I can definitely see where the mixed reviews are coming from. The wine? Genuinely great. Like, "consider buying a bottle and pretending you discovered it yourself" great. The hosts, though... appear to be conducting a fascinating social experiment: how little human interaction can occur during a wine tasting before it technically becomes self-service. They're not rude--let's be clear. More like emotionally on airplane mode. Friendly in theory, but with the warmth of a Terms & Conditions page. You get the sense that if small talk were optional software, they uninstalled it years ago for performance reasons. Most of their attention seems focused on their own workflow, which is impressive, because it's running at 100% efficiency... just not in your direction. That said, if your dream tasting experience involves zero interruptions, no unsolicited wine education, and the freedom to sit quietly with your thoughts (and your glass), congratulations--you've found your sanctuary. If, however, you were hoping for a little personality, storytelling, or even eye contact that lasts longer than a software update notification... you may want to try the next place down the street. read more

Love, love, love this winery! Every time we have great service that is friendly and attentive! We always have a great time and love the wine! read more

Mark Ryan Winery - the menu for the wine tasting - Wineries Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

One of our favorites so far. Relaxing and friendly atmosphere and the wine was good as well.

My mother and sister and I went here today. We were very excited but that was short lived. Our waitress came out and didn't say hello. Nothing. Didn't even introduce herself. She was curt and impersonal. Basically the worst kind of personality and demeanor to be in that line of work. Especially when people are on vacation and jovial and interested in learning about the wine. Mark Ryan is supposed to be one of the premier wineries in this region and we came there with high hopes. She poured the first pour and she didn't say anything to us like.... hello. Where are you guys from? Have you had Mark Ryan before, which we have many times. Or...are you guys ok with a white to start? which is usually typical being many people don't like whites! She wouldn't even make eye contact!!!!! She just started pouring and she spun off the story about the grape and the wine so fast without even looking at us like we barely could follow her. Her pours were NOT even an ounce. We had a wine distributing company and we know what pours should be. She was so stingy we all shook our hearts. Then she walked away just like that. It was ridiculous. She came back later and poured the 2nd one which was monkey wrench. She made some comments about how it was named after the Foo Fighters and she smirked. She was way too young and those references are lost on anybody pretty much 35 an older. It was disrespectful and once again she did not inquire as to who we were or where we were from or what the hell anything and we were totally upset and her behavior spoiled our entire experience. We love the wine but she needs to go. read more

We stopped on a whim on our way to a reservation, Meg was working and she was super cool! We loved her and she made the experience great. We wish we could have spent more time there. It was a vibe! read more

Great location, great wine, great staff. There are lots of wineries to choose from but this is one not to miss!!

We arrived for a tasting, but listed tastings on the full-length reader wall were not what they were offering, and we came in for those. They said too bad those were from two weeks ago. What you couldn't be bothered to change your blackboard for two weeks? First tasting was vinougnier, tasted like ike pure vinegar and the sulfates were so strong, causing a burning reaction on my lips and tongue . Server was pretensious and undeniably bothered he had to actually interact with us. Skipped the rest of the tasting as he was so ridiculously rude. Did get a glass of rose that was extremely over priced and didn't finish as it was God awful! Don't waste your money or your time. Much nicer places in town. read more

We stumbled on this tasting room after lunch when we first arrived in Walla Walla. Great find. First off, our server was fantastic. She was so knowledgeable about the wines, growing regions, complexity, etc. The tasting room was super cute and the outdoor seating very comfortable. We really enjoyed the wines they offered. It was a great start to our Walla Walla adventure. read more

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Wonderful place to tasting wine! Comfortable seating, staff well educated bout the wines offered and an easy stroll downtown.

The OG winery, as I will call it, is overpriced and generally junk. The Annex, with the "family" wines is exponentially better in flavor and price point. BUT, unlike several other wineries, they won't offer to open any alt-wines or pour anything that's not in their flight at the time. It's ridiculous, and heed warning, don't pay for a name, do your research and pay for quality where the staff care for you as much as the wine. Annex has promise, OG is junk. read more

Extremely nice and welcoming. We joined the club to enjoy their great wines . We enjoying and felt appreciated read more

Walking up to our first tasting in Walla Walla, which I had booked one month in advance at NOON mind you, and the greeting was less than stellar. There were two women blocking the entrance talking as our group of 8 walked up. We stood for a moment without being greeted when a member of our party, who was put off by the lack of acknowledgement asked if they were waiting in line. The response was that they were just catching up and no, not in line so we walked past. Well, come to find out, that person was who would be giving us our tasting. When she walked in (it was 11:55) she said she wasn't open yet but she guessed she could be. Seriously? It's 11:55 on a Friday, we have a reservation at noon and we are putting you out by being on time? We did end up having a decent tasting and she did warm up after a while but I can honestly say that with that interaction I don't see myself coming back to this tasting room. read more

