Overview

Washington Wine Country is brimming with fantastic vineyards and wineries spread throughout the breathtaking Washington State. The main wine regions in this state are Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, and the Tri-Cities area. Washington boasts beautiful wind-blown coastlines, a diverse climate, and a laid-back lifestyle that make the state one of the most popular new winemaking regions in the US. Washington Wine Country vineyards are nestled east of the Cascade Mountains, where the climate is dry and sunny with an abundance of glacial rivers, including the Columbia River, flowing through the state and making it possible to produce award-winning wines. This region contains the first AVA (American Viticultural Area); Yakima Valley AVA, established in 1983, there are over 240 wineries in Washington Wine Country. There are vineyards as large as 2,000 acres in Washington, and some vineyards hold contracts with up to 30 or so different wineries.

Walla Walla Valley Wineries

Charles Smith K Vintners

Charles Smith is the visionary winemaker behind iconic brands like K Vintners and Substance. The vineyard and winery are located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle, an expansive, one-of-a-kind winery that occupies the spaces that were formerly a Dr. Pepper bottling plant. The winery was established in 1999 when 330 cases of 1999 K Syrah sold out of the back of Charles’ Astro van. Charles has received over 200 scores of 95 points and above and nearly 1,200 scores of 90 points and above from leading wine publications. House of Smith is the largest independent and winemaker-owned winery in Washington State with wines sold in all 50 states and 23 countries worldwide. Visitors can enjoy wine and music with views of the main runways of Boeing Field along with the iconic profile of Washington’s Mount Rainier. Charles Smith has three tasting rooms in the Georgetown area including Jet City with floor-to-ceiling windows, Olsen Kundig architectural firm which was a former auto shop located in downtown Walla Walla, and the K Vinters outpost near Walla Walla on a 19th-century farmstead. Some of the most popular wines produced by Smith include Kung Fun Girl and Boom Boom Syrah, Cs Cabernet which is bottled under his Wines of Substance label.

Gramercy Cellars

Gramercy Cellars was founded by Greg Harrington the Master Sommelier, he moved from NYC to Seattle after tasting some Washington state wines. Bradon Moss, the winemaker, and co-owner since 2008 uses mostly organic grapes, minimalist winemaking techniques, and prolonged time in barrels to make around 8,000 cases a year. Harrington’s boutique winery in the vineyards of Walla Walla is known for producing deft, natural wines with Old World style balance. They offer a cozy tasting room serving world-class red wines made from high-quality grapes sourced from the best vineyards in the state. The tasting room is located off the beaten path in a warehouse-type part of town, inside there is a vintage vibe with antique rugs, leather couches, and cool white subway tiles. The Harrington’s (Greg and wife Pam) launched Gramercy Cellars in 2005, their winemaking philosophy is simple; they work with top vineyard sites, harvest the fruit when it's in balance and not overripe, intervene minimally, and use as little new oak as possible. The resulting wines are restrained, balanced, and complex they are well, and also possess enough fruit to be rewarding when young.

Lewis Wines

L’Ecole was the third winery established in Walla Walla Valley, a third-generation family-owned artisan winery located in the historic 1915 Frenchtown Schoolhouse, a unique location. Wines have been produced here since 1983 and they produce Bordeaux-style reds and arguably America’s best Semillon. The tasting room is located in Lowden and provides tastings and guided walking tours; a tour includes tastings, either the standard tasting or a special reserve tasting in the wine cellar. L’Ecole has become one of the most prominent and visible Walla Walla Valley wineries with national and international distribution. Their focus is to produce ultra-premium, distinctive wines that reflect the unmistakable typicity of Washington State and the unique terroir of the Walla Walla Valley vineyards. They make 100% of their wines, and each bottle is handcrafted with a commitment to quality in the vineyards and the winery. L’Ecole has ongoing investments in their Walla Walla Estate Ferguson, and Seven Hills Vineyards, and long-term relationships with many of the most prominent vineyards in the state of Washington. The winery has garnered national and international accolades for producing superior quality wines, they were recognized by Wine and Spirits Magazine as a Top 100 Winery of the Year fifteen times. In 2014, Decanter awarded our 2011 Estate Ferguson the International Trophy for Best Bordeaux Blend in the World! In 2016, the 2013 Ferguson won the International Trophy for Best New World Bordeaux Blend from Six Nations Wine Challenge.

