Walla Walla Valley provides great wine and lush scenery

He was dead serious.

My husband, by way of explaining why I should join his co-workers on a wine-tasting trip to Walla Walla, said: “It’s hunting season.”

I consider myself fairly bright, but over the course of our two-year marriage, I have yet to determine when it isn’t hunting season. Even during those blessed months the larger, four-footed creatures manage to remain off limits, there’s a sky full of birds just waiting to be shot or a river full of fish in search of a hook.

Still, I’m not completely dull-witted. I have figured out that if I want to have any fun that doesn’t involve a gun, I should look to my own resources.

And so, bound by our shared disinterest in stalking the beasts of the field with Tom, his friends and I set off to sample the charms of the more than 70 wineries dotting the Walla Walla Valley.

Publications such as Bon Appetit, Wine Spectator, Gourmet and The Wall Street Journal have all lauded the Walla Walla wine industry, which hearkens back to the 1850s. Immigrants who settled in the area began cultivating grapes then and today more than 1,200 acres of vineyards produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and others.

Our party of four – Ben, Holly, Namrata and me – didn’t waste any time checking into the sweet cottage Ben rented across the street from Pioneer Park. Nope, we scarfed down some lunch and headed directly for the goods and our first winery, Canoe Ridge, which specializes in estate-grown Merlot.

The Walla Walla Winery Alliance produces an excellent map of the area, although you can hardly throw a rock without hitting an opportunity to taste – a fact that particularly pleased Holly.

“This is fun,” she proclaimed. “And they’re all free!”

Ben was less excited about Buty Winery’s signature red, called Rediviva. “Hmmm,” he frowned. “That’s different.”

Over the course of our visits to Dunham Cellars, L’ecole No. 41 (complete with a school bell Holly absolutely had to ring – twice) and Russell Creek, there were plenty of tasty beverages, but Namrata enjoyed watching Russell Creek’s Larry Krivoshein work the crowd more than just about anything else.

As busloads of tourists came through, she happily took in the show – reason enough for the drive right there.

At 68, Krivoshein estimates he’s Walla Walla’s oldest wine maker, a hobby he turned into a job in 1998.

And if Wine Spectator is any judge, he’s good at it.

“I’ve earned 91s and a 90. Is that crazy or what? I never in my whole life expected it,” he says. “It is so exciting to be retired and own a winery and see my name in print in a national magazine.”

He’s a big fan of his own work (“I drink the wines and I almost pass out, they’re so nice”) but he likes the interaction with customers just as much.

“I love people. I like to entertain and I like having fun,” he says. “It’s a kick when people say, ‘Oh, I love your wine.’ “

He says the region attracts more than tasters, too.

“Everybody who comes into my winery wants to move to Walla Walla or buy a winery,” Krivoshein says. “We’ve ended up just a little bit like Napa.”

Lest you think the four of us are nothing but lushes, I hasten to inform you that we did take a walk in Pioneer Park and poked our noses in the aviary there, home to about 200 exotic birds of some truly astonishing colors.

If you find yourself in need of a break from the alcohol, it’s worth a visit. There’s information about it at www.ci.walla-walla.wa.us or you can call (509) 527-4403.

To learn more about Walla Walla wineries, check out www.wallawallawine.com or call (509) 526-3117.

Truffle your feathers

Not to be outdone, another Northwest valley would like you to know that it has a distinction all its own, as “one of the world’s emerging truffle-producing regions.”

Not the delicious chocolate kind, mind you. The ones pigs dig up.

Besides the porcine hunters, local chefs and food enthusiasts scour the Willamette Valley looking for wild truffles, and you can taste what they do with them at the second annual Oregon Truffle Festival, Jan. 26 to 28 in Eugene.

It’s the first festival of its kind in North America and, according to its Web site, it is “dedicated to sharing the experience of the chefs, foragers and fans of Oregon’s wild truffles.”

The Grand Truffle Dinner, the festival’s anchor event, showcases James Beard-award winning chefs. Tickets run $150 per person.

There’s also a cultivation workshop, lecture series, cooking demonstrations, forest raids for truffles and mushrooms, and lots more.

Visit www.oregontrufflefestival.com or phone (503) 296-5929 for details.

Regional events

•Cycle World International Motorcycle Show, Dec. 1-3, Seattle. Get a look at 2007’s offerings, as well as custom cruisers, vintage displays, trick custom sport bikes, the BOSS Freestyle Stunt Show, the world’s tallest and smallest motorcycles and more. (www.visitseattle.org/ 206-381-8000)

•Three Forks Winter Stroll, Dec. 2, Three Forks, Mont. Have a chat with Santa, take a ride in a horse-drawn wagon, shop for arts and crafts, grab a bit to eat and generally get in the holiday spirit. (www.visitmt.com/ 406-285-4753)