Walla Walla Valley Looks To Defend its Title as America’s Best Wine Region in the 2022 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
Public encouraged to vote daily from June 20 to July 18; Walla Walla Valley is the two-time defending champion and a five-time finalist in the category
WALLA WALLA, WA— Seeking an unprecedented three-peat as America’s Best Wine Region in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, the Walla Walla Valley has once again been named one of 20 finalists in the prestigious category. The Walla Walla Valley is the two-time defending winner (2020, 2021) and a five-time finalist (2018-2022) in the annual competition.
The competition’s winner is crowned through a public vote, and Visit Walla Walla and Walla Walla Valley Wine are encouraging everyone to cast their daily vote until July 18 in an effort to secure the top spot for the third year in a row.
“We’re thrilled to be named a finalist for the fifth consecutive year, and are hopeful that the momentum our industry and community have worked hard to build will propel us to a third consecutive title as America’s Best Wine Region,” said Robert Hansen, executive director of Visit Walla Walla and Walla Walla Valley Wine. “A public voting competition is particularly rewarding because it represents the very people who are visiting Walla Walla, drinking our wines at home, or hearing about us from friends and family. At the end of the day, their endorsement of the Walla Walla Valley’s wines and experiences is what makes us proud.”
A panel of experts considered more than 250 grape growing wine regions in North America before selecting the 20 ‘Best Wine Region’ finalists. Public voting began at 9 a.m. PDT on June 20, and closes on Monday, July 18 at 8:59 a.m. PDT. Anyone can cast their daily vote by visiting the Best Wine Region voting page here.
Walla Walla Valley winery, Long Shadows Vintners, is also once again a finalist in the Best Tasting Room category, after receiving the same nomination in 2020 and 2021. Voters can help Long Shadows earn their rightful title by voting here.
In addition to the 2022 Best Wine Region nomination from USA TODAY 10Best, the Walla Walla Valley has also received recent acclaim as one of Forbes’ 22 Best Places To Travel In The U.S. In 2022, as the West’s best Emerging Wine Route in the 2021 Sunset Travel Awards, and as one of the Top places to go in the west in 2022 from Fodor’s.
To learn more about the Walla Walla Valley and its award-winning wines and wineries, visit www.wallawallawine.com or www.wallawalla.org.
About Walla Walla:
As the unofficial capital of Washington wine country, Walla Walla is home to more than 120 wineries, a nationally recognized culinary scene, access to an abundance of outdoor recreation, and an arts & entertainment scene that rivals cities many times its size. This community of just over 30,000 residents is known for many things, including its friendliness and hospitality, the quality of its wine, and of course the famous Walla Walla Sweet Onion. An easy and scenic four-hour drive from Seattle, Portland, or Boise, Walla Walla can also be accessed via Alaska Airlines daily non-stop flights from Seattle. For more information and to begin planning a trip to Walla Walla, visit www.wallawalla.org.
About Walla Walla Valley Wine:
Walla Walla Valley Wine is a nonprofit wine industry membership organization whose primary mission is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. Walla Walla Valley Wine functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media, and trade interested in learning more about the Valley’s wine industry. For more information visit www.wallawallawine.com.
Media Contacts:
Liz Knapke
Communications & Marketing Director, Walla Walla Valley Wine
liz@wallawallawine.com | (509) 526-3117
Cara Jacobson
Marketing Director, Visit Walla Walla
cjacobson@wallawalla.org
Nina Braga
DVA Advertising & PR
415-672-1209, nina@dvaadv.com