Northstar Winery

Northstar winery is located in the heart of Wall Walla Valley in Washington, established in the early 1990s, the region is one of the most exciting and acclaimed regions for Merlot in the world. David “Merf” Merfeld is a Washington State Winemaker who blends New World fruit with an old-world winemaking style, influenced by Bordeaux’s “right bank” to create highly acclaimed wines. Northstar produces two Merlot-based wines from the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla AVAs, along with the Stell Maris red blend and extremely limited production bottlings of the blending component varieties that Merf uses as his “spice box” in creating Northstar’s Merlots. The State of Washington lies at the same latitude as the Bordeau region in France, and has the additional benefit of a longer growing season and cooler night temperatures, aiding in the even ripening of grapes, and locking in the acidity, resulting in a full-bodied yet balanced Merlots. Their tasting room has magnificent views of the Blue Mountains and offers wine flights and wine by the glass, there are private tours, and tastings for groups of any size. There is unique signature blending lessons, which is a 90-minute experience taking guests through the process of blending, bottling, corking, and labeling their own custom bottle of wine to take home.

Abeja

Abeja is located on a beautifully restored century-old farmstead in the foothills of the Blue Mountain, situated 4 miles east of Walla Walla. The winery and vineyards span 38 acres and feature the Abeja winery and The Inn at Abeja. The Inn at Abeja is a stunning, turn of century farmstead where original outbuildings have been restored to lovely, spacious, individual, and private guest accommodations that each reveal a unique story about the rich history of the property, and provide guests with a one-of-a-kind wine country experience and access to some of Washington’s most sought after wines. The winery and The Inn are located in the heart of downtown Walla Walla Valley, the grounds feature acres of gardens, lawns, creeks, and vineyards for guests to enjoy and explore. The winery was founded on the belief that estate-grown fruit not only differentiates a wine but strengthens the winemaker’s ability to make a consistent style and offer exceptional quality. Their philosophy has proven to be true of Abeja’s estate-grown wines, made from sustainably farmed grapes harvested at Heather Hill and Mill Creek estate vineyards. The wines here are produced from estate-grown grapes and several other vineyard sources whose growers have a similar passion for quality and the land. They use innovative techniques, traditional methods, and a dedication to every detail which defines John’s winemaking philosophy.

Woodinville Wineries

Cave B Estate Winery

Cave B Estate Winery is a place where stories are created and where memories are made, in a setting that allows you to “B” inspired through delicious wines, friendly staff, exciting events, and beautiful views. The Cave B Estate Winery is set smack in the middle of nowhere, just down the road from George, Washington, a dozen miles off interstate 90. The winery’s Woodinville tasting room for the real experience on a 900-foot cliff with panoramic views. The Cave B Resort provides a range of appealing overnight accommodations, and the Tendrils Restaurant with great food, and a broad array of all-estate wines. The estate winery in Quincy is home to the Gorge Amphitheater which some describe as the eighth wonder of the world, with freestyle camping concerts in the middle of nowhere. There are opportunities to enjoy a true winery getaway sipping vino, hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking. The family-run enterprise has come a long way since it began in the 1980s, a new addition of a lovely Cave B Inn and Spa Resort featuring an excellent restaurant with stunning views. Arrendondo and his wife, former Winegrowers board member Carrie Arrendondo, live on the Cave B property since 2006.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery is the oldest winery in Washington State surrounded by 105 wooded acres and a rich history dating back to the repeal of Prohibition. The winery boasts unique craftsman-style architecture and prides itself on using innovative techniques, and state-of-the-art equipment. It is one of the only wineries in the world to have completely separate wineries for making red wine and white wine. The red wine location can be found at the Chateau in Woodinville which offers tours of the winery’s main tasting options and food pairings, with select tasting experiences to suit every visitor. The winery continues to earn accolades for its wine-tasting experiences, sipping and sampling in grand style, with genteel tasting rooms serving high-end vintages presented elegantly with unrivaled wine expertise. Chateau Ste. Michelle winery is one of the best in the state with plenty of fun opportunities for a day out at the chateau. Picnic on the lawn, attend a summer concert evening, and enjoy great food and award-winning wines.

