Symington – Graham’s (Canvasback)

Symington – Graham’s (Canvasback) in Walla Walla opens with a clear invitation: taste Red Mountain. Canvasback’s Walla Walla tasting room sits at 1825 J B George Rd and places Red Mountain and Walla Walla Valley terroir at the center of every tasting flight. The winery was established in 2011 within The Duckhorn Portfolio after a blind tasting elevated Washington Cabernet Sauvignon alongside the best of Napa; that origin story still sets the agenda. Guests arrive to a tasting experience defined by warm wood, glass walls and an expansive outdoor lawn where croquet, bocce and a fire pit set the tone for slow, sensory-driven discovery of Cabernet and Syrah.

The production team at Canvasback has prioritized terroir and precision from the outset. Winemaker Brian Rudin shaped the early stylistic arc, and the cellar team—succeeded by Joseph—continued a disciplined program of vineyard selection, harvest timing and cooperage refinement to express vineyard signatures. Canvasback sources fruit from iconic sites including Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, Shaw and Seven Hills, emphasizing single-vineyard bottlings alongside estate-styled blends. While formal awards are not cataloged in available sources, Canvasback’s reputation stems from allocation-driven releases like Grand Passage and consistent critical attention to Red Mountain Cabernet. The Duckhorn Portfolio affiliation supplies resources and distribution while Canvasback retains a focused, terroir-first production philosophy that values small-lot fermentation, tight yield control and selective oak aging.

The product journey at Canvasback is both literal and sensory: grapes travel from steep, mineral soils on Red Mountain to a cellar program that favors nuanced oak and measured élevage. Signature wines include the Grand Passage Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, a layered, structured expression aged in new and seasoned French oak giving notes of blackberry compote, cassis, espresso and polished tannin; the Canvasback Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, a more broadly released bottle combining energetic acidity with brambly black fruit and graphite; and the 2022 Canvasback Walla Walla Valley Malbec, an energetic vintage showing blackberry, mountain berry and savory spice after gentle extraction and moderate new oak. Other notable offerings include a Columbia Valley Riesling and single-vineyard Cabernet bottlings from Ciel du Cheval—each vinified to highlight site-specific minerality, diurnal temperature contrast and the low-rainfall concentration typical of Red Mountain. Limited-release allocations and Grand Passage editions are offered selectively to the wine club and tasting-room visitors, emphasizing small-lot aging, judicious rackings and bottle aging before release.

The tasting room experience at Canvasback in Walla Walla balances relaxed outdoors with refined indoor design. The 2019 Walla Walla tasting room features extensive natural wood and glass, creating an interior that frames vineyard views and sunlight. Tastings are primarily seated, with indoor and outdoor options; the outdoor lawn supports picnic lunches, bocce, cornhole and a winter fire pit for colder evenings. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on-leash for outdoor tastings by appointment. Facilities include on-site parking and a cellar team that occasionally offers behind-the-scenes looks at cooperage choices and barrel samples when staffing allows. Reservations are recommended, and private or semi-private tastings can be accommodated with advance notice.

Best times to visit are late spring through early fall for alfresco tastings and harvest-season interest in September–October for staff-led tours (book early). The tasting room operates daily from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm; reservations are advised as seated tastings are limited and some limited-release pours require allocation. Expect a polished, appointment-centric visit rather than walk-in sampling.

Whether you seek concentrated Red Mountain Cabernet or a structured Walla Walla Syrah, Symington – Graham’s (Canvasback) offers terroir-led wines and a considered visitor program. Reserve a tasting at Canvasback to taste single-vineyard intensity, learn about vineyard provenance, and sample allocation-only releases; bookings are limited and designed to place the wines—and their place—first.