Skip to content

Top Navigation

Food & Wine Food & Wine
  • Recipes & Cooking
  • Drinks
  • Travel
  • Holidays + Events
  • News
  • F&W Classic
  • Video
  • Lifestyle
  • F&W Pro
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • F&W Classic Insiders this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Wine Club
  • Podcast
  • Food & Wine Books this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Food & Wine

Food & Wine Food & Wine
  • Explore

    Explore

    • F&W Cooks

      F&W Cooks

      Food and Wine presents a new network of food pros delivering the most cookable recipes and delicious ideas online. Read More
    • Our 22 Best Crock Pot and Slow-Cooker Recipes

      Our 22 Best Crock Pot and Slow-Cooker Recipes

      Looking to amp up your beef stew but unsure where to start? A slow cooker can can take your comfort food to the next level. Read More
    • 50 Affordable Wines You Can Always Trust

      50 Affordable Wines You Can Always Trust

      We’ve assembled a list of 50 of the world’s most reliable, inexpensive wines – bottles that offer amazing quality for their price year in and year out. Read More
  • Recipes & Cooking

    Recipes & Cooking

    See All Recipes & Cooking
    • Chicken
    • Comfort Food
    • Breakfast + Brunch
    • Salads
    • Desserts
    • Vegetables
    • Pasta + Noodles
    • Chefs
    • Meat + Poultry
    • Soup
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
    • Fruits
    • Seafood
    • Special Diets
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Steal This Trick
  • Drinks

    Drinks

    See All Drinks
    • Wine
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Coffee
    • Juices
    • Beer
    • Champagne + Sparkling Wine
    • Tea
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    • Wine Regions
    • Restaurants
  • Holidays + Events

    Holidays + Events

    See All Holidays + Events
    • Valentine's Day
    • Halloween
    • Passover
    • Hanukkah
    • Christmas
    • Gifts
    • Super Bowl
    • Easter
    • Thanksgiving
    • New Year's Eve
    • Holiday Entertaining
  • News
  • F&W Classic

    F&W Classic

    See All F&W Classic
    • F&W Classic Insider
  • Video
  • Lifestyle
  • F&W Pro
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • F&W Classic Insiders this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Wine Club
  • Podcast
  • Food & Wine Books this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Wine
  3. Best Washington State Wineries to Visit

Best Washington State Wineries to Visit

By Food & Wine Updated June 16, 2016
Skip gallery slides
FB Tweet
Woodward Canyon
Credit: Colby Kuschatka
Once known chiefly for its value wines and terrific Riesling, Washington has built a reputation for complex reds that rival top California bottlings. The industry is growing: In the past decade, Washington has more than tripled its number of wineries and recently approved its 13th AVA. Here, the best Washington state wineries to visit.—Richard Nalley
Start Slideshow

1 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Charles Smith/K Vintners

Charles Smith Wines
Credit: Charles Smith Wines

Flamboyant, plain-spoken (see the video on his website) Charles Smith, a former rock band manager and current wine guru, produces a string of labels, from luxury priced to everyday drinking (like Kung Fu Girl and Red Devil). His three tasting rooms include an industrial chic space converted from an old Doctor Pepper bottling plant in the Georgetown area of Seattle, aka Jet City (the floor to ceiling windows look out on Boeing field), a former auto repair shop in downtown Walla Walla converted by the top-notch Olson Kundig architectural firm, and the K Vintners outpost near Walla Walla on a 19th century farmstead. charlessmithwines.com

1 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Cave B Estate

Cave B Estate Winery
Credit: Cave B Estate Winery Collection

Cave B's wines are as close at hand to Seattle visitors as the winery's Woodinville tasting room, but to get the real experience—the 900-foot cliff, the panoramic views, The Gorge natural amphitheater music venue—you have to make the considerable drive to Quincy. Fortunately, the Cave B Resort provides a range of appealing overnight accommodations, and the Tendrils Restaurant will keep you fed while sipping the broad array of all-estate wines. caveb.com

2 of 19

3 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Barnard Griffin

Barnard Griffin
Credit: Barnard Griffin Winery

Possibly the only winery you'll ever visit with an art-glass school attached. Rob Griffin's pioneering efforts in eastern Washington have resulted in some of the state's finest wine bargains—the entry level Cabernet is a steal—available for sampling at the winery's Richland Wine Bar and Eatery alongside an abundant menu of artisan foods. Wife Deborah Barnard, a fused-glass artist, extends the learning experience with her db Studio and Gallery. barnardgriffin.com

