A Weekend of Wine and Chocolate in the Yakima Valley

It doesn’t take a winemaker or a chocolatier to detect the natural affinity between rich red wine and scrumptious chocolate! We tend to use words like “sinful” or “decadent” to describe rich desserts and delicious wines. However, researchers are now telling us that some compounds in red wine and chocolate might actually have health benefits! Click here to learn more about what it is in wine and chocolate that might justify a little indulgence.

You can do some research of your own during the once a year “Red Wine and Chocolate” event in the Yakima Valley. 55 wineries in the Yakima Valley, the Tri-Cities, and even in the Columbia Gorge will be opening their doors on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, February 16th and 17th, with special wine and chocolate pairings, tours not usually available, discounts, and other exclusive opportunities for Reserve Ticket holders.

Please note, wineries on the Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail are not requiring a Reserve Ticket to participate in the special pairings and tastings they have prepared for this event. (These wineries are marked with ** in the table below.) There are also several wineries in Yakima and Zillah that are not part of the Rattlesnake Hills Wine trail and are offering special chocolate and wine pairings for Reserve Ticket holders only. We suggest you review the list of participating wineries, decide which you'd like to visit, and determine if purchasing a ticket is the best option for you.

If you do decide to purchase Reserve Tickets, you can do so here. When you buy your tickets, you can specify where you would like to begin your day. Your tickets and your signature wine glass will be waiting for you at the winery you choose! Most wineries will be open from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm all three days for this event.

Are you looking for lodging, or a great place to eat to complete your day of wine tasting? Be sure to check out our listings of local hotels, bed and breakfasts, and restaurants.

Following is a list of participating wineries and a summary of their special offerings for this event. Click on any winery name to go to its page in our Business Directory for a map and contact information. You can also view our Winery Guide for a comprehensive look at all the wineries in the Yakima Valley, learn more about how wine is made, and find out how to get the most from your tasting experience!

Wineries participating in "Red Wine and Chocolate", and what they are offering:

