Tour and taste behind the scenes right at the source.

What better place is there for wine and craft beer lovers than right at the source of it all? The Yakima Valley is where you can raise a glass while you soak up the vineyard views and smell the hops on the breeze.

Surrounded by rolling vineyards, the Yakima Valley is where Washington wine was born. Known for producing more premium wine grapes than anywhere else in the state, the Yakima Valley became the state’s first recognized AVA more than 40 years ago. As one of the largest hop producing regions in the world, the Valley is also where you find fields of hops climbing and twining to become your next favorite craft beer.

It’s where great grapes and the best hops fuel innovation and excellence you can experience in the tasting room and at the tap. So, what’s the best way to take in those hop and vineyard views on your wine tasting and craft beer trail trip? Enjoy a tour and let someone else take the wheel!

Tours Among the Vines & Bines (Yep, you read that right!)

Local experts have crafted can’t-miss tours to take you right into the vineyards and hop fields to learn, experience and taste.

Beer & Hop Tours –

The Little Hopper and Rooted Yakima Valley have come together to curate one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes craft beer and hop farm tours. Book now to take a Hop Farm & Craft Beer Sensory Tour, available only June 17 and 22 and August 14 and 21. Visit family hop farms where you’ll learn about growing the world’s best hops. You’ll tour a hop processing and production facility and walk among the hop bines (not vines – learn why on a tour!). Through sensory activities, you will learn about different hop varieties and understand hops’ role in brewing great craft beers. Just like professional brewers, you’ll rub hops in the hop selection room and taste beers produced from the farms’ hops. Wrap up at one of the valley’s best breweries with a production tour and, of course, craft beers!

This year, you also have two chances to take one of their Exclusive Hop Harvest Experience Tours, September 6 and 20. Come see the Yaima Valley come alive during hop harvest! Brewers from around the world visit Yakima during harvest and now you can see, smell, touch the hops just like they do. You’ll take a tour through the hop facility as the hops progress from field to baling before heading to the breweries. “The aromas are incredible and the activity is non-stop,” says Wendy King of Little Hopper.

Winery & Vineyard Tours –

For wine lovers and the wine curious, nothing pairs better with a pour than strolling through the vineyards. Thankfully, you have several tours to choose from around the Yakima Valley. Tours change with the seasons as the grapes progress on the vines and we head toward harvest.

If bubbles are your thing, Treveri Cellars, Washington’s premier sparkling wine house, has a brand-new tour for you. Treat yourself to a behind-the-scenes cellar tour to learn all about the complex process of crafting sparking wines in the traditional method (méthode traditionnelle). Then, enjoy a premium guided tasting in the Reserve Room. To reserve your tour, scroll down to inquire here or call 509-877-0925.

Dineen Vineyards welcomes wine lovers for several immersive experiences throughout the season. From Adopt-a-Vine in late March and the VIP Barrel Experience in April to Wines in the Vines and  Birds of Prey Vineyard Walk where you’ll learn with Cowiche Canyon Conservancy all about the role raptors play in sustainable vineyard management.

For another truly memorable wine experience, take a Between the Vines Estate Vineyard Tour at Whitman Hill Winery in in Zillah’s Rattlesnake Hills AVA. Perfect for experienced wine lovers as well as those just beginning to explore, tours guests begin with a welcome wine pour before you hop on their UTV for an up-close tour through the estate vineyards. Learn how the grapes are grown at different stages throughout the season, and about Whitman Hills’ sustainable vineyard practices, winemaking philosophies and crafting terroir-driven wines. Your tour concludes with a guided VIP tasting experience back at the winery. Be sure to make an appointment for tours available Wednesday through Sunday.

Reserve your Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Naches Heights Vineyard and wander among the vines at the first vineyard planted in the Naches Heights AVA with founder, grower and winemaker, Phil Cline. Learn about the characteristics of different wine grapes and the AVA’s history and unique geology while enjoying a carefully selected pour. Vineyard tours are followed by an exclusive tasting.

Learn about zero-pesticide vineyard management on a vineyard tour with Paradisos Del Sol Winery’s owner, winemaker and grower, Paul Vandenberg. Back at the winery, enjoy a tasting with carefully curated, paired bites.

Unique Wine Tasting Tours –

The folks at Kickstand Tours are ready to take you on an expertly led e-bike wine tasting tour. Their comfortable bikes make for an easy ride through beautiful wine country with at least three Zillah/Rattlesnake Hills, Prosser or Red Mountain winery stops. Each trip takes about five hours and includes a lunch stop (lunch not included in cost) and a support vehicle to follow along and collect your purchases along the way. If you don’t find a pre-scheduled tour that meets your needs, they’re happy to plan private tours for your group. They can curate your tour experience or you can choose your own winery stops.

Cycle Yakima is a new addition to the valley, offering a range of rides from mountains to roadways. Their e-bike tours combine nostalgic fun with modern adventure whether you’re a regular rider or you’re rediscovering the joy of cycling. Guide Kyle Bisconer will work with you to choose the perfect route for your scenic rides that blend outdoor adventure with local history and wine for a unique experience. One of the most popular routes takes you though the unique shrub-steppe landscape of the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy. Make it a wine tour with a stop for wine tasting and food pairing. They’ll even transport your wine purchases for you! For something special, book an e-bike date night, complete with a picnic. Work with him to curate your stops.

We all know and love the Little Hopper as Yakima Valley’s craft beer bus. Their Grapevine Wine Tours offer the same comfortable ride and knowledgeable, entertaining guides ready to share the inside scoop as you sit back and enjoy a multi-stop wine tasting tour. Enjoy a specially curated tour of two to three upper Yakima Valley wineries on Fridays or three or four wineries in Yakima Valley wine regions on scheduled Saturdays. If you don’t see a date that fits, you can also schedule tours with the itinerary of your choice, as well as special event transportation.

A relatively new addition to wine tasting tours, Washington Wine Experience offers three different packages for groups of six to 14 wine lovers. Your party can either join a scheduled tour or you can reserve the van for a private group with a minimum of 10 guests. Tasting fees are included in your tour, along with premium still and sparkling water and snacks in the van. Lunch is included with Elevated and Premium tours. Food pairings are included at the Elevated level as well.

Tour at Your Own Pace

Wilridge Vineyards, Winery & Distillery is nestled in the Naches Heights AVA above the Cowiche Canyon and became the state’s first certified organic and biodynamic vineyard and winery. Enjoy a leisurely tasting on the porch of their 1900s farmhouse and pick up a copy of the Wilridge Vineyard Map. Use it as your guide to create your own adventure. Wander through their surrounding vineyard paths and explore the cliff trails with stops at scenic view points along the Cowiche Canyon. 

For a little something extra, book a customized, luxe picnic experience after one of your tours with Perry & Co Posh Picnics. They’ll set up and take down for you so you can simply enjoy the peaceful experience complete with table, cushions and customizable tablescape. Check out the market offerings at Provisions Restaurant + Market for your picnic or pick up sandwiches, specialty cheeses, salads and other delectable treats at Essencia Artisan Bakery.

Plan Your Trip

Check out more to see, do and taste in Yakima Valley Wine Country and Hop Country.

Categorized in: Hops and Beer, Tours and Experiences, Wine Country