3 of 19

Advertisement

4 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Chateau Ste. Michelle
Credit: © 2013 Kevin Cruff Photography

The Washington titan is one of the most reliable big wineries in the world, with tasty bottles to look for up and down the lineup, including excellent deals like the Indian Wells Red Blend, and unique bottlings like the Eroica Riesling in partnership with Germany’s Ernst Loosen. The hospitality center in Seattle's suburban Woodinville is ground zero for Washington wine tourism, with a slate of tour and tasting options, from casual drop-in, to the appointment-only Ultimate Tour ($85), plus numerous concerts and special events. ste-michelle.com

4 of 19

5 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Col Solare

Col Solare
Credit: Col Solare Winery

This joint venture between Ste. Michelle and Tuscany's iconic Antinori is in a design-magazine-worthy winery dramatically situated in a sprawling Wild West landscape on a slope of Red Mountain. The winery produces a luxury-priced red based on Cabernet Sauvignon that has been much acclaimed. The tasting room is open Thursday through Sunday, with tours offered Sunday afternoons. There is also a Col Solare Bottega for tasting inside Chateau Ste. Michelle's Woodinville winery. colsolare.com

5 of 19

6 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Columbia Crest

Columbia Crest
Credit: Columbia Crest

Ste. Michelle's sister winery is well-known for fine bargains in Bordeaux-style reds and Chardonnays, but its Reserve tier wines, produced in the Petit Chai "winery within the winery" can be impressive too. The winery in Paterson, overlooking the Columbia River, offers self-guided tours daily, and free, guided tours on the weekend by reservation. Call ahead to reserve a wine and food pairing experience ($25). columbiacrest.com

6 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

DeLille Cellars

DeLille Cellars
Credit: DeLille Cellars

Among the state's top wineries, this small, suburban Woodinville producer makes age-worthy Bordeaux-style wines under the DeLille label and top Rhône-style wines under the Doyenne name, and single vineyard wines from Red Mountain under Grand Ciel. There are two tasting locations, the Carriage House near the winery in Woodinville, and the Maison DeLille Wine Lounge, with frequent live music, in Kirkland. delillecellars.com

7 of 19

8 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Gramercy Cellars

Gramercy Cellars
Credit: Mark VanDonge Photography

Master sommelier Greg Harrington pursued his dream, leaving downtown Manhattan behind to explore the vineyards of Walla Walla, and developing a dedicated following along the way for his deft, natural wines with Old World-style balance. The cozy tasting room is a must-stop for lovers of world-class red wine—check the website for hours of operation, or call ahead for an appointment. gramercycellars.com

8 of 19

9 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Hedges Family Estate

Hedges Family Estate
Credit: Boo Walker

Hedges was among the pioneers in putting Red Mountain on wine-lovers' maps for dense, lush reds including Bordeaux blends. The winery remains a family affair—run by the founders' son and daughter—producing biodynamically farmed wines from Red Mountain and more affordable wines under the HIP and CMS labels. Check the web-site for the tasting room schedule at the Benton winery, or call ahead for an appointment. hedgesfamilyestate.com

9 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Hogue Cellars

Hogue Cellars
Credit: Hogue Cellars

One of the state's larger producers, and one of the few to retain Riesling—one of Washington wine's first hits—as a major calling card. Hogue produces very well-priced wines in three pricing tiers for the general market, but a fourth tier, the tiny production "Terroir" wines, are available only to club members and visitors to the tasting room in Prosser. hoguecellars.com

10 of 19

11 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

L'Ecole No. 41

L’Ecole No. 41
Credit: Sander Olson Productions

One of Walla Walla's first wineries, this family-owned venture situated in a 1915 schoolhouse remains one of the region's—and the state's—standard bearers. L'Ecole has had successes across its line, but is probably best known for Bordeaux-style reds and arguably America's best Semillon. The tasting room in Lowden provides drop-ins flights for $5, but offers a schedule of tours and tastings, up to a 90-minute Reserve Tour ($30) by appointment. lecole.com

11 of 19

12 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Long Shadows

Long Shadows
Credit: Courtesy of Long Shadows

An extraordinary venture and one Washington's better kept secrets considering the scope of the undertaking: Seven limited production wines crafted by seven masters from around the world, including Bordeaux's Michel Rolland (Pedestal), Napa Valley's Philippe Melka (Pirouette) and the Nahe Valley's Armin Diel (Poet’s Leap). Long Shadows' two tasting rooms, one at the winery in Walla Walla, the other in Woodinville, offer various sit-down tasting options by appointment, starting at $20. Given that these wines often sell out quickly on the web-site, showing up may be the best way to taste them. longshadows.com

