There is some big news out of Walla Walla today that we want to share. Since 2000 the Rockgarden Estate Vineyard has been an integral part of Buty Winery’s wine program. Today Mike Martin of The Walls has officially acquired this 10-acre Rockgarden Vineyard located in in The Rocks District of Milton Freewater AVA.

Owner Mike Martin states, “The addition of an estate vineyard, and having Todd consulting on all of our winemaking and viticultural practices, gives us an opportunity to build on the great work we've done and take our winemaking to a whole new level. It has always been our goal to craft wines that are indicative of the place where they are grown, and owning our own vineyards allows us to further this objective.” In addition to the Rockgarden vineyard, Mike also owns 20 acres of unplanted Rocks District AVA land, which he plans to begin planting in 2021. The Walls will continue to produce a small selection of wines from some ultra-premium Rocks District vineyards with whom it has partnered since 2016.

The press release also officially notes some exciting news that I have kept quiet for a few months -- that superstar winemaker, Todd Alexander, has become The Walls consulting winemaker. This will be a very exciting prospect to see how Todd Alexander makes his mark on these wines in years to come.