Mill Creek, east of Walla Walla
Mill Creek is a quieter part of the valley, with vineyards on mostly south-facing slopes in the Blue Mountain foothills.
In July and August, cooler evening air comes down from the mountains, slowing and balancing vine growth and helping the grapes retain their acidity. Northwest Touring & Concierge visits Mill Creek as part of private wine days planned around your group.
Deep soils and cool evenings
Above about 1,200 feet, the slopes here were beyond the reach of the ice-age floods. According to the appellation petition, the wind-blown silt, known as loess, is more than 50 feet deep in places. With the rainfall near the Blue Mountains, these soils allow growers to farm vines without supplemental irrigation.
We can include time along Mill Creek in one of our customized private tours. We plan the appointments, route and lunch around your preferences, and can include other sub-regions of the valley within the same tour. For an introduction to each area, see our guide to the wine districts.
More information and context about the Mill Creek area
- Where it is
- East of Walla Walla, Washington, in the Blue Mountain foothills. The proposed appellation follows the ridge between the Mill Creek floodplain to the south and Spring Creek and Dry Creek to the north.
- Why the name
- Wineries and vineyards here are commonly described as being in the Mill Creek area. Most of the proposed appellation lies within the creek’s watershed or on its old alluvial fan, and Mill Creek Road forms most of the southern boundary.
- The appellation
- Mill Creek–Walla Walla Valley is a proposed American Viticultural Area (AVA) of about 4,898 acres, entirely within the existing Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Valley AVAs. The proposal is under federal review.
- How we visit
- Tell us you would like time along Mill Creek. We can help execute an existing plan or help build the itinerary for you, coordinating appointments and private transportation in our late-model Mercedes-Benz Sprinters.
Hours, deposits and how a day is priced are on the FAQ.
More on the Eastside and Mill Creek
For more about the area, see the Eastside / Mill Creek notes in the neighborhood guides on wallawalla.travel. Send us any places you would like to visit, and we can help coordinate the appointments and route.
Tell us you want time along Mill Creek
Send us your dates, group size and what you would like to include. We will be in touch, usually within a few hours, to start working through the details with you.
