I’m trying to plan a tasting for a group of 6 for late March in Woodinville (we have a major office in Seattle that I’m visiting).
Betz seems like a no-brainer.
Chateau Ste. Michelle is probably a crowd pleaser and I like some of their whites.
Any others I should know about? The search function wasn’t super helpful in this (rare) instance!
I wasn’t aware that Betz is open for tasting appointments. Have they told you they are?
Nope and you’re correct. Dang. Off the list.
There are lots of possibilities. One idea is to to the area near the restaurant Purple. Mark Ryan is there. DeLille is nearby. Trust is there. And a number of others that I can’t remember. Others on the list can fill this out. I have never tasted at Delille (you may need an appointment?) but their wines are first rate.
Another idea is to go to the warehouse district. There are some great wines there (Savage Grace being a local favorite). There are literally 50 wineries packed into little spaces that are easy walking distances. There is not much ambience however, and some of the wineries are not that great, but you can find some real diamonds among a fair amount of rough. Darby is there as well, which produces some really good wines. So it depends in part on what you are looking for.
Someone on CT recommended Adams Bench to me when I did a recent visit == also excellent. You need to reserve, but it is pretty straightforward.
The nice thing about the Mark Ryan/Purple area is that there are also some nice eating places nearby – Purple, but also a really good pizza/pasta place (whose name escapes me at the moment).
Enjoy! And report back.
My last visit I went to Delille (I’m a member), long shadows, Januik, and Gorman. oh and Mark Ryan.
I’m a fan of Delille wines and it is a nice spot. Sparkman is also nearby, but not open every day. I didn’t dig the Mark Ryan wines or experience much. Januik was fun, nice big place and a lot of value priced options.
Lots of other good wineries with tasting rooms in the area I plan on hitting next time, including Pepper Bridge, Alexandria Nicole, Dusted Valley. I think Baer and Force Majures have tasting rooms, too, but not sure.
I don’t go out to Woodinville often, and not a fan of many of the wineries there, but aMaurice, Savage Grace and WT Vintners are good options for more restrained wines. Unless something has changed in last 3 years, DeLille should not require an appt.
I’d also recommend visiting the burgeoning wine area in the area south of downtown Seattle. In one building you can visit Kerloo, Rotie and Sleight of Hand, which are all worth visiting. Others wineries, including K Vintners and Cadence, are within a 10 minute Uber ride.
In Woodinville’s Hollywood district, I’d recommend:
DeLille - for group >= 6 on weekend, they require a reservation.
Long Shadows
aMaurice
Mark Ryan
And about 10 minutes away in the Woodinville Warehouse district:
Savage Grace
SoDo District (south of downtown Seattle):
Cadence
Rotie
Kerloo
Waters
K Vintner
Chateau St. Michelle is pretty, and the tour and tasting are free. Inside of the property is the Col Solare tasting room, which requires a reservation.
Savage Grace, as mentioned above, is a little gen of a winery. It leans afwe.
Also in the area are Kaella, which is run by a berserker, and they share a tasting room with Convergence Zone, which makes some interesting whites.
Are these 6 you’re taking out wine nerds or business colleges that are looking for something to do?
Do you want to go to places you would you like (and the others will be fine with whatever) or are you looking to entertain them?
what day of the week are you looking to go?
There are a lot of different options/styles that different groups would enjoy separately.
(that being said, the safe bet is the Hollywood Hills area)
Delille also has a tasting room with Carriage House- so in case you cannot get into the winery itself.
Trust was decent last I tasted. As was Force Majeure.
http://www.gotastewine.com/woodinville-wineries.php
Despite being a local, I can’t offer much advice beyond that- I hear good things about Lauren Ashton and Sparkman, and a few others. I should try to make the circuit one of these days, but the bulk of woodinville has seemed pretty homogenous to me over the last few years. Lots of fruit and oak driven wines.
Business colleagues, not close to wine nerds. I’d like something I’d like but that would also entertain.
Sounds like the area south of the city works best.
That’s a great lineup right there!
We went out last year and explored the Hollywood area. We visited DeLille’s Carriage House, the Col Solare room at Ch St Michelle, aMaurice and Lachini. Of those I enjoyed Fidelitas and aMaurice the most, though the people at Lachini were super friendly. We liked Fidelitas enough to join, but the wines are pretty structured in their youth.
The real highlight out there is the Herbfarm and their incredible cellar.
Based on this I would not do the warehouse district – though as others have noted making a special trip for Savage Grace would be worth it if you can do it.
Sodo is nice – some really good wineries. But not a lot else to do there. The nice thing about Hollywood Hills is that there are some restaurants, and maybe a few other shops if I remember correctly. It is also a prettier setting than the Sodo one. (Don’t get me wrong, I love the Sodo spaces and wineries, but if these people are not as into wine then it might be less interesting).
Hollywood Hills is of course in Woodinville, so if you are based in Seattle that is a bit more of a drive than going to Sodo.
K Vintner was really good. There are so many wineries I have never heard of but my brother took me too in August.
Eight Bells
Two Vintners
Stevens
Januik is also a winner.
Lots of great recommendations, you are being steered in the right direction. If you do make it out to the Hollywood Hills and would like to visit Darby, let me know in advance and I’ll try to be there and bring a library wine or two.
Matt Austin
Assistant Winemaker
Darby Winery
AMaurice is a good recco.
Another vote for the SoDo district. Full Pull is also in there in the same block as Rotie, Kerloo, Waters, Structure and Sleight of Hand. Some really nice tasting rooms, and super folks all around. Very fun, cool area.
In addition to those mentioned above in Woodinville, I’d add Kevin White and Avennia in the WH district.
So much good wine out there, so little time. Would love to hear where you end up!
If you’re entertaining non wine geeks, as you say you are, I agree that avoiding the warehouse district is the best idea. I’d do Delille, Mark Ryan, and Januik/Novelty Hill (very cool, modern tasting room). The latter will also provide some wines that are very well-priced in the context of Woodinville prices. Many more than that, and you risk boring some of your associates. A good way to wrap up is to “cleanse” the palate with a stop at Red Hook Brewery. The beer is so-so, but it’s a cool spot and the beer inevitably tastes better after a few wineries, mostly as a refreshing change.