Port of Benton prepares to break ground on Vintner’s Village II

The Port of Benton plans to invest $2 million in a new building at its Vintner's Village in Prosser, almost doubling the size of the tourist attraction. The original site is already home to a number of wineries, giving visitors the chance to walk from winery to winery on tasting tours.

"You need to run up there," says Scott Keller, Executive Director of the Port of Benton. "There are walking paths between all the wineries, there's a couple of places to eat now. Within a 20 acre area, you can make it an all day thing."

More than 50,000 people visit the area's wineries and attend local events every year, according to the Prosser Economic Development Association.

The current Vintner's Village is 32-acres, but with the success of the tourist destination, the Port purchased aother 25 acres, and plans to break ground in the fall on Vintner's Village II. Keller says the infrastructure is already in place to support the new development, and they've already had wineries, breweries, and other businesses express an interest to set up shop there.

Keller says they won't know which of those companies will end up signing leases until they get closer to the opening date, which is expected to be early next summer.