Washington Wine Country: Where We Went
This was our basic itinerary:
Here’s where we stopped:
Yakima:
Miner’s Drive-In. Biggest burgers you’ve ever seen, great curly fries. No atmosphere, other than ancient drive-thru, but it was started in 1948 so what do you expect?
Bonair Winery. Decent wines, on the more affordable side. Had pretty views of the mountains but an awkward tasting room.
Portteus Winery. Right next to vineyards, with a casual tasting room and friendly staff. Big, bold reds, good prices.
Cultura Wine. Best tasting room we saw in Yakima. Really nice vibe inside and out with fruity, bold red wines. Slightly pricier, but worth it.
Prosser:
Airfield Estates Winery. Fun tasting room, great wine. Very impressed with their whole line-up, from light whites to heavy reds. Also offered free crackers and some fun merchandise, like their signature pickled asparagus.
Tri-Cities:
Stayed at a TownPlace Marriott on the river that was excellent – clean, comfortable and affordable.
Fox and Bear Public House. Pretty disappointing. They didn’t seem to have a grasp of what kind of restaurant they are, so they tried to be a bit of everything and failed. The food was only OK, the service was weird and the atmosphere was lacking (part country diner, part chic pub, part not-working).
Walla Walla:
Stayed at Green Gables Inn, which was SUCH a fun experience. Every room is named after a location in Anne of Green Gables, the innkeeper was incredibly kind, and the fellow guests were friendly and fun. Really neat old house, built in 1909 and right across the street from Whitman College, close to downtown. Also, we got some fun perks, like free wine tasting coupons, complimentary wine, soda and etc. in the kitchen and a great homemade breakfast on the porch.
Basel Cellars. Great atmosphere and tasting room, beautiful winery location, great wines and knowledgeable, friendly staff.
Dusted Valley. Decent tasting room, definitely not a must-see, though. They had an unusual, tasty Rose and a couple of nice reds as well.
Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen. You know that when you call for reservations and the hostess chuckles, it’s a great place. We snuck into the last free table on the patio and it did not disappoint. Easily one of the top five meals we have ever had – every dish was perfect, the service was excellent and the atmosphere incredible. (Beef cheeks with wine-soaked raisins and peaches, flatbread with mussels and pancetta, fresh lamb and steak tartare… kisses fingertips dramatically) I would go back to Walla Walla just to eat here again.
L’Ecole 41. Super cool tasting room, in an old school surrounded by Walla Walla farmland. Unfortunately, the wine and service weren’t as good as the snazzy atmosphere led us to believe. The red blend was the best offering.
By the border:
Columbia Crest Winery. Columbia Crest is found everywhere (even CostCo, be still my beating heart) so it’s not exactly a boutique winery. However, the sheer size and scope of the facility is incredible, and the wine is very tasty and affordable. Even though it’s in the middle of nowhere, it’s worth the stop, and a beautiful place to while away some time.
We also explored Palouse Falls State Park and the Whitman Mission. Both were fun places to hike around and learn something about the area.