BOARD TRACK RACER for the win!! We made it in here just before closing and the older lady working in here let us know she was going to need to close shop in 10 minutes. We let her know it was no problem and we would just share a tasting to make it easy on her - note the tasting fee here is $15. The wines here were STELLAR. The Board Track Racer was not on the tasting list but she had a bottle open and let us taste it! It is so jammy and delicious I couldn't stop thinking about it after we left. Last night I went to a housewarming party where someone brought two different bottles from that series and I was so excited! Luckily Mark Ryan has another tasting room in Woodinville so I can frequent it whenever I need to. Excellent product and fun tasting room decor! read more

Loved the ambience, their wine collection and the staff. I have been to the Woodinville location and loved it, Walla Walla location was just as nice! read more

Lip smackingly delicious wine in a sophisticated yet low-key venue, fans of big reds and of Mark Ryan (and executive winemaker Mark Ryan McNeilly) will not be disappointed in this cozy little storefront tasting room on Main Street in Walla Walla, and if they are, it may be that what they are disappointed to find, is that the specific wine they came in for is already sold out for the year. For those who keep an eye out for the ubiquitous motorcycle on their more widely distributed reds, and covet the white labeled bottles of the even bolder Red Mountain reds, you'll want to make time to head over to their downtown Walla Walla tasting room. Its a swank set up, a modern take on a NY apartment coupled with a rustic NW wine country feel. The manager running the tasting room was informative and their tasting room set up, with a front and back room, proved friendly and felt easy going. Sold as the "place where the big fruit lives" here at the tasting room you can try several Red Mountain wines to determine if you want to leave the more democratic motorbike labels behind and make an investment in a bigger inky, unctuous wine. The Wine Enthusiast named Mark Ryan Winery one of the new "Cult Wineries" of Washington State, but it seems like the jig is up, since so many have tried and liked his reds now, that its a little like saying Arcade Fire is an up and coming group after winning a Grammy. The word is out, yes, but its still a pretty cool find and there are some things to buy here that you won't find out and about in large quantities. Try a line up of divine reds that include : "Dead Horse" (a Bordeaux-style blend), Crazy Mary (a now sold out Morvedre) , the "Lonely Heart" Cabernet Sauvignon, a "Wild Eyed" Syrah, and "The Dissident" (a Bordeaux-style blend, current vintage running mighty low at the time of our recent visit.) Vrooom! read more

one of the best wishes email makers. the tasting room is smaller vs the one in Woodinville. Biker themed wines. Mark Ryan voted by Seattle magazine as winemaker of the year 2011 Prices under $45 $10 tasting fee that is refunded if you make a $28 purchase Downtown Wala Wala so lots to do read more

Mark Ryan Winery - biker wine stop - Wineries Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

Love the patio at Mark Ryan! The wines are delicious and the staff is so friendly and knowledgable. If you are booking a reservation here, ask for Daniel!! He was so kind to us and treated us like old friends. We are so glad we came to Mark Ryan on our wine weekend! read more

Not a big fan. None of the reds went down smoothly. All were pretty bitter. The carbonated white was the best one. For the price, I would buy Caymus. read more

Daniel was fantastic!! Such great wines, always our favorite. Very generous pours, deep knowledge of the area and wine making processes. Appreciated a lunch recommendation as well. Thanks again Daniel, Caroline and team!! read more

fun space and gotta love the reds. loved the posters and the props. some of my friends even inquired about the artwork. of all the places, I enjoyed this and one other winery the best. since we were going to prowl around, they stored my purchases back behind the counter and we messed around a bit. I admit I like their product but this is a cool space. When we came back to pick up our purchases, it was packed. Good sign, eh? read more

Fantastic line up. Can't beat Washington wines or the Red Mountain AVA. Price point you would expect from the region and worth it. Carolyn took great care of me even though I was a "party of 1" and she had three other full tables. One of which was a party of four splitting one tasting which I found a little déclassé. read more

What made the whole experience was our wine hostess, who was attentive and conscientious. Great conversation on a quiet afternoon, and we learned a little anthropology from Whitman grad. read more

A pleasant surprise. Esposa and I stumbled upon this place not knowing about it. Great ambiance. Love the motorcycle! Our hostess had the cold lack of personality of Martha Stewart. Zero personality. Fortunately, the wines that she poured were world class. These are serious wines with superb balance and complexity, approachable now but built for aging. read more

Delicious wines, and very friendly service. They obviously know what they are doing there. My husband, daughter and I toured a bunch of the wineries last weekend while in Walla Walla, and Mark Ryan was one that really stood out to me as having some of the best wines. My favorite being the Numbskull GSM. So good! We ended up purchasing a few bottles to take home with us. Can't wait for the perfect time to open them. read more

Mark Ryan Winery - Wineries Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

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Absolute worst wine and a gem of a lady there to serve it. Not only was she rude and unprofessional, she was insulting when we commented we didn't like the wine. She had the nerve to tell us we didn't have a good pallet. Unbelievable we had to spend $80 in tasting fees to be treated the way we were. read more

