3 Days in Yakima Valley Washington: Day 3 #VisitYakima

After a delicious breakfast and a night in a teepee, my third and final day in the Yakima Valley was upon me. Before I go on about our day I wanted to mention a quick bite we had at Essencia Artisan Bakery in downtown Yakima the previous day.  Coffee and a lemon bar was what I ordered and after the sugar rush hit my brain, I came back to reality and claimed it to be beyond delicious.  The casual atmosphere mixed with delectable bites that morning really got my blood pumping!Back to day 3, our first stop was Bonair Winery in Zillah, with views of both Mt. Adams and Mt. Ranier, it’s a must stop. We met up with Gail Puryear, the owner, along with his wife since 1985 who took us on a tour of the Rattlesnake Hills of Yakima Valley, the state’s foremost wine growing region and most scenic. Not to worry, there are no rattlesnakes in the vineyards.  We drove through orchards and vineyards and listened as Gail talked about having a close connection to the soil.  It’s summed up nicely on their website:

In the desert, there is a great differential between daytime and nighttime temperatures, sometimes over 40^o.  These cool evenings preserve the natural acid in the grapes while daytime temperatures develop sugars. This results in a perfect sugar/acid balance.  Without untimely and damaging natural rainfall in the Yakima Valley, we can precisely regulate the amount of water the plants receive to ripen grapes to perfection with the use of drip irrigation.  Drip irrigation preserves water, a precious commodity in the desert West.

He could have talked for hours about the pride and joy of the Yakima Valley, when we got back, I was eager to taste some fruit of their labor!  Now I love a good chilled white wine, they have some fabulous Chardonnay, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer but when I tried their “Dry Gewurztraminer” I was pleasantly shocked at this really dry yet peachy wine and I had to purchase some for my husband!  Okay I bought some Chardonnay as well.

Speaking of purchasing wine, we detoured to Wineglass Cellars‘ tasting room since we were nearby.  I enjoyed their In the Buff 2010 Chardonnay at dinner the first night, so I had to grab a bottle for the road!

With drinking wine before noon, and the previous few days indulging in great food, I needed to be outdoors this cool autumn Washington afternoon.  I asked Katie if we could find a great place for a walk.  She chose the Yakima Greenway, a 10-mile path along the Yakima River.  Us, along with other walkers, runners, and a few bicyclists took in the greenbelt’s lush surroundings on this picture perfect day.  It was just enough exercise to get us motivated and invigorated for the next item on our list and I appreciate this opportunity to enjoy Yakima Valley’s natural side!

If you enjoy sparkling wine, visit Treveri Cellars in Wapato.  Owner and winemaker Juergen Grieb has the only “sparkling only” winery in the area and uses the Methode Champenois (bottle method) to handcraft each bottle.  With so many sunny days in Eastern Washington, the conditions are perfect for fruit forward sparkling wine, Swhich require particular attention: the grapes must be carefully selected for lower sugar levels to ensure bright acidity and the perfect alcohol in the finished product. 

Most interesting is they offer a Sparkling Syrah Brut that is so unique with it’s dark fruit flavor.  Normally a traditional Syrah is not served chilled let alone bubbly, but this was nice and fun and different for sure.  I came home with a Mueller-Thurgau which is a Reisling and Gutedel blend with a citrus kick at the finish.  Definitely a unique and fun place to come with friends!

Gasperetti’s was the choice for a quick lunch.  Full bar and hearty menu, I chose something light but homey.  I was headed back to California in just a few hours so I wanted some good food to hold me over!  I decided on tomato bisque and an open-faced tuna sandwich that really hit the spot. No alcohol with lunch though, we had one last tasting to do and it was beer this time!

I’ve been talking wine country all along, but Yakima Valley is in the heart of the nation’s hop country!  Head over to Bale Breaker Brewing Company in Moxee and meet owners Kevin and Patrick Smith along with their sister Meghann Quinn and husband Kevin, they are fabulous and will help you fall in love with craft beer.  Not schooled on beer as much as wine, I asked a lot of questions and I tried hard to distinguish Topcutter from Field 41 pale ales, I’m always willing to learn!

Bale Breaker Brewing Company opened the doors to their new 30-barrel production brewery in April 2013.  Surrounded on three sides by a field of Cascade hops, the new facility is approximately 11,000 square feet and houses an onsite taproom (no food preparation, but outside food is welcome) with a beautiful outdoor patio and lawn area, perfect for enjoying the Yakima sunshine.

Guided tours of the brewing facility are offered each Saturday and though they cannot make food on the premises they encourage food (including pizza delivery), children, and pooches to be brought to the property  inside (or outside with their patio and grass area) to enjoy along with their ales!  How’s that for a fun Friday night?

This was my first visit to really explore Washington state and I would have loved to have brought my husband.  All the stories from all the people I met was from pure love and pride in their companies, farms, vineyards, and craft.  Now I have every reason to come back and I really think you should put it on your list of must see areas of the country!  You will not be disappointed!

Read about the first 2 days in Yakima here:

3 Days in Yakima Valley Washington Day 1

3 Days in Yakima Valley Washington Day 2

My accommodations, tasting fees, meals, and transportation were covered on this media tour, all opinions are entirely my own.