About the Producer
“Life is too short, and nothing is guaranteed. I didn’t just want to be in Walla Walla. I wanted to do something meaningful here. So we’re putting our chips down here. I’m happy to live and die with this place.” -Mike Martin
The Walls is on a mission to show the world everything that Walla Walla Valley is capable of. Our distinctly American wines are simultaneously eclectic and classic. We value tradition and are meticulous in our winemaking, but we’re not afraid to embrace the creative freedom that comes with Washington’s unparalleled varietal diversity. Inspired by places and personalities throughout time, each of our wines has a story to tell, from pioneering American winegrowers to medieval knights, Einstein to Hemingway.
We make intriguing, original wines using thoughtfully grown grapes from the most celebrated AVAs in the Columbia Valley, including Red Mountain, The Rocks District, the Yakima Valley. We have three estate vineyards and farm several other vineyards using practices that are better for the land and the people who live and work there.
You can taste The Walls at our winery in downtown Walla Walla, which includes a refined tasting space with a full culinary program designed by the chefs at our sister restaurant, Passatempo Taverna. Experience the intimate relationship between exceptional food and remarkable wine by pairing your flight with woodfired sourdough pizzas made with local flour or salads featuring Walla Walla Valley produce.
“I didn’t just want to be in Walla Walla, I wanted to do something meaningful here. I’m not here to just take my slice of the pie, I’m here to make the pie bigger.“
OUR SISTER BRANDS The Walls is part of a larger vision for building community over local food and wine. Our sister wine label PÁŠXA is a focused exploration of the enigma of The Rocks District. We also run Passatempo Taverna, an oasis of handmade pasta and craft cocktails that celebrates Walla Walla’s incredible culinary community.
The Walls is part of a larger vision for building community over local food and wine. Our sister wine label PÁŠXA is a focused exploration of the enigma of The Rocks District. We also run Passatempo Taverna, an oasis of handmade pasta and craft cocktails that celebrates Walla Walla’s incredible culinary community.
In 2014 after a life-changing loss, Mike Martin took a risk and followed his curiosity over the mountains to Walla Walla, where he’d fallen in love with the little Western town with world-famous wines. He left his life in Seattle behind, but gained a brand-new purpose: Push Walla Walla’s world-class wine and culinary culture forward, and make it possible for others to do the same. Originally from New York, Mike moved to Seattle for a job in 1992 and immediately fell in love with the creative, open-minded ethos of the Northwest. But his life changed forever after his partner died of cancer in 2007. Grieving her loss, he found himself confronted with an uncomfortable truth: His conventional corporate life no longer felt meaningful. Life was short, unpredictable, and too precious to waste on safety. Months later, he hit the road with a friend to clear his head. They headed for Idaho but stopped off in Walla Walla on a whim, where an impromptu wine tasting turned into 2am karaoke with a big group of brand-new friends followed by his first (and, to date, only) hole-in-one shot on the golf course. Mike took it as a sign. “I fell in love with this place,” he says. “Its people, its story, its rhythms, and its land.” So he took a chance. He bought an apartment downtown and began to split his time between Seattle and Walla Walla, where he learned to love the unique, sometimes austere beauty of Eastern Washington’s landscape.
