My thoughts on the best view in Washington wine? It opened its doors in April 2024 in the Walla Walla Valley’s Mill Creek subregion. That’s when Echolands Winery unveiled a new panoramic tasting room, with the iconic Blue Mountains rising behind a medley of grapes and golden wheat.
Founders Doug Frost (holding the distinction of Master Sommelier and Master of Wine) and conservation-focused investor Brad Bergman started Echolands in 2018 and opened their downtown tasting room in 2022, nestled just a block from Walla Walla’s Main Street.
For years, the duo sourced fruit from seasoned growers and their own Taggart Vineyard (part of the SeVein project), all while establishing the very first vines in Mill Creek. And when the glittering mountainside estate finally opened, it wasn’t just another dot on a map; it was a scenic reveal.
Inside the Echolands Tasting Room
The main tasting room buzzes with the sound of warm chatter, clinking stems, and soft, diffused light. Attention gravitates to the floor-to-ceiling glass walls that frame Washington’s idyllic Blue Mountains. The sapphire-blue forested range peaks as high as 6,000 feet, carpeted in dense evergreen timber. While it’s not a bad idea to don your best wine tasting attire, the atmosphere is notably relaxed with its refined decorative accents.
And while this is enough reason to journey to the Mill Creek estate, the wines are certainly worth sticking around for. The menu features low-alcohol Bordeaux-inspired red, rosé, and white varietals. Instead of overly jammy or bold blends, the vintners cultivate balanced, delicate expressions that reflect the teirror’s minerality and earthy notes.
Echolands has cultivated a selection of award-winning stand-out bottles, with tastings potentially including:
- Cabernet Franc Blue Mountain Vineyard 2022 (Platinum distinction at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards)
- Seven Hills Vineyard Red Blend 2020 (Silver distinction at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards)
- Albus (Taggart Vineyard) 2023 (Silver distinction at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards)
Guests can book a $20 seasonally rotating wine flight, and while walk-ins are welcome, the estate is a popular spot on the weekends, so I recommend an advanced reservation. Give about an hour for the full experience, and keep in mind that a 2-bottle purchase waives the tasting fee.
Be sure to explore options off the tasting menu. I sipped my first wine from the burgeoning Rocks District sub-appellation, distilled from vines grown on baseball-sized basalt deposits. The imparted flavor was savory and umami, all balanced by the grape’s fruit, expanding my understanding of not just the land I stood on, but the neighboring terrains it collaborates with.
How interior design defines Echolands’ signature view
Whether standing on the deck or sitting indoors, Echolands is all about comfortable, connective spaces. Take your seat on one of the plush sofas, tables or lounge chairs. The tasting room is expansive yet intimate, and its elegance plays off the surrounding terrain rather than competing with it. Seeking total immersion and a fresh breeze? Opt for a tasting on the shaded veranda for unadulterated views of the 341‑acre estate.
In complete contrast, Echoland’s subterranean wine cave is reserved for slower, deeper tastings and conversations around the resident blends. Instead of diffused sunlight, you’ll bask in the glow of an opulent chandelier as intimate and celebratory as candlelight on a birthday cake. It’s the perfect space for large private groups and luxurious yet intimate special events.
Walla Walla stops to pair with a visit to Echolands
The Walla Walla valley is best known for its iconic wineries and distinctive Washington grapes, but there’s so much more to do. If you plan to spend a weekend in the area, here are a few stops to consider, along with a recommendation on where to stay.
Wine Tasting by eBike with Kickstand Tours
Cycling enthusiast Andy Zisserman offers a unique and picturesque way to winery-hop in the Walla Walla Valley, via a fleet of electric bikes. My Kickstand Tours excursion wound through vineyards and along gravel roads, and the best part is that you’re rewarded with sips and bites with each stop.
Andy streamlines the experience by delivering bikes to your starting location and picking them up at the end of your six-hour tour. He’ll guide your group the whole way, handling directions, keeping the group at a leisurely pace, and most importantly, providing tunes along the journey.
Fort Walla Walla Museum
The Fort Walla Walla Museum is just a 10-minute drive from downtown, yet it offers an entirely different experience. The collection is situated on a 19th-century military fort and chronicles the western expansion with its 50,000 regional artifacts.
There is a lot to see here, and the sheer range of memorabilia is enough to keep kids and adults alike entertained. I stood in a room full of 33 life-sized mules hitched to a 20th-century harvester, strolled down an exhibit of nostalgic storefronts, and walked through the Pioneer Village, a collection of 17 frontier-era buildings in the yards. It’s a great stop for history buffs and families alike.
Old Homestead Alpacas Farm
Who could resist an Alpaca meet-and-greet amidst Walla Walla’s rolling alfalfa and wheat fields? Old Homestead Alpacas is located 8 miles south of downtown and is curated by Elaine Vindiver, a fiber producer, textile artist, and heirloom flower cultivator (it’s a busy farm).
Plan in advance by booking a private farm experience or scheduling your visit on a pre-scheduled open meet-and-greet. But it’s worth the stop for anyone interested in witnessing the life cycle of locally produced wares and meeting the quirky suri alpacas behind the luxurious fabric.
Stay at The FINCH Walla Walla
Echolands deserves a leisurely day, and if you’re not in a rush, I recommend staying the night at The FINCH. It’s central to the best restaurants and shops in town (I recommend dinner at the seasonally curated TMACS), right off Main Street.
The rooms are comfortable and creative, with thoughtful local touches that educate visitors on this pocket of Washington while adding design flair. There’s a community room near the lobby, an art gallery, and an activity space. To wrap things up, unwind at the open-air courtyard’s fireplace and uncork your take-home Echolands wine for a nightcap.
