45 Best Sights in Washington Wine Country, Washington

With an attractive tasting room in the up-and-coming Port of Benton Wine and Food Park on the east side of town, Alexandria Nicole opened its eco-minded winery near the Columbia River—about 35 miles south—in 2004 and has steadily developed into one of the region's stars. The refreshing Viognier and lightly floral Shepherds Market Roussanne-based blend scores high marks from critics, while the cherry- and plum-inflected Tempranillo is a stellar choice among the reds. Ask about the four tiny houses for rent at the vineyard, which also has a seasonal (mid-March to mid.-November) tasting room. 

This fascinating, underrated living history museum is quite a sight to see, with rows and upon rows of antique farming equipment, including more than 150 tractors donated by families that have been farming the Yakima Valley for generations. This sprawling property is devoted to preserving the region's agrarian heritage, with additional exhibits that include pioneer-era homesteads and cabins, a vintage railroad boxcar, a vintage gas station, a blacksmith shop, a sawmill, and many more buildings. Just south of Yakima in one of the state's oldest towns, Union Gap, the museum occupies a good chunk of 15-acre Fullbright Park and offers access to trails along Ahtanum Creek and up into the high-desert hills. The grounds are open year-round, even when the buildings are closed.

Co Dinn, the owner of this downtown Sunnyside operation, spent nearly 20 years as the winemaker at renowned Hogue Cellars before establishing his own boutique winery. Top wine publications have taken notice and lavished praise on the complex unfiltered Chardonnay and juicy southern Rhône GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre). The tasting room is in a neatly transformed deco-style former water utility building with a pleasant side patio. 

Established in 2001 on the site of a historic apple orchard on the lower slopes of the Rattlesnake Hills, this popular winery with a focus on sustainability specializes in both estate-grown Bordeaux- and Rhone-style varietals, from the supple and earthy Cabernet Franc to a French oak-aged Roussanne-Viognier blend. The handsome tasting room adjoins a gable-roofed terrace surrounded by colorful gardens. 

This vaunted boutique winery with sweeping views specializes is a darling of those who appreciate exceptional Bordeaux wines, including one of the state's most accomplished Malbecs. The tasting room is modern, bright, and airy, and outdoor seating areas provide a spectacular backdrop for indulging in these rich wines, along with charcuterie and cheese platters. 

Established several miles south of Yakima in 2018 by a team of wine-loving architects, this stunning modern tasting room set on a hill with clear Mt. Adams views produces accessible Pinot Gris, Syrah, and several other balanced wines. The kitchen serves tasty flatbread pizzas and other wine-friendly fare, and the winery offers overnight stays in a couple of guest homes and a restored vintage Airstream. 

You could lose yourself for a couple of hours browsing the three floors of light-filled galleries within downtown's imposing 1889 Stewart Building. This community art center buzzes with creative energy, as artists often work on-site. Rotating exhibits showcase the area's considerable diversity of artistic talent, and there's a fantastic gift shop. Be sure to check out the top floor, which preserves many of the building's most striking Victorian architectural elements.

It's worth the 20-minute drive from downtown Yakima to experience a tasting at this beautiful family-run vineyard specializing in blends of Rhône and Bordeaux varietals and both lightly oaked and unoaked Chardonnays. During the warmer months, music concerts are held in the amphitheater, with breathtaking mountains forming the backdrop. 

At this 30-acre lavender farm and wine-making operation set in a stylishly modernized farmhouse a little northwest of Zillah, you can sample first-rate, mostly Bordeaux- and Rhône-style vin, along with a brick-oven-baked pizza made with a dough recipe passed down by one of the owner's Ukrainian families. You can also attend concerts, chef dinners, and other special events.

John Williams planted the first grapes on Red Mountain in 1975, made his first Kiona Vineyards wines in 1980, and produced the first commercial Lemberger, a light German red, in the United States. Today the winery boasts a beautiful 10,000-square-foot tasting room with 180-degree views of Red Mountain and the Rattlesnake Hills, an idyllic setting for sampling top-notch late-harvest Riesling, Chenin Blanc ice wine, Sangiovese, Syrah, and many others. You can order charcuterie and cheese plates to enjoy inside or on the patio.

One of the early Yakima Valley wineries, established in 1981, Portteus is beloved by red-wine drinkers. Production includes Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Zinfandel, and port—as well as a robust Chardonnay. The family-run tasting room is often staffed by the second generation of the Portteus family. Grapes are grown at 1,440-foot elevation on 47 acres above Zillah.

This friendly winery on the fertile slopes of the Yakima River stands out both for its splendid gardenlike setting and its diverse selection of wines. You'll find everything here from peppery Carmeneres to inky Port-style Zinfandel dessert wines to lightly effervescent moscatos. 

