance with the greatly underrated merlots produced in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. Jean-Francois' cabernet-sauvignon had our preference. This well structured wine, full in colour, is packed with plump fruit up front and a jammy nose.After the tasting, Jean-Francois took the time to show us the different workplaces where all his wines are crafted and vinified. These specific areas have been designed to incorporate the very best of traditional winemaking practices with state-of-the-Art latest modern equipment, with a view to producing award winning wines.On our own, we made a point to visit parts the vineyards surrounding both wineries. In these well tendered and clean vineyards, we found ample evidence that sustainable viticulture, at both Amavi Cellars and Pepper Bridge Winery, is not just a matter of window dressing.Great wines, great people and great places to visit. Only one great regret, these wines are not accessible on the Swiss market.We would not like to conclude this review, without extending our thanks and gratitude to Lisa Schmidt, until recently Bridge Club/Hospitality Manager. Lisa was extremely helpful to us in planning our visits to 15 + wineries, and arranging most of our appoitments.Swiss visitors

Pepper Bridge Winery is always on our list of wineries to visit in Walla Walla. They offer top notch wines, with Trine being my favorite. Lisa and the entire staff are knowledgeable and friendly willing to answer any questions. Stop and visit them - you won't be disappointed.

There are scads of really good wineries in Walla Walla but this is one stop I make on every visit. The deck offers a spectacular view of the surrounding vineyards and is the perfect place to relax with an excellent red wine, and Pepper Bridge has many to sample. If you happen to get in on one of the facility tours, you won't be disappointed there either, they keep it interesting. Overall bargain.

Lovely spot and knowledgeable staff. I especially liked the down to earth approach the staff took in explaining wine to a anyone (expert to novice) they were never condescending! The pours were generous too. I knew the wines prices were highter and didn't think I would purchase a $50 bottle; but it was so good that I felt confident to have this wine added to my home cellar for a special occasion.

An excellent wine, wine tasting experience and with advance notice and appointment, winery tour. Lisa Schmidt, the wine club manager, did an outstanding job guiding through the winery and bringing it to life. The introduction and conversation with partner and winemaker Jean-Francois Pellet was an added plus. Pepper Bridge is a distinctive and has long been a favorite wine. Now, a favorite wine tasting room and winery as well. If in Walla Walla, one of the must do's.

As a girl who is used to wine tasting in CA I wasn't expecting much and boy was I wrong! For anyone who loves big bold reds, this truly is the epitome of quality in Walla Walla wines. The wines were excellent and the staff was very approachable and the person who poured us our wines explained everything I wished to know about each wine. She also taught my friend (who was new to wine) the intricacies of tasting wine and we left with new knowledge and some great bottles of wine. Wonderful Experience!

Toured winery during Barrel Tasting Weekend. Tour conducted by winemaker, JP. he was great. didn't hurry. Answered every question. Beautiful facility. The wine was terrific. The Merlot was great and their new wine, Trine, was excellent. Joined their club and purchased a bottle of Merlot and Trine. Worth stopping to taste. Beautiful location.

Exceptional red wines!!!! This is a must stop on your wine tasting tour. Jillian and the staff know their wines and do a great job explaining each.

We loved driving in through the vineyards, and the staff was so welcoming and enthusiastic. The tasting room could use a few more chairs, but the view out the windows was spectacular. Wines are excellent.

Four of us were on a wine-tasting visit for 6 days, buying a selection of wines for our wine club at home. Visited at least 45 wineries and tried a huge assortment of wines. By far the most pretentious place was Pepper Bridge. While everywhere else was $5 for a tasting (money back with a purchase) or free tasting, and for a wide assortment of wines, Pepper Bridge was $10 for tasting 3 wines. There wines are good but not outstanding -- Walla Walla is full wineries (between 160 and 200), nearly all of which are producing very good to superb wines. The facility is quite nice and the surrounding grounds are beautiful, but we cannot recommend Pepper Bridge, especially for an out-of-town visitor who can only stop at a limited number of wineries.

we all know pepper bridge makes good wine. location is harder to find, it's not gps friendly. it's pass amavi cellars