New Girl's Guide to Seattle: discovering the sights and sounds of Seattle and surrounding areas from the prospective of someone new to the city.
When people think of spending the day wine tasting, most people think about their dream trip to Napa, CA. Nestled in the Sammamish River Valley, Woodinville is a unique haven for extraordinary winemakers. There are over 80 wineries that offer an array of wine styles crafted with attention to detail and dedication to quality. Many of the wineries offer tastings, winemaker dinner, wine clubs and special events.
The two largest wineries are Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Wineries. They are both located in Woodinville's tourist district and are actually right across the street from each other. Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State's oldest winery and one the Seattle area's top visited attractions. They are known for their Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling and Cabernet. During the summer Chateau Ste. Michell has the summer concert series. They also have a number of different events throughout the year.
The chateau is unlike anything I have ever seen. It sits on 105 acres and has one of the most beautiful entrances I have ever seen. When you walk through the tasting room doors, it almost feels like you are walking into a castle back in the renaissance. The room is dimly lit and award-winning wines, unique gifts and specialty cheeses surround you. They have a large tasting bar, with friendly staff waiting to pour you some wine. For a normal tasting, they charge $10 and you get to choose four of the eight wines that you would like to taste.
Ten friends founded Columbia Winery in 1962. The winery has grown over the past 49 years as a leader in Washington wines. Columbia isn't as extravagant as Chateau Ste. Michelle, but it has a warm, homey feel to it. The tasting room is open and friendly for all who come in. There is a fireplace with eight comfy chairs in the middle of the tasting room, along with a cafe and the tasting bar.
I have to admit that I thought this was going to be just another wine tasting, but this was so much more than a normal wine tasting. I had the honor to meet Bill, who is a wine specialist, and he taught me more about wine that I could have ever imagined learning. He uses different methods to make you smell, taste and evaluate the color of the wines. He used a women's ring to determine the different colors in multiple red wines, I never knew that there were different jewel tones in red wines. Bill personalizes each tasting to the person that is standing in front of him.
Columbia offers a few different tasting options, for $5 you can choose five wines off of their list, or for $10 you can try four or five of their vintage wines. If I could offer one piece of advice when wine tasting at Columbia, everyone should try the ice wine. They have many events through out the year and an exceptional wine club.
I wish I was able to go to all of the wineries and do tasting, but I don't know if it is possible. If you enjoy wine tasting there are a few different companies that offer winery tours through the Woodinville tourist district. Barrel Wine Tours offers a few different themed tours, and they pick up from a couple of different locations in Seattle.
For a fun couples weekend or a night out with the girls, Woodinville's wine country is a fun getaway!
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