Wine Tasting Near Seattle

Mrs. Wine Guy and I just got back from a wedding anniversary trip to Seattle (35 Years thank you) and as we usually do when we are in a wine growing region we took some time out to do a little wine tasting.  We visited 3 tasting rooms on Bainbridge Island (a half hour ferry ride from downtown Seattle) and 4 tasting rooms in Woodinville (a half hour car ride from downtown Seattle).  What follows is a summary of what we found during our wine tasting.

Woodinville is home to over 100 tasting rooms.  Much of the wine is produced there but most of the grapes are grown in Eastern and Southern Washington and shipped to the area.  A big reason for the number of wine producers in the area is Chateau Ste. Michelle, our first stop in the area. Many of the top winemakers in the area got their start at Chateau Ste. Michelle.  Chateau Ste. Michelle is known as a producer of value wines with many of its wines among the least expensive on the supermarket shelves.  Just because the wine is a good value does not mean it is poor quality.  A $10 bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle compare favorably to wines costing 3 or 4 times as much.  They produce a large variety of wines with a number of tasting room options.  Because they are known for their Rieslings we opted for their Riesling tastings consisting of 6 Rieslings ranging in cost from $9 to $30.  The star of the show for us was the $10 2013 Columbia Valley Dry Riesling.  It had all the fruit you expect from a Riesling but with a crisp acidity instead of the sometimes overwhelming sweetness of some Rieslings.  We also enjoyed the $22 2013 Erocia Riesling.  It is slightly sweeter than the Dry Riesling but at more than twice the price there is no reason to go there.  Among the other sweeter non dessert Rieslings we enjoyed the 2013 Cold Creek Riesling ($20) but again why pay twice as much?   We thought the 2013 Columbia Valley Riesling ($9) drinkable but nothing special, pay the extra dollar for the dry version.  Among the desert versions we found the 2013 Eroca Gold ($30) slightly better than the 2013 Harvest Select Sweet ($10) but both were very good and there is no reason to pay more than three times as much for the Eroca Gold.  

Our next and favorite stop in Woodinville was Novelty Hill/Januik.  We have enjoyed Januik wines in the past and made them the focus of this tasting.  Our focus here was on red wines tasting two Cabs, a Cab Blend, and a Syrah.  Our favorite wine was the 2012 Columbia Valley Reserve Red ($65).  I don’t often buy $65 wines but this was so good I was tempted.  Primarily a Cab it also has a small amount of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Malbec that help soften the tannins and make this relatively young wine quite drinkable now.  What we enjoyed just about as much, and a wine that did make it home with us, is the 2012 Weinbau Vineyard Syrah ($30).  Smooth and rich a hint of pepper this wine would partner well with pot roast or other braised beef.  Also good were their 2012 Andrew Januik Stone Cairn Cab ($40) and the 2012 Red Mountain Cab ($40) they were both quite drinkable for young Cabs and would make the perfect complement to grilled meat.

We then went to DeLille Cellers a winery that specializes in Rhone style wine and Bordeaux blends.  We started with the Doyenne 2014 Rose.  We love ainDry Rose, particularly during the hot summer,  and have been drinking more and more of them.  Maybe it was the cold Seattle day in late May but we did not think this Grenache dominant Rose was anything special.  If we are going to pay $32 for a bottle of Rose it better be special and this one was not.  Also nothing special were the 2014 Doyenne Roussanne ($37) and the 2013 Metier ($46).  We were losing hope when we tasted the 2012 Delille Cellars D2 ($44)  Primarily Merlot this outstanding wine was complex, unique, and memorable.  Well worth the price.  

Our last stop in Woodinville was at Long Shadows.  They are unique in that they bring in a celebrity winemaker and market them with each of their wines.  They use this gimmick as justification to then price their wines 50% more than neighboring wineries. We tasted their 2012 Pirouette Bordeaux Blend ($60) 2012 Pedestal Merlot ($60) 2012 Feather Cab ($60) and the 2012 Sequel Syrah ($55).  All the wines were good to very good but unless you want to brag about the celebrity winemaker there is no reason to pay the premium these wines command.

Our trip to Bainbridge Island was really enjoyable.  The passenger ferry to the island was inexpensive and convenient and the Island is a nice break from city life.  The island has a handful of small production wineries a few of which have tasting rooms in the main tourist area, a short walk from the Ferry Dock.  The wines ranged from OK to pretty good with none worth the hassle of packing up and taking back with us.  We tasted wines by Eleven, and the Eagle Harbor Wine company at their dedicated tasting rooms and wines by Amellia Wynn and Fletcher Bay at the Island Vintners tasting room.  The two dedicated tasting rooms were pleasant the wine was drinkable and we are glad we did it.  The highlight of the visit however was the Island Vintners tasting room.  It was a highlight not because of the wine but because of the owner Sharon Wilford.  In addition to owning the tasting room she is also a co owner (with her husband) of the Fletcher Bay Winery and she also drives a school bus.  She was constantly interacting with her customers, telling stories, and making everyone comfortable.  If you ever go to Bainbridge this is a must stop.

With Washington only trailing California in wine production we only scratched the surface and hope to return to learn more about the area in the not too distant future.  Please leave a comment if you have any thoughts or questions.