3 Eastern WA wineries are among the Top 100 in the world, magazine says

Wendy Culverwell
·2 min read

Wine & Spirits magazine says five Washington wineries, including three in Walla Walla, are among the Top 100 Wineries in the world..

L’Ecole No. 41, Pepper Bridge Winery and Pasxa Winery were among the honorees announced in August. Seattle area honorees included Cadence and DeLille Cellars.

Marty Clubb, owner and director of winemaking for L’Ecole N° 41 in the Walla Walla Valley.
Marty Clubb, owner and director of winemaking for L’Ecole N° 41 in the Walla Walla Valley.

It is the 17th time L’Ecole has been included on the list, published annually by Wine & Spirits, an influential quarterly magazine that publishes thousands of tasting reports and boasts 200,000 readers.

Marty Clubb, owner and managing winemaker for L’Ecole, said the honor came as L’Ecole marked two key dates — its own 40th anniversary and the first anniversary of its Woodinville location.

As a Top 100 winery, L’Ecole will participate in the magazine’s tastings where wines will be paired with dishes from top restaurants in San Francisco and New York. The winery planned to showcase its Bordeaux-style blends from its two estate vineyards: 2020 Ferguson, Estate Ferguson Vineyard, and 2020 Perigee, Estate Seven Hills Vineyard.

  • L’Ecole is one of the most picturesque wineries in Washington, housed in the historic Frenchtown schoolhouse featured on its label. It was founded in 1983 and is owned and managed by Megan and Marty Clubb and their children, Riley Clubb and Rebecca Olson.

  • Pepper Bridge Winery, owned and operated by the McKibben, Murphy and Pellet families, was founded more than two decades ago and makes wines from its estate vineyards at Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills and Octave. It has been named a Top 100 Winery nine times.

  • Pasxa, Wines, pronounced Pahk-sha, is led by Mike Martin and is in The Walls Vineyards. It was established with a commitment to sustainable farming and winemaking practices. The name is inspired by the name indigenous people gave to the valley, Pasxapa, or Place of the Sunflowers.

View the full list of Top 100 Wineries, including five in Oregon, at bit.ly/45C5Zkc

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