Walla Walla wineries help food bank

WALLA WALLA — On a weekend where throngs of tourists come to town to satiate their appetites for fine wine, good food and a variety of entertainment, a few wineries around town were helping to build a bigger room to hold more food to feed the hungry.

"The new food bank is needed to replace the current food bank, which is the size of a two-car garage," said J. Andrew Rodriguez, Walla Walla Salvation Army advisory-board chairman.

Last year the food bank distributed 50 tons of food from its facility at 827 W. Alder St.

With a need for more space, Rodriguez asked local wineries if they would participate in a drive to raise funds.

"The second they said food bank, I said, OK, I am in on it," Adamant Cellars co-owner Debra Stringer said.

Adamant Cellars was one of four wineries that agreed to dedicate their tasting-room fees to the Salvation Army Food Bank. The others were Le Chateau Winery, Tero Estates and Flying Trout Winery.

On Friday, Stringer said, Adamant Cellars collected about $50, and by noon on Saturday it had surpassed the previous day's amount.

Adamant Cellars does not charge a tasting-room fee, so everything in the jar was by donation, she added.

Stringer added that wineries often are asked for donations, but when she heard about the cause she had a hard time saying no.

"I grew up hungry. So that really speaks to me," she said, while standing behind a register selling bottles and cases of wine to customers. "It's about real people who can't afford food. We should all come together as a community to do our part to help out. And this we can do easy."