12 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Milbrandt Vineyards

Milbrandt Vineyards
Credit: Richard Duval

Milbrandt is a multi-generation family operation with nearly 2,500 acres of vineyard to draw from, including major parcels in the Wahluke Slope and Ancient Lakes regions. The tasting room in Prosser offers tasting flights ($5-$10) of the winery's extensive lineup (including 15+ different varietals), plus Vineyard Series wines available only there. milbrandtvineyards.com

13 of 19

14 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Nefarious Cellars

Nefarious Cellars
Credit: Charity Burggraaf

With their spectacular views of Lake Chelan, Dean and Heather Neff—he makes the red wine, she the white—work some of the most scenic vineyards in Washington. Particularly well-known for their Rocky Mother Syrah and Stone's Throw Riesling, the Neffs produce a range of wines worthy of attention. Check online for seasonal tasting room hours and the availability of the lake view guesthouse. nefariouscellars.com

14 of 19

15 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Northstar Winery

Northstar Winery
Credit: Northstar Winery

Part of the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates portfolio, this Walla Walla winery focuses on Merlot (while producing fine wines from other varieties as well), and serves as a reminder of how good Merlot can be when given the star treatment. Northstar's light-flooded, modern tasting room offers a diverse flight of wines for $7, but visitors with more time to spend should book the Blending Experience ($85), an expert-guided seminar in which you blend your own wine. northstarwinery.com

15 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Novelty Hill Januik

Novelty Hill Januik
Credit: Novelty Hill Januik

This sleek, architectural building in Woodinville is actually home to two wine enterprises, both helmed by the gifted Mike Januik, a Washington veteran most famous for his Cabernet Sauvignons, but with a deft hand for whites as well. A $10 tasting fee allows visitors to select four wines from the menu of 20+ offerings. There is a fire on winter days, and fresh-made pizza on the weekends. noveltyhilljanuik.com

16 of 19

17 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Walla Walla Airport

Walla Walla Airport
Credit: Andrea Johnson

A unique feature of Walla Walla’s wine scene is the airport, which is yes, an airport, but also an eastside wine tourist attraction with over 20 small wineries, including Buty, Dunham Cellars and Adamant, all within walking distance of one another, housed in a variety of accommodations, from boutique-y to vintage hangar industrial. gotastewine.com

17 of 19

18 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Waterbrook Winery

Waterbrook
Credit: Courtesy Waterbrook Winery

The lovely contemporary pond-side winery with a view of the Blue Mountains is set up to receive visitors. Taste Waterbrook's popularly priced Bordeaux blends and Chardonnays outdoors in fine weather, and enjoy local and seasonal food from the winery's kitchen Thursday-Monday. waterbrook.com

18 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 19

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Woodward Canyon

Woodward Canyon
Credit: Colby Kuschatka

A pilgrimage spot for Washington wine lovers, Rick Small's unassuming 1870s farmhouse tasting room in Lowden is all about the wine itself, which can be some of the New World's best. The man who pioneered the modern era in Walla Walla (with his friend Gary Figgins of Leonetti) has now had decades of experience with the top-notch vineyards that produce his acclaimed wines. Private tastings and lunches in season are served at the next door Reserve House. woodwardcanyon.com

19 of 19

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Food & Wine

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 19 Charles Smith/K Vintners
    2 of 19 Cave B Estate
    3 of 19 Barnard Griffin
    4 of 19 Chateau Ste. Michelle
    5 of 19 Col Solare
    6 of 19 Columbia Crest
    7 of 19 DeLille Cellars
    8 of 19 Gramercy Cellars
    9 of 19 Hedges Family Estate
    10 of 19 Hogue Cellars
    11 of 19 L'Ecole No. 41
    12 of 19 Long Shadows
    13 of 19 Milbrandt Vineyards
    14 of 19 Nefarious Cellars
    15 of 19 Northstar Winery
    16 of 19 Novelty Hill Januik
    17 of 19 Walla Walla Airport
    18 of 19 Waterbrook Winery
    19 of 19 Woodward Canyon

    Share & More

    Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Food & Wine

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Food & Wine
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithFood & Wine is part of the Meredith Corporation Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Food & Wine. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.foodandwine.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Best Washington State Wineries to Visit
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.