L'Ecole Winery No 41 in Walla Walla is a must visit during any trip to Walla Walla!
Originally a 1915 schoolhouse that has been redone for the L'Ecole No 41 Winery this winery is truly amazing. From the moment you pull up you know this is a going to be a great visit.
L'Ecole Winery
L'Ecole is french for school and the perfect name for this winery. The Walla Walla area was settled by French Canadian fur traders and used to be called Frenchtown. The 1st planted vines date back to these settlers.
L'Ecole No 41 focuses on terroir-driven wines that reflect Washington State and the Walla Walla Valley. Nearly three decades of winemaking goes into the amazing wines produced by L'Ecole No 41.
When you visit L'Ecole No 41 make sure and look at the original douglas fir flooring. The hangers in the coatroom area are original to the school. Up until 1974, the building was a working schoolhouse.
In 1977 the winery purchased the building and produced its first vintage in 1983.
Tastings are held up the first flight of stairs into the building. The tasting room focused on Walla Walla wines. For a small tasting fee of $15 you can taste 6 to 8 wines. Your tasting fee is refunded if you make a purchase.
You can also do a reserve tasting for $30 per person. The reserve tasting includes a private tour and seated tasting of special wines, including new releases, library selections or limited production wines. The reserve tastings are limited to 15 people. To make a reservation call Ben Dimitri at 509-525-0940 ext 111 to make a reservation.
We really enjoyed each of the wines that we tasted at L'Ecole No 41. Our favorite that we brought multiple bottles home was the 2013 Chenin Blanc.
The 2013 Chenin Blanc is a fresh and vibrant wine that is smooth to taste.
L'Ecole produces a variety of wines including Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache Rose, Estate Merlot, Estate Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Apogee, Syrah, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Estate Perigee.
Prices range from $14.00 a bottle to $105.00 for 750ml depending on the variety. There are discounts available by the case and for wine club members.
L'Ecole No 41 recently updated their labels to show the growth of the brand. The original labels were created by young family members.
L'Ecole Winery currently produces 42,000 regular vintage cases. Wine is sold both in house and nationally distributed to all 50 states and 20 countries.
Outside of the Walla Walla area keep an eye out for their Columbia Valley vintages. This November they will be releasing their 2nd Malbec.
The 2011 Perigee was delightful! A great blend of great grapes! Truly enjoyable to drink!
If you can plan to take some time to just enjoy the grounds of L'Ecole No. 41. There is seating on the deck and on the lawn. The grounds are gorgeous and perfect for a picnic.
Keep an eye out for the original chalkboard in the library!
A trip downstairs will give you the chance to see the paintings from when the school held plays downstairs.
You can find out more about L'Ecole Winery by visiting their Website, Facebook
Things to know when planning a visit to L'Ecole Winery
Open daily from 10:00 am-5:00 pm.
Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Close at 1 pm on December 24th.
Close at 3 pm on December 31st.
Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made through Cellarpass. Appointment times are: 10:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm and 3:30pm, party size no larger than 5 per table.
Winery Address - 41 Lowden School Road, Lowden, WA 99360
GPS Coordinates - 118.581166W/46.056784N
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Kristin
What a beautiful winery! I hope we can travel to Northern California soon to check out some vineyards!
Nancy
Wow, what an excellent experience! And at such a gorgeous winery too, thanks for sharing all the info!
Chelley
What a beautiful winery! I love tastings!
Kerri (TheMaven)
I see a road trip in my future! My husband is much more of a wine drinker than I am - I bet he'd enjoy this.
Suzanne Michele
Oooo!!! I miss wine so much right now! I'm due in May with a baby girl so no wine for me right now.
Dawn
That is so lovely! I've always had a soft spot for wineries. They just exude romance.
Robin (Masshole Mommy)
What a lovely winery! Visiting wineries is so much fun!
Jennifer
That place is gorgeous, AND it's only a few hours from my house! Yay!
Meagan
Oh my goodness, I can't get over that beautiful scenery! Looks like such an incredible place to visit!