Long Shadows

Long Shadows is located in the heart of Texas Wine Country in the beautiful Walla Walla Valley. Allen Shoup built the beautiful Chateau Ste. Michelle and its affiliate wineries and turned them into an international brand. Shoup had a new vision to create a group of ultra-premium wines, each with an exceptional international winemaker, working together to elevate Washington wine to true world-class status. The result is Long Shadows Vintners and some of Washington’s most acclaimed wines. The great State of Washington features a unique blend of soil, sun, and climate, shaped by the sea, mountains, latitude, and ancient cataclysmic floods, the state’s terroir is perfectly calibrated to grow a wide range of excellent fruit, long ripening days and cool, acid preserving nights. The Chihuly Tasting Room is located in Walla Walla featuring stunning collections of glass sculptures created by Dal Chihuly, a fellow Northwesterner, who created them, especially for winery owner Allen Shoup. Join a cellar tour for barrel and tank tasting and sip on wines with names like Poet’s Leap riesling and the Pedestal Merlot. Long Shadows has two tasting rooms, one at the winery in Walla Walls, and the other in Woodinville, and offers various sit-down tasting options by appointment.

DeLille Cellars

DeLille Cellars winery is located in Woodinville, Washington with a tasting room located in the Hollywood District of Woodinville, at the former Redhook Brewery. The winery was founded in 1992 in the heart of Woodinville Wine Country, the winery has created a new destination that combines our 30-year legacy and passion for Washington State vineyards. DeLille Cellars specializes in wines using the Bordeaux grape varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. In 2000 DeLille won the New York Times Wine Today.com “Winery of the Year” award, and is one of Washington state’s premier cult wines. They earned the “Topo 100” Guides of Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast for both red and white wine, D2, Signature Syrah, and Chaleur Blanc, and have been honored as Wine Enthusiast Wine Star - Top Five American Wineries. In 2018 the winery achieved the highest-ever unmatched auction lot bid in the history of the Auction of Washington Wines. There is a tasting room at the Old Redhook Brewery.

Yakima Valley Wineries

Wildridge Winery

Wildridge Winery is a small family-owned and operated winery, vineyard, orchard, and distillery located in the famed Yakima Wine Country. They have two Washington locations the other is in Woodinville Valley, along with the vineyard in Yakima. Both locations offer tastings of their delicious hand-crafted wines as well as their brandies, which are made from apples, pears, and grapes all grown on the estate. Visit the vineyard and enjoy a picnic on the lawn, stroll through the verdant vineyards, or relax on teh deck of the historic farmhouse on site with a glass of wine. The vineyards started out making small amounts of wine, not they turned the business into a 7,500-gallon-a-year winery operation. The Winery is open year-round and offers award-winning wines and great food, there is a wrap-around porch with spectacular views of the canyon where hiking and mountain biking are popular activities. The Tasting Room Yakima is the perfect place to start your wine-tasting tour, take in beautiful views of a sunset from the porch, relax and soak in the scenery. The winery was founded in 1988 and is the oldest winery in Seattle, in 2007 they planted a certified organic and Biodynamic Estate Vineyard on Naches Heights near Yakima.

Treveri Cellars

Treveri Cellars is located in the picturesque Yakima Valley, a family-owned and operated winery where Washington State’s exclusive sparkling wine house produces some of the finest handcrafted sparkling wines in the US. Treveri prides itself on a tradition of excellence in both winemaking and service in a setting that offers breathtaking views, hospitable service, and unbeatable sparkling wines. Visitors can take a behind-the-scenes tour of how sparkling wine is produced, they will have the opportunity to disgorge (finish) their own bottle of sparkling wine with the help of the winemaking team. Guests will finish this exclusive event with a seated tasting of four premium sparkling wines. Treveri uses the finest vineyard sources and their wines are expressive of each varietal and have distinctive flavors of both the unique terroir and style of its winemakers and their German heritage. Jurgen Grieb is the head winemaker here who holds degrees in Winemaking and Sparkling Winemaking from Karthäuserhof Winery in Germany.

Dineen Vineyards

Dineen Vineyards are located in the beautiful rolling vineyard valleys of Yakima Valley, owned and operated by Pat and Lanie Dineen. The estate vineyards at the winery are really rare in the state of Washington, they started in 2001 when the wine, food, and travel enthusiastic couple invested in 12 acres of apple orchards and transformed them into vineyards. They later invested in more land (a total of 75 acres) and expanded the estate and named the wineries after beloved family members. These beautiful vineyards are located on the hills of Lower Yakima Valley with views of Mount Adams and Mount Rainier in the distance, where the conditions are ideal for growing wine grapes. The family-owned and operated viticulture business is a highly acclaimed site for ultra-premium wine grapes and highly acclaimed Estate wines. They grow 13 varietals and craft an array of wines in limited quantities, emphasizing French varietals and wines of depth, complexity, and concentration. Wines here include Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux style red blend, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Petite Verdot, Viognier, Semillon, Riesling, Rose, and special releases each year. Their tasting room offers flight tasting, custom tasting experiences, and light bites with a patio and an expansive lawn overlooking the surrounding vineyards and mountains.

