Winery and Vineyard

Locati Cellars’ estate vineyard lies near the center of the Walla Walla Valley appellation. The vines are planted in one to three feet of wind-blown loess that overlies deposits of sand, silt, and gravel from the famous Missoula floods. During the 12,000 years since the last flood, the Walla Walla River has been hard at work, removing the Missoula flood sediments from its valley. This erosion has created the present valley floor topography, which consists of stream channels separated by hills, ridgelines, and terraces.

The elevated and sloping topography of the vineyard allows cold air to drain away from the vineyards towards the fields below, and the southwestern aspect focuses solar radiation onto the leaves and soil. The roots of the vines reach down through rich silts and well into the sediments of the Missoula floods, which are comprised of a complex suite of rocks and minerals derived from the ice age glaciers and underlying Miocene basalts. The soil is well-drained, allowing for precise control of irrigation water in the semi-arid Walla Walla Valley. Over a century of Locati farming experience and knowledge goes into producing Locati fruit. Nature can’t help but produce its finest with this combination!

Our winery is located on the west side of Walla Walla in a shared facility with four other wineries. Our wines are produced by Jason Fox, a graduate of the Institute for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College. The vineyard is now owned by Wagon Wrench Farms, but we continue to work with this fruit annually.