I’m always on the hunt for the best Yakima Valley wineries. The Yakima Valley is one of the most popular wine regions in the country, so there are a ton to choose from. That means there are a lot of opportunities to explore and taste different wines, but that also means choosing where to go can be overwhelming.
To help, I’m sharing the best wineries in Yakima Valley. It includes small boutique wineries only true wine aficionados know alongside some of the most iconic brands that put the wine region on the map. There are also a few with arguably some of the most beautiful tasting rooms in the state. So buckle up and get ready to taste the best of the valley!
Disclaimer: This article is sponsored by the Washington Wine Commission. However, all opinions are my own and most of these wineries I discovered on my own before working with them. Thanks for supporting the brands that help keep this site running!
Yakima Valley Wineries
Before diving into the best Yakima Valley wines, let’s cover where the Yakima Valley is and what it’s known for so you can make the most of your trip.
Where is Yakima Valley?
The Yakima Valley is in south-central Washington state about a 2-hour drive east of Seattle. It’s the second largest county in WA, covering 4,296 square miles starting just south of Cle Elum to Prosser. Just east of Prosser, the nearby Tri Cities (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland) are honorary members of Yakima Valley.
The valley gets its name from the Yakama Native American tribe. According to the Yakima Valley tourism board, known translations include “a growing family,” “pregnant ones,” and “beginning of life, big belly, bountiful.”
This is fitting, as Yakima Valley is one of the agricultural epicenters of Washington state. While it’s probably best known to consumers for wine, Yakima Valley grows 40 commercial crops thanks to its 300 days of sunshine a year. Some of the most prolific include hops, apples, cherries, and of course, grapes.
Yakima Valley is also a big hub for Washington’s meat and dairy industry. The state has more than 250 dairy farms and 9,000 family cattle farms and ranches, many of which are in Yakima Valley. Another fun fact: ~23% of the US’ potatoes come from Washington! Since we’re able to grow bigger russet potatoes than other states, we keep the frozen potato industry alive. So you can thank Washington potatoes for satisfying your French fry craving!
How many wineries are in the Yakima Valley?
Washington has more than 1,000 wineries, 400 grape growers, and 50,000 acres of wine grapes, making it the second largest wine-producing state behind California. The wine regions are divided into 21 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) that produce over 80 grape varieties.
Six of those AVAs and more than 120 of those wineries and tasting rooms are in the Yakima Valley. In fact, the valley has more than one-third of the state’s vineyards!
The Yakima Valley AVA is Washington’s oldest federally approved grape-growing region, designated in 1983. It’s a sub-appellation of the Columbia Valley and has stretches of cooler terrain near the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. This unique geographical characteristic makes it a successful appellation to grow white grapes, along with red. Yakima Valley is especially known for Chardonnay and Riesling. This probably surprises most people, as Washington is best known for its red wine!
As soon as you go to the center of the Columbia Basin though, the blazing hot heat is perfect for growing the red grapes Washington is famous for: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. Like almost all of eastern Washington’s growing regions, Yakima Valley soils were affected by the Missoula Floods, a series of dramatic cataclysms that occurred over 15,000 years ago. So we have Mother Nature to thank for the area’s well-drained soils that are ideal for wine grape growing.
What are the best wineries in Yakima Valley?
Yakima Valley Wine Country is organized into four wine tasting areas: Yakima, Zillah, Prosser, and Red Mountain (Benton City). Try to visit a few wineries in each so you can get a full picture of what Yakima Valley wine is all about!
Save this to Pinterest for later, as I’ll keep adding more of the best wineries in Yakima Valley as I discover them!
Frichette Winery
website | location: Benton City, WA (get directions) | best for: smooth reds | kids and dogs welcome
Frichette Winery is one of the few Black-owned wineries in the Pacific Northwest. Shae and Greg Frichette are a husband-and-wife team that wanted to start a business that gave them goosebumps. After flipping a coin to determine if they’d move from California to Washington, where Greg is from, or South Carolina, where Shae is from, they landed in Washington and opened a winery.
They now produce about 3,000 cases a year of mostly smooth reds and some zippy whites and rosé. The best part, though, is that their tasting room has zero pretentiousness. It’s nestled among some vines and has plenty of indoor-outdoor seating for families to spread out and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
Kiona Vineyards
website | location: Benton City, WA (get directions) | best for: third-generation wine heritage and vineyard views | kids and dogs welcome
Kiona Vineyards is a must-visit because they’ve been contributing to the Yakima Valley wine scene for three generations. What started as just 10 acres in 1975 has grown into more than 270 acres of estate vineyards. And Kiona doesn’t only use their grapes for their own wine. They also farm for 60 different wineries in the Pacific Northwest! The fact that so many wineries turn to them for farming means they’re doing something right.