Owen Roe

Owen Roe vineyard and winery was founded by winemaker David O’Reilly who has been crafting wines from the Yakima and Willamette Valley since 1999. The sophisticated, vineyard-focused style wines with tastings of pinot noir and red blends in a red, barn-style building with spectacular views of the rolling vineyard valleys with Mount Adams in the backdrop. They have a newer state-of-the-art winery in Wapato that was completed in 2013, tastings are offered with their estate and proprietary blends, enjoy a glass on the winery patio, or a tasting on the lawn. The path leading to the winery is lined with cherry and nectarine orchards, and the surrounding slopes are studded with volcanic outcroppings and planted with roller coaster rows of red wine grapes. O’Reilly has a devoted following for his Oregon pinot noirs, he blended his first Washington wines in 2013 Union Gap Vineyard syrah with wines called Mirth and WiseGuy. There are tours of the winery offered including private tastings, and a ride through the estate’s organically farmed vineyard in all-terrain Pinzgauer.

Gilbert Cellars

Gilbert Cellars Winery is a venue located 20 minutes west of Yakima, at The Hackett Ranch, a destination winery perfect for private events, weddings, and special events. It was named for the original owners and cattle ranchers, The Hackett Family who purchased the ranch in 1920 when the first Gilbert arrived in Yakima. The family-owned vineyards feature orchards, and lavender, with the perfect setting fa or -weddings venues and concerts. There are views of the Ahtanum Ridge from Gilbert Cellars at The Hackett Ranch, a beautiful property located on a ranch that looks out over the Yakima foothills. The Yakima Valley climate is fairly dry meaning that you can almost always bet on having sunny weather from May to October. There is a wine cellar located at the south end of the property with big beautiful doors and a patio for chairs, there is an amphitheater hosting live concerts in the summer months. Gilbert Cellars hand-crafted seven different varietals into 10 fine wines including their flagship red blends, along with standard Bordeaux-style varieties and less commonly seen wines like Gruner veltliner and pinot noir.

JB Neufeld

JB Neufeld is a vineyard is located in the fabulous Yakima Valley that focuses exclusively on Cabernet Sauvignon within the region. The verdant vineyards here in the upper valley with cool air create interesting aromatics from the grapes, and the lower valley features hot sites. JB Neufeld produced its first vintage in 2008, it is one of a kind winery in Washington that focuses solely on the best Cabernet in the Yakima Valley. Just and Brooke Neufeld are a husband and wife team that created the winery with the goal of the brand to not only showcase the diversity of terroir found in the valley through its vineyard designate bottlings. They use this diversity to build a more complex and balanced Cabernet by blending sites well. Their vineyards are located on south-facing slopes created by a series of ridges that are oriented West to East, which is a geological anomaly unique to Eastern Washington. The winery is open for tastings of thie delicious Cabernet made by the same person, in the same ‘style’, but from two different vineyards, that make two totally different wines. They source fruit from Artz Vinyard in the acclaimed Red Mountain AVA, giving the wines their tannins, cherry cola notes, and gravel aromatics. They also get fruity from up the Valley, Two Blondes Vineyard-Andrew Will’s estate vineyard, with a more delicate mouthfeel and some really pretty floral notes.

Red Mountain Wineries

Fidelitas Winery

Fidelitas Winery is a family-owned, multigenerational winery that sources fruit from its 15 acres estate and esteemed vineyard partners throughout the Red Mountain appellation. The winery was built around the idea of telling the story of Red Mountain’s exquisite terroir through its soil, they are faithful to their fruit, loyal to their process, and true to the landscapes of Red Mountain. They rise with the dawn and settle with the dusk every day, year in and year out, bringing the best of what these appellations provide. A craft winery that features sweeping views and specializes in Bordeau varietals and high-end, award-winning wines, their tasting room is bright, modern, and airy with an outdoor seating area with a magnificent backdrop. Fidelitas crafts single-varietal, single-vineyard bottlings, and old-world style blends that speak of their unique time and place. Charlie Hoppes is the veteran winemaker at Fidelitas and has over 30 vintages under his belt, he was a winemaker at the famed Chateau Ste. Michelle. Hoppes founded his own winery in 2000, at this beautiful spot on Red Mountain surrounded by its estate vineyard and looking out up the rest of Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills. They offer tastings in Woodinville which are held outside under a tent.