I had really looked forward to Mark Ryan, but was disappointed. The wines all tasted two-dimensional and somewhat acidic. Lots of oak, too, which I usually like, but this tasted like it was out of balance, somehow. For the price and supposed prestige, I didn't feel I got my money's worth. read more

A beautiful modern, yet comfortable tasting room located on main street Walla Walla. I knew the name Mark Ryan sounded familiar, and then when I went inside I realized that I knew why, this was the guy everyone was talking about in Kirkland years ago when I lived there, who was self-taught and had started distilling wine in his garage. People questioned if he was a genius or crazy. Obviously, he was a genius, because all of his wine is powerhouse phenomenal, and while some is expensive others are more affordable. I didn't taste one mediocre thing here. He has two labels - Mark Ryan which is meant to be more of a cellar wine, and BTR (Board Track Racer) geared towards drinking now. I loved the motorcycle themes (obviously a passion of the owner) that appear throughout. My favorite of the tasting was the 2012 Suicide Shift, followed by the 2011 Dead Horse, 2013 Vincent Rose, and 2012 Viognier. This was a high quality wine experience, without any pretentiousness, very approachable and relatable. The person serving wine was very friendly and knowledgeable. When I go back home to visit, I am excited to check out Mark Ryan's main tasting room in Woodinville. read more

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Mark Ryan has long been one of my favorite winemakers. The tasting room in Walla Walla is really well designed. A not too small space that is pleasant and inviting. The wines, of course are the star. Definitely a must stop while you are on the tasting rounds! read more

Mark Ryan Winery - Wineries Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

Wines are middle of the road. Service is worse than awful. Every winery in town, people are friendly and accommodating. Here, people are rude, terse, and generally ignorant. read more

We love Mark Ryan and we frequent the Woodinville tasting room, so the Walla Walla experience was quite the letdown. The woman pouring was unfriendly and tried to rush us through our tastings and had a visible attitude when we asked her to slow down. She was pouring while multiple people in our four-person party still had full glasses. The wine is still some of the best out there, but this experience is not reflective of that quality. read more

We came in yesterday for a tasting, 4 girls for the first stop on a bachelorette party. There were two other tables seated. Our hostess made us feel unwelcome. We asked about a bottle of wine to share there before we went to dinner and were told that we should just go to dinner. I've been doing wine vacations for 15 years in CA and other places in the US and have never been treated like this. read more

The worst service we received all weekend. Rude is the word I'll use for the women who work there. We'll never go back and we'll be sure to let our Uncle who owns a restaurant and a bar in downtown Walla Walla know how awful they treated us. read more

The wine was fine, decor was beautiful. However, the servers were ridiculously rude and disinterested. Lacked knowledge of the wines they served. We were there an hour before closing and felt rushed from the minute we got there. read more

Beautiful tasting room right in downtown. Wines were great and it was fun to learn about the wines.

Mark Ryan's wines have always been great and we've had good experiences at the Woodinville tasting room (love the rock posters too!). They seem to have made some poor hiring decisions in Walla Walla as the service is snootier than Napa Valley. Not the experience I was looking for!! read more

Terrible customer service and overly pretentious. You're not in Napa! We showed up to the downtown tasting room at 4:50pm on Saturday, December 26, 2015. Posted tasting hours ended at 6pm. We were very excited to taste and buy, as we had heard great things about Mark Ryan Wines. Much to our disappointment, the door was locked. Thinking this had to have been a mistake, I knocked on the door, as its glass and I could see two employees at the front desk. The woman with brown shorter hair (like a bob) came and opened the door and said very rudely "we're closed" to which I replied, "but your door says you close at 6." Her reply with attitude, "we're under winter hours, come back tomorrow" and she points to the door as if it says something different than closing at 6pm. Guess what? It says 6pm closing on Saturdays during the winter (or any other time of year, for that matter). Friends had already warned me this place had terrible customer service and was really pretentious, but great wine, so I was willing to give it a chance. I will not be going back tomorrow or ever again with the absolutely rude reception we received today. read more

A welcome addition to Main Street in Walla Walla. Red Mountain at its finest! Friendly tasting room staff and great atmosphere. Highly recommended. read more

Mark Ryan Winery - Wineries Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

My wife and I stopped in at Mark Ryan while doing a quick tasting of a few of the downtown wineries in Walla Walla. The tasting room is clean and simple with rock themed decor (the musical kind). The woman who ran the tastings was approachable and knowledgeable of the wines. They had a Viognier that was nice, but we're not as into whites. The rest of their line-up is deep, bold, flavorful reds with nice balance. We had bought a few bottles from a couple of the other wineries, but we thought all the wines here were so good that we joined the wine club in addition to picking up at least one of each of the reds. read more

Mark Ryan was quite the experience! I can't wait to return with my husband, rather than the girls.

Mark Ryan is easily the best tasting room in downtown Walla Walla. Each of the wines was enjoyable, although the flavors of some were perhaps a little too subtle. The customer service is friendly. read more