NPollack
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Re:Where to go to get a good start - 2006/10/01 02:46
Like jebberss, I would also highly recommend Kana winery in downtown Yakima. The last time I went tasting in Yakima, theirs was my favorite wine of the whole day. Desert Hills is another great winery in Yakima proper. Both these tasting rooms are small and personal - in my opinion, a much better experience than the larger, more commercial wineries, as beautiful as they are.
But the countryside southeast of the city is a lot prettier than the city itself, so it's definitely worth it to venture out a bit.  Sagelands is the first winery you'll come to as you head out on I-82. The view from the tasting room is fantastic. On down the freeway, take the "Donald-Wapato Rd" exit and go to Piety Flats, which is in a fruitstand/country store on the left after you cross over the highway. This winery is totally one my all time valley favorites. Always good wine, friendly staff, and a great gift store. From this point, you can wind around on the back roads through the orchards and vineyards and you'll see lots of blue signs directing you to various wineries. If you get lost, it's ok - you'll see some great scenery and maybe get a feel for the "real" Yakima valley.
It's a toss up whether to go for the bigger well known wineries or the out of the way, smaller ones. I guess it depends what kind of experience you're looking for. I personally usually have a better time at the smaller places, and I usually like the wine better too. If you're tasting on a weekend, you'll probably have to compete with huge tour buses at the bigger name wineries, so watch out for that. The out of the way places can be totally worth it!
Well, that's my spiel. I love talking about wine, don't get me started.
Naomi
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