Frichette Winery

Frichette Winery is run by husband and wife team Greg and Shae and their son Jayden, who moved closer to family in Washington and created the business together. They decided to go into the wine industry and opened their own tasting room in 2013, offering their first vintage of 2011 with 650 cases of wine. Today they produce nearly 3,000 cases and host events for wine club members and guests from around the globe. Their vision is to be a destination winery known for stellar hospitality, beautiful views, and premium wines, with a mission to grow wine grapes and make great wine that will “wow” their guest's palates. The tasting room opens daily featuring a welcoming, and comfortable Red Mountain vibe, they offer bold red wines in indoor and outdoor patio seating, and there are private tours and tastings available by appointment only. Tours include a tour of the vineyard, production facility, and barrel room with one of their humourous and engaging Wine enthusiasts. Shae Frichette is the only Black-owned winery in Washington state, she is making her favorite wine out of Yakima Valley focusing on Bordeaux-style wines. Predominantly cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot grape varietals that are common to the Bordeaux region in France. The grapes here are sourced from the Red Mountain AVA, which turns into about 2,000 cases of wine a year.

Col Solare

Col Solare is a joint venture between Ste. Michelle and Tuscany’s iconic Antinori, who are both recognized as leaders in their respective regions: Tuscany’s Marchesi Antinori and Washington State’s Chateau St. Michelle. A design magazine-worthy winery situated in the sprawling Wild West landscape on a slope of Red Mountain, in Colombia Valley, the perfect spot to call home for the new winery. The winery and vineyards are comprised of 4,040 acres (just over 2,000 acres are planted with wine grapes) they are known for their much-acclaimed luxury-priced red-based Cabernet Sauvignon. The region is known for its good soil combination of sand, silt, and loam which makes it perfect for growing vinifera grapes. Add to that the combination of heat, nutrient-poor soils, low rainfall, and cool night temperatures that lead to concentrated fruit and wines with amazing structure, power, and elegance. There is a tasting room are on-site and tours offered on Sunday afternoons, there is also a Col Solare Bottega for tasting inside Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Woodinville winery.

Kiona Vineyards and Winery

Kiona Vineyards and Winery are located on Red Mountain and run by the Williams family who originally planted back in 1978. The North Block was planted in 1977 at the base of the ridge and Block 8 was planted in the mid-90s and is located at a higher elevation. John William had the original idea that Red Mountain might be a great place to grow grapes, the area is now the premier grape-growing region in the New World. The Red Mountain AVA was established in 2001, it is the warmest and driest AVA in the State of Washington. The wines here show Old World structure and backbone, with New World fruit that you come to expect from Red Mountain. The family’s experience and longevity put them in the position to supply and advise many regional wineries. Kiona is one of the state's oldest wineries producing its first vintage in 1980, plantings include cabernet sauvignon which now dominates the mountain now, along with a wide assortment of wines.

Hedges Family Estate

Hedges Family Estate is a spectacular location on Red Mountain the grounds boast the Hedges Chateau, where their tasting room is located, surrounded by flower gardens overlooking the verdant vineyards that expand before your eyes. They produced their first vintage in 1987 and concentrated their efforts on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, their slogan is “Where Soil Meets Soul”, this defines the Hedges family's pride in practicing sustainable, biodynamic farming. The Hedges Family’s modern wine estate blends a rich cultural upbringing and a shared love for creating beautiful wine at the heart of bucolic Red Mountain, fostering a true homegrown approach to farming and viticulture. Guests can enjoy a magical experience at the winery and the tasting room located in the middle of the vineyards, a romantic, relaxing room to sip their celebrated wines and take a stroll through the lush, verdant estate. The beautiful french inspired chateau offers a rustic charm with wines made from pure farming and time-honored winemaking techniques. Tours are offered and generally complimentary with a tasting, explore the organic vegetable garden, a chicken palace, and stunning grounds with spectacular views.