Another of Prosser's crop of younger wineries that have developed a big reputation, Wit Cellars offers tastings in a dapper space in Vintners Village. In addition to producing an eclectic array of superb wines, from a old-world-style Cabernet Franc to a late-harvest Riesling and a port-style Petit Verdot dessert wines, the winery stands out for its exceptionally welcoming staff.

This family-run winery's tasting room, reminiscent of a European chalet, sits among vineyards near a duck pond that's lovely for picnics. A valley stalwart since 1985, Bonair has garnered dozens of awards for its Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Riesling, and Chardonnay.

Roughly 12,500 students learn and in many cases reside on this pleasant, tree-shaded campus marked by formidable redbrick architecture and located on the north side of downtown. University Way contains several handsome buildings dating from the university's founding in 1891 as the State Normal School. Attractions near the center of campus include a serene Japanese garden and the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, which features the work of regional and national artists.

Half this museum set inside converted vintage downtown storefronts houses a collection of works by renowned painter John Clymer (1907–89), an Ellensburg native who was one of the most widely published illustrators of the American West, focusing many of his oils and watercolors on wildlife and indigenous culture. The other galleries mount rotating exhibitions featuring other established and emerging Western and wildlife artists.

Established by the famous (since the 14th century) Italian winemaker Marchesi Antinori and Washington’s oldest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, this dramatic if somewhat imposing postmodern winery set atop of lofty bluff overlooking the Red Mountain AVA is devoted to big, bold, and quite pricey Cabernet Sauvignons, Malbecs, and other Bordeaux reds produced in the style of Super Tuscans. Estate tours and tastings of these critically adored wines are by reservation only. 

Set in Sunnyside's white-clapboard former rail depot, Côte Bonneville winery has earned cult status among discerning sippers for its expressive wines produced from low-yield grape vines on the steep, rocky, south-facing slopes of nearby DuBrul Vineyard. Drop by this art-filled tasting room to sample the superb Cabernet Franc Rosé or one of the richly textured Bordeaux blends.

The home of artists Jane Orleman and her late husband Dick Elliott is a continuously growing whimsical folk sculpture of outsider art: a collage of some 20,000 bottle caps, 1,500 bicycle reflectors, and other colorful, reused bits. Although you can't tour the house itself, you can view the fantastic exterior and art-strewn front and backyards from the sidewalk, and you're encouraged to sign the guest book mounted on the surrounding fence.

The residential quarters of an 1856 army fort, located on some 200 acres about 30 miles west of Toppenish, look like a Victorian summer retreat. Exhibits focus on relations between the Yakama people—in the heart of whose reservation the fort stands—and American settlers. The Military Days celebration in May features reenactments. There's wildlife viewing, especially bird-watching, all year as well as 45 picnic tables and four sheltered picnic areas.

About 30 miles east of Ellensburg via Interstate 90, Ginkgo Petrified Forest hugs the western bank of the Columbia River and preserves the remarkable petrified-wood logs that were once part of a thriving ginkgo forest. The 1¼-mile Trees of Stone Interpretative Trail loop trailhead and Trailside Museum are a 2-mile drive west of the interpretive center (closed Monday through Thursday, mid-September–mid-May). The adjacent Wanapum Recreation Area has camping, swimming, and river access for boaters.

The most widely recognized of Red Mountain's many acclaimed wineries occupies a spectacular hillside château that looks like it could have been plucked straight out of the Bordeaux countryside. Indeed, the estate specializes in the classic French grapes that excel in this terroir, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah leading the charge. On cool days, sip your wine by the fire in the grand tasting room; in summer, have a seat on the patio overlooking the neatly groomed gardens.

Sourcing from 180 acres of vineyards in Zillah, Hyatt has long been respected for Merlot and Syrah, as well as a dessert-friendly late-harvest Riesling. The well-appointed tasting room and well-manicured gardens and lawns are nice for picnicking and offer grand views to the west of the Cascades.

Don't be put off by the industrial look of the Port of Benton's Wine and Food Park—it's home to several superb wineries, including this certified-organic operation that's long been acclaimed for its full-bodied reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah) and an eclectic mix of whites (Chardonnay, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc). They're made from grapes—some of them estate grown—that are deliberately stressed to increase the intensity of their flavors. The tasting room sells cheeses and deli items and has an inviting covered patio. 

The six galleries in this excellent regional history museum set inside the opulent Victorian Cadwell Building showcase one of the state's better pioneer artifact collections, ranging from Native American basketry to early-20th-century carriages. There's also an impressive collection of historic photos.