One advantage Kiona has is the fact that they sit within the Red Mountain AVA. It’s one of the smallest AVAs in the area, with fruit that’s 3-4 times more expensive than other areas. As a result, their grapes are mostly used in premium wines.
That premium experience extends to Kiona’s farming practices. They do acreage contracts, which allows wineries to reserve parcels of Kiona’s vines to be farmed to their specific needs. That means one row can be farmed a certain way, but the row next to it may be completely different! This bespoke approach to farming allows Kiona to coax out the best flavors while also helping each winery they serve match their unique winemaking philosophy.
Besides their farming pedigree, another reason to visit Kiona Vineyards is the fact that their tasting room is absolutely stunning. It offers both indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the valley in the distance. It’s especially breathtaking at sunset!
Tirriddis Sparkling Wines
website | location: Prosser, WA (get directions) | best for: sparkling wines and peaceful views | kids and dogs welcome
I don’t typically gravitate toward sparkling wine, but Tirriddis is making some of the best in Yakima Valley. This is particularly impressive when you consider that it’s owned by three college friends who started the winery after graduating from WSU during the pandemic.
Since job prospects were slim due to the global shutdown, Matthew, Gabriel, and Andrew decided to pool their savings and start making wine. What started as 8 cases for their friends’ moms turned into opening up a gorgeous tasting room and producing about 10,000 cases annually.
I asked Matthew during our tasting why sparkling wine and he said that the three of them were your typical college kids 99% of the time. Yet there was 1% deviation because all three of them loved bubbles. They’d pool their dining money to splurge on a pricey bottle to celebrate various milestones, often pairing it with chips and other cheap eats. So when they decided to emerge into the Washington wine industry, they figured sparkling wine was their calling.
The other advantage is that bubbles are more flexible, which would allow them to showcase French techniques using Washington grapes while still taking some risks. They named their winery Tirriddis after the three steps of naturally producing sparkling wine: tirage, riddle, and disgorge. You’ll find all sorts of sparkling wines, from your classic clean bubbles to more experimental styles with bold floral and citrus notes.
If it’s nice out, I encourage you to sit outside. Their tasting room overlooks the Yakama Indian Nation Prosser Hatchery and Yakima River. There’s even a trailhead down to it near the tasting room!
Cultura Winery
website | location: Zillah, WA (get directions) | best for: premium reds | kids and dogs welcome
If you love under-the-radar wineries that only serious wine-o’s know about, Cultura Winery is for you. It’s owned by a husband-and-wife team, Tad and Sarah Fewel. They do everything…from farming to winemaking to marketing, everything you taste has been touched by them.
The Fewels always planned to stay small so they can ensure each bottle is a reflection of the land. They only make about 500 cases a year and focus solely on big, meaty reds made with grapes from the Rattlesnake Hills AVA. While you’ll find a few different styles in their tasting room, the fact that they grow Zinfandel grapes is a rarity in Yakima Valley. So make sure to try it!
Both of them grew up on Yakima Valley farms, specifically orchards. But when grapevines started replacing apple trees, they decided to pivot into winemaking. Nowadays you’ll find both of them pitching in when needed, but Sarah is predominantly the “cellar rat” while Ted tends the soil and experiments with European-style pruning techniques.
You won’t find their wines in grocery stores, so joining their wine club and visiting their adorable rustic chic tasting room barn are the only ways to get your hands on their wines!
Freehand Cellars
website | location: Wapato, WA (get directions) | best for: single varietals and breathtaking valley views | kids and dogs welcome
I think Freehand Cellars might be the most beautiful winery in the Yakima Valley. It’s owned by real estate entrepreneur Eduardo Oliveira and architect James Desarno who turned the tasting room into a stunning mid-century modern marvel. James also free hands all the wine labels (hence the name), but what makes the experience really stand out is the property.
Freehand Cellars sits on a hillside overlooking the valley and Mt. Adams. They have a gorgeous outdoor area with picnic tables perfect for taking in the views, particularly at sunset. Freehand even has two units and an Airstream you can rent!
