At the sound of the bell, head back to school for a lesson in wine tasting.
At L'Ecole, French for school, drinking in class is encouraged.
"Yeah, exactly, exactly, you're in detention," joked Marty Clubb.
Marty and Megan Clubb own L'Ecole No. 41, a world-famous winery and tasting room located in a historic, two-room schoolhouse.
"This would be the first, second and third grade room," said Clubb. "A little modified for a wine tasting room."
The school dates back to 1915. The winery dates back to 1983; that's when Megan Clubb's parents dared to be different.
"People said, 'Oh, those are the crazy people who started a winery in Walla Walla,'" she said. "My dad just had this dream. He wanted to put a bottle of wine on the table and say, 'This is world class.'"
The Clubbs now run L'Ecole. They made dad's dream come true by winning first place in an international contest.
"They both passed, but I think they are doing the happy dance in the clouds right now," Megan said.
The reason to celebrate? L'Ecole's bottle of Bordeaux is the only wine in the US to win top honors from the British wine magazine "Decanter." In the wine world, it's like winning an Oscar or an Olympic gold medal.
"It brings international attention to the wines of Washington," Megan said. "I think it really validates that world-class wines, the best of world class wines, is made here in the state of Washington."
L'Ecole No. 41
(509) 525-0940
41 Lowden School Rd
Lowden, WA 99360
