A belief in the quality of Washington wines and the dedication to produce only small lots of wines led to the opening of Bookwalter Winery in 1984. Bookwalter wines do well in competitions, but more important for vintner Jerry Bookwalter, they are well-liked by consumers.
Bookwalter has an impressive background for the business. He graduated from the prestigious vintner's program at the University of California at Davis in 1963, then managed orchards and vineyards throughout California. By 1976, he had moved north to Washington, where he served as general manager of Bacchus and Dionysus Vineyards for Sagemoor Farms until 1983.
A visit to Bookwalter Winery
The new Bookwalter location at the corner of Windmill Road and Columbia Drive offers easy access to wine lovers traveling between Yakima and the Tri-City region. The cozy tasting room and informal tour make for an interesting and educational stop.
The Wines
Bookwalter's wines, as much as 10,000 cases per year, vary from clean and crisp whites to rich and fruity reds. Cabernet, merlot, chardonnay, chenin blanc and riesling are frequent medal winners, as is Bookwalter's red table wine.
Tasting room hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day