A 30-minute drive northeast of Seattle is a wine lover’s paradise called Woodinville (woodinvillewinecountry.com). More than 100 wineries and tasting rooms dot this town, where visitors can find diverse pours from all over the state. Washington is the second-largest producer of premium wines in the country, so there’s plenty to try.
Start sipping in the Hollywood Winery District—where Northeast 145th Street and Woodinville-Redmond Road Northeast intersect—at the state’s first winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle (*14111 NE 145th St; ste-michelle.com). Known for its spacious grounds and Old World–style architecture, Chateau offers free behind-the-scenes tours of its wine-making operation, ending with complimentary tastes of its award-winning rieslings, merlots, and more.
Across the street, Columbia Winery (*14030 NE 145th St; columbiawinery.com) offers exclusive pours of reds and whites that can only be found in its Woodinville tasting room, such as a blackberry-and-cherry-rich cabernet franc and a refreshingly citrusy white blend. Just a five-minute walk north, Novelty Hill–Januik Winery (*14710 Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE; noveltyhilljanuik.com) has a strong lineup of 90-plus-rated wines to sample in a contemporary space and a sun-filled outdoor seating area.
Less than a mile east—about a 15-minute walk away—tasting rooms line the streets, so travelers can park their cars and stroll to their next pour. Find DeLille Cellars (*14421 Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE; delillecellars.com), with its cozy patio and rotating tasting menu; Long Shadows Vintners (14450 Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE, Ste 105; longshadows.com), with premium reds and luxe leather club chairs; Lauren Ashton Cellars (*14545 148th Ave NE, Ste 211; laurenashtoncellars.com), where each tasting is led by a “coach” who explains the unique qualities of every wine in detail; and more than a dozen others—all worth a visit.
North in the Warehouse District, more than 50 additional wineries craft an array of varietals in converted warehouses. Don’t miss EFESTE (*19730 144th Ave NE; efeste.com)—its wines have garnered praise from the likes of Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine Spectator—or the Third Thursday Wine Walks (4–8pm; April through October), when multiple wineries roll up their doors to pour tastes for a flat $20 fee.
To plan your wine-tasting day, download a map online at woodinvillewinecountry.com.
Several tour operators, such as Bon Vivant Wine Tours (*bonvivanttours.com) and Seattle Wine Tours (*seattlewinetours.com), offer guided tasting excursions to Woodinville.
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