Washington's Quiet Overachiever, Hiding in Plain Sight
Spokane Valley · Spokane · Winery · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Latah Creek Wine Cellars’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Latah Creek feels less like a restaurant wine list and more like flipping through a producer's back catalogue — because that's exactly what it is. This family-run Spokane Valley winery pours its own stuff exclusively, and the range is wider than you'd expect from a spot this low-key. It's not flashy, but there's real intention behind what's in the glass.
The lineup leans red-heavy with a 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2019 Merlot, a 2018 Malbec, and a 2019 Barbera that alone signals more range than most Washington boutique producers bother with. The crown jewel is Mike's Reserve — a Bordeaux-plus blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Petit Verdot, and Syrah that reads like someone actually thought hard about what eastern Washington terroir can do. On the white side, the 2022 Chenin Blanc and a Chardonnay-Pinot Gris blend called 'A Toast to Best Friends' show a producer willing to color outside the Chardonnay-only lines. Gaps exist — there's no Viognier, no Grenache, nothing too adventurous — but for a single-producer tasting room, this is a thoughtfully constructed house.
Since this is a tasting room, the whole list is effectively by the glass — you're tasting through flights or buying bottles to pour on-site. The 2021 Rosé of Malbec and 2022 Riesling both show up as approachable pours for people who want something refreshing without committing to a full bottle. Specific flight pricing wasn't confirmed in our research, but the format here rewards curiosity over commitment.
2019 Barbera — null
Barbera is a grape most Washington wineries don't even attempt, and Latah Creek is making it. If they're pulling it off even adequately, that's a value play just by virtue of rarity — you're not paying Napa Cab prices for something interesting and different. Pricing wasn't confirmed but this is the bottle to ask about first.
2022 Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc in eastern Washington is genuinely rare, and most people are going to walk past it straight to the Cab. Don't. Chenin has the acidity and texture to surprise you, and if Latah Creek is treating it well — which the rest of their white program suggests they might — this is the sleeper pick on the menu.
Sangria
There's nothing wrong with sangria at a tasting room, but when you're standing in front of a 2018 Malbec and a Chenin Blanc you've never tried before, ordering the house sangria is just leaving opportunity on the table. Save it for a summer party, not your one visit here.
Mike's Reserve + Huckleberry d'Latah
A Bordeaux-style blend with Tempranillo and Syrah in the mix has the structure and dark fruit to stand up to whatever huckleberry-forward richness the Huckleberry d'Latah is bringing. The fruit-meets-fruit dynamic here isn't a cliché — it's an actual flavor bridge, and it showcases one of Latah Creek's most ambitious pours at the same time.
The Bottom Line
Latah Creek is a small family winery doing more interesting things than its strip-mall-adjacent address suggests — the Barbera and Chenin Blanc alone make it worth a detour if you're anywhere near Spokane Valley. We'd send a curious friend here on a Saturday afternoon without hesitation.
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One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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