The Pacific Northwest is no stranger to orchards of fruit. We’ve utilized cherries, apples, raspberries, and hops, but the grape harvest is one of the most successfully cultivated. Washington vineyards make up more than half a million acres in this state, and the ones we have immediate access to in Yakima County are among the most extensive.
Wineries have popped up all over the region in the last thirty years, and you don’t have to travel very far to find them. Here are three Yakima County wineries to visit in 2022.
Kana Winery
10 South 2nd Street
Yakima
One of your neighborhood wineries, located right across from Cowiche Canyon, is Kana Winery. With a wide array of reds and whites, Kana has a tasting room that’s bound to have something you’ll like. The staff is kind, and the prices are very competitive at $5 for a tasting (which is entirely free if you decide to buy a bottle of wine). You may be lucky enough to drop in on a live music night that Kana very frequently hosts.
The appeal of outdoor seating may be lost for the winter months, but when the weather merits a lovely outside experience, you’ll have a great view of downtown Yakima. You won’t miss much inside, though, with classy seating arrangements, decor, and big-screen televisions most likely broadcasting a sporting event.
Treveri Cellars
71 Gangl Road
Wapato
Another well-known Yakima County winery is Treveri Cellars in Wapato. Treveri is a family-owned establishment that opened just over a decade ago this year. Treveri specializes in a selection of sparkling wine that, to me, is a lot more enjoyable than some of the more bitter red wines I’ve pretended to like at other wineries.
As of right now, Treveri’s tasting room is open for walk-ins and reservations. If you decide to drop in, sparkling wine won’t be the only thing you’ll have the choice of trying. Treveri offers a list of sparkling cocktails as simple as mimosas and as complicated as a four-ingredient Riesling concoction made with fresh muddled mint and lime. This winery has a delectable food menu with small and extravagant plates to go with your drink. Between the fresh caviar, local smoked fish, crackers, peppers, and dipping spreads, one of my favorite meals to get here is the baked brie. Choose the savory flavored brie with crackers and you won’t regret it.
In the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Treveri stayed active and flexible by offering igloo bubbles for private enjoyment, curbside pickup, and delivery. An essential aspect of Treveri’s business is its local and U.S. delivery. Transmitting Treveri’s sparkling wines across the country lets their name be known in any of the 26 states they ship to.
AntoLin Cellars
14 North Front Street
Yakima
Unlike Treveri, not all wineries are built in solitude. It’s easy to miss some of the wineries in downtown Yakima, but don’t make the mistake of overlooking AntoLin Cellars. Nestled near Northtown Coffee on North Front Street, AntoLin Cellars is an enjoyable and straightforward stop for a relaxing wine tasting or lively entertainment that ranges from paint nights to live music and general events.
AntoLin serves artisan wines, all locally made in Washington State. Their own AntoLin Estate Vineyards are responsible for at least three of their wine selections, and others are from our own Yakima Valley, if not Columbia Valley. My visits to this winery happened at opposite times during the year. My first occurred during late mid-summer when the weather was favorably warm and sunny. The outdoor seating was a must. Between the classy umbrellas, beautiful trees diffusing the blistering sunlight, and surrounding blooming shrubbery, there was always something beautiful to observe. While out on the patio, I got to sip on a sweet, blended wine slushy. AntoLin had two different choices of wine, but the sugary one that I got was a perfect balance between strong, refreshing, and delicious.
Although AntoLin offers a heated patio to enjoy your drinks on, sitting inside was more appealing when I visited this winery in the cold winter months. Aside from the large main lobby when you first enter the building, there is a smaller lounge area to the right with some of the most comfortable furniture to sit upon.
Yakima Valley is blessed with many more wineries, and these few are only some of the more stunning ones I’ve been lucky enough to visit personally. Visit Downtown Yakima’s Wine Country page for more local wineries with directions, tours, and detailed information about the establishments.