Besides the beautiful ambiance, Freehand Cellars also has really interesting wines. What makes them unique is the fact that they only make single-varietal wines. Probably the rarest to sample is the Mourvèdre, as that grape varietal is used mostly in blends.
Pro tip: Freehand Cellars also has a full onsite restaurant. I haven’t had a chance to eat there yet, but the staff at other wineries told me it’s good!
Côte Bonneville
website | location: Sunnyside, WA (get directions) | best for: elegant French-style wines | kids and dogs welcome
There are far less female winemakers than man, but Kerry Shiels leads the wine program at Côte Bonneville. She even brings on all female picking crews to support women in the wine industry. The result is about 2,500 cases a year of elegant, silky Rhône and Bordeaux-style wines with Old World grace.
A lot of that is thanks to Côte Bonneville’s unique vineyard property. Kerry’s parents, Hugh and Kathy Shiels, planted DuBrul Vineyard in 1992. Its steep, south-facing hillside yields grapes with unique flavors and structure. Realizing what they had, Hugh and Kathy started Côte Bonneville in 2001 and named it after their family’s estate in Ohio. They brought Kerry on in 2009 to take over winemaking.
Côte Bonneville’s tasting room sits in an old train depot that used to be Hugh’s dentist practice. The walls are a soothing blue and there’s original architecture throughout, making it the perfect historical backdrop for wines oozing with tradition.
Upsidedown Wines
website | location: Cle Elem, WA (get directions) & Hood River, OR (get directions) | best for: organic, low-intervention wines | kids and dogs welcome
Seth and Audrey Kitzke both grew up on farms in the Pacific Northwest. They decided to move from Seattle and take over their family’s vineyards, starting Upsidedown Wines and an obsession with coaxing out grapes’ natural flavors from vintage to vintage.
The Kitzke’s philosophy is “heavy handed in the vineyard, light handed in the cellar”. They believe it’s up to them to help each vineyard’s unique personality shine. To do this, they use organic and regenerative farming practices, listening to the vine through the flavor of the fruit for picking decisions and letting native yeast express the wines. The result? Highly drinkable, unique wines that are vibrant and complex, just like the Yakima Valley.
Domanico Cellars
website | location: Prosser, WA (get directions) | best for: wines from some of the valley’s oldest grapes
I first tried Domanico Cellars when winemaker Jason Domanico opened a tasting room in Ballard. It’s now closed, as he purchased a historic vineyard in Prosser and moved operations to Yakima Valley.
That historic vineyard was planted by George and Dennis Carter, two legends in the Washington wine industry. That same vineyard planted in 1975 is now being nurtured by Domanico. It even has some table grapes planted with the original homestead property over 100 years ago!
So tasting at Domanico is like tasting history in a bottle. Expect a lot of big, juicy, and earthy reds that taste really expensive, yet retail for under ~$45!
Pro tip: Domanico also has a wine bar with a full food menu in Prosser called Cork & Taps!
Fidélitas Winery
website | location: Benton City, WA (get directions) & Woodinville, WA (get directions) | best for: Red Mountain reds | kids and dogs welcome
Like Kiona Vineyards, Fidélitas Winery is located in Red Mountain and focuses on premium reds that reflect the special microclimate of the AVA. But what makes their wines truly unique is that it was built on top of decades of wine knowledge from some of Washington’s elite producers.
Founder Charlie Hoppes always enjoyed wine because his family allowed him to sample it at a young age, European style. However, he went to engineering school fully planning on a technical career.
The world had other plans though. His engineering salary allowed him to sample premium wines from France and California, which made him realize he’d missed his calling in winemaking. So he went back to school for viticulture and enology, followed by years of apprenticing under Mike Januik of Chateau Ste. Michelle fame.
Charlie went on to help start Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla before settling back home in the Yakima Valley to start Fidélitas. While at Three Rivers, he started the Fidélitas Meritage line. That’s where the Fidélitas name was born, and you can still find his original wine on the Fidélitas menu under the name Optu Red Mountain.
Now you can enjoy Charlie and his family’s wine from their beautiful tasting room. On a nice day, the huge garage door-like window will be thrown open for indoor-outdoor vibes overlooking the vineyards and hills in the distance.
VanArnam Vineyards
website | location: Zillah, WA (get directions) | best for: orange wine | kids and dogs welcome
Winemaker and owner Branden Seymour envisioned a property that was perfect for both wine tasting and entertaining. The result is VanArnam Vineyards, a 30-acre estate that’s as much of a party venue as it is a winery.
