Gilbert Cellars makes true-to-varietal wines in Yakima, Washington. We hand-craft seven different varietals into 10 fine wines, including our flagship red blends.

Here in Yakima, Washington, our ancestors chose the agrarian life in 1897. The simple joys of our rural community, and the products it bears, still speak to us today. We come from a long line of Yakima Valley fruit growers, and have chosen to honor that legacy through winemaking. We believe that what we’re doing matters—creating wines that share a place that we love. For us, winemaking is a way of life, with our work and play closely intertwined. Besides making our own wine, we like to make our own fun, hosting tastings, dinners and special events, especially when we can invite our favorite artists and musicians.

Outside of that, at day’s end we’d rather enjoy a meal at home on the patio, candles lit, with a bottle of wine than do almost anything else. Dinner-table conversation—enhanced by, say, a lovely Riesling or Cabernet Sauvignon—often wanders from viticulture and geology to music and the arts to mountaineering and travel tales, and a few good yarns

Which is not to say that the pace around Yakima is strictly pastoral and bucolic. Adventure? We love it—hiking, biking, rock climbing. We even have our own landmark to scale. The turf of a herd of spry mountain goats, 8,200-foot Gilbert Peak is named for Curtiss R. Gilbert—grandfather of our winery co-founder, Curtiss M., and great-grandfather to some of the rest of us.

Gilbert Cellars tasting room is housed in one of Yakima’s first buildings. Built in 1899, the Lund Building is the cornerstone of Yakima’s historic district. The tasting room offers a casual setting where modern meets rustic.

Winemaker Justin Neufeld crafts seven different varietals into ten amazing wines. From mourvedre to malbec, syrah and cabernet, the wines are balanced and well-made. Enjoy live music every first Friday interspersed with art openings in the downstairs Cellar Gallery, rotating shows of works by eclectic talents. The tasting menu reflects an innovative spin on the Valley’s rich culinary heritage: salmon mousse on baguettes, seasonal soups and house-made tapenade.

Best Bottle to Bring Home:
Mourvedre