Downtown Walla Walla: Music to my ears and wine in my glass.

The combination of the two are the perfect pairing and downtown Walla Walla is alive with the sound of music (no apologies to Julie Andrews or Maria Von Trapp)!

Sapolil Cellars, located downtown Walla Walla, is a small winery cranking out big tunes. The piano, which started out as their tasting room bar, soon found its ivory being tickled by the local musicians. And Friday and Saturday nights on that block have never been the same, as they feature a line-up of the best musicians in the area. Some cover charges may apply and Sapolil’s wine is always available by the bottle or glass.

The word on the street is that particular block will soon give new meaning to “block party” as come this September, Merchants LTD Deli will keep their doors open Friday evenings featuring pourings by local winemakers. Merchants, with the best outdoor seating on the block, is just a few doors doors up from Sapolil.

But why wait until Friday to start the weekend? Every Thursday night join Walla Walla Village Winery, from 7-10 for “Open Mic Night.” Walla Walla Village Winery feels that training your nose to smell different aromas in wine is like training your ears to appreciate music. Like the difference between a Cabernet and a Chardonnay, music doesn’t matter if it’s rock, classical, or jazz…the analogy is the same. The more you concentrate on the music and the wine, the more you can pick out the different notes. So train your ears while you train your palate at Walla Walla Village Winery. The event is free and of course, wine is available for purchase.

Oh hell. Why even wait for Thursday to start the weekend? Start it on Wednesday! That’s right - - Wednesday! Let your ears guide the way to Walla Walla Wine Works (formerly the Waterbrook Tasting Room) for “Music Wednesdays.” It’s exactly what my ears did. They guided the way the other night to the music as I was coming back from a fabulous meal at T. Maccarones. Walla Walla Wine Works has a lovely outdoor setting in the heart of Walla Walla at the downtown plaza area on Main Street. The tasting room features a wide selection of wines for purchase and the event is free.

Who says there is nothing to do in Walla Walla? And if it’s being said, someone needs their whiny pee pants booted. Party on, Garth.