Sip Washington's Best Literary-Themed Wines In This Character-Driven Cellar

Visiting any winery to taste its products straight from the source can be an exciting experience, but what about one that offers award-winning blends, literary-themed names, and an extra cozy tasting room? If one-of-a-kind experiences sound like your vibe, you might want to check out J. Bookwalter Winery's tasting room, located in Richland, Washington. 

A family business that's been in operation since the 1980s, this winery plays on a reader's wildest fantasies by inviting them to step into a wine tasting experience that feels pulled from the pages of a storybook. J. Bookwalter Winery is well known for making a plethora of wines with grapes sourced from the Washington State vineyards Conner Lee, Elephant Mountain, and Dionysus, none of which are located in the iconic Napa Valley (though here are 24 top-rated Napa Valley wineries you can visit in nearby California). 

The winery plays to the founder's name by making nearly everything literary themed, from wines that sport names such as "Readers," "Foreshadow," and "Protagonist" to restaurants named "Fiction" and "Fable." Not to mention its wine club — or "The Book Club," as the winery refers to it — which offers membership levels of "Writers," "Publishers," "Authors," and "Editors." If this concept sounds intriguing, we ranked 14 of the best wine subscription services you can join.

J. Bookwalter Winery was founded in 1982, a culmination of Jerry Bookwalter's 20+ years of experience in agriculture and viticulture. Jerry Bookwalter maintained operation of the winery until his son, John Bookwalter, took over as company president and grew the business even more, appointing new directors and hiring consultants. The main tasting room in Richland, Washington, was actually the Bookwalters' home before it became a public space, lending to the unique decor and welcoming setup on the stunning property. 

The atmosphere is laid-back, inviting, and homey, but it's probably best to still keep these tips to know before visiting a winery for the first time in mind. While there's a more modern tasting room in Woodinville, Washington, the Richland property hosts an annual summer concert series named "Chapter Two," sticking with the literary motif. The bookish theme isn't just for clever marketing purposes — it's a real cause that the J. Bookwalter Winery is passionate about. 

The winery's website says that it believes "in the power of education and the importance of reading and literacy," turning these words into action by supporting Washington charities such as The Children's Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia, the King County Library System Foundation, the Columbia Basin College Scholarship Foundation, and more. The winery and its founding members are also highly active in the Tri-Cities community, searching for ways to not only improve literacy, but contribute to the state's thriving wine culture, as well.