Richard-Duval

Great Grapes

Experience Washington wine country within city limits.

The Washington wine industry is booming, and you don’t need to cross the Cascade Mountains to drink it in. Here’s how to immerse yourself in the Greater Seattle wine scene.

Three woman sipping wine on a sidewalk patio outside of the Browne Family Vineyards tasting room. Browne Family Vineyard Ryan Dearth

URBAN WINERIES

The Seattle metro area encompasses dozens of full-production wineries and stand-alone tasting rooms, all eager to fill your glass. Visit Eight Bells Winery (6213 Roosevelt Way NE) in Ravenna, where small-batch wines are sipped next to aging barrels in a modest space. In Pioneer Square, wine can be tasted throughout the historic neighborhood with stops at the food-focused Locus Wines (307 Occidental Ave S), art-adorned Foundry Vineyards (524 First Ave S; foundryvineyards.com), and trendy Browne Family Vineyards* (413 First Ave S). Spend the entire day sampling the offerings of 10 unique tasting rooms at SoDo Urbanworks* (3931 First Ave S)—like the savory syrah at LATTA Wines or bold cabernet sauvignon at Structure Cellars. In Georgetown, grab a glass and catch live music on Thursdays and Fridays at Tinte Cellars* (5951 Airport Way S), or watch the planes land at Boeing Field through the floor-to-ceiling windows of House of Smith’s Jet City winery* (1136 S Albro Pl).

The profile of an older black man sipping a glass of wine with an artful display of bottled wine in the background. DeLille Richard Duval

WOODINVILLE

Hop in the car and head 30 minutes east to Woodinville, home to over 130 tasting rooms and a lot of buzz. The town is separated into four different zones, each with its own flavor. In the Warehouse District, nearly 50 tasting rooms sprawl across several warehouse complexes—check out Avennia (19255 Woodinville-Snohomish Rd) for its Bordeaux-style blend Valery, Two Vintners (18570 142nd Ave NE) for citrusy grenache blanc, and Gard Vintners (19151 144th Ave NE) for the Skal sparkling wine. In the Hollywood District, don’t miss Mark Ryan Winery’s* (14475 Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE) ultra-cool, rock-themed space and boisterous red wines, the garden party vibes and wine farm of Matthews* (16116 140th Pl NE), the crisp Roofline White on the rooftop balcony of DeLille Cellars* (14300 NE 145th St NE), or bocce and award-winning merlot at Novelty Hill-Januik* (14710 Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE). “Toast to life’s most beautiful moments” at Jaine (14421 Redmond-Woodinville Rd NE), a label under Matthews that serves crisp whites and rosés in a charming cottage.

WINE BARS & TOURS

Take the chauffeured-tasting route from the start with a guided wine tour, safely driven by local wine experts. Barrel Wine Tours is an all-inclusive wine-touring experience dedicated to Woodinville wineries, and Seattle Wine Tours offers four- and six-hour outings, as well as all-day, overnight, and multiday trips. Bon Vivant Wine Tours* books individual seats on scheduled as well as private tours. If you prefer to stay in one place, snag a seat at the Tasting Room in Pike Place Market (1924 Post Alley) to sample vino from eight Washington wineries, order a wine-on-tap flight at Footprint (1222 E Madison St) on Capitol Hill, or sip and shop local bottles at cozy Bottlehouse (1416 34th Ave) in Madison Valley.

 

*Visit Seattle Partner

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