Basel Cellars

Beautiful, yet approachable

Basel Cellars is a great all-in-one kind of place: wonderful wine, beautiful winery, great views, and even a house that can be rented. Who wouldn't want to stay at this gorgeous spot surrounded by vineyards?

In 1997 a single family home was built on a hill south of downtown Walla Walla. Not your average single family home, but one with eight bedrooms, a private eight-seat indoor theatre with movie seats, a dance club downstairs, a gourmet kitchen, two dining rooms, an outdoor waterfall and pool, and much more. Part of the "much more" was an eight-car garage for vehicles driven frequently, and a 30-car underground garage for the collectibles.

That climate controlled underground garage is perfect for wine production. The Double River Ranch property at the site of the house was planted in 1997 by Kenny Hart, a Walla Walla grower/winemaker. Early on, grapes were sold to Dunham Cellars who won awards for wines using those grapes. 2010 was the first vintage that Basel Cellars used grapes from that vineyard. Basel's first vintage appeared in 2001, the house was purchased in 2002. Steve and Jo Marie Hansen became co-owners in 2004 and majority owners in 2011. Basel Cellars was the 16th winery opened in Walla Walla.

The property is comprised of 90 acres, 30 of which is planted. Buildings take up 15 acres, and part of the acreage is protected wetlands. The Double River Ranch and Pheasant Run vineyards are in the Walla Walla Valley; Chelle Den Milline is in the Columbia Valey (Prosser), and Phinny Hill is in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. As winemaker/GM Ned Morris* explains, "Winter injury events can be isolated and you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket. In tough, cool years like 2004, 2010, and 2011, it pays to have your grapes coming from different areas. We have long-term farm contracts with growers; we own certain rows in their vineyards. It's our fruit and we work closely with the growers. We use modern tools and old-world techniques, like gravity, and we use no additives." Vineyard Manager Ryan Sams retains viticultural control over all their grapes.

Basel produces close to a dozen wines; some varietals, some blends. "There's a place for everything," says Ned. "My favorite wine changes all the time. It's based on what I'm eating. When the food and wine pairing is just right, it pops. Our workhorse is our Claret. We'll have a nice Bordeaux blend every year." Sales Manager Shannon Wesseling adds, "Some of our wines are in-house only, like our Rosé. You can only get some wines at the tasting room or maybe in local restaurants. For the Rosé, we pick Syrah grapes specifically for the wine based on chemistry and flavor profiles. Acids are higher, sugar is lower, and it's bone dry."

Both Shannon and Ned have restaurant backgrounds. Shannon ran a Chicago restaurant for six years and bought wine for them. He has also worked for a wine distributor. Ned traveled to Australia to play high-level water polo. There he met his wife and began working in the restaurant industry, falling in love with wine from a food perspective. From 1993 to the late 90s, he was a sommelier. In 1999, they returned to the US and he attended Oregon State with the intent to become a winemaker. "Restaurant work is hard, especially if you have a family. So I got my Master's in food chemistry and dual minors in biochemistry and microbiology. In 2003, I interned to become a winemaker. I was assistant winemaker to John Abbot of Abeja and learned all I know from him. I assisted with their first six vintages." He was also the winemaker at a'Maurice Cellars and winemaker/GM at Canoe Ridge Vineyards. "I'm happy to be at Basel where I can get my hands dirty and still manage, which I really enjoy."

Ned approaches winemaking from a food perspective. "Our estate wines are food friendly and fruit forward, with less tannin and oak. We want to display our grapes and show their place."

In addition to visiting the tasting room, people can rent the Basel Cellars estate house. "We've had people rent the house and bring their own chef in to make their meals. It's great for a family getaway or a corporate retreat," says Shannon. It's also perfect for weddings. Couples love to have the ceremony overlooking the vineyards. Currently they have a deli case in the tasting room so people can buy meats, cheese, olives, sandwiches and dips to enjoy with wines on the grounds. Although they have a professional kitchen, they are not in an area zoned for a restaurant. "We're still exploring this," explains Shannon.

You've been invited.

*Ned Morris left Basel Cellars in late 2014/early 2015.

Connie Adams/September 2013