Today more than a dozen smaller wineries have set up tasting rooms in the restored WWII era hangers. In downtown Walla Walla, along the Yellowstone Trail, there are 35 tasting rooms within walking distance of chef owned restaurants, lodging and shopping. The bulk of the wineries in the Walla Walla area are just a few miles south of town in the Milton-Freewater area.

Leaving Walla Walla on the trail, now called US Highway 12, you will pass through the Westside District, which home to about 25 well established wineries. The Waterbrook Winery and L’Ecole N° 41 Winery are two popular destinations on the Westside. Leaving the Walla Walla region, the trail will take you to the Yakima Valley. The Yakima Valley wine country stretches for about 70 miles along the Yakima River between the Tri-Cities area of Richland, Kennewick and Pasco and the city of Yakima. The Yakima Valley is a large agricultural region growing over 40 different commercial crops. There are also 120 wineries with 17,000 acres of vineyards scattered over 5 AVA's.

The Yakima Valley’s sunny slopes provide the perfect conditions to grow superior grapes. The most planted variety is Chardonnay, next is Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, followed by Riesling and Syrah. For the craft beer lover, the Yakima Valley is home to numerous breweries and distilleries. The Yakima Valley is the heart of Pacific Northwest agriculture. Most of the communities there offer the tourist a wide variety of fruits and vegetables from the roadside farmers markets. It will depend on the month, to determine what is available. 

There are a few that are indoor and operate all year around. There are also u-pick farms, for those that want to get down and dirty with your food. September to November are the best months to visit as more varieties are ready to harvest. Many of the farms have festivals and fun events for the whole family. Pick your own apples and squeeze them into cider, find your way through a corn maze or ride the hay wagon. During October, many farms now have spooky Halloween themed events.

Leaving Walla Walla you will meet the mighty Columbia River at Wallula and follow it upriver toward the Tri Cities. After Crossing the river, you may want to visit Columbia Park. The park has a pedestrian trail that used to be a Military Road and a section of the Yellowstone Trail. This 3 mile section of trail has been used continuously by travelers for thousands of years.

After Leaving Richland, drive west toward Benton City on the Yellowstone Trail, which is now State Highway 224, you will be driving right through the Red Mountain region. The Red Mountain wine region is the smallest of the AVA'a at about 4,000 acres. The area has a distinctive micro climate that sets it apart from any other site in eastern Washington.

From Benton City, driving west on the trail now called the Old Empire Highway, you will arrive in the Prosser wine region. This is the birthplace of the Washington wine industry. Prosser is a little town which has more than 30 wineries and 12 are within walking distance of each other. Prosser is also home to the Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center and Vinter's Village.

Leaving Prosser, the Yellowstone Trail is now called Wine Country Road, which turns into the Yakima Valley Highway, and takes you to the next region of Rattlesnake Hills near Zillah. Zillah is home to the Teapot Dome Gas Station. The building was built in 1922 by Jack Ainsworth, who was inspired by the Teapot Dome Scandal of the Harding administration. The building and outhouse have been moved twice in it's life, once in 1978 and another in 2007. Today the Teapot has been beautifully restored and is located on 1st Ave. in Zillah on the west side of town, about a quarter mile from the trail.

The Rattlesnake Hills region has vineyards on the ridges at 3,000 feet in elevation. This elevation is excellent for growing and has made the Rattlesnake Hills a top producer of world-class grapes. Rattlesnake Hills has over 1,500 acres of vineyards and 17 wineries, and specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling. Leaving Zillah following the Yakima Valley Highway northwest, you will arrive at the last area of the valley, the city of Yakima. Yakima has many tasting rooms and an active night scene, all within walking distance of each other. 

The Yellowstone Wine Tour now takes you over Snoqualmie Pass to the wet side of the state. Traveling from the east, take the Yellowstone Trail now called Hwy 202 at North Bend. Upon reaching Redmond, the Woodinville Wine Country is just a 5 mile drive north on Hwy 202. Woodinville is also just 30 minutes from Seattle. Before you reach Redmond, be sure to take a drive on the historic Yellowstone Trail that retains it's original 1913 brick pavement. This road is now known as 196th Ave NE in Redmond.

In Woodinville on Hwy 202, there are about a 100 wineries, distilleries and breweries for the tourist to visit along this 3 mile stretch of road. Since eastern Washington is too far from the metro area, many eastern Washington wineries have tasting rooms in the Woodinville Wine Country. The first wineries you will come to are, Columbia Winery, Novelty Hill-Januik Winery, JM Cellars and the state's oldest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, which is on the site of the Old Hollywood Farm. This winery has been in continuous operation since 1934.

Next is the Hollywood Schoolhouse District with over 20 wineries, breweries and distilleries. From the Hollywood District, travel north to the Warehouse District which has over 40 wineries within a mile of each other. After visiting Woodinville, you might want to drive back east on the trail (Hwy 202) to visit Snoqualmie Falls and stay in the Salish Lodge. The falls are just a 45 minute drive from Woodinville. The lodge is a perfect getaway after a long day of touring.