At any given time, VanArnam may be hosting live music or a farm-to-table dinner. There’s plenty of room to spread out, with a huge yard overlooking the Yakima Valley. There’s even an onsite restaurant that offers food pairings alongside the wine.
You’ll find a lot of acidic, fruit-forward wines that pair well with food. My favorite is Branden’s orange wine, as it’s not very common in Yakima Valley. It often has an orchestra of flavors that change on your palate as you taste, starting floral and then finishing with a blast of citrus notes. Make sure it’s part of your tasting flight!
Two Mountain Winery
website | location: Zillah, WA (get directions) | best for: certified-sustainable wines | kids and dogs welcome
Two Mountain Winery is named after the two mountain peaks that serve as the backdrop of its vineyard, Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams. The property wasn’t always a winery, though. Rather, it started as Schmidt Orchards.
The farm mostly focused on other types of fruit production, but the owners slowly decided to add grapes to their crop. When co-owners Matthew and Patrick Rawn were growing up, they were merely the “help” assigned to various tasks around the property. But as the orchard’s grape crop grew, so did their realization that winemaking was their calling.
So they purchased Schmidt Orchards from their family in 2006 and renamed it Copeland Vineyard. Nowadays Two Mountain Winery has more vineyards around the Yakima Valley, but the tasting room still sits on the vines where it all began.
The Rawn brothers’ mission is to provide approachable, yet sustainable wines that highlight Washington terroir. In 2020, they became the first growers in Washington to be certified-green through RULES for Sustainable Winegrowing, a science-based certification program headquartered in Lodi, California. They’re now also salmon-safe certified and members of the Sustainable WA program, showing their commitment to honoring their family’s land.
More to do in Yakima Valley, WA
There is so much more to do besides wine tasting in Yakima Valley. I’ll leave you with some quick ideas so you can explore more beyond the Yakima Valley wineries!
Restaurants
Yakima Valley is dotted with mom-and-pop restaurants serving excellent food. Here are some of my favorites:
- Los Hernández Tamales (Union Gap & Yakima) – James Beard-winning tamales. Take frozen ones home!
- Taqueria La Plazita (Zillah) – Excellent Mexican food, particularly street tacos
- Country Mercantile (Richland & Pasco) – Gourmet food store with locally-made pantry staples, their own homemade confections (get the candied apples!), and homemade sandwiches
- Hop Town Wood-Fired Pizza (Wapato) – Creative pizzas and amazing wings (get the Alabama wings!)
- Crafted (Yakima) – Fancier farm-to-table restaurant
Breweries
All of those Yakima hops need to be put to use somewhere! Here are breweries in the valley not to miss:
- Bale Breaker (Yakima) – One of Washington’s most-famous breweries
- Wheat Head Brewing (Kennewick) – Gorgeous views of Horse Heaven Hills
Farms & U-Pick
There are a ton of farmers markets and u-pick farms in Yakima Valley. The Yakima Valley tourism board manages a full list!
Outdoor Adventures
Given all the land in the valley, there are a ton of outdoor adventures ready to be had. Hikers should visit the Cowiche Canyon trail system near Yakima, Washington. This protected area has about 13 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
For more casual walking and biking, check out the 20-mile Yakima Greenway that weaves along the Yakima River. Or head to the Yakima Area Arboretum for 46 acres of botanical gardens.
Snow bunnies should plan a trip in winter to visit White Pass Ski Area. It’s one of the best Washington ski resorts near Mt. Rainier National Park for cross-country and downhill skiing or snowboarding.
Water activities
The Yakima River Canyon is a scenic drive just north of all the Yakima Valley wineries. You can see it from above at the many viewpoints and hikes lining the road, or get on the water. There are a bunch of paddling and floating opportunities. Or head to Tieton River for white water rafting!
Other Pacific Northwest wineries to explore
After you cross the best Yakima Valley wineries off your bucket list, visit some of the other Pacific Northwest wineries!
- Best Walla Walla Wineries
- Must-Visit Columbia Gorge Wineries
- My Favorite Chelan Valley Wineries
- Cozy Leavenworth Wineries
- Best Bainbridge Island Wineries
- Must-Try Whidbey Island Wineries
- Local’s Guide to Woodinville Wineries
- Best Seattle Urban Wineries
- Top Willamette Valley Wineries
- Best Eugene Wineries
