Devona

Devona works out of a cellar at 700 C Street in Walla Walla, but the wines refuse to stay local. John and Molly Abbott source Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay from established Washington vineyards and Pinot Noir from Oregon, building a compact portfolio around individual sites rather than a single appellation. It is the work of two people with three decades in Northwest wine, and the address matters less than the vineyard list.

From Abeja to Devona

John and Molly Abbott’s interest in wine began while they were students at Oregon State University during the 1980s, when Oregon Pinot Noir became an early point of focus. John later studied viticulture and enology at Fresno State before working in California at Pine Ridge Winery and Acacia Winery. While at Acacia, he became involved with what would develop into Canoe Ridge Vineyard, bringing the couple to Walla Walla in 1994. Devona became their third major winery project following Canoe Ridge and Abeja.

The Abbotts helped establish Abeja in the early 2000s with Ken and Ginger Harrison after John had spent approximately a decade at Canoe Ridge Vineyard. He remained at Abeja for 13 years before John and Molly left to establish Devona as an independent label in 2015. Their new project allowed them to continue working with Washington Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay while returning to Pinot Noir, the variety that originally drew their attention to winemaking.

John Abbott, in the cellar

John Abbott serves as winemaker and co-founder, bringing more than three decades of experience across California, Washington, and Oregon wine. His early work at Pine Ridge provided experience with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, while Acacia gave him greater exposure to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. His subsequent years at Canoe Ridge Vineyard and Abeja established much of his Washington winemaking background, particularly with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

That range of experience explains the unusual geographic structure of Devona’s portfolio. The winery does not attempt to make Pinot Noir from Walla Walla simply because its cellar is located there. Instead, it sources Pinot Noir from established Oregon appellations while continuing to work with Washington vineyards suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay. This approach connects the current portfolio directly to Abbott’s earlier experience with each variety.

Vineyard-specific sourcing from established sites gives the lineup a broader regional perspective than its Walla Walla address might initially suggest.

A working cellar, not a showpiece

Devona is located at 700 C Street in Walla Walla, where tastings are conducted inside the working cellar rather than in a conventional tasting room. Visits are seasonal and available by appointment, with groups limited to six guests. Production and harvest activity can affect availability, which reflects the fact that the hospitality program operates within an active winemaking space.

The setup creates a more production-focused tasting environment than wineries built around large hospitality facilities. The Cork & Journey visit record identifies the seating as indoor and notes that the tasting takes place in the cellar or production space. This format puts the wines and winemaking operation at the center of the visit rather than extensive amenities or formal tasting-room service.

Wine Style & Notable Bottlings

Devona currently produces four primary varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. The Washington side of the portfolio includes Chardonnay from Rainmaker and White Salmon vineyards in the Columbia Gorge, Merlot from Bacchus Vineyard in White Bluffs and Champoux Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills, and Cabernet Sauvignon from Bacchus, Champoux, and Heart of the Hill on Red Mountain. Oregon Pinot Noir includes bottlings from Mount Richmond Vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton and Palmer Creek Vineyard in Eola-Amity.

The winery describes its objective as producing precise wines that retain a clear connection to their growing region rather than forcing a uniform house style across very different vineyard sources. Our tasting information highlights the 2022 Rainmaker Vineyard Chardonnay for its saline character and texture, while the Bacchus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon showed graphite, cherry, vanilla, and a broader texture. Bacchus is also a historically significant source, with Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted there in 1972.

By appointment at 700 C Street

Visits are conducted by appointment and are limited to small groups, giving Devona a more direct tasting format than a high-volume tasting room. The winery states that it aims for tastings to be comfortable and informative, while its current visitor information makes clear that cellar work remains the priority when production demands require it. During designated release weekends, the format changes to an open-house tasting for mailing-list members and their guests.

At the July 10, 2026 Cork & Journey visit, the tasting fee was recorded at approximately $25 per person, with the fee waived with a two-bottle purchase per person. Because Devona’s current website does not publish that fee, visitors should confirm pricing when arranging an appointment. Reservations are required for normal cellar tastings, and the winery currently limits appointments to parties of six or fewer.

Why two states

Although Devona is based in Walla Walla, its portfolio should not be viewed solely through the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The winery sources from several Washington appellations as well as Oregon, including the Columbia Gorge, White Bluffs, Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain, Yamhill-Carlton, and Eola-Amity. That geographic range allows the portfolio to maintain a strong Pacific Northwest identity without restricting production to fruit grown near the winery itself.

The Walla Walla location nevertheless places Devona within one of Washington’s most established winery communities. The Walla Walla Valley AVA was designated in 1984, spans southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon, and contains more than 120 wineries. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah are among its principal varieties, making the region an appropriate base for a winemaker whose Washington career has been closely associated with Bordeaux varieties.