Washington has come into its own as a U.S. wine destination; the state has more than 1,000 wineries, 400-plus grape growers and over 50,000 acres of vineyards. Washington’s burgeoning wine industry makes it a perfect spot for meeting planners who want to tap into the area’s beautiful scenery, slower pace, farm-to-table cuisine and locally produced wines as part of their events.
Terra Blanca Winery
Benton City
Terra Blanca Winery is a family-owned and -operated vineyard on Red Mountain, which has similar soil components to Bordeaux, France. Keith and ReNae Pilgrim purchased the land in 1992, and their first vintage was a 1997. It started out small, with the winery’s first tasting room running out of the family’s home. The couple opened the current building and barrel caves in 2006.
Of the property’s 300 acres, 120 are planted. Terra Blanca focuses on red wines, and Onyx, a Bordeaux blend, is one of its flagship wines. Many of the winery’s blends are named after geological terms because Keith is a trained geologist.
Groups hosting events on the property can take advantage of its beautiful outdoor settings or hold events in the 10,000 square feet of available space. The winery has two ballrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs, that can host up to 200 for a seated dinner or 250 for a reception. The Onyx Room is great for groups of up to 10 guests. Groups can include a tour of the vineyards, barrel caves and fermentation area, followed by a wine tasting as part of their events.
Terra Blanca has a culinary team that handles catering and beverage service. The venue handles full setup and teardown for any events held on property, and it provides tables and chairs, linens, centerpieces, wireless microphones and a drop-down projector screen.
Seven Hills Winery
Walla Walla
Casey McClellan, founder of Seven Hills Winery, came from a farming family in eastern Washington, so it wasn’t a stretch for him to turn his family farm in the Walla Walla Valley into a vineyard. In 1980, he and his family planted 21 acres of merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes, and eight years later they established Seven Hills Winery.
It was the first significant vineyard dedicated to Bordeaux varietals in the Walla Walla Valley, and, over the past 30 years, the winery has sourced its own grapes for its single vineyard wines. The Walla Walla Valley appellation in southeastern Washington, along the Oregon border, features deep silt loam soils over flood sediments and rests at an elevation of 1,000 feet, making Seven Hills Winery’s founding vineyard an optimal region for merlot production.
The winery offers 14 red wines, two whites and one rosé. The tasting room is located in the historic Whitehouse-Crawford building in downtown Walla Walla. Built as a wood mill in 1904, it was restored in 2000 to house the winery and preserve the architectural integrity of the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Seven Hills rents its tasting room, cellar and crush pad for private events. It can accommodate up to 100 guests. All events held there include someone on-site to coordinate the details and glassware as well as two staff members to pour wine.
DoodleVines Winery + Event Center
Yakima
DoodleVines Winery was founded by Kelley Joseph, a former nurse, and her partner, Mark Richards. When they bought the 7-acre property, it had apples and grapes on it, but there was a lot of work to do. Because neither of them had any experience with wine except drinking it, they sought advice from other growers in the community. Neighboring Naches Heights Vineyard suggested they plant pinot noir grapes because of the property’s location 1,800 feet above the valley floor. The warm temperatures during the day and cool temperatures at night make it a perfect climate for this varietal.
So, in 2023, they planted syrah and pinot noir. As they waited for their first batch of grapes, they began looking for other ways to earn money. They opened a wine bar pouring the wines of neighboring vineyards, and, because the property came with an agribusiness permit, the winery is able to hold events with live music. They also have a private guest house and two glamping sites with beautiful views of the vineyard and winery that are available to rent.
DoodleVines just bottled and labeled its first pinot noir rosé in 2025, called Bella Rose after one of the couple’s four Australian doodles.
The facility can host groups up to 75 in the indoor event center and up to 200 in its outdoor spaces. It has a fully equipped catering kitchen and ample parking. Groups can choose from the winery’s food menu or bring in outside caterers, but they are required to use DoodleVines as their beverage provider.
DeLille Cellars
Woodinville
Founded in 1992 by three friends and one father, DeLille Cellars started out with Bordeaux-style blends and has grown into a diverse portfolio of wines that blend vineyards, varietals, techniques and terroirs from across the Columbia Valley.
Located in Woodinville, the DeLille Cellars Tasting Room is under the same roof as the DeLille winery. The tasting room hosts over 60,000 visitors per year for wine tastings and full winery tours. The Restaurant at DeLille Cellars is next door, offering a culinary experience built around its wines.
DeLille wines are fermented in French oak barrels. The varietal and the desired style of the finished wine determine the level of new oak. This time in the oak casks imparts classic vanilla, cocoa and spice aromas.
Groups can host events at the DeLille Cellars tasting room, from intimate dinners for 12 to larger events of 250 or more. All food and service are provided by the catering team. The Restaurant at DeLille Cellars can host groups of up to 24 in three smaller rooms. The Grand Ciel Hall can serve up to 175 guests for plated or buffet dinners. In the daytime, event spaces can be used for corporate meetings. Groups can also add a winery tour and food pairing to their events.
The winery recently opened DeLille En Ville Private Dining & Events in Seattle’s University Village. It can host intimate groups or up to 200 guests for a full buyout.
Freehand Cellars
Wapato
Freehand Cellars has been around for nearly eight years. The owners originally were looking to purchase a short-term rental property and invest in tourism. Then they saw a winery for sale and decided to buy it and turn it into a winery and short-term rental. They renovated the facility, giving it a facelift, reworked all the wines and placed an Airstream on the northern part of the property for overnight guests. The house on the property was split into two rental units with hot tubs and amazing views of the winery next door.
Freehand Cellars sources its grapes from the Yakima Valley American Viticultural Area, or AVA, and works closely with a winemaker to decide what to serve in its tasting room. It carries a lineup of 10 wines: one sparkling wine and nine single varietal wines, with four whites and five reds.
One of the owners, who is an architect, renovated the property, adding a deck space for 44 guests that provides views of Mt. Adams. The Mountain View Lawn also delivers panoramas of Mt. Adams and accommodates groups of up to 200. The main tasting room, which features floor-to-ceiling windows, can host groups of up to 60.
The facility has a full kitchen, offering simple dishes such as chicken, charcuterie, pizza and a vegetable plate. It hosts special events twice a month, including live music. Groups can take over the entire property for weddings or events.