*Winery*	*City*	*What to expect*
Agate Field Vineyard	Zillah
Airfield Estates	Prosser
Alexandria Nicole Cellars	Prosser	Taste reserve wines, sample cabernet brownies
Apex Cellars	Sunnyside	Dark and white chocolate fountains with fruit and cheesecake
**Bonair Winery	Zillah	French truffles paired with Cabernet Franc port
Chandler Reach Vineyards	Benton City	Gourmet Italian brownies with raspberry sauce, complimentary access to private Reserve Room
Chinook Wines	Prosser	Premium dark organic/fair trade chocolate from Seattle chocolate company “Theo”, paired with release of 2005 Vintage Cabernet Franc
Chuckar Cherries	Prosser	10% off gourmet Chukar Cherries
**Claar Cellars	Zillah	Release of '03 Syrah, tasted in chocolate cups. Case discounts on Cabernet, Merlot, and late harvest Riesling
Cowan Vineyards	Prosser	Chocolate provided by Grandview Orthopedic Auxiliary in support of the Seattle Children’s Hospital, 20% discount on purchases of the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Desert Hills Winery	Yakima	Dark chocolate fudge, cheeses and crackers, 10% discount on 2 bottle purchase
Desert Wind Vineyard	Prosser	Grand Opening! Gift for the first 100 guests each day. Seminars, demonstrations, and classes
Donitelia Winery	Yakima
**Eaton Hill Winery	Granger	Gourmet bean soup and handmade chocolate creams
Fidelitas	Benton City	Private tasting of limited library wines with the winemaker
Goose Ridge	Richland	Hand made chocolates filled with a cabernet chocolate sauce, special discounts, and reserve wine tasting
Hedges Family Estate	Benton City	Complimentary tasting of Three Vineyards wines
Hightower Cellars	Benton City
Hinzerling Winery	Prosser	Port Sodden Cherries, rinsed and soaked in Ruby Port for 60 days and then dipped in rich dark chocolate. Taste Rainy Day Fine Tawny Port and Ten Year Tawny Port, and library wines. 20% discount on any single bottle purchase and 30% case discount
Hogue Cellars	Prosser	Take-home package of dark chocolates to each Reserve Ticket holder, 15% discount on all Reserve Wine purchases
**Horizon's Edge	Zillah	Try Chocolate Port! 25% discount on any purchase of Monster Chardonnay, free food and wine matching wheel with any wine purchase
**Hyatt Vineyards and Roza Ridge Winery	Zillah	Release of "Zillah Gorilla Zinfandel"
Kana Winery	Yakima	Brigittine Monk chocolate truffles, complimentary box of six truffles for every 2 or more bottles purchased of Kana 2003 Dark Star
Kestrel Vintners	Prosser	Wine-infused chocolate paired with signature edition wines: 2003 Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2003 Old Vine Merlot, and the 2006 Late Harvest Chardonnay. 30% case discount on Lady in Red Fourth Edition
Kiona	Benton City	Red wine paired with Black Walnut truffles
**Maison de Padgett	Zillah	Chocolate paired with coffee port and red wines, 20% discount on all wine purchasers, free poster with any bottle purchase
Maryhill Winery	Goldendale
**Masset Winery	Wapato	Chocolates prepared by Chef Masset
Oakwood Cellars	Benton City	Release of 2003 Merlot paired with chocolate royale cheesecake squares, 30% off case purchase
**Paradisos del Sol	Zillah	Chocolate Chipotle Turkey Chili with Mole sauce
**Piety Flats Winery	Wapato	Chocolate from the San Francisco Chocolate Factory
Pontin Del Roza Winery	Prosser
**Portteus Vineyards and Winery	Zillah	Fudge brownies paired with red wines and port
Prosser Wine Company	Prosser
Running Springs Wine	Naches
**Sagelands Vineyard	Wapato	Desserts, cookies and breads made with Scharffen Berger chocolate, hand made truffles made with Sagelands Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% discount off wine purchases
Sandhill Winery	Benton City	Chocolate spoons and hand crafted cookies dipped in chocolate
Seth Ryan Winery	Benton City	Specials on red wines, delicious chocolates
**Severino Cellars	Zillah
Sheridan Vineyard	Zillah
**Silver Lake Winery	Zillah	Handmade truffles from Intrigues Chocolate Company, including "Roza Red" made with Silver Lake's wine of the same name
Sleeping Dog Wines	Benton City
Snoqualmie	Prosser	Whidbey Chocolate Port Sauce with cheesecake, pound cake and fresh fruit, 30% wine discount
**Steppe Cellars	Sunnyside	Chocolate paired with newly released Pinot Noir, private tasting of ’05 red wines, 25% case discount, white wines deeply discounted
Tapteil Vineyard	Benton City	Release of estate bottled 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, truffles made with Scharffen Berger chocolate, 10% discount on all wine purchases, 20% case discount
**Tefft Cellars	Outlook	Handmade local chocolate truffles and release of a new red wine, 10% discount on any 6-12 bottles, 20% off new release red
Terra Blanca	Benton City	Release of 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, case discounts, chocolates from Affairs Chocolates
Thurston Wolfe	Prosser	20% discount on all wines, make your own truffles class Sat., chocolate and orange sandwich cookies, vertical sampling of Ports
Tucker Cellars	Sunnyside	Reserve vintage Syrah and Syrah Port paired with rich chocolates
**Two Mountain Winery	Zillah	Exclusive tasting with the winemaker, handmade chocolate truffles
Vineheart Winery	Prosser	Special port tastings
Waddle Family Cellars	Prosser
Willow Crest Winery	Prosser	Release of 2004 Merlot paired with chocolate dipped port soaked cherries, 20% off all wine purchases, barrel sampling
Windy Point Vineyards	Wapato	Pots de Crème paired with Windy Point wines
Wineglass Cellars	Zillah	Dark chocolate truffle square from the Birchfield chef paired with two new wine releases, private tasting with the winemaker
Yakima Cellars	Yakima	Dark chocolate fondue with fruit and pound cake, barrel sampling of 2006 Sangiovese, 15% discount on bottle purchases, 30% discount on Downtown Series Lot 1