OUR PHILOSOPHY
We strive to create exceptional wines that are true to the terroir, varietal and vintage. Wines that have a sense of time and place, and are a product of our core values. Balboa Winery is located in the Walla Walla Valley, and our winemaking brings together the exceptional quality of our vineyards and our environment with the passion of our dedicated (and well-educated) team. We then seek to cultivate a wine-tasting experience that allows the customer to appreciate everything that went into these wines, and our dedication to creating them.
OUR WINEMAKING
We believe that great wines are created in the vineyard, so this is where our winemaking begins. Sustainable growing practices are coupled with exacting hand labor to keep our vines healthy and balanced. Our winemaker Tyler works hand in hand with the vineyard management team to make sure that every part of the winemaking process is well-synchronized. All of our grapes are hand-picked and hand-sorted before we begin the process of de-stemming and crushing. Each vineyard block is crushed and fermented separately, to preserve the unique characteristics of that fruit, and the integrity of our vineyards.
All of our wines are fermented in small open-top stainless steel fermenters. During primary fermentation, the grapes are manually punched down twice a day, to ensure that the skins remain in contact with the juice. We closely monitor the fermentation process, taking measurements several times a day to ensure that the fermenting wine is handled correctly.
Next, we gently press our wines into French oak barrels, for secondary fermentation. We use a balance of new and neutral French oak, depending on the grape varietal, the vintage conditions, and the terroir of that particular block to highlight the natural merits of each lot of fruit.
When secondary fermentation is complete, we may rack the wine off of the lees and return them to barrel for aging. For blends, we conduct the blending process after another 12 months of aging to ensure the accuracy of our blends, then we return the wines to barrel to marry until bottling.
Our wines typically spend 16-22 months in barrel, although some will stay much longer. After bottling, our wines are only released when we feel that they are ready for consumption.
OUR STORY
Balboa Winery a small boutique winery located in the Walla Walla Valley. Balboa was founded in 2005, with the belief that the Walla Walla Valley is capable of producing the finest wines in the world. We have an incredibly small production, sourcing 95% of our grapes from our estate vineyards, located in the “Rocks District” of Milton Freewater. Our winery is run by a small, close-knit, and dedicated group of people who work together to produce the finest wines possible. As we have incredibly small production, joining our Balboa Club is the best way to ensure access to our wines. We encourage you to visit our tasting room, where we strive to provide an exceptional wine tasting experience for our guests.
Small production wines from the heart of the
Tyler Grennan
Director of Winemaking
Small production wines from the heart of the
Tyler Grennan
Director of Winemaking