Prosser Wine Tasting
Just southeast of Yakima, the tiny town of Prosser has a fun collection of tasting rooms within walking distance of each other. It’s a great place to spend a day wine tasting! See a full list of wineries on the Prosser Wine Country Website. The standard rate for wine tastings was $15 each, and most places waive one tasting fee for every two bottles purchased. Although most places don’t offer military discounts on tastings, with those reasonable rates you can still have a great time without breaking the bank.
Where to Stay
There are only a few lodging options, and we opted to get a dog-friendly room at the Holiday Inn Express. This was an easy 20 minute walk to the tasting area, although a couple sections without sidewalk meander through small side roads. We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast and great clean rooms.
Lodging
Holiday Inn Express (where we stayed).
Best Western is only slightly closer to the wine tasting.
Vintner’s Lodge is economy travel lodging with no frills.
Desert Wind Inn for upscale lodging at a tasting room, where each room has a name not a number.
Seven Gables Pensione old school bed and breakfast right next to the tasting rooms.
Wine Valley Inn is across the river, conveniently near the Prosser House restaurant.
The Wineries
Desert Wind
Wit Cellars
Thurston Wolfe
Thurston Wolfe Winery is a smaller operation with limited hours but delicious wines. Their Viognier is delicious, although it wasn’t included with the tasting this time around.
Cork and Taps
Cork and Taps is a fun place to try some unique wines and get seriously tasty grub! Their wines include straight-from-the-barrel whites, god reds, and a dessert port. The food options were satisfying, had good flavor, and were reasonably priced.
Front Entrance to Cork and Taps
Tachos! Better than nachos, topping on top of tots is a sure winner.
Veggie panini had plenty of olives to keep you in that wine tasting spirit.
Airfield Estates Winery
Airfield Estates Winery has decent wines and a fun vibe. The outdoor patio lends itself to friendly conversations, with spacious indoor seating available if the weather turns hot or cold.
Smasne Cellars
Smasne Cellars has an extensive selection available for tasting. With large outdoor seating and a fun indoors they are a must-try tasting area. Their tasting included up to 8 wines, and between being military and purchasing a bottle both tastings were waived.
Other places to try
There are several other tasting rooms in the Vintner’s Village, and we just did not have time to try them all! Wine O’clock tasting room in particular we heard mentioned as another place with food, but there are many more in Prosser to visit. This is a great weekend escape during rainy PNW spring or fall seasons, and we will certainly return if given the chance.