How The Rocks rock

Typical vineyard in The Rocks AVA

In search of the very special character of wines from this area on the border of Oregon and Washington.

At the beginning of March, when Elaine and I embarked on our Washington road trip, we stopped in an AVA that lies entirely within Oregon and yet is familiarly associated with Washington. The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater (colloquially referred to as The Rocks) is nested within the Walla Walla sub-AVA of the Columbia Valley AVA, both of which cross state lines between Oregon and Washington but whose grapes are mainly vinified in Washington state.

As the location makes The Rocks a...