The former tasting room \u2013 and I\u2019ll use that term lightly \u2013 was located in the basement of founders John and Ann Williams\u2019 home. It\u2019s been replaced by a huge facility that includes a patio offering breathtaking views of the surrounding vineyards. Best wines during a recent visit: the 2002 Reserve Syrah ($20) and the 2005 Dry Riesling ($13).<\/p>\n
At nearby Terra Blanca Winery<\/strong> they\u2019ve constructed something that resembles a mansion, replete with an outdoor courtyard where guests are encouraged to linger and have a glass of wine. I thought their 2005 Viognier, 2006 Sauvignon Blanc and 2002 Syrah were all drinking especially well, and each is currently available for $20 or less.<\/p>\n Also in Prosser is newcomer Airfield Estates<\/strong>, which features the Officers Club, a room lined with built-in wine racks and available for private tastings. The room\u2019s centerpiece is a stunning chandelier, constructed from 72 pieces of Riedel stemware.<\/p>\n And just east of Yakima, don\u2019t miss Windy Point Vineyards<\/strong>. The tasting room boasts a commercial kitchen, dining room, seating area with flat screen television and spectacular views of the Yakima Valley.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The days of the rustic tasting room \u2013 where visitors would assemble behind a plywood countertop supported by two oak barrels \u2013 appear to be over. Enter the state-of-the-art wine facility, where customer service, comfort and, of course, quality wines are the top priority. Nowhere is this more evident than in Eastern Washington\u2019s Red Mountain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-the-bellingham-herald"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"null\"](\"http:\/\/www.appellationamerica.com\/images\/wineries\/Alexandria-Nicole.jpg\")
The Yakima and Columbia Valleys are also home to some incredibly well planned and notable facilities. You\u2019ll receive impeccable service at Alexandria Nicole Cellars <\/strong>in Prosser, where a secret tasting room is accessible through a sliding bookcase door. Step inside to a library-like setting with a tasting bar and comfy furniture and sample a variety of wines \u2013 their 2006 Viognier ($18) and 2004 Merlot ($24) were two of my favorites.<\/p>\n