portteus vineyards

We stopped at Portteus on a 25 wine tour of the area over 4 days. We did not know anything about the winery but we had a wonderful experience.Their tasting room is a large warehouse area with a very long tasting bar. This may not be the quaint tasting experiences of other wineries in the area but Portteus has a large selection of over 20 varietals/wines to taste for $5 tasting fee. Matt was our host and did a wonderful job. He really knew his wines and hustled his way all during our stay to make sure each and every guest had a wonderful experience. There were about 15 people when we first arrived and then only the 4 us after an hour. We had a great experience from beginning to end while getting to know more about Porrteus. We wound up picking up a case of wine, finding some very good wines at very reasonable prices.Be sure to add Porrteus to your wine stop in the area. You won't be disappointed!

My husband and I arrived at this winery a little angry because of our previous experience. We entered the winery to the sounds of clinking bottles (it was bottling day). Matt came out and welcomed us and the fun began! Excellent wine and beautiful art work for sale. Matt was very knowledgeable and super friendly! We will enjoy our wines from there and hope to be back again some day!

My friend and I were planning a trip to the Yakima area. Because she had never been to a winery I looked for a winery that would be opened the day we would be in Yakima. I found Portteus and we decided to go there. It's 22 miles from where we were staying. They are open 7 days a week from 10 to 5.The operation is on the family's own property, and conducted in a relatively small building adjacent to the family's home. We were able to briefly meet the founding father; however, he needed to leave for an appointment. His son was able to show us through the factory and explain the process to us. There were more than a dozen wines available for sampling and sale, and all at very reasonable prices. This young man took his time with us and was a great host!I have also learned that mid to late June and early July is a great time to visit a winery, because the cultivation has basically been done and they are just waiting on the grapes to mature. If you go at harvest time, beware: you may be in the way or you may be drafted to help out!

When you think about all the wineries you visit on a quest for the best in a region, you most likely will always remember a place that encompasses these two combinations: excellent wines served by an incredible host.We had such an experience when we visited Portteus.Matt, our incredible host with his extensive knowledge of the wine and the region, easily allowed the wines to sell themselves....and they did.If you have a short amount of time to tour through the amazing wineries of Yakima Valley, I would say Portteus absolutely should NOT be missed. The caliber of their extensive wine list truly represents the best of the region.The Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve are all above and beyond anything we tasted while on our quest for exceptional in Yakima Valley, yet another favorite, Rouge 66 represents a great everyday wine.Beyond the tasting room experience, calls made to the winery since our visit have all been handled with both prompt return calls with utmost courtesy.As a previous business owner, the type of customer respect & service we have received from this establishment gives them a gold star in our book. Portteus Vineyards & Winery should be a model for industry standards.

We visited as part of a group of wine lovers on an annual tour. The owner, Paul, and his son, Matt, were absolutely the nicest people and they really take the time to help you explore the wines that they have. Their comments and anecdotes about each wine we sampled really helped educate us about wine in general and their wines in particular. The tasting room is basic which tells you they put a lot of their money into the wines and not the show. Their prices are clearly listed and case prices are great values.If you are in the Yakima Valley then stop in if you have a chance. You will not regret it. Like us, you will probably buy a case or two more than planned.

We have been visiting and buying wine here since the 1980s. Good product. Nice owner who now has sons in the business. Today we enjoyed and purchased petit verdict, red blends and petit sirah. We will be back.

This review is not about the wines themselves, but the vineyard and tasting room...The road leading to the vineyard is gravel, and if not for the signs, you would wonder if you are headed to the right place.The tasting room is inside a warehouse, with stacks of boxes on one side, and the tasting bar on the other. As far as tasting room goes, this one is definitely not the most impressive looking. Fortunately, there is a good selection of wines here. $1 per taste, and refundable if you buy. Outside, the place isn't really set up for touring. So come here if you like or want to try their wine, but don't come here just to enjoy the grounds.

Paul Portteus was one of the first to open a winery in the Yakima Valley. I have been visiting his winery for 23 years. Though Paul has a reputation as being a bit on the eclectic side, his wines are still awesome.A must stop on anyone's tour of Wineries. Many years ago he took us back to the cellar for some rather extensive barrel tasting. An experience I'll never forget.

First of all, I will mention that while we enjoy wines, we are not experts. This is one of the wineries I had on my list to check out on our Zillah/Yakima Valley visit. I had researched ahead of time and found the founder's story interesting. I also liked the idea of checking out one of the earliest wineries in the area.The tasting room has a warehouse feel, no frills. The counter is long which was nice because there were a lot of people. It's set up with the lighter wines on the left and you work your way right to the fuller bodied wines.They don't encourage bouncing back and forth. We instead skipped because we had been to two wineries prior. We started with an Orange Malbec which was quite sweet. We got a bottle for a hot summer day when I want something sweet and as a gift. This would be a good wine for beginners, I think. We skipped down to the 2011 Zinfandel because my husband likes red zins. We got a bottle of that. We wanted to compare the 2010 Late Harvest Zinfandel to that and skipped down toward the end of the available wines to taste. That one is rich and has almost a port taste to it. We both really enjoyed that one and got a bottle for ourselves and one as a gift.I didn't notice a fee to taste but if there was one, no doubt it was applied to our purchase. We also didn't notice a limit to the number we could taste but there is a sign that says something along the lines of if you appear intoxicated they will stop serving you. Well behaved kids are allowed. They have a wine game for sale and the display occupied our children.We would probably visit this winery again if in the area and start out with it so we could try more.

We have always enjoyed going to Porteus. The wines are good and inexpensive. I would plan on getting some of these for every day drinkers....pizza wine.

Fantastic. Sangiovese and the "Rattlesnake Red". Very friendly staff. You can't ask for a better experience. Ask them to give you a suggestion for the next vineyards to stop at.

Paul Portteus and his disciples have pretty much perfected the water into wine miracle. He makes many varieties of red wine which are among the best in the entire Yakiima Valley. Of particular interest are any designated as "old vine"; they are uniformly spectacular.

Great people running the place, tons of different wines to try. Sometimes they are great, other times not so much.

Four of us took our first trip to Eastern Washington wine country in October. Portteus winery was the favorite. The number of wines available for tasting is very impressive and so are the wines. Mark was very helpful and had lots of time for us. Wow is a word I used when I tried the 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel. I wish I had brought home more. Everyone in my family loves it. We thought all the reds were exceptional.