+- WineBoard (https://www.wines.com/wineboard)
+-- Forum: GENERAL (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-100.html)
+--- Forum: Talk With Your Moderators (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-3.html)
+--- Thread: Wine Area Around Yakima (/thread-21124.html)
- TheEngineer - 07-03-2007
KC got me really interested in going up to The NW wine region.........so figured out a way ta get there have desire will travel [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]
I will be in the area early next week for one day. Specifically I will be in Seattle.
I'm thinking about driving over to Yakima for a day. Can anyone suggest wineries that I should go and see? It appears that we have had a busy travel season this year for us wine travellers with everyone around here going all over the place.....good ta see...maybe one day we will bump into each other at the airport lounge!! TIA
- dananne - 07-03-2007
We've visited WA wine country each of the last two years. Look down on the Travel thread for our trip posts, particularly last year's notes. If you're going to only be there one day, and coming from Seattle, you may want to save the drive time and visit the Woodinville area instead of crossing the Cascades and doing the Yakima Valley. That having been said, we've tasted up and down that valley and simply LOVE the area. In fact, we have seriously discussed the possibility of moving to the area. Simply gorgeous, and still very down-to-earth. If you have any questions or want more specifics, just let me know.
- TheEngineer - 07-03-2007
Thanks Dananne. Your posts were actually the first ones I looked for! [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]
I knew that you had posted on them in the past and they were great to use and many of the wineries that you posted were not listed on many of the Washington wine sites. So I've got now on my list Hedges, Two Mountain, Willow Crest and Kestrel now.
Since I am coming in from Seattle, I actually wanted to go no further than red mountain (walla walla would have been a 600 mile round trip......). In fact I was hoping that Yakima would have been as far as I needed to go for a decent time. Any suggestions from this area?
- dananne - 07-03-2007
OK, so you'll be taking 90 over the Cascades (past a little town called Roslyn, which is only necessary to know because it was the setting for Northern Exposure) and then getting on 82 to take you down into the Yakima Valley. First, if it was me, I'd bypass the stuff around Yakima and continue on to the Rattlesnake Hills. I'd suggest Sagelands in Wapato and Two Mountain in Zillah, though there is a "Fruit Loop" wine trail that could keep you busy for the better part of a day. Better to move on to the Prosser area. On the way, you could stop at Apex in Sunnyside, which does a good job with Cab. In Prosser, I'd suggest Willow Crest for sure (amazing and innovative stuff), and also Alexandria Nicole, particularly for their Destiny Ridge stuff. It is right downtown next to Coyote Canyon, where a person on this wine board does some work. Kestrel is also a good stop in Prosser, and we liked their wines across the board. On Red Mountain, you should stop at Hedges, but I'd also suggest a visit to Terra Blanca just to see how mammoth it is. If you make it as far as the Tri-Cities, I'd suggest a stop at Bookwalter or Tagaris for some nice wine and a bite to eat.
The problem with only going so far as Yakima is twofold. First, for a long time, the Yakima Valley produced the grapes, but all the wineries were in the Woodinville area or Walla Walla. Now, there is a fledgling industry and some places worth stopping, but they tend to be clustered south of Yakima in the Rattlesnake Hills, around and in Prosser, on Red Mtn., and on to the Tri-Cities. Second, the wineries around Yakima aren't really the ones that would cause you to make a several-hour drive. For those, you have to move on past Yakima. If you do stay up in the Yakima area, you do have wineries to visit. If memory serves, Running Springs is up there, as is Donitelia, Yakima Cellars, and Kana, among others, but I've little experience with those wineries.
Hope this helps your planning!
- Bucko - 07-04-2007
Keep in mind that Seattle to Benton City is about a 3 1/2 hour drive. I've been underwhelmed by the quality of Yakima wineries with the exception of Wineglass. Red Mountain wineries at the top of my list are Sand Hill and Terra Blanca. If it were me, I'd concentrate on Woodinvile where there are many wineries more upscale. My two cents.
- TheEngineer - 07-04-2007
Thanks DA and Bucko. I'll take a look into both. Maybe I was being a bit too optimistic on the driving times.....
Going to Hawaii immediately after now so not sure that I would be able to buy anything now..... I'll be back out later in the Quarter so maybe I'll take a bit more time to plan.
- TheEngineer - 07-07-2007
Remember the day that I had open????...@#$!@#%!@#$ client wants to play #!@#!@#$ golf.....
ahh...I can't complain I guess. Short stop in Windsor Ontario first (maybe I'll get to go to the niagara wine region instead.....).