8 Best Sights in Benton City, Washington Wine Country

This vaunted boutique winery with sweeping views specializes is a darling of those who appreciate exceptional Bordeaux wines, including one of the state's most accomplished Malbecs. The tasting room is modern, bright, and airy, and outdoor seating areas provide a spectacular backdrop for indulging in these rich wines, along with charcuterie and cheese platters. 

John Williams planted the first grapes on Red Mountain in 1975, made his first Kiona Vineyards wines in 1980, and produced the first commercial Lemberger, a light German red, in the United States. Today the winery boasts a beautiful 10,000-square-foot tasting room with 180-degree views of Red Mountain and the Rattlesnake Hills, an idyllic setting for sampling top-notch late-harvest Riesling, Chenin Blanc ice wine, Sangiovese, Syrah, and many others. You can order charcuterie and cheese plates to enjoy inside or on the patio.

This friendly winery on the fertile slopes of the Yakima River stands out both for its splendid gardenlike setting and its diverse selection of wines. You'll find everything here from peppery Carmeneres to inky Port-style Zinfandel dessert wines to lightly effervescent moscatos. 

Established by the famous (since the 14th century) Italian winemaker Marchesi Antinori and Washington’s oldest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, this dramatic if somewhat imposing postmodern winery set atop of lofty bluff overlooking the Red Mountain AVA is devoted to big, bold, and quite pricey Cabernet Sauvignons, Malbecs, and other Bordeaux reds produced in the style of Super Tuscans. Estate tours and tastings of these critically adored wines are by reservation only. 

The most widely recognized of Red Mountain's many acclaimed wineries occupies a spectacular hillside château that looks like it could have been plucked straight out of the Bordeaux countryside. Indeed, the estate specializes in the classic French grapes that excel in this terroir, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah leading the charge. On cool days, sip your wine by the fire in the grand tasting room; in summer, have a seat on the patio overlooking the neatly groomed gardens.

It's named for the calcium carbonate in the earth beneath it—Terra Blanca is Latin for "white earth"—and from this favorable soil grow wine grapes that produce the winery's specialties: Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Albariño, and Chardonnay. This picturesque estate winery offers sweeping views of the Red Mountain region, and also has one of the only restaurants in Benton City, the Vineyard Grill, which served refined Pacific Northwest fare from Friday through Sunday. 

This contemporary timber-frame winery and tasting room on a sunny slope at the south end of Benton City is the brainchild of Chris Upchurch, founding winemaker of acclaimed DeLille Cellars and one of Washington's pioneers in aging wines in concrete tanks, a practice with Roman roots. Focused on sustainable vineyard management, his winery produces a short but critically acclaimed list of mostly Bordeaux-style wines.