Wow! March just flew by!
We were busy at the winery getting the wine club shipments ready and sent out. We have also been bottling and; oh yea, we are open 7 days a week for tastings/glass pours. The weather hasn’t been great, but we do have outdoor seating available weather permitting.
The results of SavorNW Best of the Northwest were just released and we are happy to announce that we showed very well. Our 2018 Eternal Gratitude Merlot received double gold and scored 96 points. Our Drink Washington State 2019 Carmenere won gold and scored 91 points. The 2017 Rocket Man Red and the 2017 Eternal Discovery Cabernet Sauvignon won silver medals.
We also just received our Platinum award from Wine Press Northwest for our 2017 Drink Washington State Carmenere. They also rated our Carmenere 95 points!
I have completed the schedule for our Food truck and music series which will be held on Friday nights this year. We are rebranding the night as Beats & Bites. We will be featuring DJ Lotek after each one of our bands this year. The new lineup will look like this.
Beats & Bites
Doors at 5pm
Band will play 530-8pm
DJ Lotek 8pm-10pm
Let’s talk about our food side first. This year we will have Notorious P.I.E. as the food truck weekly. They are a new mobile wood-fired pizza company based in Walla Walla. They will be doing a different featured pizza each week, and highlight all fresh and locally grown ingredients for their pies. Michael, the owner, was previously a Sous Chef at a remote Alaskan fishing lodge. I have tasted many of his pies and as a Buffalo guy who fancies himself as a pizza connoisseur, I approve!
We kick off May 5th with a Portland duo: Dead Lee. They formed in 2018 when Brian Koch (current and founding member of Blitzen Trapper) joined forces with singer-songwriter Kara Harris, and soon thereafter released their intimate, home recorded, self-titled debut EP. Since then, they’ve been playing all over the Pacific Northwest honing their psych-folk sound in a laboratory of long sets at wineries, breweries, and festivals, traversing the Pacific Northwest as well as touring Ireland and Europe. They released their second record, “Ride Or Die”, in 2021 which was recorded during the downtime of 2021 with Patrick Tetreault and Gregg William. “Ride Or Die” is a more upbeat and energetic expression of their evolving sound. They are currently working on their first full length album and preparing for a west coast tour in May, 2023.
I am so excited for the complete line up of bands this year. We are bringing bands from all over the PNW and our headliner is coming in from Los Angeles. I guess this is a good time to talk about our Grammy nominated headliner for the 2023 Friday Night Lights series. They have multiple music videos on YouTube with over 400k views, and their music is featured regularly on the TV series “True Blood”. I am talking about Los Angeles-based Roots/Blues/Folk singer and songwriter Solomon King & The Chosen. This is going to be an amazing experience and will be one of 2 shows that is not a $5 cover. Presale tickets are $15 or $10 for wine club members; $20 at the door. I will now let Skope Magazine tell you why you should attend.
“Solomon King & The Chosen’s style follows a long line of American traditional music. One hears both the sounds of city life and the swamp contained within. King stands far outside of contemporary pop music, drawing upon inspirations nearly as old as the US… He’s like a lone bluesman that’s never been able to completely escape the blues. He may comment on contemporary culture, but his feelings are always seen through the lens of traditional blues. He didn’t choose this PATH; he was chosen by it.”—Skope Magazine
I am super excited to bring back Diego Romero and the D-Dog band for a show. He will also be performing with Gary Winston again and playing a Prince set. Also returning for not 1, but 2 dates, are Snacks at Midnight. These guys are amazing and blew me away. They play all original music and are a band you don’t want to miss! They just came in 2nd place for best original bands from Spokane, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them on the big stage someday. They are a super talented young band that I am happy to bring you.
Let’s talk more about returning favorites. We bring back Coyote Kings. They have an amazing lead singer with depth and soul. They play very well together and you can see they are still having fun too. You want more Kings? We bring back Wasteland Kings for another rock ‘n roll set. Check out their YouTube videos for their original songs!
Local band the Sky Dogs are coming back as they put on a great show last year. The most outrageous show last year was Sweet N Juicy, 3 guys who dress up as fruit for their set, and they will also be returning. Super swanky and fun Bourbon and Bellows will revisit from Tri-Cities. Finally, we are excited to bring back Dancehall Days who always bring a party and their dancing shoes. They don’t play Walla Walla a lot so when they do you need to join the party. This show will be $15 cover at the door or $10 for our wine club members.
Let’s talk about newcomers to our stage this year now. Local band Feedback, headed by Mike Mendoza, will be rocking your world. The Martini Brothers bring their musical symmetry and brotherly rivalry. We have so many bands that could have been the headliner this year and The Goodtime Hustle is another one. Goodtime Hustle is an electrifying four-piece band from Seattle, known for their genre-defying sound that weaves together elements of alt-country, jam band, psychedelic rock, and folk music. Led by Bud Weather’s soulful vocals and Chris Denny’s blazing guitar, the band’s dynamic rhythm section, comprised of Michael Gagliardo on bass and Tom Lash on drums, keeps audiences on their feet with infectious grooves and tight, improvisational jams.
Another new band for us, but not for Walla Walla, is local gem Shanks Pony. They have great chemistry and if you want to hear some country music that will make you dance this is it! One of our last shows of the year and on the same country music theme is Brian Green. Check out his song “Cowboy” up on YouTube with over 100k views.
We are also hosting the annual Pride Party again on June 3rd so mark your calendars! We are hoping for over 500 people this year. We will again have multiple vendors, musical acts, late night DJ, and many community-supported booths such as Triple Point! Please contact me if you would like to be part of this special event.
We are now open 7 days a week. 11-4pm, on Friday and Saturday until 5pm. If you would like to visit us just submit a tasting request here and I will make sure we are ready for your group!
New Wines are now available.
- 2020 Eternal Insight Marsanne (Boushey Vineyard)
- 2021 Drink Washington State Reserve Chardonnay (Otis Vineyard)
- 2018 Eternal Privilege Red Blend (Bogin Vineyard) **Wine Club Only**
- 2019 Eternal Restraint Syrah (Bogin Vineyard) **Wine Club Only**
- 2020 Drink Washington State Carménère
Interested in joining our wine club? Free to join and free shipping! We have 3 different tiers. The Sir McCartney is just Eternal Wine selections, the Hexum is a mixture of both labels, and the Petty is just our Drink Washington State label. You can join for free, and it’s just 2 shipments a year: your choice of 6 or 12 bottles. For more information check us out here.
Beats & BItes complete line up:
| Date Band
5-May Dead Lee 12-May Coyote Kings 19-May Snacks at Midnight 26-May D-dog Band 2-Jun Sky Dogs 9-Jun Feedback 16-Jun Wasteland Kings 23-Jun Martini Brothers 30-Jun Dancehall Days 7-Jul Bourbon & Bellows 14-Jul Diego & Gary 21-Jul Solomon King & The Chosen 28-Jul Goodtime Hustle 4-Aug Shanks Pony 11-Aug Snacks at Midnight 18-Aug Sweet N Juicy 25-Aug Brian Green |
Other UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 7-9th: Spring Kick-Off Celebration
April 16-17th: Reveal Walla Walla
April 28th: Brad will be pouring at Vino! A wine shop in Spokane, WA
May 5-7th: Spring Release
May 4th– August 31st: Friday Night Lights Concerts and Food Truck Parties
June 3rd: Pride party!
*Bold locations in Walla Walla
As always, thanks for reading.
-Drink Wine, Be Happy
Brad Binko
Eternal Wines & Drink Washington State
602 Piper Ave
Walla Walla, WA 99362
509-240-6258