Washington Wine Country

Wine Country in Washington is quite different than the wineries found in California. Grapes are grown in regions such as Walla Walla, Columbia, & Yakima but many tasting rooms are located just 30 miles east of Seattle in a relatively small town called Woodinville. The benefit? There are over 50 wineries to choose from and most are within walking distance. If you really want to taste a variety of Washington wines, Woodinville is the place to be.


Woodinville is home to a few big wineries such as the beautiful grounds of Chateau Ste Michelle. One of the few tasting rooms that actually has vineyards, the Chateau is a beautiful spot for a lovely picnic lunch. If you're lucky, you will see some of their gorgeous peacocks running about. Their tasting room also houses one of the best gift shops in the area. And of course the wine here is undeniably good.

     

 With so many wineries to choose from, how do you pick which ones to visit? Well, I did a bit of research first, talked to folks along the way and got recommendations, & at times, I just got plain lucky. The one thing I must admit to is there was not one single wine I tried that I absolutely could not drink. In other words, I was extremely impressed with the quality of Washington wines, coupled with the price, I was purely amazed.

 Trying to comment on all of them well, would make for a very long blog, so I'm going to highlight my top picks. Catapulting to one of my favorite white wines ever has to be Poet's Leap Riesling. One of seven distinct wines from Long Shadows Vineyards, the 08 Riesling from Columbia Valley is juicy, vibrant, & clean. It just leaves your taste buds screaming for more. Receiving a well deserved 94 pt rating from Wine Enthusiast, I'm only wishing I came home with more than 3 bottles. I can confidently say I can't wait to see what this winemaker does next!

My top pick for Reds came as a bit of a surprise, even for me. My visit to the islands not only brought out my adventurous side, but enlightened my admittedly obscured view on where to find the best wines. My first thought would never be an island, let alone a small one off the coast of Seattle known as San Juan... that is until I walked into The Island Wine Company in Friday Harbor, Washington. I was greeted and kindly offered a tasting by the owners themselves. The whites were quite lovely, but the Merlot really got my attention. I had to try it twice in order to believe how complex and rewarding it was. I shipped home a case and it's nearly gone. Enough said.

If you can't make it to all the tasting rooms, check out the Purple Wine Bar. With hundreds of local wines by the glass, you're sure to get some top picks. A few I have to mention are Andrew Will "Mays" Discovery Vineyard 07 Cabernet, Mark Ryan  09 Dead Horse, and any vintage of Gramercy Cellars Syrah you can get your hands on. I could go on and on, but while you're here, you'll need a place to stay...

Welcome to Willows Lodge. The perfect location in Woodinville couldn't be more beautiful. With wooden beams & black iron accents, the lodge has a very rustic and relaxing feel to it. The rooms are quite spacious, and the Lodge has mastered the art of catering to wine lovers.  The Fireside Lounge has many local wines available & two of the areas finest restaurants are located here including the Barking Frog which serves up the best huckleberry pancakes!

Right across the way lies the most enchanting place known as The Herb Farm. A themed wine and food pairing extravaganza, the Herb Farm offers up a 9 course dining experience you are sure to never forget. Make your reservations early because this place is the creme de la creme of Washington. Just wait til you see what's inside....


Spending time in the Pacific Northwest and experiencing such high quality wines made me want to learn more about the industry here. I searched out the perfect learning material and came across this book which is a fascinating read. Cole Danehower has spent a lot of time in the vineyards with the winemakers and I felt like I was right there with him. The book is knowledgeable, resourceful, and entertaining, especially if you're a wine enthusiast. When I first began my Pacific North West wine adventure, I had a similar reaction to Cole, "a typical American wine bias: California was the only real wine country in North America." Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm excited about exploring this territory a whole lot more. Next thing you know, I'll be living there ;)